Medici On 57th

It’s a nice place for date night food is really good the ambience and bring your own bottle is very nice. They have quite a variety of dishes to eat.

Medici the restaurant is typically good. I got chicken skewers and rice once, and it was a little disappointing. The pizza, burgers, and fettuccine alfredo pasta, though, are fantastic. I’m never disappointed when I order any of these items. It’s also a lot of food. You won’t leave hungry. The restaurant itself is cozy and has a relaxed vibe I always enjoy. I’ve been here on dates, meetings, and work lunches, so it’s good for any occasion.
Medici the bakery is great as well. My office sometimes caters pastries for breakfast. My favorite is the chocolate croissant. It is sooooo good. I’ve also had their Mexican chocolate milkshake, which is amazing. It tastes just like the Abuelita chocolate used to make Mexican hot chocolate.

Hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. This place has amazing food (try the pizza) and coffee drinks, is relatively inexpensive, and has a quirky ambiance. They also have a beautiful patio that is open in the summer. Service has always been good for me, too. Don’t miss this spot!

Coffeeshop and bakery: great. Love the coffee. Pastries are OK (though better at nearby Bonjour), bread is delish. I often buy bread there (whole wheat pan loaf is great for sandwiches). The fresh mozzarella sandwich is satisfying, especially when they sub out the white bread for whole wheat demi baguette.
Restaurant: a different story. When I’m scheduled to have lunch with friends and I hear the words «let’s go to Medici!» my heart sinks a little.
The restaurant is a classic UChicago student joint, a real institution, writing on the walls, etc. etc. But once the cute college vibe wears off, it’s a place that serves overpriced food with mixed quality.
For example: the black bean burger, one of the only vegetarian entrees, costs $ 13. It’s a frozen burger with a scalloped edge that Costco sells by the dozen. Here it is:
For $ 13, couldn’t they make their own homemade veggie burgers? Either make it from scratch or lower the price! Otherwise it’s just a rip-​off. A similar situation with the guacamole appetizer: $ 7 for a bite-​sized nugget of guacamole, not even remotely enough for a table to share.
But here’s where my opinion really plummets: I’ve now TWICE been served spoiled potato salad. As in FIZZY. I sent it back and I was given fresh potato salad, which was fine — but this happened twice to me, and once to a friend, which suggests it’s a fairly regular thing. No restaurant should serve spoiled food.
In summary:
Bakery: 4 stars
Restaurant: 2 stars and a frowny face in sharpie on the table

DON’T BOTHER WITH ZELESKI & HORVATH GO HERE INSTEAD! WAY BETTER!
3.5 star average is an atrocity for this place. What is more upsetting is that crappy Zeleski & Horvath has a 4 star average. Zeleski is a huge rip off and the food is not very good. I have a review for them in which I show my sandwich pilled high with basil and very little meat. Medici gives you a fat sandwich that is stuffed with meat and cheese and easy on the greens. The greens themselves are to die for and have a earthy taste, well at least the Arrabiata sandwich I ordered did. This sandwich is capicola, pepperoni, sopressata, provolone cheese, mixed greens, tomato, red onion and balsamic pesto dressing on ciabatta for $ 6.99 and it is worth every penny and more! The bread was fresh and delicious, the greens were earthy and crisp as I said before. The meat was delicious and the cheese complimented it very nicely. I really enjoyed the pesto sauce that was on there too as it was the perfect amount.
My girlfriend had the chicken salad sandwich which was house-​made chicken salad with red and green bell peppers, red onion and mayo served with mixed greens and tomato on a medici croissant. The croissant was delicious. The chicken salad was creamy and had a wonderful blend of spices, it was to die for when I took my sample bite. My girlfriend told me too it was the best chicken salad sandwich she ever had. My sandwich was also high up there on my top list.
We also each ordered the potato salad as sides for only $ 1.29. We got a large portion that filled us up. I am a big eater but I could not finish the potato salad which proves the portions are great for the price. The potato salad was fresh tasting and nice and creamy.
My buddy joined us and he order the chili cheese burger. He said the chili was not that great and I agreed as I sampled it, but that burger meat was damn good, and he agreed on that. Next time I will be ordering the burger for sure, just not the chili one lol.
Our pockets were not broken by eating here which is great because we were all on a budget. I was expecting to spend $ 30 on me and my girlfriend, instead I spent $ 18 and some change! Zeleski charged $ 7 and some change for a sandwich that was way smaller, had far less meat, and was bland! I do not know why some people favor Z&H over Medici, it blows my mind.

