Etta (Bucktown) Reviews

So, Wicker Park is the coolest neighborhood in Chicago; Bucktown, also quite cool, abuts WP, and etta is right on the border between them, which is fitting, because it is truly one of the coolest places I’ve ever been, certainly in Chicago. It is beautifully appointed, including magnificent bars on both floors, a rooftop deck and an upstairs area that opens to the deck. The place is so gorgeous that they could get away with mediocre food, but the food is wonderful and the service matches the food, the environment, and the location. Five of us ate there and tried nearly everything and were delighted across the board. Good example of their “touch” is their spicy meatballs, which are, indeed, quite spicy but also quite flavorful, which is not always the case. I could go on.... This place is great.

Have you ever been in a restaurant were you start planning the dishes you will like to have the next time you come, things you missed, before you finish your desert> This is the one. I love the shrimp apettizer..so much I have to request more bread, no to miss any of the sauce. Also the peach and greens salad and home made pasta were very good. We share the lamb and the chicken as main course and they were perfectly done. For desert we have the shortcake with blueberries and the chocolate choice. You can taste the excellent ingredients they use and the sophistication on the preparations of the dishes. Yam We had a family dinner and. the service was so welcoming and patient with the kids. Thank you Brandoin and Maitre"D David to make this event a memorable dinner. Silvia L

Had a great lunch with my brother-in-law during the pandemic. The restaurant is super clean with a great wait staff. I can’t wait to go back!! The pizza was amazing as was the salad!!!

Thanks for another fun and amazing dining spot in the Bucktown area!! Went here with friends and the bar is totally lively with some great cocktail options. We chose to show up early so we could have drinks. It ended up that we had to wait past our reservation time to be seated, but management walked around with little apps to try and also gave us a glass of bubbly because we had to wait. The little things make a world of difference to customers! :) Amongst two if of us we ordered about six plates. Everything we had was absolutely amazing. I won’t go into all the details but what I will say is there is a reason it’s hard to get a reservation here. Love the energy, open kitchen, excellent food and drink and great customer service!

This place sucks. Food was over priced for the quality. Server made all kinds of excuses on why the food took so long.

Went here for a late birthday celebration with a friend. We were seated upstairs, and although the terrace was full, we were seated just inside. Here we were still able to have all the feels of being on the terrace but also escape the cold! win-win! The walk up the beautiful wooden staircase was filled with delightful photos of pastas and other Italian dishes to warm the appetite! We started with rack roasted oysters. They were spicy and served on the half shell with a delicious tomato sauce. It was an oyster, but it tasted also like a delicious bite of pizza all at the same time. We moved to the clam pizza and finished with the malfadine pasta that had a saffron and uni sauce and was filled with lobster, mussel escabeche, and blistered tomatoes. Not a bite was left nor was a picture taken of this dish because we lapped it up so quickly! It's been almost 4 months and I still dream of going back and eating this dish! We were so full for dessert, so we declined a menu, but they were sweet enough to still bring out two macarons for us to enjoy as a sweet bite to cap off the most special night. The wine selection is extensive for bottles but slightly limited for glasses. However, the most delicious glass of Sauvignon Blanc is served by the glass and accompanied our seafood-based meal exceptionally well.

Loved Etta on a late Sunday morning- great menu if you want breakfast or lunch. Dined with 3 people and everyone raved about their food. Huevous was a hit and I had the classic pizza- great pizza, wood fired & thin and crisp- just. perfect. Great waitress- knew the menu and food came out very quick. Tried to reserve on Resy and were told there were no tables , went anyway & got seated within minutes. Beautiful lively spot.

I was one of the lucky ones that was able to get a reservation for their opening day! The staff was absolutely amazing, the aesthetics couldn’t have made me feel more at home, and the food - exactly what you’d expect from Chef Danny Grant! There is nothing really like this in the area and I’ve already made another reservation to come back!

Ambiance is comfortable and relevant! Food was spot on and great for sharing. Etta helped make "Girls Weekend" extra special!

Went here for a late Sunday brunch, around 2p. Very busy; good atmosphere. Large, two-floor space with an open kitchen and rustic decor. Service pleasant. Menu for brunch had appealing options, though nothing too original. A smoked salmon platter had the usual accompaniments, with a couple of twists. While it waa good, the $21 price was a lot for the quantity served. Fire-roasted eggs were flavored as promised. Not amazing, but a nice brunch. Would return.

