HungryZ.com
Typically when you go out for fast food, you’re limited by the menu. Usually the menu consists of burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, and maybe a fish sandwich. To remedy that I’ve taken a few trips to the “Grecian Kitchen” in Skokie, while not quite “fast food” it’s more what I like to qualify as “quality junk food”. The menu here is so large that if you can’t find something you’re in the mood for, then you don’t even know what you want.  The menu actually has over a 125 items to choose from including Italian beef, gyros, burgers, wraps, hot dogs, pastichio (Greek Lasagna), ribs, roasted chicken, salads, and shakes. Recently remodeled, the “Grecian Kitchen” looks a bit like a castle from the outside in effort to set it apart from local competitor “Hubs”.  But with a menu this large how does one know where to start? Luckily I lived in Skokie for over twenty years and have visited on more than one occasion. When you walk up to the counter to order you can see chickens roasting in the open kitchen. This is an excellent place to start because they offer their chicken in Greek, BBQ, Cajun, and plain. While all three are good choices, I prefer the Greek because it is basted in lemon and herbs and has a nice bright flavor. You can also pair the chicken with some fall off the bone ribs that have a wonderful barbeque sauce on them. One of my favorite things they do here is that if you want a side of barbeque sauce, they actually serve it to you warm instead of ice cold like most places. How about some classic Chicagoland food? The Italian beef is decent but not spectacular, same is true for the hot dog. Nothing really wrong with either but they don’t stand out either. The hot dog doesn’t get celery salt and the Italian beef’s gravy doesn’t have a robust flavor. Burgers are also pretty good but are overshadowed by the excellent offerings by “Poochie’s” and “Hubs” just minutes down the street. What is very good are their gyros. The lamb is sliced medium thick and has been roasting on the spit all day. The meat is nestled in a warm and fluffy pita and then topped with tomato, onion, and a tasty but slightly runny cucumber sauce. Another good option is the wraps. My favorite here is the Greek wrap. The wrap is rolled up with chunks of their roasted all white meat chicken lettuce, onion, tomato, Greek dressing, and creamy feta cheese. Pair it up with any one of their 15 sides and you got a tasty meal. Sure they have fries, but why not try the Greek potatoes? The lemon and herb flavor are unlike anything you’ll get at any fast food joint. Overall “Grecian Kitchen” offers good food, abundant variety, for fair prices. Most items are under $5 with the full slab of ribs topping out at under $16. Dempster Street in Skokie offers quite a few quality eateries to choose from and “Grecian Kitchen” definitely fits into the mix. Rating ** and ½ out of ****. Location 3939 W. Dempster Skokie, IL 60076 847-677-5507                                                                                  Home