A great place for a date of any occasion! The atmosphere is pretty laid back and so are the menu options. I tried the grilled veggie chili and chicken Alfredo. The chili was good but had a strong tomato base. I was hoping for more vegetables and less tomato purée. Over all the flavor was good, however, it could use some heat. The chicken was extremely moist with a good char and great flavor. The Alfredo sauce was more reminiscent of a Mac and cheese flavor rather than Parmesan Alfredo. It’s was bland and rather disappointing.
I’d love to return to try some other menu items and next time I’ll BYOB!

Medici is a long-​time Chicago favorite with lots of history and great pizza. It’s a place where you hang out with old friends or take new ones and tell them lots of your old stories and memories. Although it’s not one of the swankiest or trendiest places in town, I always make time to usually stop by for lunch or early dinner. I grew up in Hyde Park so I always feel like home (when I go).
You can never go wrong with a spot that is BYOB! Oh and I’m a native so I may be a little biased. Bottom line: great food and great prices!
Quick disclaimer: I always get pizza when I go!

I have been here three times and have always been happy with the ambience, the service, and the food. The walls are decorated with eclectic art from cubism, to tree slices, to an Indian goddess statue. There is pretty rooftop dining during warm months. I have never tasted something I haven’t liked: sandwiches, burgers, salads, pizza – it’s all good. I brought my young niece and nephew yesterday and they were accommodating, giving them crayons and paper.

Outrageously good turkey cranberry sandwich from the deli side of this establishment… Worth the 15 minute wait, and worth eating standing at the street corner for lack of seats…
Everything about this sandwich was awesome…
The thick slabs of Brie cheese
The perfectly tart cranberry sauce
The delicious turkey
And the bread, oh the bread, in its dense and nutty goodness
It’s a moderately sized sandwich so not something that will leave you feeling overstuffed. Can’t wait to eat it again.

I will start off by saying the pizza was good. However this does not make up for how uncomfortable I felt during my time there.
My husband, some friends, and I all visited Medici because of the great reviews we’ve heard from others. The server we had ruined our experience. He was extremely rude to us the entire time. He would lurk by our table and at one point, stood over us for at least 30 seconds of silence before asking if we needed our drinks refilled. It seemed like asking him for anything was an issue, after asking to have my husbands sprite refilled and he huffed as he walked away. I can’t tell you how uncomfortable I felt leaving, and then to turn around and see him outside, watching us drive away as we left the restaurant made it worse. The four of us agreed that we all felt very creeped out.
The kicker is that I called the manager-​on-​duty almost immediately, explained how uncomfortable we were, and was assured we would have the restaurant manager call me back. Here we are a month later… no call.
Sure, the pizza was good. But just because of the awfully uncomfortable experience we had I do not Intend to give them my business again.

To note, we were traveling with our dog Ashland and needed to find a place with a patio in Hyde Park. This was really close to where we were and I remember this place being ok from coming years back. We decided to give it a shot! The outdoor seating for us was perfect because Ashland could also eat with us. It was easy to order at the coffeehouse counter and we were able to snag some ice water while we waited.
I knew this place was known for its pizza but we wanted to keep our late lunch light and so opted for the salmon burger and the garbage burger. The take out containers were really cute and seemed also ideal for going to the beach or anywhere else on the run.
Let’s start with the garbage burger. It looked great! It was somewhat warm and medium as I asked. I was not impressed with the potato bun and recommend that you ask for any other bun besides that one. It was dry and was crumbling as I was eating which was a little annoying. There were a generous amount of toppings for a ten dollar burger. I wasn’t a fan of the barbecue sauce which was much sweeter than what I normally like. The slaw was really good though and the portion was just right.
The salmon burger was also underwhelming for my partner. It was a generous size but also dry. The sauce on it didn’t help very much and it still tastes pretty bland. The fries were good on the side.
If we were to come back we’d try the pizza and stay away from the burgers. We peeked at sandwiches and those portions were large too. However, I love well seasoned burgers, fries, and patties just in general and this was a disappointing lunch for us.