I came here with friends and just loved the atmosphere. We had great service as well as fantastic food. One of my friends is vegetarian and she was easily able to find good options. This is definitely a great place to go to hang out on a summer night. Ask for the upstairs.

So disappointed. I’ve eaten here a few times and the entire experience has been fantastic. Tonight (a Saturday night) was completely different. All of our entrees were served cold. Service was poor. Water glasses were not refilled. I had to flag down someone to order another glass of wine. While the food tasted good, it would’ve been amazing if actually served hot. We were too hungry to wait for replacements. The manager did the right thing and comped our entrees. I had brought guests from out of town here for the weekend and was embarrassed that this was their Chicago dining experience. Not likely to ever go back, no matter how tasty the food could have been. Such a shame.

Great small plates . Get the Bone Marrow and then take the shot of Whiskey through the bone . Its tradition. Honestly, most delicious Bone Marrow dish Ive ever eaten . Great spot for solo travelers .

Made last minute reservation for early dinner. Staff, setting and food a perfect combination. My wife I and had trouble making selections so we worked our way down the menu and made it to the pasta. We shared our plates and enjoyed the progression of flavors. Main floor opens to kitchen and hearth, upstairs cozy and more intimate and snowfall added to ambience. Nice bars up and down.Good wine list and cocktails. Can’t wait for our next dinner. Congratulations on a great venue and continued success.

We arrived for an 8:30 reservation to an entryway crowded with people despite open tables both downstairs and upstairs. Very strange. After waiting for 15 minutes, I asked the hostess what was happening? She said they were short-staffed. Finally, at 8:45, the manager came over to us, apologized for the wait and said we’d be seated soon. We were seated a few minutes later, our server came over and we received our appetizers at 9:10. Then, it took until 9:40 for the rest of our food to arrive. At this point, there were only three other tables with diners. The manager came over to see how we were doing, acknowledged that we had a birthday and offered a shot which was declined. He gave everyone his card and said we should call him before we returned and he would take care of us. By 10:15, we were tired, but had ordered one dessert for the birthday. When the bill came, we were quite surprised that not even the dessert was comped. Very odd, and quite different from the manager’s response at Giant a couple of nights before. He sent over complementary appetizers when we were kept waiting. Frankly, this is the mark of a restaurant that wants you to feel good about it. Comping one dessert - especially for a birthday - is pretty much standard procedure, in my experience. Although the manager clearly made an effort, putting ones money where ones mouth is would have been a better move. Ok, so all of the food was quite good. Very rich, but very good. We ordered an array of dishes, among them: pepperoni pizza, summer squash (smothered in pesto, feta, and olive oil), tomato and watermelon salad, ricotta pillows, two different pastas - bucatini Casio e Pepe and ricotta agnolotti - both very good but also very rich, fire-baked “focaccia”, quite an unusual preparation of a flaky puffed loaf with a small dish of a very rich ricotta drizzled in honey on the side. When we asked our server for bread, she brought another order of the focaccia. Odd. The atmosphere is a combination of sports bar meets Le Pain Quotidian. Clean, brightly lit, with both floors containing somewhat closely packed tables. Upstairs there are three big screen TVs showing different sports events. There is an outdoor deck and we were told that part of the reason many of the inside tables were kept empty was in case of rain, so outdoor diners could be accommodated in case of rain; there was no rain in the immediate forecast. In sum, food was good, and perhaps the holiday weekend resulted in a short-staffing situation. That said, Chicago has an abundance of really good food, so that in and of itself just isn’t enough. The manager missed an opportunity, and it’s unlikely we’ll go out of our way to return to Etta.

Ten of us met for dinner at Etta's. The menu offered a variety of plates priced $15-20. The server said that most were for sharing. We ordered 5-6 different plates when someone mentioned the "Short Ribs special" so we added that, never thinking that it would be priced much different from the others that we ordered. Our bad! The food was good... not great. I would give most of it 3 stars. The chicken deserved 4 stars. Then, the bill came. Everything was as expected except the short ribs were $85! What! $85 for short ribs! That's obscene! I called the waitress over to have her double check the price. When she confirmed that $85 for short ribs was correct I paid the tab and said goodby to Etta. I'll spend my money elsewhere.

