Restaurants in Oak Park

Pockets' health-conscious chefs have stuffed stomachs with fresh, all-natural ingredients for more than 20 years, creating low-fat, high-protein combinations of vegetables, fine cheese, and lean meats. Within freshly baked multigrain bread, selections such as spinach, salami, turkey, and tuna combine with edamame beans, crunchy noodles, dried cranberries, and a splash from one of more than 10 dressings, creating a snack more portable than a bicycle made of chocolate. Menu pages also brim with eight healthy salads, seven hearty calzones, and a kids' menu with pint-size portions and sides of magic. Not content with just challenging fast-food ideals, the locally owned Pockets furthers change in its community by regularly donating up to 50% of its profit to charities such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation and Fox Valley Heart Foundation.

O'Brien's Restaurant & Bar has enlivened Old Town for more than 30 years with its abundant Irish pride and a menu packed with sizzling steaks, half-pound Angus burgers, and exotic seafood such as Scottish salmon and dover sole. Patrons enter into a bright dining room with polished hardwood floors, tall ceilings, and high windows, and on warmer days, the public house throws open the doors to its flower garden so that guests can sip suds and hold out arms for landing skydivers. O'Brien's boasts of its Celtic ties year-round, but makes them best known in March during its annual "Oh Danny Boy" singing contest and many other festivities.

Rocks Lakeview's staff cools fierce appetites with sizzling selections from its full kitchen and fully stocked bar. An extensive menu of bar eats ranges from easy-to-lift finger foods to weekly entrees, and a revolving lineup of draft beers and bountiful brands of whiskey soak parched palates. The modern space's exposed brick walls, expansive storefront windows, and eight plasma TVs cultivate a relaxed atmosphere for casual dining, sports watching, and philosophical chicken vs. egg debates.

The chefs at Park 52 adorn plates with upscale American cuisine that includes house-smoked ribs and pan-seared seafood. An open-exhibition kitchen grants diners firsthand glances at the cooks' culinary skills and onion-juggling contests. Scores of wines from around the world slake thirst by the glass or bottle, and bell-shaped overhead lights build a soothing ambiance in the dining area, which is accented with draping red curtains.

Patsy's Pub & Grill epitomizes the warmth of an old-school neighborhood eatery, drawing in regulars and passersby to belly up to its intimate polished wood bar for a drink and some friendly company. Amid the clicks, clacks, and occasional crotchety comments emanating from the stately antique cash register, bartenders—who make customers feel even more welcome by working to remember their names—pour 20 beers by the bottle and an impressive selection of bourbons. The comforting aromas of signature mac 'n' cheese or the house-smoked pork waft through the air to tease nostrils and pique appetites.

In between bites, guests keep an eye fixed on the Chicago games illuminating flat-screen TVs. When televised sports aren’t enough, guests can engage in in-house competitions with a game of metal-tipped darts, Nintendo Wii, or board games, or enjoy people watching on the outdoor patio. Patsy's also shows their neighborhood spirit by sponsoring local amateur sports teams as they vie to win a key to the city by beating the mayor in beach volleyball.

Tripoli Tavern screens Boston sports on six flat-screen TVs set amid weathered wooden tables, exposed brick, and low-lighting designed to give the bar a lived-in vibe. The menu is also made to comfort, with crispy fried appetizers and finger food alongside heartier sandwiches piled with ingredients ranging from sautéed steak and grilled chicken to three kinds of encased meat. Tripoli’s staff pours a full bar during party packages, which host up to 100 guests on the open air beer garden. To supplement these fetes, the chefs can roast whole animals and reenact Greek tragedies in the kitchen.