Restaurant Details

I miss Cafe Suron, the always pleasant Mediterranean spot that has been replaced by an unworthy successor in RoPa (short for "Rogers Park"). Appetizers like kashke bademjan, an irresistible warm eggplant spread seasoned with mint, are no more, replaced with boringly generic starters like artichoke dip, a crab cake, and dispiriting fried calamari, a lot more batter than squid and served with a cloying "Thai chile sauce." Where Cafe Suron was BYO, RoPa has a full liquor license, but I'd gladly trade the option of specialty martinis for the ability to bring my own bottle, particularly when the list here is long on marked-up critter wines. I did like the sprightly tasting Aegean salad, chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, feta, parsley, and red onions dressed with lemon and olive oil. But that was the sole highlight: wet noodle-y seafood linguine came with chewy scallops and an unopened mussel, a so-called Cajun tilapia had next to no heat and was served with bland sauteed spinach that glistened with oil. Other entrees are no more interesting, unless you get excited about paying in the low $20s for grilled meat with sides a la carte. Looking glumly down at my plate, I said, "Isn't this kind of like--" "Olive Garden?" my friend supplied. Well, actually I was thinking Marriott. Service--with a 15-minute wait for bread and water--was well meaning but hopeless.

— Kate Schmidt

Features: Full Liquor Service, Valet Parking, Carryout, Private Rooms, Open Late, Open Sunday, Open Monday, Reservations Accepted

Price: $$$

Payment Type: American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Visa