Albanian Restaurants in Chicago at a Glance
| Restaurant | Neighborhood and address | What it serves (from its own menu) | Status on 1 October 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zimi’s Restaurant (formerly Zimi’s Pizza and Grill) | Lincoln Square, 5077 N Lincoln Ave | Balkan grill dishes (qebapa, qofte, pleskavica), burek, pizza | Open at its new address, Tuesday to Sunday (Yelp); the old 6954 N Western Ave location is closed |
| Bina’s Place | West Rogers Park, 2210 W Touhy Ave | Burek, cevapi, Balkan BBQ plate, Balkan salad, American sandwiches | Open; Yelp lists Thursday to Sunday hours only |
| A+ Italian Steakhouse | Edison Park, 6690 N Northwest Hwy | Steakhouse, Italian, seafood | Open; established 2024 |
| PastaFi (formerly Pasta Fasta) | Lincoln Park, 2468 N Clark St; Ravenswood, 1818 W Montrose Ave | Build-your-own pasta boxes | Open under its new name at both addresses |
| Pancake Cafe | Lakeview East, 3805 N Broadway | Pancakes, omelets, waffles, crêpes, skillets | Open, 8 am to 3 pm daily |
| GT’s Fast Food | North Pulaski Road, 5016 N Pulaski Rd | Burgers, gyros, hot dogs, beef sandwiches | Open, 10 am to 10 pm daily |
Albanian Restaurants in Chicago: The Guide
1. Zimi’s Restaurant (formerly Zimi’s Pizza and Grill)
Zimi’s on ALB Connection · Zimi’s Restaurant website
Location: 5077 N Lincoln Ave, Lincoln Square, Chicago | Cuisine: Balkan dishes and pizza Zimi’s spent its first years at 6954 N Western Ave in Rogers Park. That location is closed: The Infatuation reported in August 2026 that the restaurant had moved to a new space in Lincoln Square and changed its name from Zimi’s Pizza and Grill to Zimi’s Restaurant. Its website says it serves “Balkan Comfort Food”, and its Yelp business profile describes a family-owned restaurant combining Balkan grill dishes, handcrafted pizza and homemade bread. Dishes on its menu include qebapa, qofte, pleskavica, cevapi, a mixed meat platter, cheese burek, shepherd’s salad and grandma-style pizza. On 1 October 2026 its website still showed a “Re-Opening Soon” notice, but its Yelp profile lists it as open Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays), with customer reviews of the Lincoln Avenue restaurant from September 2026. When it was still on Western Avenue, The Infatuation singled out its Albanian dishes, including spinach and cheese burek, alongside the pizza.2. Bina’s Place
Bina’s Place on ALB Connection · Bina’s Place website
Location: 2210 W Touhy Ave, West Rogers Park, Chicago | Cuisine: Balkan and American Bina’s Place says on its website that it has been a family-owned restaurant since 2014 and was formerly known as Bina’s Cafe. The menu mixes American sandwiches and burgers with Balkan dishes: burek (feta cheese, spinach and feta, ground beef, potato or onion), a cevapi plate, a Balkan BBQ plate, a Balkan burger, sudjuk, Balkan and taratur salads, and desserts including baklava, kadaifi, tulumba and palacinka crepes. Its Yelp profile lists it as open Thursday to Sunday, so check the day before you go. Looking for NYC options? See our NYC Albanian restaurant guide3. A+ Italian Steakhouse
A+ Italian Steakhouse on ALB Connection · A+ Italian Steakhouse website
Location: 6690 N Northwest Hwy, Edison Park, Chicago | Cuisine: Steakhouse, Italian, seafood A+ Italian Steakhouse says on its website that it was established in 2024 to offer “a delightful dining experience in the heart of Edison Park.” Its OpenTable profile lists steakhouse, Italian and seafood cuisine, a “casual elegant” dining style, a business-casual dress code, valet parking and a price band of $50 and over, and it takes reservations through OpenTable.4. PastaFi (formerly Pasta Fasta)
PastaFi on ALB Connection · PastaFi website
Looking for a place nearby? Browse all Albanian restaurants near you, by state and city.
