Etno Village Grill Unleashing Huge Expansion

Etno Village Grill, the tiny Lincoln Park burger joint known for the cow on the roof, has broken ground on an expansion that will quadruple the size. They've taken over the shuttered coffee shop across the alley to turn it into an "edgy" bar and they're constructing a large outdoor atrium and patio in between. The total seating will rise from the current handful of booths to around 150.

"Our ultimate goal is to have one of the nicest patios in the area," owner Daniel Karatosic says. Expect it to be complete by early August.

Karatosic is inspired by edgier Brooklyn-style bars. The covered atrium will have an industrial vibe with steel beams, garage doors on both sides (facing Lincoln and Sheffield), and a bar.

The bar in the old coffee shop will be "the antithesis of a neighborhood sports bar," Karatosic says. "It definitely won't have 100 TVs." He's hoping to bring something different to Lincoln Park, almost like The Barrelhouse Flat down the street. It'll serve craft beer and craft cocktails.

Where Etno Grill is now will house an expanded kitchen and to-go service. Chef Chris Cason will expand the food menu, although the focus will still be craft burgers and sandwiches.

"(Etno) took on a life of it's own," Karatosic says. "It's grown in the past couple years and we saw an opportunity to build on our cult following."

The cow on the roof should still be there, only it will soon overlook a much larger operation.
· Etno Village Grill [Official Site]