What the critics are saying . . .

. . . about:

Epic Burger: "The sandwiches were messy, but it had nothing to do with grease. With onions and crisp pickles and actual green lettuce—not iceberg—and tomato we had to eat over the table to keep from dripping. As we dug into the fries I told Susan they reminded me of In-N-Out’s, the burger chain in California. After we’d finished eating (owner) David (Friedman) told us that chain was one of his inspirations. They have a limited menu, everything’s made to order, and a loyal fan base that will wait in line for the fresh-cut fries."—Theresa Carter (The Local Tourist) Read it all here.

Mixteco Grill: "The moles here can stop your heart. The otherwise run-of-the-mill sopes are elevated to showstopping status by a dose of the brooding, smoky mole rojo, and the white fish gets treated with a lighter, sprightly mole verde. And while its not a mole, the smooth poblano sauce pooled around plump, smoky, perfectly grilled shrimp is so lappable, we almost don’t need the seafood."—David Tamarkin (Time Out Chicago) Read it all here.

Natalino's: "Natalino's serves the best chicken cacciatore in Chicago. Period. This is one chicken dish that you get either all right or all wrong, and the relatively new Natalino's on West Chicago Avenue gets it all right: A masterful blend of flavors that started with the sauteed chicken (on the bone) and rambled on through a light and fragrant tomato sauce along with just the right amount of the "cacciatore" part—meaty mushrooms and strips of red and green bell peppers."—Pat Bruno (Chicago Sun-Times) Read it all here.