Magic Jug sits on Irving Park Road in Portage Park, run as a family restaurant built on recipes passed down through generations of Ukrainian home cooking. Beyond the dining room, it operates as a deli with a rotating weekly menu and frozen foods available to take home.
The menu draws from Ukrainian comfort cooking: borscht, potato and cheese pelmeni, vareniki filled with beef, cheese, or sour cherry, cabbage salad, and potato pancakes. Meat-filled crepes, a pork chop plate, and a cornmeal side finished with sour cream and cheese round out the savory end, with sour cherry dumplings and cheesecake among the desserts.
Catering is a separate arm of the business, built around bruschettas, canapés, skewers, hot appetizers, and sweet tables for private events.
Regulars describe a cozy, welcoming room and consistent execution, with generous portions that keep people coming back.
The menu draws from Ukrainian comfort cooking: borscht, potato and cheese pelmeni, vareniki filled with beef, cheese, or sour cherry, cabbage salad, and potato pancakes. Meat-filled crepes, a pork chop plate, and a cornmeal side finished with sour cream and cheese round out the savory end, with sour cherry dumplings and cheesecake among the desserts.
Catering is a separate arm of the business, built around bruschettas, canapés, skewers, hot appetizers, and sweet tables for private events.
Regulars describe a cozy, welcoming room and consistent execution, with generous portions that keep people coming back.