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    Papaspiros

    4.1 (318 reviews)

    Papaspiros Reservations

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    PAPASPIROS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Papaspiros

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    Natalie N.

    I've dined in here twice now and ordered takeout once. Every time it has been a 10/10 experience. All of the food is SO good. I highly recommend ordering the saganaki if you like cheese. When we come we order a bunch of the small plates and drinks and our bill is always lower than we expect it to be because of their reasonable prices. The service has always been great, everyone that works here has been friendly and personable to us. The last time we came they even gave us limoncello. I'm looking forward to coming here regularly in the future!

    Grecian Riganati Chicken
    Ruben B.

    What a great experience we had here. Starting with the service, our waiter did a great job taking care of us. Very knowledgeable about the food and the combinations. I had the lamb shank with Greek potatoes. The flavors are there and the meat was melting. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It's a small place and I, not only recommend this place but I'll be back here for sure.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    Mousaka
    Fareesa M.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]Great food, amazing service and love the ambiance!![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We ordered the mousaka and talapia, pictures attached below. Both were great!

    I want to commend the manager Bill at this restaurant, he was able to make up an order that was not done incorrectly, and I really appreciate that he overdone it in a good way, in making up what was incorrectly with my previous order. Thanks! again Bill. and JESUS LOVE'S YOU! and all that reads this review, or not, as well as your family! IN JESUS NAME!

    Combo plate
    yvonne r.

    Food was very good never had authentic Greek food glad I stopped by will come back soon

    Stephen C.

    Was at Papaspiros few weeks back and just now getting around to the review. I like to keep notes so I don't forget great experiences. Papa's is well appointed with the decor of traditional Greek colors and style. It's pretty large and airy with a nice full service bar with four or five stools. I can see how it can get jammed in the evening. It's on a great stretch of Lake St in Oak Park that has gentrified nicely over the years with great place to hang and dine. My server was friendly. A middle aged man Greek I believe, maybe family, definitely a pro and in the business for many years by his demeanor, confidence and knowledge of the menu. I started with the bowl of avgolemonos (egg drop soup). Incredible! I'm a soup guy and have been around a few bowls for of this Greek specialty and I have to say Papa's is some of the best I've ever had. Slightly thicker broth than most which is good. A nice consistency and very lemony. Went well with the fresh soft sliced sesame bread. I was going to go for salad a good Greek salad but I saw the lunch special of the lamb sandwich and fries. I like my gyros probably a bit too much. But this was lamb and great lamb at that. Thinly sliced, not chunks hacked at with a butcher knife like it too often is, but nice thin slices delicately layered on the pita bread with melted feta cheese on it and a drizzle of lamb juice. Mouth watering choice and excellently prepared with great presentation of a small side of romaine, onions and Roma tomatoes. The fries were thicker steak fries and not greasy at all seasoned with some salt and oregano. Sadly I poured ketchup on them, a bad habit I have, a throw back to the burger joints I hung at as a kid. These fries deserved better treatment. But, I did eat them with a knife and fork which I do, it makes me feel a bit like an aristocrat. All in all a definite foodie stop. Make it there.

    Mousaka
    Katie Y.

    This is one of those times I wish yelp allowed for half stars. If it did papaspiros would get a solid three and a half stars from me. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The entrance was a tad hard to find due to it looking more like a store front than a restaurant.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]The restaurant itself had a very comfortable neighborhood diner sort of feel to it.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The employees were very friendly and welcoming. The service was rather all over the map. At times you couldn't find someone at other times you had three people around you. But they did try and we did get everything we ordered. One of the employees mentioned that they were very short staffed that night so it could be better on a different night. They have a small but reasonable drink menu. And a nice sized food menu with lots of options. For my drink I went with the cosmopolitan. Can't go wrong with an old standard. It was enjoyable. My friend had a lemon drop martini and said it was good. For starters we had the Greek fries which were sliced potatoes fried and sprinkled with greek herbs and you can add feta cheese which we did. They were very flavorful and delicious. We also had the dolmathes yialantzis which are grape leaves stuffed with rice and served with greek yogurt and veggies. They were really good. Plump and flavorful. The veggies were cool and crisp, very nice. For my meal I had the Mousaka which is layers of roasted eggplant, zucchini, potatoes, and ground meet topped with a béchamel sauce and served with sweet peas in a tomato sauce. Honestly I wish I liked this dish more. On top of it surprisingly lacking flavor the dish gave the impression that it might have been microwaved. I don't know this for sure but parts were lukewarm while other parts were steaming hot. Very odd. I probably would not order this dish again. My friend got chicken kebab's. She asked if they could add any extra veggies and was told they could not. This seems odd to me but okay. She did end up liking her meal. For dessert we got the baklava which was good. It tasted a bit like warm apple pie which I have no problem with. We also tried the galaktoboureko which is a custard baked in filo dough. It was good nothing special but certainly didn't taste bad. The prices were not bad either. I think in the end I wouldn't drive the 40 minutes to go back but if I happened to be in the area I might give it another try. The appetizers are delicious.

