Skewerz

(No longer open, they went back to Hawaii.)I LOVE this place, when your starving or just want a snack this place is great. Amazing fish, to die for BBQ chicken, interesting flavor steak (fennel spice) but great non the less. Grilled artichoke is a must. They have banana ketchup seasoned yucca fries (only place i liked yucca and i have had a lot) there are a few things he that keep me from that final Fifth Star… one, the hours SUCKC

Sad to report to my fellow Unilocalers that Skewerz appears to have closed its doors. Though I did agree the place needed an industrial-​strength wipe down (it was really dingy), I’ll miss the artichoke and yucca fries.
Mmm, yucca fries… where am I going to find them now?!

I love the concept. I also like the fact that they serve any type of alcohol (they have a bar and some beer). Skewerz range from $ 2-​$ 4. We came here waiting for a table at another restaurant so we only got a few skewers.
Got the Chicken Chile — it was too chili-​fied for me.
Steak — flavor wasn’t anything to rave about
salmon — not very flavorful
Got a rum and coke and they give you a nice big glass of it.
They also have a lounge-​ish room if you wanna chill around (couches, dartboard, coffee tables). No one was there at 8ish so it was cool having the place to ourselves.

Skewerz doesn’t really have clearly posted business hours, but they do have a *very small* handwritten sign which says they should have been open for over 3 hours when we arrived.
Yet the door was locked and some homeless guy sleeping on their stoop told me that they weren’t open. What?
Pretty weird if you ask me. Seems like someone probably didn’t show up on time. Anyway, I don’t want to waste my time taking taxis out to Wicker Park for that terrible service. I won’t be returning.

Wandering around hungry, we stopped in here because it was right by the Damen station. Other reason: there were 3 cops inside eating, and where I live they all love Chipotle. I love Chipotle, so I trusted their taste in late night food.
It was a good move. I had the filet island pita. It was awesome. And at $ 5.25, it was the perfect amount of food for the price. I thought ordering the skewers a la carte looked like a total waste of money, so I was pleased with just a sandwich.
The service was okay, it could have been a bit friendlier but not a big deal.
It’s kind of a weird space, but the little Caribbean theme it has going on pretty much requires there to be a bar. There were a couple people there watching some college bowl game. I guess if you really almost want a place to yourself to do something like that, it works and it’s pretty smart.

It was a Sat night at about 3 am and I was able to order a drink and a chicken skewer… how can I complain? The place has a cute Caribbean theme. Other then my group of friends, there were two annoying drunk guys at the bar and two guys in the side room. In other words, it was dead. But after a hectic night… quiet and empty was a welcome change!

The only reason I’m not giving a full five stars is because I just can’t decide if it was expensive or not. I paid a little under $ 20 for two people, but I could have easily eaten what we ordered by myself and they forgot to charge me for a drink, so you’re looking at about $ 25 for four Skewerz, a side of rice, one condiment, an appetizer, one tea and one Rum Punch. Is that a good deal? I just don’t know.
What I *DO* know is that everything was delicious. Start to finish, my taste buds were in heaven. Their Crab Rangoon is some of the best I’ve had. They serve it with a side of peanut sauce, but please do not use it. The sauce is amazing, but it masks the perfect pillows of crab and cream cheese. Save it for your Skewerz! I would also say the same for the Mango Salsa. I got the combo 4Skewerz+1Rice+1Condiment and Mango Salsa was the sauce. It’s spectacular stuff! I suggest mixing it in with the Jasmine Rice.
I was expecting the Skewerz to be overly done and come out somewhat dry, but all of them were juicy and flavorful. The Chili Chicken was really good and the pan-​seared Ahi Tuna was perfectly spiced. The Lilikoi Salmon blew my mind. I wished it could have been an entire fish. I want to try more flavors, but I might just order a combo consisting of nothing but salmon next time.
As far as drinks go, the Lemongrass Tea is OK. It’s not very strong and it almost comes off as watery. The Sailor Jerry Rum Punch, on the other hand, is easily an $ 8 drink. I think they charge $ 4 for the tiki drink of the day. It’s practically a steal! I had one drink and I was done for the night.

