Sign In

Sign in to upvote deals and save your favorite spots.

or
or use your phone

View Full Business Page →

Cross-Rhodes Restaurant

Super GemEvanston (suburb) · Greek Community-sourced, unverified
📍 913 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL 60202

Cross-Rhodes has been the Greek spot on Chicago Avenue since the mid-1980s, when Jeff Russell opened it to share his love of Greece through food, and very little about it has changed since, which is the point.

$$
The Greek chicken is a reliable classic, but the egg lemon soup is the dish regulars specifically ask about when they haven't been in a while.

The menu splits the difference between a Greek taverna and an Evanston diner: lamb chops, gyros, souvlaki, moussaka, pastitsio, spinach pie and taramasalata on one side, and a house charburger and salads on the other. Two things are close to mandatory. The Greek fries, especially the "Maria" style with feta, are what reviewers come back talking about, and the egg lemon soup, avgolemono, sharp and properly sour, is the dish longtime regulars ask about after time away. Greek chicken and skirt steak are the dependable mains. Russell had already handed ownership to his daughter Maria by the time he died in 2012, after a fall at the restaurant.

More than 100 people answered the post announcing his death with memories of meals there, and the place reopened and carried on much as it always had. Bring cash: reviewers consistently describe it as cash only, with an ATM by the register. The room is plain, the staff are friendly and the prices are fair. Open Monday through Thursday 11:30AM to 8PM, Friday and Saturday until 9PM, and Sunday 4 to 8PM. There's no running special; the soup is the special.

📸 See more of Cross-Rhodes Restaurant

Specials at Cross-Rhodes Restaurant

(2)

Hours

Mon-Thu11:30AM-8PM
Fri-Sat11:30AM-9PM
Sun4-8PM
🥡 Takeout available 📞 (847) 475-4475

Amenities & accessibility

🥡Takeout available
❔Wheelchair access: unverified
🚇Near the CTA Purple Line (Main)

Location

Photos

No photos yet — be the first to add one.

Have a photo from a recent visit? — customers and business owners both welcome.

Know about a deal here that's not listed? Add it below — we'll verify and publish it.

to suggest a special.

Think Cross-Rhodes Restaurant deserves Iconic/Notable or Super Gem status? Tell us why.

to nominate a gem.

Own or manage Cross-Rhodes Restaurant? Claim this listing to verify your hours and add real photos.
An editorial collage of Chicago foods from The Bear: Italian beef, deep dish, a hot dog, and a growling purple bear
📰 The Scoop

The Bear Ate Chicago

Every restaurant, dive, diner, bakery, and beef stand that made its way onto the show — plus an interactive map of every stop.

Read the Story →
Chicago's Best — ranked pizza, burgers, BBQ, and more
🏆 Chicago's Best

Pizza, Burgers, BBQ & More — Ranked

The Chicago Specials Score: member votes plus our own editorial judgment, updated as new spots earn their place.

See the Rankings →
Chicago Events — festivals, parades, concerts and more, curated month by month
📅 Events

Festivals, Parades & Concerts — All Year Long

Every real, verified Chicago event worth planning around — browse month by month, from this weekend to next summer.

See What's On →