The brilliance of Bring-Your-Own-Bottle restaurants is obvious: You order their delicious food, you bring your own beer, wine or champagne, and the two are consumed together in mouth-watering harmony, leaving you to ask, “Why don’t I do this everyday?” We reviewed four local BYOB dinner joints, and here’s what we found out.

Chicken fried rice from Cozy. Photo by Rena Behar / NBN.

Cozy Noodles & Rice

1018 Davis Street

Probably the best-known BYOB restaurant in Evanston, students love Cozy for its delicious food, fun atmosphere and reasonable prices. Its convenient location — right across the street from EV1 — also contributes to its well-established place in Northwestern culture.

Price: About $10.

Atmosphere:
Super kitschy. You know how people collect things, thinking they’ll be worth a lot of money? This place is really into that: The walls are scribbled with sexual puns and cluttered with an array of toy robots, Pez dispensers and vintage lunch boxes. For a fun drinking game, have one sip for every time you see your state’s license plate on the wall! Cozy has an excellent atmosphere which is especially great for birthday parties and pregaming.

Service:
The waitstaff was mindful of BYOB customers and brought the appropriate glasses promptly. The food, which was delivered just as quickly as at any fast-food restaurant, was visually appetizing and delicious. The only real problem our table encountered was that the waitstaff rarely checked up on us after the food was served. When we needed an extra fork or napkin, we found ourselves desperately trying to catch the waiter’s eye for some attention. The staff didn’t mind that we stayed way after we finished eating and paying, but the kitchen often closes early and sometimes rushes people out.

Food:
The fare is typical Thai, with great selections of curry and noodle dishes, including the ever-popular pad Thai. Entrees such as cashew chicken and broccoli beef come with jasmine rice and cost around $7. Even a picky eater might enjoy the garlic chicken noodles, though they’re probably not a good first-date pick.

Drinks: Franzia is a must — sunset blush or white zinfandel are the best.

Chicken tiki. Photo by Kelsi Lindus / NBN

Olive Mountain

610 Davis Street

Price: $4 to $15.
The great thing about Olive Mountain is its price range: You can get chicken or falafel pita pockets for $3 or $4, but there are also fancier entrees ranging from $9 to $14. It’s nice for going out with friends when not everyone wants to spend the same amount of money.

Atmosphere:
A little more formal and stuffy than some BYOB restaurants, Olive Mountain’s awkward seating area often houses a crowded mix of families and Northwestern students on weekend nights. The atmosphere is definitely not the main attraction here. They do bring pita bread for the table, though.

Service:
Not bad, but nothing remarkable. They are open later than other BYOB restaurants in Evanston, meaning you can hang out after you finish eating without worrying about being pressured to leave.

Food:
We highly recommend sharing hummus paired with warm pita bread. The falafel pita pocket is also delicious and reasonably priced. Try the chicken tika if you are looking for something spicy, tender and generously portioned.

Beverages: Wine is a must for Mediterranean food: red with meat and white with fish. Bring a merlot for your red and a white pinot grigio, as the flavorful food needs to be balanced out. A European beer like Peroni also goes well and can be purchased along with other exotic beers at World Market.

Photo by avlxyz on Flickr, licensed under the Creative Commons

Sabai

724 Clark Street

Sabai is the other BYOB Thai place in town. While slightly pricier than Cozy, Sabai makes up for it with its ultra-convenient location on Clark Street, steps away from Beck’s. The delicious food will make you forget about the sometimes-steep bill.

Price: Expect to spend $12 to $13, more if you get appetizers.

Atmosphere:
Not as fun as Cozy, but a good place for a date. It’s very nice: mirrors make it look bigger, interesting art adds class, and bright colors bring excitement to the space. The only negative things are the tables and floor, which look more suited for a cafeteria. Still, there’s nothing that detracts from having a great time.

Service:
Sometimes the service can be slow, and the waitresses speak little English. However, they are nice, don’t rush you out and will write messages on their scrolling electronic board if you ask them to. They also bring out glasses and a corkscrew as soon as they see a bottle.

Food:
The wide selection of curries here are excellent and served with hot rice. The pad Thai is legendary but stay away from the odd-tasting coconut soup. In general, expect big portions.

Drinks: Light, fruity champagnes such as André (only $5 a bottle!) are a good match. For beer, go with Singha, or Heineken; as for wine, go for a red. Carlo is best.

Photo by nertzy on Flickr, licensed under the Creative Commons

Sashimi Sashimi

640 Church Street

Arguably the best sushi locale in Evanston, many students are unaware that Sashimi Sashimi is also BYOB. Sashimi Sashimi shines in its simplicity and makes a relaxing location for enjoying food (and your own cheap drinks from EV1) on a date or with a small group of friends.

Price: Between $5 and $12, depending on how much sushi you can eat.

Atmosphere:
Since you order at the counter before you sit down, it isn’t as formal or friendly as the other BYOB restaurants. But the glass-and-metal architecture and modern menu make Sashimi Sashimi feel classy and sophisticated for a quick meal.

Service:
Because you order before you sit, the service is particularly fast. The sushi is practically done before you get to your seat.

Food:
Sashimi Sashimi lets you choose from a range of traditional, vegetarian and specialty maki, as well as individual nigiri and sashimi. The individual pieces are good for one person, but with a group it’s more fun to order a variety of maki and share them. We recommend spicing up your meal by getting one of each variety: a combination of the heavier specialty maki rolls, such as the delicious tempura shrimp roll; and lighter rolls, such as a veggie roll or the classic Philadelphia roll. Don’t be afraid to get creative: the ika (squid) salad is actually quite enjoyable, despite any squeamish looks it might provoke. If you want dessert, Sashimi Sashimi serves their own mochi, small pieces of rice flour with ice cream centers. There are also the ever-popular kajitsu fruit smoothies, which are basically dessert in a cup.

Drinks: Taking a cue from the kajitsu, we recommend a fruity drink to go with your sushi, since the sweet flavor pleasantly contrasts with the fish. It’s hard to go wrong with André. Whether you choose peach or strawberry, it tastes like candy and doesn’t hurt a college budget too much. Plus, the bubbles match the ones in the kajitsu. If you want something a little less girly, bring a beer. Since sushi is filling, the best complement is a light pale or summer ale.