Well then. First off, I love the food. My husband and I have spent… way too much money on many meals here. It’s not cheap, but the food has been worth it. This is a true one star review – instead of wishing I could give zero, the food is good, but the behavior is borderline hilarious if it weren’t threatening.
After early this morning, I am extremely creeped out and rather angry. I walked in to see at least three people casually smoking. I asked the kid at the counter if they allow that, and he shrugged and I think he said no. I was confused and the kid told me «we could leave,» which is exactly what our group of 4 did. We went outside to try to figure out where we’d go – no yelling, stomping, or scene making – we just left.
Next thing I know, the kid from the counter is outside the door (we were many feet down the sidewalk away from the storefront) pointing the owner toward us. I remember the owner; my husband and I had a great conversation with him a while back during a visit, so I was pretty appalled when he placed himself inches from my face, exhaled a mouthful of smoke at me, and threw his cigarette down before asking me if we had a problem.
Apparently it’s «how they roll» late at night, and it’s «his business» so he can do what he wants with it. And he was out there to make sure his «customers and potential customers» were happy; something about how everyone was just having a good time inside. Well, I’m sure they were.
It was very intimidating and downright creepy that we’d be approached outside, away from the establishment (we were in front of a closed shop between Skewerz and Flash Taco), and that I’d have smoke blown at me by a grown man who found it necessary to come up immediately next to me and and get threateningly close to my face. I know people aren’t happy with the smoking ban, but it is what it is, and just because you own a business doesn’t mean you have the right to ignore the law. We were trying to leave and find food elsewhere, but after the absurdity of what took place, we placed a report for the violation of the smoking ban and will be making no more trips from Edgewater just to eat here.
As a side note, the owner «directed» us to Flash Taco if we didn’t like what was going on; the throngs of post-​bar humanity that was flowing out into the street while keeping Flash Taco extremely busy was why I wasn’t interested in waiting around for food there, and it’s exactly why someone with a few people smoking plus maybe a few more in his store might not want to tell someone to head next door if they don’t like it.

THEY HAVE THE BEST GRILLED ARTICHOKE IN THE CITY. NO LIE. I am an artichoke fanatic and my friend and I go here at least once every couple weeks now. It is served with a delicious lemon aioli sauce. The rest of the food is incredible too. The pulled pork pita is stuffed with succulent juicy pork and complimented well with fresh romaine, tomatoes and an awesome white sauce The island shrimp is my favorite. The marinade is to die for and made me feel like i was back down in Key West eating seafood fresh from the ocean. It’s delicious with the Mango Chili sauce. Even the darn tofu is fantastic.
Most amazing thing about this place is the owner. We had come two weeks in a row, first week they had been closed for cleaning despite the sign on the door. Second time same thing happened but they let us in and when the owner showed up, he apologized. Recommended we try to get there around 1 on Sundays. He then proceeded to give us an order of artichokes and sweet potato balls for free. He didn’t have to do anything like but the guy understands good customer service and he definitely understands how to cook great food.
Love this place.

The sign out front that read «Best Grilled Artichokes in Chicago» lured me in. I am an artichoke connoisseur. I ordered to go. Simply delicious and deserving of their signage. The lemon aioli dipping sauce was light and yummy. Perfection for just $ 5.00.

This is a good place to go if you want to eat until you are about to burst, because the food is on point! You can choose from different proteins, different sauces, and whether you want a sandwich on a pita, or if you want everything left on the skewer.
Anyone who knows me could have guessed that I would get the chicken on a pita, but then I made the amazing decision to get a side of the fried rice, and I just haven’t been the same since. It was so good I forgot to offer any to my friend, and got down to the last bite before he had to remind me to offer him a taste. My friend got the wings and a side of rice. The wings were a bit greasy but still very good.
Beware if you have food allergies because they use a lot of «exotic» ingredients. Also, pay attention to the sauces because some of them either contain peanuts or tropical fruit. Once you are sure you’re not allergic, eat up!

