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BYO in Chicago

An April 2002 trip to Chicago by Laura

This is a compilation of Chicago restaurants to which you can bring your own wine, beer or liquor too, I suppose.

  • 12 reviews

BYO in ChicagoBest of IgoUgo

Overview

I have enjoyed quite a few BYO places in the city. BYO means, you can bring your own libations - hooch, vino, brewskis! The reasons why they are BYO vary sometimes due to the cap on liquor licenses in a given precinct or perhaps religious reasons like at the little Moroccan place. Nevertheless, it sure does save money and can be really fun too. I know I have a full wine rack at home just begging for some action.

Quick Tips:

To find a BYO place you can check metromix.com nd search for them by the BYO category.

Best Way To Get Around:

Udupi PalaceBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Udupi Palace is located on Devon Ave. among a long strip of Indian restaurants and markets. It offers pure vegetarian cuisine. The decor is not so fancy; neither are the tables and chairs. Many customers are Indian and it was recommended to me by an Indian friend. We got my favorite palak paneer - cheese cubes in spicy spinach. We saw these huge crepes go by - like 2 feet long. I asked the waiter what they were. I barely understood a word he said, but he recommeded the huge crepe along with the palak paneer. We were stuffed and finshed off the meal with some masala tea. The service was laid back. I'd go back for the great food even if I cannot understand the waiters' recommendations - you can't ever go wrong with pure vegetarian!
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Laura on August 24, 2003

Udupi Palace
2543 West Devon Ave Chicago, Illinois 60659
+1 773 338 2152

Moti MahalBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

I would never have tried this local place until an Indian friend in the neighborhood recommended it. It is not decorated or designed very well so it does not appear inviting. Now I know better. The food is great. They have palak paneer - cheese cubes in spinach, naan, chicken and lamb dishes, rices and more. The samosas are great. For lunch there is a buffet for $7.95 and for dinner there is a menu with all the normal Indian restaurant choices. This is a great little place just steps from the Belmont "El" stop.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Laura on August 24, 2003

Moti Mahal
1031 W. Belmont Ave. Chicago, Illinois 60657
773-348-4392

Ringo Japanese RestaurantBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Ringo is a BYO restaurant So I brpought a nice Pinot Noir and they quickly uncorked it for us with no fee. The restaurant is located in a tiny Lincoln Avenue storefront just down from a popular drinking establishment- Irish Eyes. I don't eat sushi, so I cannot speak to it. I did have the steak teriyaki and enjoyed it. I did not like the chicken teriyaki as much - it seemed slimy to me, but I like my chicken on the well-dine side. The flavor was good. The portion was big and it was beautifully served bento-box style with other traditional Japanese items - steamed veggies, seaweed salad, yummy cole slaw with peanuts. Entrees come with rice, miso soup and a salad with killer ginger dressing. We ordered vegetable tempura too. The batter could have used a little more salt. I also loved the entemami soy beans steamed and served in the pod. You don't eat the pod, just hold it in your teeth and slide the beans out. If you have one friend that wants sushi, there are plenty of other non-sushi choices like the terriki, tempura and noodle dishes at this restaurant so eveyone can be happy. The service is homey - like you are in someone's living room.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Laura on April 21, 2002

Ringo Japanese Restaurant
2507 N. Lincoln Chicago, Illinois 60614
773-248-5788

Ambassador CafeBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Ambassador Caffe"

This little Cuban dive is BYO. So pack up a nice chilled Chardonnay and try something new. We had tamales served with sliced ham on the side. These I could do without. They were a bit heavy and you want to save room for the entrees. The service is homey and warm. The walls are yellow and a decorated with a few patriotic art pieces celebrating Cuba. I joked that one was a young Fidel Castro, but who knows. The food is always made to order. I liked the grilled pork chops. They were pounded thin and well seasoned with some great Cuban spices. Dinners come with traditional sides of black beans and white rice.
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Laura on April 21, 2002

Ambassador Cafe
3605 N. Ashland Ave Chicago, Illinois 60613
773-404-8770

Joy's NoodlesBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Joy's Noodles & Rice "

This little East Lakeview Thai place may be even more popular with its carry-out or delivery customers. It is a cheap and fun place to go with a group. It is friendly. The service is quick. The walls are exposed brick and the tables and chairs simple. It is BYO, but I like to get the Thai iced coffee - a sweet, Thai spiced coffee treat. The spring rolls with fresh cucumber, carrot, clear noodles and bean sprouts and the chicken satay both served with peanut sauce are my favorites. Others love the Pad Thai - thin noodles with chicken and broccoli. I also like the cashew chicken served with rice as an alternative to the traditional noodle dishes.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Laura on April 21, 2002

Joy's Noodles
3257 North Broadway St Chicago, Illinois 60657
+1 773 327 8330

Las TablasBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

This restaurant serves up Colombian specialties. It is BYO so pick a nice Pino Noir and bring it along, but you are subject to a $3 corking fee. It gets pretty darn busy on the weekend so you can expect to wait. There is a lively atmosphere and it can be quite loud so don't bring old timers that have or need hearing aids! Many of the grilled meat entrees are served on wooden boards (hence the name). This did worry me a little because germs love wooden cutting boards with knife cuts. I got over it as I chowed down my grilled steak and chicken "Combinacion Matrimonio" It came with a large baked potato, yummy fried plantain and some fried yucca. The flavors went together beautifully - the South American spices rubbed on the chicken and the sweetness of the plantain made it a great choice. The empanadas were REALLY good. I could have eaten 10. Much of the menu is steak selections. The place is decorated with tropical plants with a green-and-white theme. Don't be surprised to be surrounded by South Americans dining as Las Tablas tends to feel like home.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Laura on April 21, 2002