Location: 2468 N Clark St, Lincoln Park, and 1818 W Montrose Ave, Ravenswood, Chicago | Cuisine: Fast-casual pasta PastaFi is the new name of Pasta Fasta; its online ordering page is titled “PastaFi (formerly Pasta Fasta)”. Its website says it was founded by cousins Rron and Didi and carries on a family restaurant tradition that began in Prishtina, Kosovo, in 1991. Customers build a pasta box by choosing a pasta, mixing up to two sauces and adding toppings or protein; sauces on the menu include marinara, Bolognese, arrabbiata, chicken pesto, spinach ricotta, Alfredo and carbonara. The website also lists vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options and catering from both locations.5. Pancake Cafe
Pancake Cafe on ALB Connection · Pancake Cafe website
Location: 3805 N Broadway, Lakeview East, Chicago | Cuisine: Breakfast and brunch Pancake Café says on its website that it has been a family-owned breakfast business since 1998, with locations in Madison and Fitchburg, Wisconsin, and in Hoffman Estates and Chicago, Illinois. The Chicago café on North Broadway, between Wrigleyville and the lake, lists buttermilk and chocolate chip pancakes, omelets, waffles, chicken and waffles, crêpes, skillets and French toast, and opens from 8 am to 3 pm daily.6. GT’s Fast Food
GT’s Fast Food on ALB Connection · GT’s Fast Food website
Location: 5016 N Pulaski Rd, Chicago | Cuisine: Burgers, gyros and Chicago-style fast food GT’s describes itself in its directory profile as a locally owned and operated fast-food restaurant with more than 20 years of experience, specializing in burgers, gyros, hot dogs, beef sandwiches and daily specials. Its website invites customers to “try our famous gt’s sauce” and features a gyro plate and gyro sandwich, a patty melt, chicken on pita, a crispy chicken sandwich and milkshakes, and lists hours of 10 am to 10 pm every day. Curious about Albanian cuisine? Read our guide to Albanian foodAlbanians in Chicago: The Community Behind the Restaurants
According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago (Newberry Library and Chicago Historical Society), about 1,000 Albanians lived in greater Chicago and northern Illinois by 1914, most of them working in factories, restaurants or construction. From the late 1960s several thousand ethnic Albanians from Kosovo, Macedonia and Montenegro enlarged the community, followed by a smaller flow of migrants from Albania in the 1990s. The encyclopedia mentions St. Nicholas Albanian Orthodox Church (1944) and describes the Albanian American Islamic Center in suburban Berkeley as the focal point of the area’s Albanian Muslim community. The Census Bureau’s ancestry figures give the most recent official picture. They count people who name Albanian ancestry on the survey, so they are not a full headcount. For comparison, the Encyclopedia of Chicago put the number at some 12,000 to 15,000 for Illinois, northwest Indiana and southern Wisconsin in 2001.| Area | People reporting Albanian ancestry | Margin of error |
|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 15,370 | ±1,995 |
| Chicago metro area (Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN) | 14,515 | ±1,982 |
| Cook County | 8,144 | ±1,599 |
| City of Chicago | 2,125 | ±573 |
What to Order: Albanian and Balkan Dishes on Chicago Menus
These dishes appear on the current menus of Zimi’s and Bina’s Place: Qebapa or cevapi, small grilled sausages of minced meat, usually served with bread and onion. Zimi’s lists both qebapa and cevapi; Bina’s Place has a cevapi plate. Pleskavica, a grilled minced-meat patty, is on the menu at Zimi’s. Qofte, Albanian meatballs, are on the menu at Zimi’s. See our qofte recipe. Burek, flaky filled pastry (byrek in Albanian), comes with cheese at Zimi’s and with feta, spinach and feta, ground beef, potato or onion at Bina’s Place. Read byrek vs börek vs burek, or make byrek me mish or pite me djathë at home. Balkan desserts: Bina’s Place lists baklava, kadaifi and tulumba. We did not find tavë kosi or fërgesë on the menus of the restaurants in this guide. To try them, see our tavë kosi recipe and fërgesë recipe.Before You Go