Dive Bar on a stick!
Its simple; place meat/​veggie on stick, marinate, and grill. Ideally a healthier version of ‘drunk food’ that is perfect for noshing on. Just don’t poke your eye out with the stick; danger of drunkenness!
Portions are small and the food can take awhile to get to you. While I satisfied with the juicy flavor, I felt a bit cheated when I looked at the small portion. I paid almost $ 10.00 for two little skewers!
Get lucky and some really random drunkard might buy you and your friend a skewer to split.
Plenty of old couch space to lay on in the back. Wouldn’t try the bathroom though!

Went here awhile ago. This place is random.
What is it? Island restaurant in an urban environment with no outdoor space or windows that open? Visible dirtyish kitchen area? Dive Bar-​ish bathrooms?
Smoothies. Tea. Booze. Um. .. some drinks. Some sort of mixed up arrangement of strange assortment of food. Guy at counter is charming, friendly and chatty enough, but was sloppily dressed. Which is not the worst thing, but really? You’re at work! Be clean!
No curb appeal.
Has potential. Lots. Needs work. Get to work.

I had a groupon type coupon for this restaurant at a pretty major discount and finally got around to stopping in to give it a try. All I can say is WOW!
Now I must admit I don’t have a refined palette like so many other reviewers on here. It was the diverse dining opportunities here in the big city that convinced me to move from my small town in Michigan to our fine city of Chicago about 6 months ago and I’m loving it!!! I literally moved here for the sole purpose of trying to eat as many new foods as possible before I kick the bucket someday. I know I’ll never be able to try every restaurant in town, but I’m gonna have fun trying!
Skewerz is a prime example of why I made such a radical change in my life. I walked into this establishment with a set of preconceived ideas about what I would be tasting and I was totally wrong. With the exception of the tuna skewer (which was good just not surprising) everything else was completely different than I expected and it was like a wild and crazy rollercoaster ride for my taste buds.
I pigged out severely and got a another order of food to take home for the next days lunch. I felt guilty eating in front of my roomie and grudgingly offered her a portion of my goodies. She too agreed that the flavors were not only surprising, but very tasty. She on the other hand has a pretty well defined palette and if she was impressed then it must be as good as I believe it is!
I resisted the temptation to return to Skewerz for about 10 days until my daughter from Oklahoma City flew in for the holiday and took her to Skewerz her first night in town. Like me she has a real appreciation of good food and she was so excited by the flavors I wouldn’t have been surprised if she’d have jumped up and done a happy dance right then and there. She just kept commenting on how unique and great tasting everything was.
My personal recommendations based on my 2 visits would be the fillet mignon skewer, the BBQ chicken skewer, the shrimp skewer (a bit on the spicy side, but not so hot you can’t enjoy the flavor), the fried rice, the yucca friez (their spelling not mine) with the banana catsup is a must have, but since they’re pretty filling maybe split one order between 2 people or just take home the leftovers, the fried sweet potato balls with powdered sugar on them, the lemongrass tea and any of their daily mixed drink specials.
I found for my personal preference the price was a bit high for the quantity of the food, but the quality of it makes it well worth it and I WILL be a regular of this fine establishment.
Maybe it’s just me, but I hate enjoying a good meal and then using the restroom only to find a disgusting mess. No worries here! Although a modest bathroom it was in immaculate condition and smelled nice and clean.
Hats off to the men working at this establishment! It’s now one of my favorite places to eat and I will be back many times. This is the type of place it’s fun to show company not from the city. By knowing about this small place with great food it makes it look like I’m an old pro and know all the best eating establishments in town when I’m really pretty new here myself and just learning.
I apologize for the super long review. It’s just that Skewerz really took my taste buds on an exciting ride and I can’t wait to return. Don’t let it’s small size scare you away. It’s not the size of the restaurant that counts it’s the quality of the food that matters and this place is overflowing with quality food and service!!! Try it and you’ll be hooked too!!!

I tried the salmon, tuna and steak skewers; all were delectable. The steak had a great marinade, possibly yogurt based? Regardless, I loved how it contrasted yet accentuated the meat. The tuna was cooked well done (I like mine medium but maybe this wasn’t the right grade to do that) and had lots of pepper and spice like I like it. The dipping sauces were also very tasty. I was a huge fan of the creamy lemongrass, and the red curry sauce was relatively mild but complemented the tofu skewers perfectly. The baby bok choy and grilled romained were fresh and cooked to perfection. They also have brown rice and smoothies if you are really hungry and thirsty for more healthy eats.
This is a great place to go if you want late night food without the guilt and possibly heart attack accompanying a trip to Flash Taco next door. There’s free wifi, but there’s too much commotion at night to comfortably chill out there with your laptop. Kudos for being byob, the reggae music, island art and bamboo tall chairs.

