My Mom made a run here for a large Avgolemono soup for us for lunch. Dude, amazing. Absolutely delicious. It had the right amount of everything. My mom and I split a large which was more than enough. We both didn't care for the bread... and they didn't pack butter, so they lose a star. I can't wait to try other items and maybe boost that rating! I highly recommend that soup though!
Review Source:The birthday girl chose this place for her celebration so another gal decided it would be a good idea to make a reservation on a saturday night which we did make for 8 at 7:30pm.We arrived on time and checked in. We continued to wait in their crowded entry way and then decided to ask how much longer it would be to which one of the young ladies replied that the other girl never told her we were there. We ended up waiting 2 hours for our table!!!! ridiculous! The gentleman seating who was either the manager or owner, not sure but he gave us attitude when we commented about the wait. Really? is that how you treat customers when it was YOUR irresponsible help that made the mistake? As for the food, the saganaki was good, the octopus was outstanding but the rest of the food was very mediocre to say the least. The moussaka was not homemade and had no flavor, might have even been frozen and reheated...yuk! Â Will not return or recommend to anyone~so many places that are better just a little further away which will be worth the drive. Or maybe the next time I make moussaka I will drop a piece off to them for them to see how it should be made!
Review Source:Went to lunch here with a friend. During prime time the parking lot is absolutely filled. And it's not an easy parking lot to get around in. We ended up parking two blocks away (in the frigid cold).
We entered the restaurant, were greeted by the hostess and quickly seated at one of the tables in the dining room. The place is nicely decorated and comfortable. Our waitress came by to take our order. Bread and water were quickly placed on our table by the busboy. We ordered the Saganaki appetizer, Avgolemono soup, Gyros sandwich (with salad) and a Gyros salad. First off, the waitress completed forgot our Saganaki after we asked for it...TWICE. So it was served with our meal. I initially ordered a Sprite, and switched to iced tea. Asked two times for my iced tea and it finally arrived. Once we were finished with our meal, the waitress boxed our leftover food and asked if we wanted coffee. We said no, and she left to get the check. When she came back she asked if we wanted coffee (again) as well as more iced tea. We said no, that we were finished. She came back to pickup the paid check and asked if we wanted more iced tea or anything else. Not sure if she confused us for a thirsty table or if she didn't understand.
The meal was mediocre. Service was forgetful, then overbearing when we were finished eating. Next time I'll save up my money and go to Greektown.
for many many years my #1 Greek restaurant was Greek Isle. Â Psistaria knocked them down to #2. Â Hands down the tastiest gyros I've ever had. Â Great saganaki as well. Â My buddy had the Chicken Riganati and said it was also awesome. Â Free valet parking, decent bar and definitely very very very reasonable bar prices!
Review Source:Psistaria is a nice change from the usual Greektown scene in downtown Chicago. We went on a busy Friday night but didn't have to wait too long for a table. The restaurant could really use a little more room for people to wait in (even the bar was packed), although there isn't much room to spare. I felt really jammed in once we did get seated, however it is always good to see a restaurant full of people.
We started with the saganaki which was good, and followed up with the soups that came with our entrees, which were not bad (egg lemon and navy bean). My mom and I shared an appetizer order of lima beans with a tomato-like sauce (gigantes), which was phenomenal. The beans were enormous, cooked perfectly, and the sauce was just right. My only issue was that they were not nearly as warm as I would have liked.
I went with the lamb, which would out of this world! I could barely eat all of it after having the lima beans, soup, and all the delicious bread that everyone kept bringing to the table. Definitely impressed! My mother ordered moussaka (which she eats at almost every Greek restaurant we go to) and loved it!
The new owners have done a great job redoing the interior and making it a welcoming atmosphere.
This review is not for the food. The two stars are for the lack of good business sense. Â I just called to make a Saturday reservation for 7 p.m.
Guess what ?THEY DON'T TAKE RESERVATIONS AFTER 6 p.m! Â Â
What on earth is that all about? Â Who wants to wait an hour on a Sat. night to get a table at a busy restaurant? Â What restaurant needs reservations before 6 p.m. on a Saturday??? Â
I am so disappointed, as I wanted to bring my friends to this place. Â I am not going to make them wait to sit down.