This is a 3.5 Star Review. Decor is splendid on the 1st F, but surprised they first led us to 2F way in the back the last table by the exit, terrible spot, even though I had called 3 weeks before asking for a really nice photo worthy table/spot. for my daughter's 30th Bday.We wanted a cocktail but none on the menu appealed to us and we didn't read really spectacular reviews about any. Food was mixed, some very good, but super heavy on carbs rich & heavy, little on veggies and brightness. Menu could use more balance. Overpriced for small amount of food... Great service - we had Georgia. Food: Focacia w/ricotta & honey: our Favorite! Must get* the honey ricotta is the star Bubbling shrimp - rich, garlicky, delish w/a big Pita, needed much more shrimp Wild mushroom Pizza - server's favorite, but we expected better... should have gotten the Arugula & Prosciutto as I'd read great reviews about Squid Ink Seafood Mafaldine - least successful of our order, tiny size, unexpectedly bland, 4 timy strips of crab, a few clams, $26 We were so full from the heavy mneal so did not order any dessert, but our server brought us proseco and a tray of small cookies with a lit candle. Very nice!!!

I would consider all "good" Italian food peasant food. Meaning simple preparations using fresh ingredients..generally food the poor people ate in Roman times. THis is a good thing. etta takes this and puts it up a notch above peasant food but maintains the simplicity. This place is the BOMB and the hype is so worth it...The place buzzes as you walk into the very lit white space...the bar dominating the front of the room with lots of pockets for people to sit and dine or wait on a table. The drink list is very good and i recommend the Leather Weather..a spice and sweetly balanced cocktail made with Elyx which i am loving right now and garnished with a slice of fresh sage cutely clothes pinned to the rim allowing one end of the sage leaf to dip in the drink adding the taste of sage..very goood cocktail. We showed up 30 minutes early for our reservation and were told they were overbooked and it might be an even longer wait...We were seated in 15 minutes. The exposed kitchen to the back of the dining room is dominated by a grand wood pizza oven which is used to prepare a lot of things on the menu which adds to much to for example the bread choices. Both breads are equally satisfying..one has truffle-honey which we smelled the entire meal, we opted for the foccacia with spicy copa and the crushed gardiniere condiment that i found was the most addictive thing,,we put it on everything..the copa was a very generous portion and was lightly cooked in the oven and came with brunt ends in a way....so succulent how a wood fire adds so much depth of flavor..then came our pizza. We usuallly go for standard margarita but after seeing the table next to ours eating a pepperoni and seeing the layers of pepperoni and the burnt crisp crust.we could not order that. It too comes out with the crushed gardinieri and shaker of parmesan with pepper and something else, chili oil and another shaker of something. The pizza was flawless...it arrived perfectly well done as i like and crispy as a wafer infused with the wood flavor from the oven. We then split the bucatini cacio e pepe which if anything was underwelming it was this dish. This is my favorite Roman classic and have had it often in Rome so to say the cacio e pepe was lacking is a major understatement. It was lacking in both the cacio and the pepe...the pepper flavor and the cheese flavor were not there...you could see cheese but not really taste it and the pepper was completely absent. However if you like alfredo sauce and pasta this is for you. It was good just not cacio e pepe to me.. Then we split the chicken dish which was very homey a classic...the puree underneath was some of the best mashed i've had...creamy and so velvety in texture. just absorbed all the drippings that accompanied it. All in all i thoroughly enjoyed the meal here and can't wait to return and i would venture to say i would drive here from downtown just for a pizza takeaway. Its that good