This place is really hit-​or-​miss.
Last time I went, around 1AM, right before their drunken bar hopper rush, I wasn’t so impressed. The food took FOREVER to arrive (I’m talking 45 minutes for ONE veggie skewer and ONE dessert skewer). The food was pretty good but definitely not worth the wait. It was completely unjustified too. It was JUST our table at the place.
It’s good to have a place that’s open this late but the service was just horrendous. I wouldn’t return here again unless I had nowhere else to go and had mucho patience.

The guy at the counter was cool and friendly. However, I was pretty annoyed when he said we could pick whatever skewers we wanted for the «combination» dish. (four skewers and rice and sauce) I thought that was a good deal because it is a better deal than a la carte. well nope, it doesn’t work that way. When you order the «fancy» items like shrimp or tuna, you get charged per skewer anyway. So you don’t save money! We wouldn’t have got all those pricey ones if we knew that’s how it worked!
Anywho, the food was pretty good. The show stealer by far was the grilled artichoke appetizer with this perfect mayo sauce.
The filet mignon is cooked with a rather heavy curry flavor. Would have liked to know that, as I hate curry.
Atmosphere is different with lots of places to sit. Food comes pretty quick. I might return if I’m in the area.

I wanted to get a taste of the neighborhood restaurants, to take a break from the normal festival food down the street at Wicker Park Fest. I stopped in here because the smells were overwhelming and I couldn’t wait to take a look at the menu and offerings. Besides, we don’t have enough food on a stick.
I met one employee of this place sitting outside the restaurant, trying desperately to recover from the night before. I asked for a recommendation and he gladly gave me one. His mind must’ve been clouded because what I ate smelled wonderful but was one of the worst meals I ever attempted to eat.
The restaurant is decorated like an eighth-​grade project but suitable to Wicker Park. Hand-​painted signs and laid-​back atmosphere gave this place an off-​center and attractive quality which I liked.
But coming back to the food, it was terrible, my dish anyway. The meat was so salty it could probably have been left unrefrigerated for a year without fear of spoilage. The dipping sauce was extremely salty and unpalatable. I cannot remember the name of my meal to warn you. But unless you like extremely salty foods, look elsewhere in this otherwise colorful neighborhood to grab and eat lunch or dinner.
I cannot imagine I ate the same food as the other reviewers of this place who gave it four stars. My meal must have been an exception to the rule. But my review stands at present.

So, I’m Croatian. My people like their meat, and we really enjoy our meat on a stick (see: raznici). Unfortunately, I’ll never be able to convince my parents to say ‘skewers’ or ‘kabobs’– they’ll always be long form ‘shishkabobs’ to them.
We also like our meat in a pita, the cevapcici way. No surprise I ordered one of the Skewerz specials, grilled chicken in a fresh pita. I choose the Coconut Sambal sauce, which the staff explained was more like a dry rub. I guess you could say I really liked my pita, because it disappeared in about 2.33 333 minutes.
I’m always looking for more inexpensive, healthy fast (ish) food options. It’s clear that I didn’t cultivate my curves eating salads, but Polynesian-​inspired, grilled, lean meats? Always a ‘do’. And the staff? Sweethearts. Next time I’ll try a smoothie or bring a sixer– Skewerz is BYO!

Went here with a friend last night before a show at SubT. Decent experience, but not one I’ll be rushing back to repeat.
The food was good, though a little on the dry side — I got 4 pepper chicken skewers and my friend got 4 filet skewers. We both enjoyed our meals and our dipping sauces. The prices were a little more than I expected — I mean $ 10 for 4 skewers plus some rice? And our food took forever — we were late to the show!
I can see comng back here for a skewer as a snack if I was in the neighborhood (I appreciate places that you can get snacks — there really aren’t a lot of them) but for a meal, I’d probably pass.