Its location is the oddest thing about it. Howard Avenue, the line dividing the suburb of Evanston on the north from Chicago on south, has city written all over it. Usually tight, busy and slightly tense, it’s a major thoroughfare that leans bungalow west of Western Avenue. The further east you go, things get more commercial and knuckles get harder. Peckish Pig, a wonderful gastropub that’s been keeping its customers very happy for a few years now, sits on a quiet low key block that, by city standards; isn’t too challenging on the parking front. Taking up residence on the north side of the street entitles it to bask in the glow of an Evanston address.
The best gastropubs are the ones that live up to their name and Peckish Pig has been doing that as consistently as any restaurant in town. Its spacious, comfortable and colorful patio adds to the restaurant’s draw when temperatures rise in the spring and summer. Quality is the way gastropubs distinguish themselves from bars that also sale food. Making a concerted effort to use fresh, premium ingredients raises the dining experience as does conscientious and inventive food preparation. Peckish Pig can boast of doing both well and has carefully crafted a menu with broad palette appeal. Salads may not be the first thing you think about in a restaurant with a name that hints at a pork focus, but this is a place that considers the variety of appetites that may cross its threshold. Although there are only four, its salads cover a broad range; giving diners a real choice as to how they’ll get their green fix. They even come in half and full sizes to better regulate consumption. Examples include a Brussels sprout Caesar, a creamy, apple-y Waldorf, a composition featuring arugula with beets, avocado, blue cheese and candied walnuts, and a Mediterranean bowl.
It’s not unusual for a restaurant to have that one crave worthy item you don’t’ see on anybody else’s menu. Bacon wrapped dates fill that role at Peckish Pig. Served with a blue cheese dip, it’s just the kind of appetizer that plays nicely with your flavor sensors by simultaneously delivering the sweet and the salty. Also offering the kind of cold meats and cheeses you can genuinely appreciate; the restaurant’s charcuterie board errs on the side of ample; insuring diners don’t feel compelled to self-regulate too strenuously in their efforts to be equitable.
It’s still summer for a few more weeks and the patio remains the place calling everyone’s name. Completely shielded from the outside world, the space is its own oasis. Tables are well spaced for additional privacy and the bright colors of chairs and table umbrellas keep the mood light. The restaurant’s chill waitstaff don’t push, assume or ignore. Generally, that is. One recent visit found us repeating requests. Whether our server was distracted or simply having a challenging day couldn’t be confirmed; but the episode was both an exception and minor.
As usual though, the meals were a master class in how to make humble food outstanding. Taking burgers up a notch or two, chorizo partners with beef to give them a new attitude. Lamb and salmon burgers are also options. All three possess the character and signature flavor appeal you’d want from them; but the salmon burger is the one that consistently claims the biggest following.
Main entrées or big plates are all about comfort. Mac and cheese that welcome protein additions, fish and chips, smoked BBQ ribs, slow roasted pork belly, and blackened shrimp tacos are all the kinds of choices you can expect to enjoy in a place whose purpose is one of escape and indulgence. Whether smoked is really smoked on the BBQ has been debated and been known to leave a few diners disappointed. Most entrées though stay true to their billing; making the restaurant a reliable go to when a casual night out with friends or family rolls around.
Like many restaurants feeling the impact of remote work, Peckish Pig is no longer open for weekday lunch. They do still offer brunch on the weekend and sport the kind of lures that keep their tables busy. From a classic English breakfast to specialty pancakes, the menu sparkles with tempting opportunities. Tie those many pluses to a bar loaded with local craft beers and drinks that can go sophisticated or corner dive bar, and Peckish Pig becomes a destination that you’ll come to appreciate for its reliability and its reach.
Peckish Pig
623 W. Howard St
Evanston, IL 60202
Closed Tuesdays