Etta (in Chicago) = amazing; a hidden Bucktown gem! 9:30pm reservations but we arrived a little early so we opted to go upstairs to the second floor bar for a drink. It was packed. I love the text message when your table is ready option. Carrying a buzzer around is annoying. Ambience = low lights, but loud and hopping. Setting still allows for an intimate time no matter where you sit, whether by the open kitchen or next to one of the bars. Service = personable and attentive, swift and deliberate. Drinks = Patricia Green Cellars Pinot Noir was good; a little tart but very smooth. Starters: bubbling shrimp: nice sized shrimp, minced ginger, chile, smoked tomatoes, with a hint of mint. Excellent. Bone Marrow: one of my favorite apps. Done to perfection. Marrow slid out and spread nicely with the potato purée and bacon jam on hard-toasted, thick sliced wheat bread. Fabulous. (hint: if you finish this starter, your server will bring you a surprise 🤔😉) Salad: Beet Salad: feta cheese, blood oranges, arugula, pumpkin seeds and tasted, candied walnuts. We ordered as our third “appetizer” to share. All super fresh, with the pickled beets pairing nicely with the lowly sweet blood oranges. Entrees: Wild Mushroom wood fire pizza: caramelized onions, goat cheese, truffle, raclette cheese, served with a wooden tray of house made giardiniera, SPICY chili oil, garlic salt and an everything mix of salt/pepper/somethinorother goodness. I may have overdone the chili oil and giardiniera but I have no regrets 🔥 🔥 My FAVORITE item, Squid Ink Mafaldine: clams, king crab, butter, garlic in a VERY SPICY arrabiata sauce. I wanted another couple twelve orders of this! Don’t let the squid ink scare you; it’s fancy talk for black pasta (mafaldine is a long, spiralish noodle...and we all know my obsession with black pastas!)!!! Dessert: Last, but not least, the chocolate tart with vanilla bean ice cream. 🤤 Company = excellent, these boys sure know how to wine and dine a girl ❤️ Can’t wait to go back for more seafood pasta! And I want to try the meatball appetizer, a table we were next to ordered it. The girl was on her phone the entire time, not minding her date, and it did briefly cross my mind to reach over and take one. She wouldn’t have even noticed.

I was promptly sat, but then waited 15 minutes and no service. Table of 4 sat after me received water. Plenty of servers, not very busy. Seemed like a posh place, but really disappointed

Superb food, drinks, atmosphere and wait staff. We loved the “Sour Grapes” cocktail, the pizzas, pasta, and desserts. Wait staff were attentive and helpful. Top tier.

Thank setup is fantastic The waiter Brandon and the The maitre d’ David were very good as well as the overall service The pizza from the wood oven very tastefully The salads fresh and inventive. The lamb and the chicken we share and were excellent. Everybody liked the blueberry pie and the chocolate tart. Definitive will be back

This restaurant was suggesting for dinner by a friend. The restaurant has been open for just under a year. I suggest you book your reservation as soon as you can. The menu has a bent for mediterranean, italian and american fare.

This place was bustling on a Wednesday night. Many younger people but some older as well. The food is outstanding. Starting out with the ricotta pillows..and the wonderful hummus...Had two pizzas, think style..the Fire Pie (not that hot) and the Classic were definitely keepers. Get the roasted cauliflowers...Ohly bummer was a lackluster staff..and the presentation of the short rib special. After asking the price that was not including in her speech...we passed on the $85 dish! Parking on side streets. Wine available and pricey. A welcomed addition to the food scene.

We had a reservation for 8:15 and were seated right on time. Wade, our server, was just awesome. Great timing. Our group of 7 ordered about 12 or 14 small plates, then shared two desserts. Everything was delicious. Including 2 bottles of red wine, 2 individual glasses of white wine and two beers, our bill was about $350. Restaurant was very busy on a Wednesday evening - so reservations are a must

We were seated upstairs at a nice round table for our group of 8. The restaurant has a really nice atmosphere with a great outdoor patio. They offer house wine in a carafe for the table at a reasonable price. We started with the red wine, however it was served way too cold. Eventually when it warmed to a drinkable temperature it was better, but we decided to try a bottle of a different wine for the next round. This restaurant has small plates, so for a large group you really have to order a lot or you barely get a bite of each dish. We tried several pasta dishes like the Caci e Pepe, bolognese, meatballs, grilled oysters, and a shrimp dish. Everything was very tasty, and a special request was accommodated without a problem. The entree dishes ,we had the chicken on mashed potatoes, which was supposed to be a half chicken for 22$ and looked more like one chicken leg. Must have been a tiny chicken, more like a Cornish hen, not worth the money at all. Especially not to share amongst us. The other was the Branzino which was the whole filleted fish and was very good. The service was very good and attentive. Our server did try to steer us as to how many dishes we should order based on the number of people in our party. We didn’t try dessert because we were going for ice cream elsewhere. maybe next time! I would recommend this restaurant, but better for 2-4 people IMO because of sharing small plates.

Came with the family Jan 2nd when they opened so it wasnt too busy initially. but then they were packed by the time we left. The food is very good, but stick to the regular plates, they have some "table entrees" which can be shared . The branzino was excellent but as with the pork shoulder overpriced. Stick to the pizzas , which were done very well, as well as the pastas, the squid ink mafaldine was superb. Service was attentive. They have a bar counter you can sit and eat at as well.