This place is amazing.
The environment is so cozy and welcoming, even on a hot Chicago day. It’s just filled with so much art and overall, a lovely place to dine.
The food was absolutely on point. I got the shrimp quesadilla entrée and it was, no joke, the best quesadilla I’ve ever had. It was perfectly cooked and with sour cream, guac, and salsa, it tastes perfecto as well. I also got a restaurant made Arnold Palmer and it too was very refreshing. My friends got the chicken skewers, grilled cheese, and steak burger and all got positive responses.
Medici’s drink menu is quite extensive with many options in wine and beer as well as fresh fruit smoothies and lemonades. Other food menu items have a nice blend of mexican, Italian, American foods, etc.
The bathrooms and overall restaurant itself are very clean.
Definitely recommend for good eats near UChicago.

We usually get take out or delivery; the food is always good and delivery time is pretty decent as well. Visited the actual restaurant this past Sunday. Restaurant floor was busy, but the staff (especially the dude at the host stand) was very efficient and knew what they were doing. Our server (pretty young kid) seemed a little spacey. Nice enough though. We asked for more coffee when he came by and he asked «now?» Not super professional and sort of awkward, but whatever. There was a table of 3 seated next to us, and the lady was pretty rude and kind of put the staff through the ringer-​they were polite and accommodating to her demands.
All in all everything was good (service and food good) the right reason for the 4 stars is because we had asked for some modifiers on our breakfasts (I asked for no tomato on my smoked salmon omelette and my partner asked for a bagel instead of toast… both meals were delivered as appeared on menu).

A solid staple of the UChicago student diet. Medici is close and convenient to campus, will deliver and can also cater. But because it’s so convenient it can get busy, so avoid the sit-​down section during lunch time (unless you have time to spare). It has a small bakery which is open early and late, so it can always work in a pinch.
The food it hit or miss. The pepperoni pizza is great, with nice large pepperonis and a good fluffy crust. It also reheats well in a microwave. The chili burger is a bit disappointing since the chili doesn’t have any interesting flavor (and the rest of the burger doesn’t either). The cinnamon roll french toast is tasty, but comes with only a few pieces, not enough to fill me up. The Napoli and Italian subs are both solid, although the bread can be a bit tough sometimes.

To me this feels like the kind of place you bring your parents when they’re in town and you want to impress them with your hip but approachable neighborhood joint, or a first date when you don’t want the person to know your true self. I’ve never had anything I didn’t like, and I’ve also never had anything I really really loved (even the Mexicana shake… it’s fine. I’m ambivalent).
That said, I think this place fills an important neighborhood niche, especially with fancier places like A10 and the Promontory coming in. It’s a really nice middle range, and it’s a «fancy» pizza place. Everything is good, there are sandwich and salad options, and the atmosphere is really kinda mildly spunky and makes you think about old Hyde Park and all the students who came before.
If you eat pizza, get pizza. Pizza is universally good, but this is a chance to get your Chicago style pizza from a place that isn’t a Chicago-​style-​pizza chain (like Giordano’s). The shakes are also good.