What a stupid, insensitive decision on the management's part!!!
This place is awesome. Â Changed ownership a little while back and it is a completely different experience. Â The interior is bright and clean, the staff is warm and welcoming, and most importantly, the food is fantastic! Â I have gone for lunch multiple times, and it never disappoints. Â I am usually in a rush to get back to work, and they are able to accommodate a quick but delicious lunch. Â The prices seem really reasonable too, considering everything (I believe) comes with homemade soup. Â Definitely competes with any restaurant in Greektown.
Review Source:I've been to Psistaria several times over the last 10 years. The food has always been decent, but since the new owners have taken over things have gotten much better. They remodeled, which the restaurant was sorely in need of. And I feel they have done a better job with service and the food is now outstanding.
My latest trip was for lunch with a friend. Two different loaves of fresh bread were brought to the table. One was a salty, sesame flavored loaf, the other was more of crusty French bread. There is olive oil on the table but they also served butter. Of course we ordered saganaki, which we ate with the bread. Honestly I was full at that point.
My friend and I both ordered the gyros sandwich, which came with either a bowl of soup or a salad. I went for the salad, the friend got the lemon chicken soup. I've had that lemon chicken soup before and knew I didn't want to eat that heavy, but it is really good. The salad was a mix of romaine and iceberg with bits of Greek cheese and olives. It will honestly be a difficult choice for me next time because as good as the soup is, the salad dressing was delicious, even on iceberg lettuce.
The Gyros sandwich, which is really an open plate of gyros over a pita, comes with a side. We both opted for vegetables which turned out to be an oil slurry of eggplant, green beans, onions and potatoes. It was not the least bit healthy which we'd hoped for, but it was so good.
The gyros itself was excellent. They make their own according to the menu. It was nowhere near as salty as gyros you might get elsewhere. But still full of lamb and fat, and awesome. Very small side of tzatziki in a tiny cup, really like a shot glass. I'm not accustomed to eating gyros with such a small serving of sauce, but it was barely necessary.
The service was top notch, really. I'm not sure why I don't eat at this place more often. The only bad thing was it was my one and only meal the entire day, ate way too much.
This place is under new ownership and has gotten a real upgrade. The food and the service was fantastic. Â The expanded menu made it very hard to decide. Â I tried the moussaka, which is a lasagna type dish made with egg plant, meat, and potato. Â It was simply the best I've ever had. Â The saganaki was a pyrotechnic delight and the Greek waiter never came close to the consuming flame. Â Definitely the best Greek restaurant on the far North-side (actually it's in a border town) Â Greek town, its been nice.
Review Source:I came here for lunch about 8 years ago and was so underwhelmed...
So on a lark and craving some lamb, a lamb shank to be exact, I was in the hood and thought I'd give Psistaria a another try...
WOW - the alleged new owners got the place buzzing, happy, and revamped the  menu with lamb shanks 3 ways! And, man, was it delish!!! So was the soup, peas, and rice that came with it.
I'm sad to think that I kept driving past this place for the last 5 years but now I am so happy that I found my lamb fix on the north side. No need to drive to Greektown or look for lamb shank specials at high priced middle eastern or Indian restaurants when I can get it here daily.
Now that's OPAAAAAA!
Attentive service and delicious food. The potato garlic sauce that comes with the beets is pure bliss. I got a drink at the bar while waiting on friends and the bartender poured samples of the wines for me to taste before I purchased one. She was very patient and made suggestions of what she thought I would like. We had two waiters for dinner and both checked on us many times throughout the night. I couldn't have asked for better food or a better service.
Review Source:This place is really very good!
We were hesitant to go to Psistaria because in it's previous incarnation the place was abysmal. But we were willing to try it because friends raved about it...we were not disappointed.
The service is very good. There is valet parking. Our server Timotheos was polite, helpful and shook our hands when we left. Our busboy, Eloi was wonderful and should get a raise.
The food was very good. We started with the fried zucchini with skordalia which was excellent. The zucchini was thinly sliced and fried without being oily . We had grilled octopus which was tender and tasty. The appetizer plate consisted of cheese and spinach pies--excellent, almost homemade--small shishkebobs, bifteki and greek sausage. Our only suggestion would be that a few slices of fresh lemon should accompany this appetizer. We had the house red and found the pour very generous!. We finished with cold,fresh  galactobureko....all in all, it was very good food and service. We will most certainly be back!
