Li’l Guys
2010 N. Damen Ave., 773-394-6900
www.lilguys.com.
First bite: The name Li’l Guys comes from the dainty, little sandwiches this restaurant sells out of a small Bucktown strip mall. With just a few stools near a counter, seating is sparse. It doesn’t help that Li’l Guys shares space with its sister restaurant, the venerable My Pie pizzeria.
The process: Pretty simple. Either call in or walk up to the counter and order from the dozens of sandwiches available. From there, you have some options: a couple of Li’l Guys (which are a little bigger than a White Castle “slider” and range from $1.85 to $2.20 per sandwich) or a Grand Daddy, a regular-size sandwich made to order. Homemade soups, salads and sides (potato salad, penne pasta and chips) are available, as well as soft drinks, juices, bottled water and smoothies.
The chow: On Fridays and Saturdays, Li’l Guys offers an “Ultimate Homemade Reuben,” ($8.95) of corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut wrapped, quesadilla style, in a crispy, rye flat bread. A lot of flash for not much of a payoff, honestly. With not a lot of meat or `kraut, you’re better off getting the Ruebenesque ($7.45), which gives you a 1/4-pound of corned beef on two grilled pieces of rye. Also delectable is the chicken Caesar Florentine ($6.95), a roasted chicken breast served with mozzarella and spinach on tomato focaccia. Soup-wise, the portobello posole, a kind-of vegetarian chili, was light and spicy, with huge portions of mushroom, hominy, corn and beans. The New England clam chowder was tasty, but nothing spectacular (soups in half-pints are $2.50; pints, $3.95; quarts, $6.95).
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The wrap: Though the soups are sealed in plastic containers for easy handling, you might want to have a couple napkins on hand when you take off the lids. They also come with oyster crackers. The sandwiches come wrapped in butcher paper, great for keeping them from making a mess in the bag, or the car.
Delivery: From Chicago to Belmont Avenues; Ashland to California Avenues. $10 minimum, with a $2 delivery charge.
The bill: $21.20 for two meals.
Last bite: This little restaurant makes some big, tasty sandwiches.
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