Restaurants in Oak Lawn

Delux Bar & Grill's resident chefs elevate their menu of sliders, sandwiches, and pizzas with refined ingredients and handcrafted flair. Starters of crispy Reuben rolls or hummus prep palates for one of seven grilled sauce circles, such as The DeLux, which layers buffalo chicken tenders, jalapeños, colby jack cheese and bacon atop a homemade crust. Dining companions can fix fangs into The Big Bro burger’s blend of hand-pattied beef, bacon, and pepper jack, or covertly bottle samples of the top-secret barbecue sauce cloaking a trio of pulled-pork sliders. Peruse the drink menu’s](http://gr.pn/qA60K9) panoply of sudsy brews and classic martinis, chasing down savory flavors with The French’s intoxicating blend of Ketel One, Chambord, and pineapple juice.

An airy, stylish dining area and full bar sets the stage for Izumi's contemporary Japanese cuisine, offering a colorful spread of both raw and cooked fish dishes on its menu. One of the friendly, attentive servers can kick off your fish-fest with the wasabi mayo potato salad ($5), a combo of mashed potatoes, crisp cucumber, and zesty izumi wasabi, or the seared tuna tataki ($10), which sears its titular thick red fish in tangy lime soy sauce and arrives bejeweled with avocados. Prepare your digestive fishing nets for the magnificent maki, Izumi's signature dish. The succulent strawberry maki ($15) celebrates another successful fruit-fishing season, sporting a super-white tuna and crunchy tempura center layered with spicy tuna and slices of strawberry. Fried prawns and cucumber center the dragon roll ($14), which comes drizzled with mayo and glazed with eel sauce, while the Pacific Surf maki ($12) hangs 10 on your tongue with its blend of Hawaiian yellowtail, jalapeño, and cream cheese topped with tempura crumbs. This Groupon is also good for drinks, such as the sake, which you can order alone ($12–$25) or genetically fused with other spirits to form various sake flights and saketinis ($8–$15). The restaurant also allows patrons to bring their own wine, with no corkage fee added.

Aldino's melds the robust flavors of Italian cuisine with the relaxed charm of comfort food, using locally sourced, seasonal ingredients in its dinner menu. Appetizers include grilled octopus ($9) and prosciutto-topped flatbread ($8), and pasta dishes delve into jazzed-up versions of Old Country favorites. Stomach-sign on the dietary dotted line with the squid ink spaghetti ($16), served with braised calamari, or revel in the richness of the squash ravioli ($15). Main entrees explore porcine and Poseidon-approved fare—the pork shoulder ($18), braised in lemon and milk, satisfies unbridled carnivorous urges, while the seared Arctic char ($19) sidekicks its sustenance with crispy brussels sprouts and fingerling potatoes. Cap off consumption with a glass of Aldino's house-made fig-infused grappa ($7) and a slice of chocolate hazelnut cake ($6).

Located in historic Bronzeville, Ain't She Sweet Cafe reflects the neighborhood’s own heartiness with its menagerie of savory meals and sweet desserts. Lofted ceilings and hardwood floors contain the aromas of wraps, sandwiches, and paninis stacked with ingredients such as grilled chicken, smoked turkey, sun-dried tomatoes, and pepper jack cheese. Chefs also toss made-to-order salads with fresh greens and vine-ripened tomatoes, and blend more than 10 smoothies from real fruit and the proud tears of organic farmers. To ensure meals finish on the sweetest note possible, servers plate brownies, cakes, and pies, and blend milkshakes from more than 12 ice-cream flavors such as pistachio, chocolate chip, and strawberry. Ain't She Sweet Cafe's owners pair their passion for food with a passion for art, and often deck the dining room's exposed-brick walls with works made by local artists.

Maddanthony's Bar and Grill sports 2,000 square feet of lounging space with plasma televisions and pool tables. Waiters pile plates with food from sister restaurant LaCoco's Pizza & Pasta next door and pour suds until 4 a.m. Sunday–Friday, 5 a.m. on Saturdays, and forever during a time warp. Darts leagues fling projectiles at targets throughout the fall, and karaoke enthusiasts belt tunes on Tuesday nights. The bar maintains a young, energetic vibe with abundant events and eats, hosting nights centered around UFC matchups, boxing tournaments, and high-octane city-council meetings.

Carnitas Don Rafa's owner Rafael Vega transforms the knowledge he inherited from his father, a butcher turned restaurateur, into a menu of homestyle Mexican fare. Staffers lovingly stuff tortillas and tortas with a variety of proteins, including carne asada, milanesa, or the house specialty, the eponymous carnitas, made from a family recipe. A parking lot next door keeps faithful chariots and dune buggies safe as patrons pick up their doggie bags.