Sub-area

Greektown, West Loop.

Greektown is the long-running Greek-American restaurant corridor along South Halsted Street, just south of the heart of the West Loop. Anchored by the National Hellenic Museum and a cluster of family-owned tavernas, it has been Chicago's most-visited Greek dining destination since the mid-20th century.

History

Chicago's original Greektown, the so-called "Delta," sat near Halsted, Harrison, and Blue Island and was displaced in the 1960s by the construction of the University of Illinois at Chicago campus and the Eisenhower Expressway. The displaced community rebuilt a few blocks north along South Halsted between Madison and Van Buren, and that stretch has been the city's Greek-American dining corridor ever since. The National Hellenic Museum opened a permanent home at 333 S Halsted in 2011, anchoring the corridor culturally.

Today

Today the corridor is anchored by a handful of long-running tavernas — Greek Islands, Athena, 9 Muses, Roditys, Artopolis Bakery — and the National Hellenic Museum. The annual Greek Independence Day Parade along South Halsted is one of the neighborhood's signature events. The corridor sits just south of what the City of Chicago classifies as the West Loop in its business-license dataset, which is why those famous Greek restaurants don't appear in our West Loop directory — but the area is historically connected to and walkable from the rest of West Loop.

The famous Greek tavernas of Greektown sit along South Halsted at addresses the City of Chicago doesn't classify as the West Loop in its business-license dataset. Those restaurants therefore aren't in our directory. To find them, see the National Hellenic Museum's neighborhood guide or Wikipedia's Greektown article (linked in Sources). The picks below are the closest businesses on North Halsted that ARE in our West Loop data — useful as anchors for the broader Halsted corridor.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Greektown in Chicago?

Greektown runs along South Halsted Street in Chicago between Madison Street (to the north) and Van Buren Street (to the south). It is immediately south of the West Loop neighborhood, on the eastern edge of the Near West Side community area.

Is Greektown part of the West Loop?

Geographically Greektown is adjacent to the West Loop along South Halsted, but the City of Chicago doesn't classify those addresses as West Loop in its business-license dataset. Locals often speak of Greektown as part of the broader West Loop / Near West Side area, while keeping the Greek dining corridor as its own identity.

What are the best Greek restaurants in Greektown?

The long-running anchors are Greek Islands, Athena, 9 Muses, Roditys, and Artopolis Bakery & Café. Because these restaurants sit outside the City's West Loop classification, they aren't in our directory — see the National Hellenic Museum's neighborhood guide or Wikipedia's Greektown article for current listings.

What is the National Hellenic Museum?

The National Hellenic Museum at 333 S Halsted is a museum dedicated to Greek-American history and culture. It opened its permanent home on Halsted in 2011 and anchors the Greektown corridor culturally, with rotating exhibitions and educational programming.

How do I get to Greektown?

The CTA Blue Line's UIC-Halsted station is the closest L stop — a few blocks south on Halsted. From the West Loop you can walk south down Halsted from Randolph or Madison; the corridor is about a 10–15 minute walk from the Morgan Green/Pink Line station.

Is there a Greek festival in Chicago?

The annual Greek Independence Day Parade is held along South Halsted Street each spring, organized by the Greater Greek Community organizations. It is the corridor's signature event and draws large crowds.