Ouzo Cafe

This place is outstanding! Authentic Greek fare as good, if not better than anything I’ve had in Chicago’s Greektown. In fact, I’ve never had better Dolmades. The baklava was light and sweet, but not too sweet. If you’re in the neighborhood you absolutely must try this place.

Best spot ever! Great food! Good customer service… Try the Saganaki! Chicken gyro never disappoints

Always go here when I’m craving authentic Greek food! Everything is fresh and home made and Service is always top notch!

Great gyros. Strongly recommend get fired onions opposed to raw. Can’t go wrong with the beef souvlaki, best I’ve ever had.

Ouzo Café provides a lovely ambiance which is a nod to the deeply-​held values of the Greek family. The food is fresh and flavorful. Tzatiki, garlic shrimp, lemon soup and traditional Greek salads play beautifully against the rich, flavorful meats in the kebabs and gyros. Summertime is a perfect opportunity to indulge in Ouzo while you dine outside imagining yourself in the land of the Aegean. Enjoy!

Their gyros were great, and well-​priced. I had a good time there and will probably return there in the future.

I came here with coworkers last week for lunch after the place we originally wanted to go to was closed. It had just opened and didn’t jump out at us from the street, but we decided to try it.
The Tzatziki appetizer with pita was great. Very garlicky and the cucumber was refreshing. I had the chicken souvlaki sandwich and it was very tasty. I tried my friend’s dolmates and they were awesome. They tasted just like my mom’s actually.
We were the only ones in there since they just opened and it was nice they split up our checks. The only downside is that the hostess/​server was outside writing on the board when we walked in so no one greeted us or told us where to sit. I’ll stick to Apollo for Greek food, but overall Ouzo was good.

Descriptive phrase: almost-​passable Greek pub.
Ouzo Café is located on the increasingly-​trendy Milwaukee Street downtown, but its location far on one end of the «restaurant strip» means it doesn’t get the same foot-​traffic, and it showed when I stopped in on a Saturday night around 6 and it was dead.
The inside is pretty nicely decorated, with imposing faux-​Greek statues hanging from the ceiling and cute little tables. The bar looks nice with the stone top, but this looks like it’ll lead to a lot of spilled drinks. When I walked in the young waitress got up from a table and hopped behind the counter to take my order. I was the only person there, and it looked like there hadn’t been anyone else for a while.
She took my takeout order down and invited me to sit at the bar and wait with a glass of water. They had boxing on all the TVs even though the Brewers were playing. Behind the bar was an impressive selection of Ouzos, and the cook gave me a recommendation (I didn’t have any, though).
I watched the cook a bit on the grill, which is visible behind the counter. He grabbed some food from the kitchen and you could see it had just been taken out of the freezer. This was a fear when I came in and was the only person, that there wouldn’t be anything fresh. Soon I took my food to go.
When I got home and opened my Zeus combo ($ 12.95) I found two containers. In the first was a pita filled with ground pork and lamb, with a side of tomato, onion, cucumber, tzatziki sauce, and a block of feta cheese. For being a frozen block a few minutes prior the meat was surprisingly edible. Not great, and I wouldn’t go get it again, but okay. The feta was great.
The other container was my side of Greek potatoes. Inside, swimming in olive oil, were three long slices of a potato. They were inedible. I couldn’t tell if they had been freezer-​burned or instead left to dry out for weeks, but they were hard, crusty, gross. Never again on those.
Ouzo Café looks like it could be a neat little place, but the emptiness should be a warning that their food just isn’t that good. They should focus on better, fresh ingredients. There’s certainly better Greek in this city, even in walking distance.

