Oak Lawn's 12 Favorite Restaurants: Businesses of the Year

OAK LAWN, IL — Excellent customer service, friendly staff and great food are among the reasons why Oak Lawn Patch readers love these 10 local hot spots nominated as “Local Businesses of the Year.”

Here are the businesses that rose to the top, according to Patch readers:

Big Joe’s Backyard BBQ
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Closed Monday.
Address: 9700 S. Cicero (T.C.’s Pub)
Phone: 708-425-4252
From the nominators: “Big Joe not only has the best BBQ around he’s also one of the most giving people I’ve ever met. During quarantine owner Joe Barry would hand out free meals to whoever needed them. No questions asked. Had them set up for take out. He also went to every police station, fire station and hospital around our area delivering free meals to front line workers, custodians, etc. He also delivered to Oak Lawn schools for the workers there. He continues to donate to local schools and Oak Lawn Baseball teams. He did this while struggling to run a restaurant during these horrible times for restaurant owners. He deserves this award more than anyone I know. He’s not a chain, he’s not a big market restaurant owner. He’s a very small business owner who pays it forward.”

Fry the Coop
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; noon to 8 p.m. Sunday
Address: 5128 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn
Phone: 708-576-8646
From the nominators: “Best hot chicken in Chicago.”

“Best Chicken Sandwich on Earth.”

The Great American Bagel
Hours: 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 5 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Address: 10814 S. Cicero Ave., Oak Lawn
Phone: 708-499-5620
From the nominators: “They have done so many amazing things for the community and all local police fire and staff at the hospital.”

“They have done amazing things for the health care and first responders in our area and the surrounding areas.”

“Employees are always nice and food is amazing.”

Grassanos Pizza
Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday
Phone: 708-424-9000
Address: 5651 W 87th St, Oak Lawn
From the nominators: “Gino is the best boss.”

Palermo’s on 95th
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Monday, Wednesday, Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; noon to 10 p.m. Sunday
Phone: 708-425-6262
Address: 4849 West 95th St., Oak Lawn
From the nominators: “They serve the best pizza I have ever had!”

Tea Yard
Hours: Noon to 7 p.m. daily
Address: 5404 W. 95th St.
Phone: 708-634-3288
From the nominators: “They have gone far above and beyond with health and safety precautions during this time. They integrated an online ordering system that is extremely user-friendly, and then they call you when your order is ready and pass it through a little window. On top of that, there is nowhere like it in or near Oak Lawn yet. Their tea is delicious, they have a huge menu, so there is something for everyone. And anything can be customized to your personal liking. And last but not least, the staff is wonderful. They’re always kind, they’ve never messed up our order, and they’re always very friendly.”

Velvet Bakery
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; closed Sunday and Monday
Phone: 708-424-2095
Address: 5168 W. 95th St.
From the nominators: "The owner is an awesome hardworking woman who is also very kind and patient. The St. Gerald music ministry sold Velvet’s paczki for their annual fundraiser last year. The bakery was so easy to deal with and the paczkis were so delicious! They were a hit with the parish."

TC’s Pub and TC’s Too
Hours: TC’s Pub, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesday through Sunday (closed Monday); TC’s Too noon to 2 a.m. daily
Address: 9700 S Cicero Ave, Oak Lawn an
Phone: 708-425-4252 (TC’s Pub); 708-425-3540 (TC’s Too)
From the nominators: “During the initial lockdown of restaurants from March-June 2020, TC Pub, under the direction of head chef and manager, Joe Barry, provided over 600 community meals to anyone in need within the community, free of charge. Joe also provided hundreds of meals to employees at Christ Hospital in conjunction with a fundraiser organized by a local woman. In addition, he has worked with other individuals and organizations to provide meals to various police departments and fire houses, including Oak Lawn Police Department, Oak Lawn Fire Department, several Chicago Police Department precincts, and Broadview Police Department. TC Pub has also organized some free community events at the restaurant in order to provide a safe & healthy atmosphere for families when indoor dining was open. These events included Kids’ Craft Days, Dinner with Elsa from Frozen Nights, & a Kids’ Halloween Party. TC Pub has taken all the safety measures to ensure that they can continue to serve their customers high-quality food in a safe manner, including curbside pickup and no-contact delivery.”

Oak Lawn Restaurant
Hours: 7 a.n. to 9 p.m., Wednesday through Monday
Phone: 708-425-4949
Address: 5769 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn
From the nominators: “Great food, service, and super friendly.”

Fox’s Restaurant and Pub
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Phone: 708-499-2233
Address: 9240 S. Cicero Ave., Oak Lawn
From the nominators: “They have good food, and they have been responsive to the community during the pandemic.”

BJ McMahon’s
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily
Phone: 708-422-3111
Address: 5432 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn
From the nominators: “Good food, great people who work there and good neighborhood people who go there.”

Deja Brew Bar and Grille
Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday
Phone: 708-423-0484
Address: 5219 W. 95th St., Oak Lawn
From the nominators: “The owner and staff members are very professional and friendly. The atmosphere is very welcoming and the ambiance is warming. The food is amazing, reasonable priced and top-notch quality. During the pandemic Our family has supported this business and once dining opened we always felt safe, and it is very clean and social distant.”