Featuring Kerala cuisine ( new cuisine in the Indian culinary venues in CHICAGO) Ate FISH FRY Aappam with Root Korma and Chettinad chicken. I totally understand that they have to cater to caucasian palate but there was no offer of spice level to the customers, so I was disappointed. My origins are in Kerala and while I would never compare the flavors here to the native one at least some of the dishes should scream original in flavors. FISH FRY was cold to eat and the chicken chettinad was watery and lacked the flavor and it ideally is spice heaven. Aappam was served cold and was sticking to the plate . Glad I tried it but it aint the creme de la creme it claimed. read more

Excellent food and ambiance. Went for lunch and thoroughly enjoyed it. Easy ordering and great service

An exciting new spot serving Kerala Indian food. I visited Thattu with a friend and we had a nice meal but perhaps had too high expectations going into it with the NYT top 50 review. The self serve and completely contactless ordering through the QR code was efficient but it would've also been nice to have someone explain the different dishes. Highlights were the steamed fish wrapped in a banana leaf and kappi coffee. We also had the chicken biryani and eggplant. The biryani had pretty mild flavors but was tasty and the eggplant was a bit heavy on the taramind for my personal taste. read more

There are deep flavors to be plumbed at Thattu off of Belmont. Prepare to be smashed over the head with the essence of curry leaves, coconut oils, and the culinary might of the spiciest coastline on planet Earth. We ordered half of the menu off the rip and were thoroughly impressed with the level of heat (which is spicy but not devastatingly so, more than mild less than volcanic) and prolific use of green cardamom, clove, cinnamon et al. particularly in the preparation of their meat dishes. It was also the first time we ever had appam, a sort of Keralan/Tamil "pancake" reminiscent of Ethiopian injera except with coconut milk and fermented rice batter. It provides a textural bedding and is a great balance to the chettinad chicken. Tearing off chunks of appam and using it for the food provided additional tactility to the whole experience. Yucca and plantain also make delightful and welcome appearances. The biryani was compelling because each grain of basmati appeared to be imbued with the soul of 34 million people. Every dish oozed aromaticity, wafting through the air like culinary incense. If you are allergic to flavor and punchy food, do not come to Thattu. If that's the sort of thing you tend to enjoy, make the reservation. read more

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Yummy food! Kappa bondas are the bomb. So is the stew or other small plates. Such a cute place with the most gracious staff! Cheers to you all!! read more

Indian food is something I'm not overly familiar with but always wanted to try. Wait staff were incredibly friendly and informative, walked us through the menu and made recommendations. Drinks were made extremely well. Tipping is not allowed. read more

High expectations exceeded. Heard a bunch about how good this place is, was not disappointed. Intense flavor in every bite, would recommend coming on a fri/sat to get the short ribs. Owners seem very nice For two people we got: Kallumakaya muscles appetizer Mushroom Mezhukkupuratti appetizer Short Rib & Porottas main Meen Pollichathu main Spiced bread pudding desert Was a lot of food but couldn't imagine not clearing the plates all for around $100. Can't say enough good things. read more

Fantastic atmosphere and amazing food. The Kerala chicken bites are my favorite menu item, but the "chaater tots" made with chaat masala were a revelation. I can't wait to go back and try some of the other dishes. This place and its lovely owners are truly deserving of all the industry accolades they have received recently, and I hope it sticks around for years to come! read more

Came for their first dinner service on 5/27. Tried several dishes, all were tasty with our favorites being the kadala (black chickpea) curry, mussels fry that we added the hot sauce to and the plantains dessert (delicious). Appams were crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Staff was very friendly and got to speak with owners/ chef who were wonderful people. Cocktail we had was a margarita with a twist using Indian ingredients and was delicious, the other cocktails sounded very interesting as well. Menu also had plenty of craft beer offerings with many featuring indian flavors and ingredients. Overall, was very enjoyable experience and reminded my Malayali girlfriend of home. We're grateful for the experience and excited to come back and try more. read more

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We were so excited to try this place as we are from Kerala.. we went in around 5:40pm on Saturday and we didn't have a reservation. The owner was rude and told we needed to have a reservation and that there is no table available and he just walked away without even giving us the option that we could wait. There was another employee who was kind enough to tell us that the tables are reserved and also gave us the option to wait and explained patiently that we may or may not get a place at the bar. The owner responded to my review and apologized. I understand it might be difficult during a busy day. We will try to make it to restaurant when we visit Chicago the next time. read more

Solid neighborhood option. I haven't had a lot of Indian food yet for me to opine but I really liked the biriyani was really good. The fish fry was a bit too salty for my taste. It is semi self service. You order via phone, the food and drinks are delivered to your table but you are responsible for all other (getting water, utensils, etc) read more