I’d probably give Ouzo 2.5 stars but the food was good so I’m rounding up.
Ouzo is probably a great spot to grab a gyro after you’ve been partying it up at one of the other relatively mediocre Milwaukee Ave. spots. My visit was at lunch though and it was «ok».
First, the inside is fairly basic. I really like the large plaster decorations — they add some unique Greek flair to what is a fairly sterile and very well worn space. The tables and chairs are fairly beat up and could stand a good scrubbing.
Food-​wise, I was mostly happy with what we had. The person I was with had much love for her gyro and I did like my chicken kebab (though it was a little dry). The tzatziki sauce here is amazing though — wonderfully creamy and garlicky. Portions are ok — if you’re having a sandwich it will cost $ 2 or so extra for fries. If you want to upgrade to a salad, it’s like $ 3 on top of that, which is a little ridiculous.
Service was super, super slooooooowwwww. I felt bad for the only server who also appeared to be helping with the cooking and handling all of the cold prep on items. Maybe a server called in? I don’t know, but it took forever to get our order taken and an absolute age to get our food. That may be fine in the evening, but when you’re having a lunch meeting you’re looking to keep things moving along.
Overall, I liked what I had but was fairly turned off by the slow service, chipped/​scratched tables and chipped plates (ugh — unsanitary!). It’s certainly a viable & inexpensive option if you’re drunk on Milwaukee Street. However, Oakland Gyros or Apollo aren’t far away, so it would be hard for me to justify a return visit.

Late night gyro time!
After a long day of celebrating my cousin’s wedding, we celebrated some more! However, after we celebrated the celebration, we got hungry. Luckily, just across the street was Ouzo Café!
I find it hard to pass up Greek food, and with the night winding down, we had doubts about finding anything else. So we took a chance on Ouzo, and we weren’t dissapointed.
The location was set up for mostly carry out and quick sit down service. At the end of the narrow table area stood the counter and the open area where they prepare the food. We browsed the menu briefly, but I knew what we were there for, the gyro!
Being so late, we decided to split a gyro combo, which ran about eight dollars. Most of my family followed suit, but some tried the burgers, too. The clerk was super friendly and patience. However, we beat the late night crowd, so there wasn’t any reason to feel rushed.
Everything came out hot and fresh. The fries were on fire! The toppings, aside from the onions, came on the side. Even the tzatziki sauce was in a separate container, so I just dipped my gyro meat in it, instead of covering my sandwich.
I don’t know where this sandwich ranks on the list of gyros that I’ve loved before, but I truly enjoyed it. The service was good, and the food wasn’t too expensive.
If you’re hungry in downtown Milwaukee or looking for something late night, Ouzo is a great option!

Good gyro. Decent service. Very quiet.
It seems like I keep picking restaurants that are dead on Monday nights. When I popped into Ouzo, I was the only customer in there. I really was tempted to turn around and go somewhere elsewhere but I stayed.
Sweet waitress (18 years old??) took my drink order (a Greek beer called Mythos) and then my food order. I asked for the gyro meal with rice (they were out of the potatoes) plus a side salad. The salad was mostly lettuce but there were four big cubes of delicious feta cheese that made it worthwhile. As for the gyro, it was a nice sized pile of sliced donner meat topped with raw onions, a small pot of tzatziki sauce (the gal brought me another when I asked) and a very meaty slice of tomato. All on top of a grilled pita bread. I cleared the plate. Yum!
On a hot day, I wouldn’t recommend Ouzo. Their air conditioning was on the fritz. Maybe sit outside and watch the street traffic go by.
You can’t beat the price and the food is good. I’d definitely go back here. Just not when it’s dead.

