The Addled Bunny, a cocktail-forward gastropub from Evanston native Jeremy Adler, is set to open this summer in the former That Little Mexican Cafe space on Church Street. The bar-focused newcomer is promising New American plates, clarified milk-punch cocktails and late-night hours calibrated for pre- and post-show crowds along Evanston’s theater corridor.
Owner and the menu
Adler, a Fifth Ward resident who has spent his career in restaurants and beverage programs, said he hopes to open in August and told his wife, “If we do not do it now, we are never going to,” according to The Daily Northwestern. He plans a monthly cocktail test in which two drinks from a menu section face off and the higher seller stays on the list, per the same report. The menu ideas he described include a rabbit banh mi, fried chicken and clarified milk punches.
The gastropub is set to serve brunch, lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday and plans to stay open as late as midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. The restaurant’s own site invites signups for opening updates.
Timing and a theater tie-in
The Addled Bunny sits next to a newly built Northlight Theatre, which lists the gastropub among nearby dining partners as it prepares to stage its first shows in September. Northlight Theatre includes the Addled Bunny on its area-dining page.
Downtown Evanston Executive Director Andy Vick told The Daily Northwestern, “I think we are poised for a downtown resurgence,” with the paper noting other late-night projects, including Anthem Karaoke at 1707 Benson Ave., as part of that shift.
What to expect
Adler said the interior will mix art-deco and mid-century-modern styling with curated playlists of early jazz and blues to create a refined late-night room. The restaurant’s website shows a coming-soon hours notice and contact information.
City liquor filings include The Addled Bunny by address and list proposed license hours that would allow service past midnight on weekend nights. The Addled Bunny website lists the address and contact details, and city filings show the licensing specifics.
