Little Goat Diner Review

By: Isabel Alia Arias

Well-known by Chicagoans and others alike, Chef Stephanie Izard’s restaurant endeavors including Girl and the Goat have made an impact on the American restaurant scene. Her Top Chef appearance and inventive and well-executed dishes, as well as fun restaurant philosophies, have made her a household name. One of her more recent spots,Little Goat Diner made its debut in 2012 in West Loop, but this past summer it relocated to a smaller space in the bustling Lakeview neighborhood. The “globally inspired diner” is the second addition to Chef Izard's Goat-themed restaurant lineup and is definitely the most casual option of them. I am a big fan of Duck Duck Goat, another of Izard’s restaurants, so when I heard of Little Goat, I immediately needed to book a table there.

Little Goat is tucked away in a side street off the main street in Lakeview, surrounded by stores and coffee shops. The interior is small, consisting of mostly two-tops, which made a reservation for four hard to schedule. However, the space has a lively environment with a nostalgic diner atmosphere, cultivated in part by the laminated booths and the all-day breakfast menu, including the iconic touch of the Goat neon sign. To make the most of our meal, we opted for a combination of the breakfast and lunch entrees with a side of fries.

We started with a hearty portion of the Chorizo Hash & Eggs. The eggs were fluffy and light, but the big portion of hashbrowns was too much for the amount of eggs that came with the dish. However, the hash browns were a little salty and had chorizo and onions embedded in them. Overall, this dish was fine, but it was not anything too unique.

We also ordered a breakfast platter with a combination of sides. The sausage, smokey and tender, paired great with the fluffy eggs. We again enjoyed the shredded hash browns with this plate. Be sure to check the signature homemade hot sauces! They were tangy and spicy and were a good sauce for the eggs. The breakfast platter is a good option for anyone who wants a classic breakfast.

The next dishes we sampled were sandwiches. I opted for the Tonkatsu and split a side of fries with my friend, who ordered a burger. The white fluffy bread paired well with the crispy pork tonkatsu, and the sauce was savory with a slightly sweet undertone that balanced well with the crispy veggie slaw. This sandwich was messy to eat, but it was also the highlight of our meal. Unfortunately, The All-American burger was underwhelming. While it was juicy, it came across as a standard, classic burger with a special sauce, which we could barely taste. Although it aimed for an elevated diner burger experience, it fell short. The unsung hero of the burger was actually the fries. They were hot and crispy and The Little Goat Diner grilleville spice lent them a unique flavor. We finished them in minutes and even ordered another round.

Overall, the Little Goat Diner is an adequate diner, but it is nothing special. The globally inspired diner falls short of delivering a unique experience because of the wide variety of food. The menu tries to accomplish too much, which is uncharacteristic for good diners, which typically don’t offer more than they can make with a smaller range of ingredients. Although the tonkatsu sandwich was good, I likely would not make the trek to Lakeview because despite the seemingly enticing and large variety of menu options, the food was underwhelming. I would, however, try more of Chef Izard’s restaurants. Her innovation in flavor combinations is vast, but the downfall of the Little Goat Diner was its average execution. I would be curious to see if Izard’s other venues are able to pull off having a large menu with complicated ingredients, and if they live up the hype behind her name.