Opening days vary, as listed on 1 October 2026: Bina’s Place opens Thursday to Sunday only (Yelp); Zimi’s is closed on Mondays (Yelp); PastaFi’s Lincoln Park shop is closed on Mondays and its Ravenswood shop on Saturdays (PastaFi); Pancake Cafe opens 8 am to 3 pm daily; GT’s opens 10 am to 10 pm daily; A+ Italian Steakhouse opens for dinner Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays) and takes reservations on OpenTable. Edison Park, home of A+ Italian Steakhouse, has a Metra station on the Union Pacific Northwest line.Beyond Chicago: More Albanian Restaurant Guides
Explore Albanian-owned dining in other parts of the United States: Best Albanian Restaurants in NYC, our guide to Albanian-owned restaurants across New York City. Best Albanian Restaurants in the Bronx, steakhouses, seafood spots and Balkan grills in the Bronx. Albanian Restaurants in New Jersey, Albanian-owned restaurants across New Jersey. Albanian Restaurants in Connecticut, from Greenwich to the Naugatuck Valley. Albanian Restaurants in Westchester County, including Yonkers, Port Chester and Larchmont. Albanian Restaurants in Detroit, Albanian-owned restaurants across Metro Detroit. Albanian Restaurants in Pennsylvania, from Philadelphia to the Lehigh Valley. What Is Albanian Food?, our guide to Albanian cuisine, from tavë kosi to byrek. Best Albanian Bakeries in the US, where to find byrek and other baked goods. Browse the full ALB Connection business directoryFrequently Asked Questions
Which Albanian restaurants are there in Chicago?
For Albanian and Balkan food, the restaurants in this guide are Zimi’s Restaurant at 5077 N Lincoln Ave in Lincoln Square (formerly Zimi’s Pizza and Grill on Western Avenue) and the Albanian-owned Bina’s Place at 2210 W Touhy Ave in West Rogers Park. The guide also lists PastaFi (formerly Pasta Fasta), founded by cousins whose family restaurant tradition began in Prishtina, Kosovo, plus three Albanian-owned businesses with non-Albanian menus: A+ Italian Steakhouse in Edison Park, Pancake Cafe in Lakeview East and GT’s Fast Food on North Pulaski Road.
Where can I find Albanian food in Chicago?
Zimi’s in Lincoln Square has qebapa, qofte, pleskavica and cheese burek on its menu alongside pizza, and Bina’s Place in West Rogers Park serves burek, a cevapi plate and a Balkan BBQ plate. Check opening days before you go: Bina’s Place lists Thursday to Sunday hours only, and Zimi’s is closed on Mondays.
Is Zimi’s Pizza and Grill still open?
The Western Avenue location at 6954 N Western Ave is closed. The restaurant has moved to 5077 N Lincoln Ave in Lincoln Square and is now called Zimi’s Restaurant; The Infatuation reported the move in August 2026.
Is there Albanian pizza in Chicago?
Zimi’s serves pizza, including a grandma-style pie, alongside Balkan grill dishes and burek, so you can order both at one table. For the background on Albanian-American pizzerias, see our article on Albanian pizza.
How many Albanians live in Chicago?
The U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (5-year estimates, 2020 to 2024) estimates 14,515 people of Albanian ancestry in the Chicago metro area (±1,982), 8,144 in Cook County and 2,125 in the city of Chicago (±573). These are self-reported ancestry figures from a survey, not a full headcount. See our guide to Albanians in Chicago.
How can I find an Albanian restaurant near me?
Use our Albanian restaurants near me page, which lists Albanian-owned restaurants by state and city, or browse Albanian restaurants in Illinois in our directory.
Do Albanian restaurants in Chicago serve halal food?