Starting with the staff! Geo, the bartender makes you feel right at home! The drinks are delicious. The food, we ordered the old fashioned breakfast sandwich and the huevos rancheros. Tasted amazing. If you had a choice, ETTA VS HOT CHOCOLATE.... pick ETTA! You won’t be disappointed!!!

Family-friendly restaurant, really good food and very good service! We ordered different salads and pizzas for starters and a pasta for main course! I loved all the food that we've ordered!

The restaurant is fairly new (opened about a year ago) and clearly has a nice buzz going. We elected to sit outside on the deck and it was comfortable out there because of the large umbrellas providing shade from the direct sunlight. Our server (Alyssa) was friendly and very helpful as we figured out what to order. We had several starters (rack roasted oysters, bubbling shrimp and crisped spring vegetables) - and all were good. The shrimp had ginger and mint which gave it a real nice kick. Entrees were excellent - the etta chopped salad was surprisingly flavorful and pasta dishes were good, too. One drawback was that the music was on loud for that time of day, making conversations more challenging. We paid $225 for four of us for dinner which included apps, entrees and drinks for all, along with the tip. We recommend this restaurant.

We had a great experience at this restaurant. We had a wide variety of dishes and they were all very creatively prepared and delicious, the starters and dessert a little more so than the entrees. Pricing was very fair at this moderately priced restaurant. The restaurant has a nice energy but is not too noisy for a group to engage in conversation.There is unfortunately no valet parking available. Dress is casual.

The entrees & appetizers were excellent. We started with the bone marrow & fire-baked focaccia. Followed by an entree for Everyone. We shared, passed the plates, the Classic Pizza, (delightful), rigatoni, fire-roasted whole branzino (you must try) *& the hearth glazed lamb.

I have been to this restaurant 5 times, and each time the food and service has been incredible. The service is quick and the staff are very friendly. Everything I have tried on the menu, which is almost everything, has been fantastic. I especially like the focaccia bread with honey, pureed potatoes and farfalle pomodoro. One of my favorite restaurants in Chicago!

We booked a group event at Etta to celebrate a family graduation. The staff requires a meal chosen in advance for a large group and was pleasant and accommodating in helping us do this with mixed food issues - gluten free/ vegetarian etc. the vibe is great and we had a long table upstairs. Wait staff excellent and fun, food amazing. Great drinks and a nice wine list as well. We had to wait 30 minutes to get our table but the group had a drink and in the end the food was more than worth the wait. The pizza is extra special! Don’t miss it. This place really lives up to the reviews.

We with a friend and it really wasn’t worth the hype. Service was really lacking, waited forever to for a cocktail and food . Not very attentive staff , we would have spent so much more money but never really had the opportunity. Drinks are super small for the price .

Etta have great food ,the menu is extensive and pleasurable. Most dishes are thought out and beautifully composed.Grap some of the best Foccacia around and dip into the bubblig shrimp.A new Classic. Great bartenders serve you with great skiljs in the bar if you can`t get a table.

My husband and I returned to Chicago to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We read good reviews of Etta's and booked a dinner the night before our anniversary. We felt lucky to have been seated at a wonderful table upstairs on the edge of the inside open doors. We had both inside and outside vibes. The minute David (the manager) found out it was our anniversary he sent over a bottle of Cava and some great Focaccia. We shared many items and we were pleased with the quality of everything. Our server Josephina was excellent. The service was very fun and engaging but not too invasive. Sad to say that this evening was so awesome that it kind of killed the actual anniversary at Alinea.

Visiting our son in Chicago we chose Etta for Christmas Eve dinner. The restaurant was busy & lively...the food was so yummy! We shared the ricotta balls, a salad, Cavatelli Bolognese and the Wood Fired Chicken. Everything was delicious!! Highly recommended. Can’t wait to go back!

We were surprised at how busy Etta was at 5:45 on a cold Sunday evening. We had reservations and were seated immediately. The service was impeccable. Our waitress answered all of our questions and even suggested we split our main entrees since we ordered many of the appetizers! The food was amazing, with flavors that were outstanding. We had shrimp, focaccia, cauliflower, all amazing. We chose 2 types of Pasta that were out of this world. The chocolate tart with ice cream was the perfect finish! I highly recommend Etta.