I reviewed this restaurant once before and wanted to give a much more favorable review after a recent visit. The place was busy, but neither food nor service suffered. Smiley, attentive waiter clued us in that a couple of large parties were due soon, and suggested we give our orders so they wouldn't lose out in the crush. He didn't rush us through our appetizers, or bring the food too soon--he just made sure we had a good meal, and when we wanted it. The busboy again was great--watched closely and quickly removed used dishes, but unobtrusively. All of us liked the appetizers (spanikopita and saganacki), and the meals were equally good (lamb, cod and combo platter). I'm looking forward to the next visit!
Review Source:So this is my first review. Â 3 days after the fact and I am still thinking about wonderful fish soup. Â I can have it all day.
5 stars because....
-My family recieved a warm welcome.
-Our server served with knowledge and a smile
-The FOOD WAS ALL FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!
-The staff seemed to work as a team
-The FOOD WAS ALL FANTASTIC!!!!! Â AGIAN!
-Can't put a price on quality.
Thank you Psistaria!
Thank you my new friends. Â Staying with Family in Chicago, and wanted to run out to a somewhat quick yet nice and quiet dinner for just the two of us. Â Psistaria did not disappoint! Â
Sometimes we give gifts to people and we don't even realize it. Â Your gift to us was some much needed solitude from our Grand kids, kindness in a place we didn't know, and heartwarming food. Â You so delivered!!! Â I could have sat there all day. Â
We're from California, and have some Greek food out here, but yours was fresh and delicious. Â Your Gyros Mmmmmmmmmm, I got an appetizer and picked a couple of dips all fantastic and nice looking.
We will be back on our next trips. Â Thank you so much my new friends. Â Thank you.
Have not had such wonderfully fresh and delicious food since we were in Greece a very long time ago! Â We love to eat out and Greek is a favorite. Â Tried the new Psistaria on a recommendation. We had the 3 spread appetizers, tzatziki, eggplant and taramasalata. Â Good portions of each and soooo tasty, Â as well as excellent bread. Â My husband got the grilled octopus, WOW amazingly good! Â My moussaka was also delicious. Â Oh and I forgot to mention the home made soup that came with the meal, Â the seafood soup was outstanding. Â Attentive service, pleasantly redecorated interior... Â It was hard to choose from the menu, and for Great Greek food the prices are reasonable. We will definitely be back!
Review Source:We stopped in for lunch last week and much to our surprise, when Christopher did his usual Yelp check in we got 15% off the bill. That was certainly a pleasant bonus!
I have been here in the past and from what I gather reading other reviews, it is under new ownership. The service was certainly friendly and attentive. My memories from the past were of less than friendly service, so this was an improvement.
We started off with saganaki. It's just something we do. The cheese was a bit thicker, which meant more, but also it did not melt and become creamy like other places where we have had it. I would not order it again. Oh well, saganaki is kind of a touristy thing anyhow.
Christopher had the gyros sandwich. The meat had a nice flavor to it, but it was a fairly standard gyros sandwich. I opted for the roasted lamb shank which came with a spinach rice combo. The dish was dominated by the spinach and to my tastes had an oddly bitter flavor. I brought some leftovers home for Mom, and she really liked the spinach, so it is just a matter of personal taste. The lamb shank was very meaty, and flavorful, but not as good as some I have had other places.
I also had a cup of their fish soup. Once again, it was good, but not great. I would come back here to try a few more items, but to be honest, it is just more fun to go down to Greektown where the mood is more festive. We'll try Psistaria some night and see if things pick up a bit.
Brand new owners, menu, and decor, all approved. Great service, so attentive and polite. Extremely accommodating about diets, vegetarians, vegans, and even meat lovers. One of the places I can go when I'm not sure what I have a taste for and always find something great, from soup to lunch to a big dinner. Always bringing people here, and they always ask when they can go back. Also, anywhere you can catch live music is amazing, and this is one of those places. Best service ever!
Also have to mention, this is a place where you can have delicious fresh sea food.