Even though the food that actually made it to our table was good and was ultimately comped the terrible service and lack of professionalism prevents me from giving this place a 2^nd star. Please, read on.
We went on a Tuesday afternoon, the place was empty… too empty. Thought, «no big deal, we’ll get great service» That’s what I get for thinking. Our server was a little unkempt and VERY aloof. That kind of I-​GUESS-​I-​can-​help-​you-​since-​I-​DO-​work-​here attitude. She had zero menu recommendations and made no friendly chatter. Not even the expected/​required server introduction.
I ordered an ice tea which was warm and watered down. We ordered an appetizer platter and took some time to decide on the entrees. After about 10 minutes (about the time the app should have arrived) the server informed us that they were out of the meatball (forget the name) part of the platter… no biggie, just replace those items with more domolades.
My fiancé ordered the moussaka and I got the spanakopita… Everything on the platter was very good. Our entrees arrived WELL after we were finished with the appetizer… I was on the verge of saying something when they finally did arrive. Only then did our server refill our drinks and I’m convinced she wouldn’t have if I hadn’t mentioned something. So we’re about to start eating and my fiancé says «this isn’t what I ordered, this is not moussaka». She was right, it was pastitso. We immediately called the server over and showed her the mistake, even suggested maybe she had misheard us… she had the audacity to ask my fiancé «is that alright? do you wanna try and eat that»… My fiancé replied, «not really, I would like what I ordered». The server left and returned about 5 minutes later to tell us that «we were really busy today for lunch and we are out of moussaka, the cook is preparing some now». So I ask «well are there any entrées that are quick» (hoping she would suggest something that my fiancé might enjoy)… she says «not really»… so I suggest the Mediterranean Medley (as it was a toss up between that and the Moussaka for my fiancé during the menu review)… The server quickly spoke up and told us they were out of calamari… So that makes THREE ITEMS they were out of to which she made NO MENTION of when we arrived. Now extremely frustrated I say «well what do you suggest she eats»? Still UNAFFECTED by the situation the server says something again about being really busy during lunch and basically tells us that all hope is lost. She says «I’ll call the owner and see what he thinks I should do or if he’ll come talk to you guys» I was about to say «Unless he comes with a suitable entrée, don’t bother» but I didn’t get the chance… she was off and on the phone to the owner in a flash. She came back and said (seemingly very annoyed by the convo) «well he won’t come down so I’m just gonna comp all your food».
WHATEVER! Absolutely terrible that they wouldn’t try to make my fiancé happy…
My suggestion to the owner (even though I’ll never be back) is to get an 86ed board! Teach your employees how to read and communicate to the customers what is currently listed on the board.
Also, if the 86ed board gets to be 40% the size of your menu… TURN OFF THE LIGHTS AND SHUT THE DOORS!

We are located close to Ouzo and originally loved their food. Our office gets carryouts and half the time the order is wrong. Either the fries and potatoes are missing or the gyro meat is burned, etc. Today when we called to complain, they said their phones were bad and they are getting a new system. We would love to provide them with business but something is wrong here. When we went to pick up the order, the place was empty and it was noon. Maybe everyone else has figured out that Ouzo needs major work or a new staff! Maybe it will be worth a drive to Oakland Gyros for better service and food.

Good food, but for some reason the place is ALWAYS empty. Makes me suspicious but I keep going back. The gyros are good, but not the best I’ve had. But what I do love are the greek fries. They have feta cheese and lemon on them. Simple but delicious. It’s an extra charge to get them instead of the regular fries, but definitely worth it.

We found the Ouzo Café looking for a late lunch one Friday. It was nearly empty and has a basic décor and setup, but the bar, the horse head on the wall, and, my favorite the fan, add some appeal. The service was good and the food very tasty. The gyro and salad were very nice. The side of olives is a nice touch.

Yay! I’m a fan… of any place that is open at 3am and serves decent food. Went here with a group of guys after last call to soak up the alcohol. They don’t serve the full menu this late, pretty much just the gyros. I ordered the Zeus which was some spicy mix of ground lamb and pork in gyro bread with raw onions — could have used some tomatoes and lettuce at least. Also, maybe not the best choice for a 3am meal as it is spiiiicy. We all shared their hummus as well which was very good.
One other benefit of the the 3am meal is the 3am people watching. I am not sure if I would go to this restaurant any other time, but definitely post last call.