None of the restaurants in this guide states on the pages we checked that its meat is halal. If you need halal food, ask the restaurant directly about its meat sourcing before ordering.
Are there Albanian-owned Italian restaurants in Chicago?
PastaFi (formerly Pasta Fasta), a fast-casual pasta shop in Lincoln Park and Ravenswood, was founded by cousins Rron and Didi, whose family restaurant tradition began in Prishtina, Kosovo, in 1991. A+ Italian Steakhouse in Edison Park is an Albanian-owned steakhouse with Italian and seafood dishes, established in 2024.
What traditional Albanian dishes can I find in Chicago restaurants?
What is the difference between Albanian food and Italian food?
Albanian cuisine draws on Balkan and Mediterranean traditions, with dishes like tavë kosi (baked lamb with yogurt), byrek (savory filled pastry) and qofte (meatballs). Italian cuisine is built around pasta, pizza and olive-oil-based cooking. Read our guide to Albanian food to learn more.
How do I get my Albanian restaurant listed in this guide?
If you own an Albanian restaurant in the Chicago area and want to be included in this guide, start by listing your business on the ALB Connection directory. Verified businesses are prioritized in our guides. You can also reach out through our contact page to let us know about your restaurant.
Own an Albanian Restaurant in Chicago? Get Listed
If you own or operate an Albanian restaurant in the Chicago area, we want to feature you. Add your business to the ALB Connection directory to reach people looking for Albanian-owned dining. Verified businesses get priority placement in our guides and city pages. List your restaurant now | Contact usMore Albanian Restaurants in Illinois From Our Directory
Here are more restaurants in the Chicago area and across Illinois listed in the ALB Connection directory:
- A+ Italian Steakhouse · A+ Italian Steakhouse website, Chicago
- Al’s Place, Streator
- Angelo’s Pizza, Downers Grove
- Benny’s Grill, Decatur
- Bina’s Place, Chicago
- Cafe Lucci, Glenview
- Deerfield Family Restaurant, East Moline
- Diamonds Family Restaurant, Decatur
- Egg House, Lombard
- Flara Bakery, Arlington Heights
- Gilbert Street Cafe, Danville
- Gt’s Fast Food · Gt’s Fast Food website, Chicago
- Jack’s Cafe, Le Roy
- Lake St Cafe, Addison
View all Albanian restaurants in the directory →
From our research: We mapped 1,376 Albanian-owned businesses across 43 US states and DC, where they are, what they build, and the communities they have created. Read The State of Albanian-Owned Business in America →
Related guide
For the full picture of Albanian life in the city, neighborhoods, history, and the complete business directory, see our Albanians in Chicago: Community Guide & Business Directory.
Looking for more? Browse the full directory of Albanian restaurants in Illinois.
Sources
Restaurant details checked on 1 October 2026.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024, Table B04006, People Reporting Ancestry (Illinois, Chicago metro area, Cook County, City of Chicago)
- Nicholas C. Pano, “Albanians”, Encyclopedia of Chicago (Newberry Library / Chicago Historical Society)
- The Infatuation, “Zimi’s Restaurant” review, Lincoln Square, August 2026
- The Infatuation, “Zimi’s Pizza And Grill” review, Rogers Park, July 2024
- Zimi’s Restaurant, official website
- Zimi’s, Yelp business profile
- Bina’s Place, official website and menu
- Bina’s Place, Yelp business profile
- A+ Italian Steakhouse, official website
- A+ Italian Steakhouse, OpenTable profile
- PastaFi (formerly Pasta Fasta), official website
- PastaFi (formerly Pasta Fasta), Lincoln Park online ordering page
- Pancake Cafe, official website
- GT’s Fast Food, official website
- Metra, Edison Park station
Author: Dardanë Halimi
Dardanë Halimi is a writer and communications professional with an M.A. in Writing, Rhetoric, and Technical Communication from James Madison University. Her work focuses on storytelling, digital content, higher education, and strategic communication, with experience writing for academic, nonprofit, and marketing organizations in both the United States and Kosovo.