We were looking for somewhere local with a roof bar and were recommended Etta by a friend. We arrived without a reservation but were quickly seated upstairs on the lovely outdoor patio......before we were quickly reseated when it started to rain! The restaurant has 2 floors, both with bars. We sat upstairs which I think can be hired for private events. Service was fast, friendly & efficient ( just as we like it). The food is sharing style and comes as kitchen prepares. We started with the bubbling shrimp and ricotta focassia which were both great. For main we shared a pizza and salad which were again really good. With drinks and service, bill was $120 which I think was great value. We would definitely return and also highly recommend.

I went to Etta this week with my brother, whilst staying in Wicker Park. The booking was simple, the atmosphere was great, very 'buzzy' and the food was delicious. I would absolutely recommend it.

Promised outdoor seating in reservation and call ahead, unavailable when arrived Dishonest and not respectful of customer COVID comfort needs;

Visiting my daughter and son in law. I am from Italy and we decided to have Italian food, yes. The Bolognese was spot on; rich flavors. The shrimp appetizer was also rich in wonderful flavors. The focaccia with spread was very nice. I truly enjoyed the flavors offered at Etta and would return to try more!

It is difficult to make a reservation here. A Thursday night here seems like a Friday night at most other places. The premises consist of two floors, each with a bar, plus, weather permitting, use of the rooftop. The popularity seems to stem from the menu, described as Mediterranean; numerous small pasta plates and pizza as well as table sharing servings of a fish, steak, etc, all at fairly reasonable prices. Pasta dishes were quite good but I thought the pizza was very ordinary. Drinks and wine pours are decent and service is friendly and efficient. Desserts were nothing special. This is a good venue for medium and large groups to congregate and share comfort food. My rating is based on the overall enjoyment factor not for any particular excellence in the culinary area.

Seriously, everything we ordered was delicious. The portion sizes are perfect. The flavors delight. The quality is fantastic. The service is great. The atmosphere is pleasing. You will not be disappointed. Order as much as you can - family-style, so you can share and try everything.

Selections, service and atmosphere were fabulous Creative and top quality menu selections. Service was attentive and outstanding. Lovely atmosphere. Will definitely dine here again!!

Takeout & staff are NOT reliable! Told the day before/day of that no issues w/ takeout (planned party/drinks/food around the family style meals). Day of party told to wait til 4pm for online to work...it didn’t. Finally got a live voice at 4:30pm (Rachel, who provided the earlier advice) said no carryout tonight. Still waiting for the manager to return my call.

Inviting decor, good service by friendly waitstaff. Excellent food, and drinks too. Need to go back to try some pastas.

Yes, my third visit and never disappointed! Food and service are outstanding and consistent Wonderful and creative menu. I will definitely be back for a fourth encounter.

Food was great, service, too. Cool outside fenced patio in front. We had the etta chopped salad (hearth smoked salmon, oak leaf, champagne vinaigrette, stracciatella, everything bagel spice, avocado, egg, grains & seeds), the sweet corn agnolotti (heirloom tomatoes, red curry, cashew crumb, basil) - so exquisite!, and the classic pizza (tomato crudo, burrata, olive oil, basil) - as perfect a pizza as it gets. Good wine, wonderful service by Alyssa.

The second that my wife and I learned that Etta, a recently opened restaurant in Chicago's Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood, was the new home of chef Danny Grant, who has been awarded two Michelin stars, we knew we had to make dinner reservations sooner than later. Located at 1840 West North Avenue, west of Honore, it is a neighborhood hot spot with a locally sourced North American menu of wood-fired, open hearth fare. It's a treat just to watch Danny Grant wield his magic in his open kitchen. Open from 5 to 10 Monday through Thursday, from 4:30 to 11 on Friday, from 10 to 2 and 4:30 to 11 on Saturday and from 10 to 2 and 4:30 to 9 on Sunday, Etta makes for a delightful fine dining experience from the minute the extraordinary foccacia bread is delivered to your table. We started with spicy meatballs with tomato sauce and pecorino, bubbling shrimp with ginger, smoked tomato, chile and mint and Etta chopped salad with hearth smoked salmon, Stracciatella, egg, acvocado, oak leaf, bagel spice and champagne vinaigrette. For an entree, my wife chose hearth glazed lamb with chickpea puree, grilled spring onions, pickled turnips and yogurt with mashed potatoes. I immediately saw Branzino on the menu so I was hooked. The fire roasted whole Branzino with capers, parsley and lemon with mashed potatoes was worthy of another Michelin star. For dessert, we shared a slice of pumpkin pie with pecan glaze and spiced cream cheese and a serving of apple galette with honey, almond and honey cardamon ice cream. Etta has been open for only a few months but it deserves more props.