Went there for late lunch (3:30 PM) and I guess I surprised the wait/​cooking staff. Restaurant was completely empty.
The waitress was nice, however, bottled water was served without a glass and we waited 40 minutes for a skimpy salad with scorched octopus, lackluster veggies and boring dressing and a weak gyro.
Honestly, I could have made better in less time at home.
The whole fiasco cost around $ 30 — not worth it.
Definitely would not return.

The owner is pretty smart for keeping this place open until 3:30am on Friday and Saturday in an area that has a decent amount of bars.
They don’t have the best Gyros in the world, but it is not horrible either.
I am not sure how late they serve liquor until.
Something tells me the Saganaki here rocks.
I will have to try it next time I go.

Here we go. I’d been waiting to go to Ouzo for quite some time now. We went on Saturday night at 7:30pm. First, my boyfriend tried to call before hand to possibly make a reservation for 4. He said he tried a couple of times and no one answered. At 7:30, three of the four of us arrived. The place was empty. The restaurant next door was packed. Wary, we walked in.
I thought the décor was pretty cool. Nice, unassuming, and yet trendy tables and chairs, awesome fans, and 3 gigantic greek sculptures along the walls. Clearly a sit down place, but the back of this small walk in restaurant was an ordering counter with a large printed menu hung on the wall. As not a single other person was in sight, we yelled «hello?» and eventually a man (somewhere between 20 and 30) sauntered out and asked us if we were ordering out. We said no, we wanted to sit down. He said sit anywhere. We sat and he gave us menus and walked away. He was not particularly friendly.
A few minutes later, a group of 6 people, probably in their 40s or 50s walked in. The waiter (for lack of a more descriptive term) told them to sit down, he brought them menus. By the time we looked back up, they’d received drinks already. Our 4^th person was running a bit late. When she arrived, he came back to our table. I asked for a cocktail menu. We decided on drinks and the flaming cheese and ordered. We saw the other table get their appetizer. I ordered a specialty cocktail — the waiter consulted a person who was likely the cook about how to make this cocktail.
We ordered our food. We got a round of ouzo (I liked it, licorice flavor) We got the flaming cheese (pretty cool!). Waiter lit it table side. I asked what kind of cheese it was (I didn’t recall from the menu). He said he didn’t know. And he didn’t go find out. We grabbed a menu and found out for ourselves. We had to ask for water refills multiple times. He took 3 glasses at a time, filled them up, brought them back and declared «I kept them in the same order as I took them». Wow, really, no pitchers then?
And now, the food: I ordered the Greek salad. Basically, big chunks of tomato, onion, cucumber, and feta in oil and lemon juice (I ordered no anchovies). The feta was in big, hard chunks — which signals that it is not fresh cheese, as a soft whey cheese like feta should be crumbly when fresh. Overall was okay, the tomatoes and cucumber were fresh. I ordered a side of fries to satisfy a craving. My fries took an extra 5 minutes, but came right out of the fryer. Fine fries, definitely using frozen prepacked premade fries.
My boyfriend and brother both had the gyro. Both agreed to 2.5 stars, neither would order again. Very spicy and very salty.
My friend had the pastitso (pasta, beef, cheese casserole). She also said 2.5 stars, would not order again.
In conclusion, this place fell far short of its potential. The atmosphere and décor were so awesome. The service, in one word, sucked. The food did not live up to expectations.
This place could make a serious killing if they improved their food and service. It’s such a cool concept!

If you want authentic Greek then come here! The food is absolutely delicious. The best hummus & pita dish I have ever had. I seriously was impressed with Ouzo’s, from the minute I walked in until hours later when I walked out the door… just couldn’t get enough!
The place itself is impressive with the Greek décor throughout the whole establishment. They offer a full bar and great staff.
The best part is you could come here for lunch, dinner, just for a drink, date night, a night out on the town, or even for a shuttle to the Brewer’s game in their Ouzo Café shuttle bus.
If you want fabulous Greek food, don’t waste your time going somewhere else. They have great prices, great food, and great staff!