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Food was good, but service bordered on nonexistence, especially the poor attitude of the host/owner. Our party of four came with high expectations given the accolade showered on this restaurant on local television and Eater's hotlist. However, the lack of service, especially capped off towards the end of our meal by the host telling us that we needed to leave soon since they had another reservation when we had already put in our dessert order and was just waiting for our desserts left us with a very bitter aftertaste on our experience. Given their online ordering system, we had to beg some of the food runners just to answer some questions. Yet we saw the host and even the chef come out of the kitchen on several occasions to talk to presumably their friends or their regulars, we as first timers received no check in , certainly not by the host or any of the servers or should I call them runners. It's a rather strange system given the price points of their menu since the four of us spent about $180 with two cocktails. While the food or some dishes were decent, I can't excuse the indifference of the service, or should I say runners and the rudeness of the host to justify ever coming back to this place. This is probably the worst review that I felt compelled to write but the attitude of the people here just made me disappointed that we ever tried to come here since reservations are so difficult. We came in with great enthusiasm, and so out of the 10 dishes listed under "dinner" we ordered six of them - stand out was the pork chop Peralan which was perfectly cooked with a lovely sauce and collard greens. You can see the other items we ordered from the check, but in general I thought the smaller dishes or appetizers were underwhelming especially for the price. I certainly am not an expert on Indian cuisine, though I have gone to many of the top restaurants in, even in the UK but again I am sorry that the lack of attention or consideration, in terms of how they treat customers or maybe just first time customers is inexcusable. For the host to tell us that we needed to leave when the wait time between our dishes was so slow it's totally unprofessional and so far from the norm. I do have to confess I used to own a restaurant and so perhaps my standards are not the usual, but I was quite appalled at how we were treated. Is it our fault that our meal took about two hours because the waits between the dishes were so long on this Saturday nite? Please get your act together; certainly don't berate your customers who are trying to support you! read more

Such a gem in the Avondale neighborhood. Nice open space, and the nicest staff. Everything is fantastic but the standouts are the mussel fry, pork chop and side of appam. Bonus that service is already factored into menu prices. read more

Thattu is a one of a kind restaurant. Thattu's greatest asset is it's traditional and intense south Indian flavors. At the same time, it has some very interesting fusion items that combine Indian and American flavors like Kerala Fried Chicken Bites and ChaaterTots. Service is unique in that you order in an app (items are brought to your table) and no tip is required (included in the price). Drinks and desserts are also excellent. We enjoyed the Payasam and Chakka Rice Cake (both were so good that I cannot decide which is better). Staff were very kind and made space for our large party despite not having a reservation. We cannot wait to go back! read more

Wow!!! What an amazing place to have food. The ambiance is so soothing and the service is extremely friendly. We had the most fabulous dinner today. Everything is a worth try but our favorites were Kaapi, Sarbath and Malabar chicken. Also when they say spicy, they mean it!!! Would be coming back here again and again. read more

I can't stop thinking about their Kerala Chicken bites. Such a hip and delicious spot with tons of vegan options. Not a vegan but I dabble. This place is a must try. read more

Authentic flavors and very homely chill vibes! They have a no tipping policy but the waiters are still very attentive. The yogurt dip was delicious which suggests attention to detail. Highly recommend trying it out! read more

This fried chicken sandwich is insane! Great vibe, elegant restaurant design, nice people. Off the beaten path. Worth seeking out!

So good!! We went after seeing it on tiktok and left satisfied. We got 2 apps and 2 entrees + the platintain dessert for 2 people - we were definitely full but everything was delicious! read more

To the owners of Thattu, thank you for responding to my wife's post, but your response inspired me to respond. I rely upon a power wheelchair for mobility, doors, curbs, steps to name a few all represent unintentional discrimination against myself and other wheelchair users. The configuration of your front door makes it difficult to assess whether it is wheelchair accessible without having to first open a storm door. However, according to yelp it indicates your business as not wheelchair accessible, perhaps that needs updating. Plenty of businesses are not wheelchair friendly, but they often try to accommodate the best they can. After reading reviews about the restaurant, I was looking forward to trying your food when we were in the area. When I rolled up to your restaurant's open garage window at 5 o'clock, there were only a handful of customers sitting at the bar. Overall, from what I could see the restaurant looks very nice, I asked one of your staff if I could place an order for takeout, when they returned from the kitchen, they informed me to go orders were not being accepted. Perhaps the person in the kitchen did not realize I was in a wheelchair and this was a special request. From the business's perspective, a better response to my wife's posting would've been, "Sorry your husband was unaware that we are wheelchair accessible and will take steps to make sure future wheelchair understand this. Although we are not currently offering to go orders, we apologize for not making an exception in this situation". I'm giving a one star review not for the food, which I was unable to try, but the failure to accommodate the request of a wheelchair user to receive a takeout order. Hopefully, the next time we visit the area, we will be able to dine at your establishment. read more

Not ADA friendly- it's not that my husband couldn't get in the restaurant, it that they refused to- go order (they do to-go) when he went there. Bad business !!! Thanks for the reply- not helpful. read more

I really enjoyed my experience and food. The tots are fantastic! As a Malayalee - it's amazing to have this spot in my neighborhood.

We were underwhelmed by the dining experience after all the hype this restaurant received in social media and other reviews. No dish was that interesting or tasty enough to make us return or recommend this place. The lack of table service, only QR code menus, ordering for yourself and paying via a phone does not make for a special night out. There's no human interaction - might as well serve food on a conveyor belt. The restaurant's colorful interior design makes for a cheerful and welcoming environment and with some service and changes to the menu, it could make this a worthwhile dining experience. The mussel small plate was tasty and a fresh take on the ingredient. The pork chop entree with greens was the most substantial dish and our party enjoyed this the most. The chicken pepper curry with hardly any chicken and chick pea curry are basically the same dishes with small portions. You might be able to fill up on the rice served with the curries. The eggplant dish was more complex but the small serving not worth $11. The Kokanita margarita inspired drink was miniscule and again nothing special. read more