    Steven B.

    This is quickly becoming my favorite restaurant in Oak Park. We've lived in OP for 20 years and every time we eat here we have a great time. The food is great, not overpriced. What makes it for me is that it is a family business and when you are there you feel a part of that family. I had the salmon which was perfect, my wife couldn't decide so she had the combination platter which is enough food for 3 people, and my daughter had shrimp with pasta which was perfect. Of course we started with saganaki (sp?) and ended with homemade baklava.

    Lunch specials
    Miranda C.

    Family got takeout the other day, and I had the rice from the Mousaka that was still in the fridge. Nobody wanted it because it had peas? Didn't make sense to me. Alas, it had a ton of little bones in it! Didn't stop me from eating it but I would have been upset if I had paid for it. Things I like here include the gyros (big enough to share) and the smelts

    Sangria
    Food M.

    1st review It was my first time at big papas and it was a delight. Not so much for the food but the atmosphere and old school feel of service. It took no longer than 45 seconds to be seated and in fact we were escorted right off the side walk before we could even ask for a table. So really it was a kidnapping. Literally, just snatched off the street with no indication that we even wanted to go in this place and 45 sec later we were seated at a table looking at a drinks menu. WTF just happened!?!? So after I realized that I was safe and wasn't gonna be blindfolded, I ordered a sangria to start. It got to the table like in 2 min and it was drunkards dream and yet with a touch of class (see pic). I ordered the grecian chicken with rice pilaf and it did not disappoint. There's not much that you can say about grecian chicken. Grecian chicken is either good or its not and this one did its thing. The rice pilaf was flavorful and moist. The entire dish gave you the familiar sense of home. But what was most interesting was the staff. Not only did they provide just awesome service but they all looked and acted like old Greek mobsters! Yes they were super nice but I wouldn't be surprised if each of them were involved in at least one whacking. I would most def recommend and will def go back and try something not so basic. So i give it 4/4 open mouths on atmosphere alone. It starts when the foodmoutheats

    Greek chicken salad

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    3 years ago

    Fresh, delicious. Love the spanikopita. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Lovely ambiance if dining in, but takeout is a good option too.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

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    6 years ago

    Best Greek restaurant! Food is always fresh & . Service is always great!!! We come here at least once a month!

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    4 years ago

    Nice place, friendly. The food is adequate. When I want some filling comfort food I order the spanakopita. Reasonable prices.

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    Page 2 of 8

    Ask the Community - Papaspiros

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    Rustico

    4.3
    (395 reviews)
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    Food was delicious and the service was warm and pleasant. Our waiter was very attentive and the…read morechef also came out to ask us how the food was. We ordered tapas to share, chicken piccata and dessert. Everything was very tasty. Will definitely return.

    Rustico was a really wonderful dining experience. From the moment we sat down, the atmosphere felt…read morerelaxed and welcoming, and the service made the evening especially enjoyable! The bread service was fantastic. The tomato focaccia and the baguette were both excellent and I had to remind myself not to fill up on it before the main meal! LOL! We started with the calamari which was very well seasoned and clearly not the typical frozen version you often see from foodservice distributors. It tasted fresh, was crispy, and well prepared. For dinner I ordered the margherita pizza which was simple and delicious. I ended up ordering a second one to-go for my partner who couldn't make it to dinner. He also loved it - even after it sat for ~30 min or so while we chatted more, then drove home to the Maywood area. I would imagine their delivery is pretty good based on that! My mom had the rigatoni vodka with added crumbled Italian sausage which she loved, and my dad ordered the Marcelino. He loved the generous amount of seafood and how well seasoned it was. My parents are big wine drinkers and my dad was especially impressed with the wine list and the selection available. Oscar was an incredible server!! He struck the perfect balance of being attentive while still letting us enjoy a relaxed, unhurried evening. The support staff and food runners were also fantastic and very friendly, making the entire service experience feel polished! I also loved the kitchen was more open which gives you confidence in the quality and care that goes into the food. The dining space is inviting with a nice bar area and an additional room that looks perfect for busy nights or private gatherings. Overall a great restaurant that we would absolutely return to!!

