Delicious. Good service. Welcoming and unpretentious. Enjoy ordering numerous plates and sharing
Janea V.
Avec has been on my list for a while and I finally was able to stop in with a friend for brunch! After tasting, I regret that it took me this long. Avec is a quaint spot with family style seating so I do recommend making a reservation if possible. We made our reservation for a Saturday and we were seated immediately at our reservation time by an eager and inviting hostess. Our server greeted us immediately and walked us through their brunch menu. The server was friendly, and gave some solid suggestions which was helpful as Avec has so many great dishes for brunch. After careful consideration and server recommendation, we landed on: -Mimosas (its brunch, of course we did a round of mimosas.) -French toast: topped with ricotta and berry compote garnished with mint and almonds. I loved that it was not too sweet, it has great balance. -Pork Belly: OMG nice and fatty with the perfect tender texture (not too chewy) it was nicely glazed for a bold flavor. -Chorizo Stuffed Medjool Dates: Talk about the star of the show! Literally chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in bacon abbd a pepper tomato sauce. Sweet and savory perfect balance for brunch. To go I ordered their coffee cake as well as a iced coffee. Even the pastries were remarkable! I cannot wait to get back to Avec. For the service of course, but also for their dates!
Alia S.
Great service and really good quality dishes, but not too impressed with the flavors (focaccia and shakshuka) so the price point didn't make too much sense. I would definitely return to try something else for lunch or dinner!
Madeline Peters
Delicious and friendly staff! Definitely recommend the roasted carrot hummus and butcher steak. We enjoyed the shawarma but it honestly was too much food by that point. For two people, maybe two-three small plates or a small and a large plate. Two smalls and a large was way too much.Vegetarian options: Salad options and hummusDietary restrictions: Staff inquired about allergies without prompting.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Shawarma
Abel Agnes
Had dinner here with friends - service was timely without being overbearing, and food was delicious and plentiful.Menu has a wide array of selections, though mint shows up in seemingly all of them so be wary of that if you’re sensitive.I recommend the winter squash (small plates) and the pork shoulder (large plates).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
Chelsea P.
We were able to call ahead and get reservations for 130pm (last call for orders is 2pm). The restaurant is a long hall with a bar top on one side and tables along the other wall. Love their wooden table and chairs. Our server was super friendly and offered us great suggestions. They even gave my friend a happy birthday doughnut but, that was delicious with sea salt on top. (For $3 I'd buy another doughnut!) highly recommend
Jackie C.
The food is absolutely amazing, for those of you looking for an elevated brunch experience, start here! The donuts are to die for, the burgers are absolutely divine!! If you come, Gabriel's service will absolutely put your experience beyond what you've expected. He is hospitable and can absolutely understand the goal of your party so that you make the most of your time at Avec. Thank you to Gabriel and Dylan!
SubinaG
Service staff was excellent and attentive and the ambiance was fantastic however the food was slow to come out between entrees. We did a couple small and large plates family style and noticed an exceptional wait between the small plates and first entree type dish and then about 30 minutes from the second to third dish. That aside the food was exceptional and worth the wait. Will definitely be back. The favorites were stuffed dates and the hummus with lamb.
Vanessa P A Vincent Paul
Warm, welcoming, kind and efficient staff. Entree and dessert was excellent, very tasty perfect. The main fell short;the ribs felt stringy, dry, not nice. The accompanying pita bread and hummus was perfect, though.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chorizo-Stuffed Medjool Dates
Carlyle Bouchard
When I die, the pork shoulder served here will be a part of my heaven. Awesome Chicago institution.
Went here for my husband's birthday, we had to bring our toddler because our babysitter plans fell through but luckily I called ahead of time and I was told they do have high chairs available. We sat upstairs and there was plenty of space, everyone was really accommodating. The food was great, hubby and I shared the short rib hummus and the grilled butcher steak. Both were small plates, hubby said the short rib was good but it had a sweet glaze on it which made it a bit too sweet for him. My steak was delicious and it had a sauce on it that was very flavorful along with the salad. And then we got a free roasted winter squash dish which was a surprise because the server said it was on the house since our food took some time to come out. Honestly we didn't even notice so that was a nice little treat! The squash dish was good too, also kind of on the sweeter side. Overall it was a nice experience and service was great
Easily some of the best food I've had in my life. If you haven't tried the bacon wrapped dates from here yet, you shouldn't be allowed to call yourself a foodie in Chicago. This place is a must visit. Seriously, you'll never forget the taste of those dates
Laura I.
If you want overhyped, over priced not Mediterranean food, this is the place for you.
KDub
We eat here every year when we are in Chicago for a meeting. 12-15 years straight. The medjool dates are a must — one of my favorite dishes anywhere. But everything we had was top notch. Always very friendly and efficient service. The vibe is both slightly buzzy and relaxed/casual. Love, love, love this place.