We end up in the area quite a bit and have stopped in a few times for dinner.  Each time I'm here, I feel like an 80 year old. The atmosphere makes me want to run back to the city to instead try another fun/new/exciting/cute/interesting restaurant on my  list.  That said, sometimes you don't want to run into anyone you know, and this is a perfectly good place to enjoy suburban solitude.
We stopped by recently, and they had changed the menu since the last time we were there. Â We asked about the stuffed chicken I had ordered in the past, which was now missing from the menu. Â I was really happy when the waitress said that while off the menu, they can certainly make it for me. Â
Portions are ridiculously huge. Â Our waitress scolded us for not eating enough (we would've been sick if we had eaten everything), and while I'm sure she was trying to be cute, she kind of didn't let it go and it was bordering on uncomfortable. Â Anyway, we had a doggie bag packed, which seemed to make her feel better.
Wouldn't travel out of my way for it, but good Greek food if you are in the area.
I've been eating here for about 5 years now. I love their lamb chops , lemon soup, and the roasted potatoes.
As of April 2012 they are under new ownership. I didn't know it until I had been seated, and given a new menu. Gone was the 3 lamb chop option. It was replaced  with a 5 lamb chop option. Way too much for me to finish. The new owner came to my table, and told me they could change it to three. He said I could have what ever I wanted. He also said I would be pleased with the new improved quality of the meat.
He was right. Those were great lamb chops. The lemon soup was also very good.
The roasted potatoes were excellent. Â The new owner returned to my table several times to inquire if everything was to my liking.
This will continue to be my go to place for lamb chops.
i dig this place. food is aaay-okay. these are real greek folks, and their service is nice and welcoming. we always get the combination plate, because everything is good and we can't dedicate ourselves to only one dish.
we never have to wait for a table, though parking can be tricky. one time there were no spots in their lot, but there's a synagogue next door that wasn't having service. ran in to ask if its okay to park there, and they said yeah. so, try that, but be sure to ask if it is okay, just in case.
I have never dined in this restaurant, but have picked up dinner on numerous occasions. I think the food is delicious and better than recent meals I have had in Greek Town. We usually get a combination plate so we can try a variety of items. The pastitsio is wonderful, the leg of lamb and chicken juicy and tender, and the dolmades very flavorful and not the least bit dry. The combination plate has 4 items on it along with rice, a potato and a veggie. Also comes with soup and bread - great food and a great deal.
Review Source:I read the reviews for Psistaria and it was a mixed collection of very good and very bad so I thought I would give it a shot to form my own opinion and satisfy my craving for Greek. Although the servers were very nice, the food was very lackluster and disappointing. Â Additionally, the shrimp in the pasta dish that I ordered was not devined. Â Once I saw that I had a very tough time finishing my meal. Â It is not often that I provide a negative review, but the lack of cleaning my shrimp is definitely cause for mention.
Review Source:Like Yelper Matt T., Psistaria is a place I had driven by dozens of times for years without stopping. One Sunday afternoon, trying to figure out what to grab for lunch with a Lincolnwood-based pal, I opened up the Yelp application and saw a fantastic special posted. Within minutes, we were cruising down Touhy to check out this complete gem.
Simply put, the food is phenomenal. Prices are fair and portions are gargantuan. Almost everything comes with a huge salad of lettuce, onion, tomato. vinaigrette, and huge, tangy chunks of feta. The saganaki? Rivals those found in Greek town. And everyone was pleased with their dishes.
My moussaka, the Greek rendition of eggplant parmesan, was stacked high with soft-roasted potatoes, eggplant, a spicy ragout of ground beef and tomatoes, bechemel, and a touch of cheese. Rich, hearty, and satisfying, this is the food I dream about when the weather gets cold and I want to be transported off to beautiful Mediterranean locales.
My pal's gyros? Damn good. Not too greasy, nicely crisped on the outside, and served with pita wedges and fresh tzatziki, this is an excellent and classic (well, atleast Greek-American classic) version of the dish. My friend, a 6-foot-plus man with a huge appetite, had trouble putting away that much food and left with easily another whole meal.
Service is friendly, accommodating to questions, substitutions, and dietary concerns, and expedient. Parking is ample and, well, while the location ain't the most picturesque, it's certainly convenient-- within spitting distance from 94.
If, like me, you've driven by this place for years without giving it a second look, think again. I can't wait to go back.
