Thattu
Indian restaurant · Avondale ·
Kerala street bites, ginger cooler, ayurvedic tea served
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23902791/Everyday_Sadya.jpg "Thattu by Everyday Sadya")
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71207714/chicken_bread_interior.0.jpg "Thattu by Chicken + Bread")
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23902778/hungry_zine_cover.jpg "Thattu by Hungry")
:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/23902785/chicken_bread_cover.jpg "Thattu by Chicken + Bread")
Kerala street bites, ginger cooler, ayurvedic tea served
"Thattu has had a few iterations, from stall to pop-up, to (now) a casual sit-down restaurant in Avondale serving comfort food from Kerala. And comfort is exactly what you’ll feel throughout your meal at this South Indian spot. The bright space radiates warmth, from the friendly greeting when you enter to your last sip of frothy kaapi served in the same steel cups you’ll find in Indian homes. The menu is short, but that just means you can get one of everything, like the Kerala fried chicken bites, and thick and fragrant curries with a fluffy, coconutty appam. Reservations are available up to two months in advance. Lunch is the easiest time get a table, and it’s the only time they serve their spicy fried chicken sandwich. Dinner is harder to book, but 5pm or 9pm table, those spots are usually open." - team infatuation
"A restaurant that had been heralded for embracing a no-tip and no service fee model has since brought back tipping as a means to retain workers, illustrating the uneasiness independent operators face and the difficulty of sustaining a no-tip/no-fee model without deeper financial resources." - Ashok Selvam
"A Southern Indian concept that launched as part of the rotating food pop-ups at the Avondale co‑work site, bringing regional dishes and expanding the venue’s culinary variety since 2020." - Ashok Selvam
"Thattu has had a few iterations, from stall to pop-up, to (now) a casual sit-down restaurant in Avondale serving comfort food from Kerala. And comfort is exactly what you’ll feel throughout your meal at this South Indian spot. The bright space radiates warmth, from the friendly greeting when you enter to your last sip of frothy kaapi served in the same steel cups you’ll find in Indian homes. The menu is short, but that just means you can get one of everything, like the Kerala fried chicken bites, and thick and fragrant curries with a fluffy, coconutty appam. Reservations are available up to two months in advance. Lunch is the easiest time get a table, and it’s the only time they serve their spicy fried chicken sandwich. Dinner is harder to book, but 5pm or 9pm table, those spots are usually open. Get access to exclusive reservations at this spot with Chase Sapphire Reserve. New cardmembers get $300 in annual dining statement credits." - adrian kane, veda kilaru, john ringor, nick allen
"Focusing on the street foods of Kerala, Thattu brings Southwest Indian coastal cuisine to hungry diners in Avondale. Chef Margaret Pak’s menu is full of rich and aromatic dishes that you won’t find elsewhere in Chicago, from kappa bonda (fried yucca balls with punchy onion-tamarind chutney) to meen pollichathu (fish steamed in banana leaves and topped with tomato-basil gravy). Want to celebrate with a fun drink? Thattu’s cocktail menu is as inspired as the menu, with hits like a banana old fashioned, a fruity kokem-spiked margarita, and a spicy play on your classic daiquiri thanks to sweet and warming mace syrup." - Ariel Kanter