Want a little sun with that? In Chicago in the summer eaters and drinkers spill out-of-doors into beer gardens and backyards, onto rooftop decks, and across riverfront patios. For this annual restaurant guide we’ve culled from our listings some great spots for alfresco dining and drinking. Many others can be found online in the Reader Restaurant Finder, a database of listings for more than 3,500 Chicago-area restaurants. Restaurants are rated by more than 2,500 Reader Restaurant Raters, who feed us information and comments on their dining experiences. Web ratings are updated daily; print listings reflect the most current information available at press time. Reviews are written by Reader staff and contributors and (where noted) Raters. For complete listings and information on how to become a Reader Restaurant Rater see chicagoreader.com/restaurantfinder.
773-252-9990
5403 N. Clark
Athena
midnight, other nights till 11:30
773-334-4040
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Coobah serves the nuevo Latino food of excutive chef Jimmy Madla (formerly Veruca Salt’s drummer). Appetizers include a Caesar salad sweetened up with creamy sugarcane dressing and a fiery jibarito with jerk chicken; meat-centric entrees feature the chicken Negro Modelo, a Latin take on beer-can chicken. A good choice for late-night dining might be the hand-rolled tamales, $3.25 each and filled with spicy pork or black beans and cheese. The mostly Latin American and Spanish wine list is full of reasonably priced gems, many poured by the glass; there’s also an extensive list of mixed drinks. French doors open on to the main dining room in summer, and there’s an outdoor patio, often packed. Laura Levy Shatkin