Quite honestly, after reading all of the reviews here, I expected much better. Â Service was simply okay. Â Strange choice of music playing in the restaurant. Â They were not busy at all (about 10 tables) and it still took forever to get our food. Â I had shrimp and scallops and they were awful. Â Over salted and way too much seasoning, plus the shrimp was dried to almost a crisp. Â Our server didn't even bother to stop by to ask how our food was, so I just ate the rice it came with. Â Will never go back or recommend to anyone else.
Update:
Just to show how good of a business this is. Â I got a message from the owner of this business: Â "You are a moron you wouldn't know good food if it hit you in the face go screw yourself'
I've never been so appalled in my life.
You know those restaurants that you drive by ALL the time and never think twice about going in? Â Those places that you glance at and automatically judge as mediocre or not worthy of your foodiness? Â Yes, Psistaria is that place and I was being a food snob all these years. Â Boy, was I wrong. I got a chance to eat here with some friends and I was more than pleasantly surprised.
I've driven past this place a thousand times on trips between my dad's house in Skokie and my apartment in West Rogers Park. Â I did not know anyone who had gone and I judged the place from the outside so I drove right past often thinking about the bagels and lox across the street.
When I walked into PGT to meet friends I saw a place that was decorated to look like an old greek restaurant in Greece (believe it or not). Much like the design of the bigger establishments in Greek Town - you know, weathered brick walls mixed with stucco, tiled floor and white pillars. I started to judge the place and thought the food wouldn't be that good. It was a Wednesday night and it was fairly empty so I was thinking this place can't be that good. But, my friend's father insisted this was his favorite Greek spot and they treat you like family here so I dove in with an empty stomach.
PGT has an expansive menu of most traditional Greek dishes and some nice plates I haven't seen at my favorite Greek spots. The menu seemed to go on forever, with a large selection of traditional favs (dolmas...with meat! spinach pie, saganaki, gyros, Greek chicken, mousaka, etc) and lots of seafood, chicken and beef choices you really can't go wrong. Â I opted for the traditional combination platter cuz I really wanted to see how they did the simple things.
Before I get ahead of myself, we ordered a couple apps for the table: the grilled octopus and the saganaki. Both were fantastic (hard to screw up flaming cheese, although I only got a small taste) but the grilled octopus was fantastic. With some fresh lemon this seafood was bangin! I could have had the whole plate to myself.
Back to my entree...everything was fantastic. They gyros were really good...much less greasy than I'm used to and it tasted like fresh cooked strips of lamb. A slightly different flavor and texture, most likely because it was fresh rather than the spindle of gyro meat you get at your local hot dog stand. The mousaka (which I love) was very tender and had the right consistency of potato and meat. The pastitsio was also very good but something always throws me off when I get this because of the elbow macaroni. The noodle shapes just don't seem to fit with the meal. When I see elbow mac I think mac and cheese, not Greece.
Finally, the stuffed grape leaf that came with the combo was one of the best I've had. I consider myself a sort of grape leaf (or dolmas or dolmades...depending on whether your eating greek, middle easter, etc) was so so damn good. This particular grape leaf had grond beef inside! Blasphemy? No, it was just right, it was meant to be. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, than I suggest you pay close attention to the ingredients on the menu before ordering. Â Oh, and I almost forgot, the combo had some nice white rice with a sauce on it (have no idea but I've had this sauce b/4) and a greek potato. Oven brown and delicious with greek spices, I love these things and they are almost as good as the ones at Grecian Kitchen in Skokie.
The other dish I tried was my fiancee's greek chicken platter. Historically, I like the flavors of this dish with the lemon and herbs but often times the chicken is overcooked. They do a good greek chicken at Grecian Kitchen or Cross Rhodes in Evanston but sometimes you get some overcooked chicken, which is just a turn off, no matter how much sauce you dunk the chicken in. Â However, at PGT, the chicken was tender and delicious with the right amount of herbs and spices. Cooked to crisp perfection I barely got a taste of this before it was gone!
So, in conclusion, I'm sorry to PGT for passing this place and hating for so many years. I am so glad it worked out and I live close cuz now I have a nice greek spot to eat at or do take out other than Grecian Kitchen or Cross Rhodes. I'll be back.
