Whiskey Thief Tavern, downtown Evanston

We recently tried this new Evanston joint. A few quick impressions:

It seems to be primarily a drinking place. It’s somewhat dark inside, making the many television screens stand out even more. I imagine it’ll be packed September 3rd, when football's Northwestern Wildcats, at home, will probably outscore the Western Michigan Broncos by a significant margin. There are cozy booths that almost feel as if you’re in a part of a large whiskey barrel, as well as long tables that I’m sure will encourage communal conversation. It's obvious a lot of thought and money have gone into the interior design.

The drinks list is impressive. 31 bourbons are on the list (although to quibble, I’d say Jack Daniels arguably may not be considered a bourbon; at least the word “bourbon” is nowhere on the label). There are slightly smaller, but still impressive lists of Rye, Irish, Scotch (and Scotch-like) drinks, among others. The 19-tap draft beer list (including a few ciders) is well chosen, and supplemented with a good assortment of canned/bottled choices. The wine list is a bit shorter, not inexpensive, but well curated.

Food almost appears to be an afterthought. It’s a relatively short menu.

We tried the poutine, which was one of the better versions we’ve had locally. Nicely browned/charred, with barely melted cheese curds, and studded with small bits of sausage. The fries could have been a bit more crisp, though.


The caesar salad was adequate, although I don’t recall ever seeing a caesar salad that included raw onions (not mentioned on the menu). The menu did note that the cheese was grana padano, not the usual parmigiano-reggiano … no big deal there.

My “shawarma” burger (actually a lamb burger — I doubt it came off a cone on an upright spit) was okay, but a bit overcooked - somewhere between medium and medium-well. It was only after ordering and consuming half of it did our server tell us that all burgers are cooked to medium or more unless specifically requested otherwise. (There was no mention of that on the menu.) Yeah, I should have known to request the burger medium-rare, but it was my first time there. I’ll know better next time.


Overall, it’s a welcome addition to Evanston’s thriving downtown restaurant (or, more accurately, bar) scene, but there still seem to be a few kinks to work out.

Whiskey Thief Tavern
616 Davis St
Evanston

Whiskey Thief is no more. Bob's Pizza (really enjoyed it for that style of pizza) is looking for another Evanston home.
https://evanstonnow.com/one-restaurant-closes-another-opens-two-doors-down-on-davis/