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    Citrine Cafe

    Citrine Cafe

    4.1
    (274 reviews)
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    this place is the place to go as they have their act together in every aspect…read more went on a thursday night with an opentable reservation for my friend and myself as we were catching up. my friend is a wine person (i'm no where near what he is) who has travelled the world in pursuit of wine and has a wine collection that would knock your socks off---and he picked this place based upon having a good wine selection--and he and the server talked wine, with me clueless as i'm a no knowledge wine person! the service was excellent. our server did not rush us and answered every question in detail as there were some things we just did not understand on the menu. the food presentation was top notch and well prepared. i have the amish chicken and it was not only presented nicely, but was juicy--even the white meat! had the octopus for an appetizer and that was quite good. my friend had a pasta which was quite tasty, so really, i conclude the food is well prepared and well presented. the ambiance is comfy and it is the the type of place you can come dressed up or in jeans. so make the reservation and go.... we were there talking til after close a bit and not once did they rush us out, so i say go, figure about 50-75/person, but make the open table reservation.

    Wasn't totally impressed with this place. Went because a friend dragged me here because she knew a…read moreserver who was worked here but the food was mediocre the drinks were Meh. I don't think we'll be returning services will not that great either or friendly I should say

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    North Ave Falalfel

    North Ave Falalfel

    4.1
    (107 reviews)
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    Not super friendly. The food was odd. The beef kabob platter did not come in a kabob style. The…read moresalad was old. The rice was more like Spanish rice. The garlic sauce was 50 cent. MOST disappointing and odd was the hummus tasted like egg, never had this experience before and I am an average connoisseur of Mediterranean foods.

    For a place in a strip mall this is pretty good to be honest. It was a lot better than the…read moreexpectations based on the looks. North Avenue Falafel is located on North Avenue of course, but it's way out west around Oak Park. Has more than just falafel here with lots of classic items. There's options for both meat eaters and vegetarians who will find lots of good things. Came in around lunch and got a combo. It's about $12 for a typical one. They also have a few cheaper lunch specials. Had to get the Falafel Platter. This is the place's signature item after all, so it had to be good, and it was. I came with eight pieces of falafel. Quite a lot for a platter at this price. Lots of good ass stuff on here. There was hummus, Jerusalem salad, pitas, and rice. Falafel is the main thing it seems, but there's actually plenty more. There's side items like salads and soups. Have to make a return trip over here some time and get some more of the falafel and some other items. It's the best at lunch when there's some specials. There's more than just falafel, with a few meaty choices, and lots of choices for vegans and vegetarians.

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    La Parra Restaurant & Bar

    La Parra Restaurant & Bar

    4.6
    (208 reviews)
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    The food here was amazing. On a recent work trip to Chicago, we stopped in at La Parra and left…read moreexcited about the meal. We got to try items that we had not had together before including the goat cheese and tomato sauce with the toasted bread. I personally loved the lamb which was very tender and fell off the bone. The staff were very attentive and friendly. They had a couple large groups that they were able to navigate with ease. They also provided a parting drink for everyone. Our Patas Bravas dish did come out a little late so we were not able to enjoy it as much since we were getting full, but it tasted heavenly with the dipping sauce. If you are in the area, please check them out!

    I was actually surprised on the vast menu items they offer from Italian pasta to tapas. Pedro was…read morevery nice to talk to as he introduced us to the specials of the day. The dinning room was fairly large as we walked in and sat close to the door. Pedro gave us the specials of the day and I ordered the seafood risotto ($32). My friend ordered the Fettuccine Fruitti di Mare ($30). Both dishes was good, with the right balance of protein and noodles. My risotto was a bit too cheesy but it was manageable. Service was very good, they stopped by to check on you and replace the dishes if needed. Overall, the food and service was great. There are plenty of street parking around the restaurant. I would come back for more next time.

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    Clean open kitchen!
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    Papaspiros - greek - Updated July 2026

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