When a new restaurant opens in La Grange, I am always interested. Monk’s recently closed after being in business for 13 years and has been replaced with Mána. It is a sit-down Greek restaurant with great service and delicious food. 

The music and interior design added to the Greek atmosphere. The restaurant had many seating options including indoor, outdoor tables and outdoor couches with umbrellas. When my parents and I arrived at the restaurant we were asked our seating preferences and were seated right away. We went on a Tuesday night and the restaurant was about half full. 

Once we sat down we were quickly poured water and throughout the night were constantly getting refilled. After putting in our orders, we were served complimentary bread. Our food came out extremely quickly the entire night. 

My family opted to get many dishes and share. Our favorite dish was the crispy zucchini chips ($16). The dish consisted of thinly sliced zucchini that were lightly battered. They had the perfect amount of salt and served with creamy tzatziki. Almost every dish we ordered came with this sauce, and every dish came out warm. 

We also ordered charred meatballs ($26), which I found very flavorful. This was made with wagyu beef and had a burger-like look. It was fun to build my own mini gyro when we received the wood-grilled wagyu gyro ($38). It came with three pitas: beef, red onions, tomato, and refreshing tzatziki. I thought the beef alone was bland by itself, but all the extra toppings and soft pita together made it tasty. 

We shared the char grilled chicken skewer ($28) main dish. The chicken was seasoned well with an herb-like taste that included peppers and onions. On the side came a cold and fresh tabbouleh salad, which is similar to quinoa. This side part was sweet, contrasting the chicken and one of my favorite foods of the night. 

I was disappointed by the pan fried saganaki ($14). It was extremely basic being breaded cheese. I thought it lacked something memorable that the other plates had. However if you enjoy simple flavors, this plate could be enjoyable. In addition, I found the menu was expensive, especially some of the main dishes. 

Overall the service was very quick, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, and the food was appetizing but expensive. Mána is located 88 LaGrange Rd., La Grange, and is open seven days a week. 

4.5/5