Las Tablas
2965 N. Lincoln Ave. Chicago, Illinois 60657
773-871-2414

Andalous Moroccan RestaurantBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

The atmosphere is pretty austere and could be cozier or more Morroccan-like. It could be more dimly lit for example, but the food is good and authentic and the service friendly. You are greeted with pita bread, olives and some spicy dipping sauces. Specialties include couscous, pastilla (layered chicken pie with almonds and herbs). I had the chicken in a lemon and orange sauce. It fell off the bone and was delicious. Finish off the meal with a sweet green mint tea and a tiny little honey baked cookie. It is BYO so you can bring some wine or beer with no corking charge. Parking in the area is difficult. Take a bus, El or cab.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Laura on April 21, 2002

Andalous Moroccan Restaurant
3307 N. Clark St Chicago, Illinois 60657
773-281-6885

PregoBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

Prego is a BYO place so I brought a nice Barrolo with me. They do not have a corking fee. From the street, the unassuming storefront restaurant is easy to miss. The walls are painted gold and a rustic red. The decor is sort of sparse modern. I was a little annoyed because we had a reservation, but the host gave us a rather lame table right by the front door and host stand.

First we had the bruscetta. The tomatoes were fresh and juicy and marinated in balsamic vinaigrette with garlic and fresh basil.

They have a regular menu of choices and a slew of nightly specials for about $12 to $14. I had the special roast pork tenderloin served over apples, figs and walnuts and served with escarole. The pork could have used some more seasoning and there was no salt and pepper on the table. My date had the chicken Marsala also served with escarole which I have decided I do not like. It is like a soggy, bitter bak choy. The chicken looked a little too thick for my taste. I prefer it thin and delicate. For desert, I had a delicious chocolate mousse zucoto cake. My friend had the tiramisu. The waiter said those are the two best choices. The service was very good and professional.

  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by Laura on April 21, 2002

Prego
2901 N. Ashland Avenue Chicago, Illinois
(773) 472-9190

Sushi House Paul's & Noodles IncBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "House of Sushi"

Okay. It looks a little like a scary dive on the outside, but don't worry--even my critical friends liked it. It is BYO with no corking fee. There is an all-you-can-eat sushi buffet for $10.95--that is amazing. It includes a list of maki choices like Alaska, Philadelphia, Florida maki, etc. Diners order a few at a time until "they are full or the restuarant closes" according to our gracious waitress. There is also a slew of noodle choices for the non-sushi crew, and beef or chicken terriaki which I always order for $9.95. I love the pot stickers too. In addition to the mountain of sushi, we were seved miso soup and some complimentary tempura green beans. For four of us, our total was $16.25 each including tip and tax after about 1.5 hours of no-stop eating. The hosts are gracious. I think every employee said thank you and good-bye like four times to us before we exited. I think it is getting a nice following in the neighborhood, but you can still always get a table.
  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Laura on January 14, 2003

Sushi House Paul's & Noodles Inc
1610 W Belmont Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60657
(773) 935-9110

Andalucia Tapas BarBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant | "Andalucia"

Andalucia is literally steps away from the Montrose stop on the EL's Brown Line. It has all the usual tapas at better prices than the other tapas places in the city. Plus, it is BYOB for now, so bring your own sangria. Soon they will have a liquor license.

We only ordered tapas, but there is also a selection of entrees ranging from $9-$15 and paellas that serve two to three. My favorite choices include patatas a la brava, potatoes in a spicy tomato sauce. The goat cheese in tomato basil sauce was delicious, as was the house salad and solomillo - a steak skewer served over french fries.

We were there on a Saturday and it was packed. The wait was long, so we snuck into 2 seats at the bar and "borrowed" the wine bucket from the people next to us, since they were done. A group of 4 girls said they were waiting for an hour.

The service was friendly and the food good, but not an hour wait good! It is a cute little neighborhood place and I would go back with good wine and good freinds in tow!

  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by Laura on January 6, 2004

Andalucia Tapas Bar
1820 W. Montrose Ave Chicago, Illinois 60613
773-334-6900

Sam's Wines and SpiritsBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

When looking for what to bring to the BYO Restaurant, Sam's is THE place to go in Chicago. It is an amazing 33,000-square-foot, libation-lovers' emporium stocked with more than 20,000 kinds of wine, beer and spirits. The sommeliers and sales staff are amazingly knowledgeable and helpful. If a wine is available in store, they will have it. Around Christmas this place is a zoo and needs traffic control. They will even deliver orders locally - something that comes in handy for parties!

Sam's is technically located on little-known Marcey St. Better known as being set in heart of the Clybourn Corridor near Willow behind Goose Island.

They often have wine and cheese sampling. My friends joke that they like to go there for happy hour!

Sam's are open 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday.

  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by Laura on August 24, 2003

Sam's Wines and Spirits
1720 N. Marcey Street Chicago, Illinois 60614
(312) 664-4394

About the Writer

Laura
Laura
Chicago, Illinois

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