Went here for the first last night... Wonderful experience! The atmosphere was comfortable, our server John was very helpful, patient and attentive.
I ordered
Tiropitakia...came in triangle form. They were some of the best I've had. buttery, savory but the cheese mixture was creamy and perfect!
Greek Salad...I'm not sure anyone can go wrong here but again, perfect.
Spinach Pie w/ side of  Oven Brown Potatoes.. soft, flaky butter outside. Fresh spinach, feta, light onions inside. Thankfully it wasn't packed with onions like some I've had.
I'm sure I could add more for flavors but honestly I'm going to say it's the best I've had in Chicago due to the impeccable customer service & variety of menu options. I can't wait to go back and try other menu options!
YUMMY!!!!!!!!!
My husband and I have passed this restaurant on the way to something or another a million times, and while we always thought it looked super cute from the outside, and has been there forever, we just never got around to it...well we finally did...and YOU SHOULD TOO!!! Â It's adorable outside AND inside!!!! :)))))
We went with my in-laws. Â The service was EXCELLENT, fast and everyone was helpful and sweet. Â Food portions were HUGE and really amazingly delicious. Â We started out with the zucchini and skordalia and of course the saganaki appetizer...OPAA!! Â They were tasty, and again huge portions at a great price. I had the traditional combo plate...a taste of everything (pastitsio, mousaka, gyros, etc) and it was HUGE! Â My husband had the vegetarian mousaka and loved it.
I even brought all my leftovers home and they were still SO delish the next day! Â
We had a great time and a delicious meal at a very reasonable price. Â We're sorry it took us so long to go, but now that we've been, we will definitely be back soon!
A great value! The food was absolutely fantastic. I had a very succulent lamb dish with potatoes that came with lemon chicken soup that was absolutely addictive -- all of it! All for $15. The service was fantastic -- our server George was so charming and helpful. I brought home a gyros plate for my husband and he loved it.
The only thing that was strange was the parking situation. They only have valet parking, but don't worry -- it's free (except for the tip). There is limited parking in their lot and there's no street parking around, so I guess this makes sense. But still -- it was a little confusing when I pulled up. But that was the only negative. I can't believe I've lived in this area for so long and never went here. It's my new favorite!
Been here a couple of times before....wasn't to impress with portions vs price and the kalamari wasn't so hot. Â But went back again to give it one more chance.
Better experience.
The staff was always friendly; I am sure me being Greek had nothing to do with it. Â I seen how the servers and hosts interacted with other tables and it was always in a professional friendly matter.
Our server was awesome...I felt bad cause I had a time constraint on dinner, but he rolled with it and added to the awesome experience  The food was good...Arni Kokkinisto with Augolemono soup (the soup itself was 'ok') Â
So its good stuff for it being close by to the house and I had always felt about making a trip TO Greektown to go to places down there. Â Cost was good too per serving. Â Will try this Psistaria again to see if it wasn't just a one time thing.
So in the almost 30 years my family lived in Lincolnwood, I finally went to Psistaria last weekend. It was actually pretty good.
The decor is interesting... it definitely feels like you walked out of Lincolnwood and into a restaurant in Santorini - a nice little oasis out of suburbia. One thing I will mention though is that the chairs are super uncomfortable. Hated them.
The lentil soup was very good, as was their Greek salad. We had their salmon and cod (I think it was Cod). While the salmon was slightly overcooked, the cod was very good.
We also had a fried zucchini appetizer that was a lot more deep fried than vegetable. But it did come with this super garlic spread that would kill a town of vampires. You have been warned.
I am kind of obsessed with their walnut cake and baklava. It was really the best part of the meal.
We went for Greek Easter lunch last weekend. Â For $18.95 a person we got soup (egg lemon or the Easter special soup with innards -- it's actually very good), salad, a giant portion of lamb, rice and potatoes. Â A great deal for so much food -- and very high quality too! Â The lamb was perfectly cooked, not too fatty, and fell right off the bone.
I will have to return to try the pastichio and moussaka, but for Greek Easter this place was perfect. Â Lovely atmosphere too, and not at all what you'd expect based on the neighborhood and the outside of the building. Â Service was delightful. Â If you happen to be in the vicinity, give it a try!