After several abandoned plans to visit Etta, we finally dined there a couple months ago. I drive by the restaurant frequently and the exterior of the building draws you in. Something very cool must be going on in there! In preparation for our reservation, I read aloud each menu item description Sunday morning while we were drinking our morning coffee. While it was a bit torturous because we were already hungry, it really got us pumped up for our dinner. The chefs and restaurant leadership are obviously very creative and passionate about food based on the descriptions in the menu. They must have a great time creating this fun menu. It wasn’t until we were inside that we recalled that this is the former location of The Southern that closed. We were seated quickly and met our server, Linda, who walked us through the menu. We chose the special, the short rib, as a shared main course. We also selected Crudo Hamachi, Bubbly Shrimp, Autumn Salad with petite pieces of root vegetable, and a Parmesan bucatini pasta. Linda helped us select a nice bottle of moderately priced red which paired well with the food. We appreciated that she shared her opinions on what she liked. This is one of the best meals we’ve had anywhere. We experienced a rare food high. We haven’t stopped talking about it! The restaurant interior is very tastefully decorated. It has a very fresh and open look with nice lighting. It’s super warm and pleasant. The manager (forgot his name) greeted us at the end of our meal. He knew that it was our first time at Etta and that we were from the neighborhood. He said something to the extent that we should let him know ahead of time when we plan to return. In any case, we will certainly return, and I will call ahead! Thank you for an outstanding experience!

ETTA was on our list for couple months already. I saw it recommendation here and there and was really encouraged by fellow Instagram postings. It carries lots and lots of good reviews so we were very anxious to check it out, especially that chef of this restaurant Danny Grant is the youngest chef in USA to receive 2 Michelin Stars award. Getting a table without reservation on Sunday 4pm was very easy however the place filled out in no time so reservation may be recommended. The kitchen in Etta is open so you have a little bit of interaction of what is going and see the food coming out which is very cool. The decor is fantastic and so is atmosphere, staff is very friendly and our waitress was awesome. That set us in very good mood for having a good time and try what Etta had in the kitchen!! 1. -----Everyone talks about their Foccacia so we had to try it. I am not big fan of breads for an appetizer but this is something from top league, fluffy, crispy, well balanced. We took charred eggplant option for a dip but next time we are shooting for Ricotta and truffles. 2.---We knew we wanted to try their whole roasted Branzino from the beginning. As the server informed us it goes plain with butter sauce an capers so we took some additional sides (below) to go at the same time to make it a nice meal. The fish is butterflied and the roasted by the fire, they use real fire with preparing their food, and it was cooked to perfection. I just wish a half of roasted lemon could accompany the fish. 3.---Mashed Potatoes with drippings. Mashed potatoes always sound very staple and I do not expect a lot of excitement from them but hose were probably the best mashed potatoes we had so far. I could eat them everyday :) 4.---Caulini with pine nuts, garlic, lemon--touched by hearth fire was very delicious. Well balanced, leaving you with lingering aftertaste of roasted pine nuts. Definitely a veggie side to try. We took a red house wine with our dinner and the idea of having 500ml carafe is very adequate if you want to have more than a glass but less then a bottle. Etta is also famous for their fire wood oven pizza and we saw lots of people trying that but we did not get a bite of it....yet. We are still looking forward to explore the menu further as the firs impression of this place was superb.

Its a great restaurant with great ambiance and decor but as far as food goes the brunch is nothing special except for the breakfast pizza They need to improve on the service our server was just not welcoming at all he offered us coffee but got our creamer 10 min latter he dd not suggested or checked on us at all However the hostess was super sweet

Love the caulilini and the Branzino. Did not get the pig platter but thats on my list for next time. Focaccia with ham and peppers was fantastic. Also got the spicy meatballs. The Branzino is enough for three people.

This was an overall incredible experience. Wonderful friendly service, great cocktail, amazing food. You should definitely eat here when you're in Bucktown1

We called at 7:45p on a rainy/icy February evening and made a reservation 8:30p. We arrived to find a full and energetic crowd. The table service (William L) and food were excellent. I recommend the Bubbling Shrimp and Spicy Meatballs as appetizers/small plates. The Raviolo and Squid Ink Mafaldine pastas, and Chocolate Sabayon Tart dessert were terrific.

