Endgrain Makes ‘Heatmap,’ But What are Critics Saying?

Roscoe Village’s newest restaurant Endgrain is finally open and turning heads in Chicago’s foodie scene, but not every review is singing its praises.

The Eater Chicago just placed the eatery at 1851 W. Addison St. at No. 10 on its list of the city’s hottest restaurants of the moment. Grace in West Loop Gate topped the list.

“Enoch Simpson has finally brought his cult-favorite doughnuts to Roscoe Village,” Eater wrote. “The all-day dining menu also features biscuit sandwiches, fried chicken, and small plates in a cozy and rustic environment.”

And when Amy Cavanaugh from Time Out Chicago hit up Endgrain, she sung its praises while saying chef Simpson for the lack of seasoning.

“The good news: This man knows his way around baked goods,” Cavanaugh wrote. “The biscuits, which have a slightly crunchy edge and perfectly soft, buttery interior, are a revelation.” 

Sam Worley, the restaurant critic for Chicago Reader, also said the biscuits were among some of the best things on the menu. However, he said the menu will have to do a bit more than that to stand out as a top restaurant in Chicago.

“This corner space, formerly home to the late, lamented Terragusto, is airy and lovely, if a bit textbook-New-American,” Worley wrote in the Reader. “It could share an interior decorator with, say, Billy Sunday. In both aesthetics and ethos, really, Endgrain is pretty similar to a lot of north-side restaurants. The biscuits are a hell of a start, but it'll need to do more to distinguish itself.”

Read the full restaurant reviews here at Time Out Chicago, and here at Chicago Reader.