Delicious. Good service. Welcoming and unpretentious. Enjoy ordering numerous plates and sharing
Avec has been on my list for a while and I finally was able to stop in with a friend for brunch! After tasting, I regret that it took me this long. Avec is a quaint spot with family style seating so I do recommend making a reservation if possible. We made our reservation for a Saturday and we were seated immediately at our reservation time by an eager and inviting hostess. Our server greeted us immediately and walked us through their brunch menu. The server was friendly, and gave some solid suggestions which was helpful as Avec has so many great dishes for brunch. After careful consideration and server recommendation, we landed on: -Mimosas (its brunch, of course we did a round of mimosas.) -French toast: topped with ricotta and berry compote garnished with mint and almonds. I loved that it was not too sweet, it has great balance. -Pork Belly: OMG nice and fatty with the perfect tender texture (not too chewy) it was nicely glazed for a bold flavor. -Chorizo Stuffed Medjool Dates: Talk about the star of the show! Literally chorizo stuffed dates wrapped in bacon abbd a pepper tomato sauce. Sweet and savory perfect balance for brunch. To go I ordered their coffee cake as well as a iced coffee. Even the pastries were remarkable! I cannot wait to get back to Avec. For the service of course, but also for their dates!
Great service and really good quality dishes, but not too impressed with the flavors (focaccia and shakshuka) so the price point didn't make too much sense. I would definitely return to try something else for lunch or dinner!
Delicious and friendly staff! Definitely recommend the roasted carrot hummus and butcher steak. We enjoyed the shawarma but it honestly was too much food by that point. For two people, maybe two-three small plates or a small and a large plate. Two smalls and a large was way too much.Vegetarian options: Salad options and hummusDietary restrictions: Staff inquired about allergies without prompting.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Shawarma
Had dinner here with friends - service was timely without being overbearing, and food was delicious and plentiful.Menu has a wide array of selections, though mint shows up in seemingly all of them so be wary of that if you’re sensitive.I recommend the winter squash (small plates) and the pork shoulder (large plates).
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
We were able to call ahead and get reservations for 130pm (last call for orders is 2pm). The restaurant is a long hall with a bar top on one side and tables along the other wall. Love their wooden table and chairs. Our server was super friendly and offered us great suggestions. They even gave my friend a happy birthday doughnut but, that was delicious with sea salt on top. (For $3 I'd buy another doughnut!) highly recommend
The food is absolutely amazing, for those of you looking for an elevated brunch experience, start here! The donuts are to die for, the burgers are absolutely divine!! If you come, Gabriel's service will absolutely put your experience beyond what you've expected. He is hospitable and can absolutely understand the goal of your party so that you make the most of your time at Avec. Thank you to Gabriel and Dylan!
Service staff was excellent and attentive and the ambiance was fantastic however the food was slow to come out between entrees. We did a couple small and large plates family style and noticed an exceptional wait between the small plates and first entree type dish and then about 30 minutes from the second to third dish. That aside the food was exceptional and worth the wait. Will definitely be back. The favorites were stuffed dates and the hummus with lamb.
Warm, welcoming, kind and efficient staff. Entree and dessert was excellent, very tasty perfect. The main fell short;the ribs felt stringy, dry, not nice. The accompanying pita bread and hummus was perfect, though.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chorizo-Stuffed Medjool Dates
When I die, the pork shoulder served here will be a part of my heaven. Awesome Chicago institution.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Focaccia, Pork Shoulder
Restaurantji Recommends
Such a Great meal!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Potato & Salted Cod Brandade, Chorizo-Stuffed Medjool Dates
Went here for my husband's birthday, we had to bring our toddler because our babysitter plans fell through but luckily I called ahead of time and I was told they do have high chairs available. We sat upstairs and there was plenty of space, everyone was really accommodating. The food was great, hubby and I shared the short rib hummus and the grilled butcher steak. Both were small plates, hubby said the short rib was good but it had a sweet glaze on it which made it a bit too sweet for him. My steak was delicious and it had a sauce on it that was very flavorful along with the salad. And then we got a free roasted winter squash dish which was a surprise because the server said it was on the house since our food took some time to come out. Honestly we didn't even notice so that was a nice little treat! The squash dish was good too, also kind of on the sweeter side. Overall it was a nice experience and service was great
Easily some of the best food I've had in my life. If you haven't tried the bacon wrapped dates from here yet, you shouldn't be allowed to call yourself a foodie in Chicago. This place is a must visit. Seriously, you'll never forget the taste of those dates
If you want overhyped, over priced not Mediterranean food, this is the place for you.
We eat here every year when we are in Chicago for a meeting. 12-15 years straight. The medjool dates are a must — one of my favorite dishes anywhere. But everything we had was top notch. Always very friendly and efficient service. The vibe is both slightly buzzy and relaxed/casual. Love, love, love this place.