It was a perfect spring day in Chicago and we had a lovely brunch at Etta. The building is interesting and the terrace perfect. The food was OK but not great. The day, terrace and drinks still made it very good

Vibrant, warm atmosphere. Excellent service. Nice variety of sharing plates. Really liked the bucatini de Pepe, the ricotta pillows, and the oysters. Less interesting were was the focaccia, the squid ink pasta, and the bone marrow. Desserts were fine, but nothing truly special. Want to try again later in the summer and eat out on their patio.

My friends and I sat down for brunch, and were immediately asked if we wanted coffee (note - they only have raw sugar, no artificial sweeteners). The coffee was served, then twenty minutes went by before the server returned to our table. She asked for our orders, and my friend said she had a few questions about the menu. She asked about the elysian tarte flambe, and the server said that it's a breakfast pizza (which we knew, because it says that on the menu). It took a bit of prodding to get her to describe the few dishes we had questions about. The food came out quickly after we ordered. I had the classic omelette, which was okay (I've had better, many times). One friend ordered the huevos rancheros, which she enjoyed. The other friend had the fire-roasted eggs. She likes spicy food, but said that it was so spicy she couldn't really taste the eggs or other components of the dish. We shared the crispy potatoes, which were just okay. The server never came back to ask if everything was okay or to check on us. The next time she came back, she left the bill on the table. Definitely not attentive service. Maybe I would go back for dinner, but not for brunch (and I would hope for a different server).

We enjoyed all our recommendations for sharing plates, especially foccata and heirloom tomatoes, rigatoni/lamb and mushroom pizza. Check garden patio ..... really nice night out. Great space.

As I write this review, Etta is currently #1 on Yelp. After dining there last night, we realized that it's not the best restaurant in town but is a magic combination of affordable with great atmosphere. None of the portions are large but it allows you to order several courses and still get out of the restaurant with a reasonable check. We had wood roasted lamb that was super tasty with a hummus underneath, a delicious lemony bib lettuce salad, and a cheesy pasta bolognese.

We had heard a lot about etta, so we decided to give it a try. etta is located on North Ave., just west of Honore Ave. It is an older building but it has been beautifully done in a contemporary decor. The kitchen is open, so it does get interesting to watch the food process. The staff was very nice and very efficient and attentive. We decided to share the pic picnic which was more than enough for two. It is best described as .crispy belly & fire-roasted shoulder with hearth bread, lettuce cups, cucumbers, chimichurri, yogurt sauce, serrano condiment & other refreshingly spicy things. Everything was absolutely delicious and we would highly recommend etta to anyone, as there are a lot of varied and delicious sounding items on the menu.

Perfection. Have you ever gone on a date where everything went right. Well I have, and a lot of it is thanks to the incredible staff at Etta. My date and I came here for the first time and where blown away by the service that we have received. Ryan Courtney, our waiter, was incredible. He recommended all the best dishes which I must say were exquisite. We also asked for sangria and cider which they didn't have and Ryan was kind enough to recommend perfect drinks. He even had the bartender Suvi Khihm create a perfect drink for me. Ryan was very attentive and came around to make sure everything was going well. We absolutely loved the food and the service was perfect. I highly recommend for Ryan to get a raise. The food was so good that i would definitely go back there to get it again. Thank you chef Jack Peterson, Dan Lackey and Danny Grant. You went above and beyond to make the food the best it can be and it didn't fail. Thank you Max Ostrowski for coming around to check in on us. Your visit was much appreciated. Thank you to everyone for creating such an incurable atmosphere for us and Ryan you were beyond amazing. I will definitely want to dine in here again. If you like good food, drinks and amazing service I highly recommend Etta, they will not disappoint.

From its deliciousness, to its decor, service, and overall vibe, Etta is an amazing place to eat and enjoy cocktails - and I the energy the open kitchen brings to the mix! I loved the shared plates because I literally wanted to try everything on the menu! Seriously, one of my new favorites in the city!

Our hotel concierge highly recommended this restaurant. Being from New York City, we are leery of “hyped” restaurants, but the accolades for Etta are well deserved. The service is cheerful, attentive, and upbeat. We enjoyed all of our courses, which included: squid ink mafaldine pasta, spicy meatballs, bucatini cacio de Pepe, ricotta pillows, Focaccia with ricotta & honey; bubbling shrimp, and, for dessert, the chocolate sabayon tart, and the birthday cake macaroon, which was outstanding. Our teenager was over the moon, as were we. If you live in the area, or are just visiting, be sure to dine here right away!