Come here to hang out with a big group or for the fresh bread or pastries at the bakery, but food on the restaurant side is disappointing. It’s standard, slightly pricey diner fare lacking any sort of wow factor.
Garbage pizza is covered with plenty of cheese and plenty of bacon, pepperoni, and sausage. Nothing tasted very fresh, and it’s extremely greasy and salty. Great drunk food, yes — great food, no.
Spinach goat cheese pizza was similarly greasy and doused in pesto, causing the crust to be very soggy, especially in the middle.
Tuna steak sandwich ($ 13) was mediocre at best, the yellowfin didn’t taste fresh and the ginger-​sesame mayo just tasted like regular old mayo. Burgers are good but standard, as are the shoestring fries.
Smoked salmon eggs benedict ($ 13) during brunch was subpar, the hollandaise broke and was very watery. The potatoes were extremely greasy — again, not a fan.
Cappuccino and mexicana shake are good. The pumpkin cheesecake shake (only served during autumn months) is a standout.

A Hyde Park college staple. We’ve had residents and professors eat here for over 30 years. Fancy that, a lot of history rolled up in this little HP gem.
Food: 2.5
Service: 4
Bathroom: 2
I only ordered a calzone, the crust was well-​done, however the inside was insipid. The tomatoes weren’t particularly fresh and the cheese was diner-​quality. My friend ordered the burrito stuffed with veggies and some form of chicken:? For $ 11 it was higher calibre and at least the ingredients tasted semi fresh.
Bathroom is awkward, having no paper towels. Usually that’s okay but when the hand blower has pathetic strength, one ends up standing around over a minute trying to dry hands. In the end I gave up and wiped on my pant leg.
Seats downstairs: wooden and ramrod straight, absolutely no lumbar support. Ended up putting elbows on the the table. Sorry Mom, I know it’s bad etiquette. In my defence, no lumbar support.

A perennial favorite of UChicago students, the Medici is a nice low-​key spot for dinner. The restaurant has lower, almost tavern-​like lighting and brick walls which are adorned with the scribblings, signatures, and cartoons of previous patrons, and any first timers should feel free to leave their own marks.
As for the menu, most milkshake fans swear by the Mexicana, though all the shakes have the benefit of coming with house-​made whipped cream, greatly improving the overall quality of the shakes. Many of the patrons also come for the pizza, either the deep dish, which comes in its pan with a neat alligator-​like metal clip, or thin crust (cut tavern style.) I’m particularly fond of the goat cheese spinach topping, but the garbage is another favorite, and any toppings can be ordered on either type of pie. The other major standout on the menu are the fries which are shoestring cut and very crispy. If you’re with a mid or large sized group of people, a basket of these will not go unappreciated. Non-​pizza fans would do well to order a burger or sandwich, both categories that the Medici executes well.

I seriously don’t get how people can knock this place. Sure, the bakery is small with only 3 tables, but the baked goods are the BEST IN FREAKING TOWN.
I had heard a lot about Medici being a Hyde Park staple but was surprised to find only average reviews on Unilocal.Hence, I didn’t really get to this place until recently and man, have I been missing out!
The cinnamon rolls and apple pies alone deserve max praise. The apple pies are mini and have the most decadent crust I’ve ever tasted. The apples are super fresh, thinly sliced, and wondrously infused with brown sugar and cinnamon.
I also enjoy the sandwiches here with some random off-​menu items like fresh chips and guacamole. All for really really decent prices.
Finally, the staff I’ve been in contact with are nothing but kind and courteous. Super homey and family-​feeling. One of the managers even got me a stack of plastic plates, pie cutters, and utensils to take home when I bought a few pies for a party.
I’m a Medici fan. I just can’t hate. It’s lovely.

The service is always excellent, so it’s great to go to of you’re introducing someone to Hyde Park. They are very attentive and friendly.
The food itself is pretty good! I like to get sandwiches as salads. Like the cranberry turkey sandwich. The Fresh Mozz is good and simple. The hot dog is really tasty! Their potato salad is decent.
Also that Garbage Shake… decadent. Pumpkin shakes are awesome in the fall. Willing to go through the pain of lactose intolerance for those shakes… but only once a season.
Overall, the Med is a solid hyde park restaurant with lots of variety on their menu, although I always end up opting for their neighbor Z&H when it comes to sandwiches.

Great breakfast, delicious (!) croissants, friendly staff, easy environment