Overall Rating: 8.6/10
Food Quality: 9/10
Diversity of Menu Items: 8/10
Accessibility (gluten free, vegan, allergies, etc.): 9/10
Location (relative to campus): 8/10
Atmosphere: 9/10
Price: $$ (out of $-$$$$)
This is the price scale I used for this rating.
Qualitative Review
Stacked & Folded is a local favorite among Northwestern students. Known for its great atmosphere and college-friendly environment, Stacked & Folded is typically brimming with hungry customers. The quality of the food itself is very high; I, personally, have never been disappointed by any dish. From salads to tacos, sandwiches and burgers, the large-portioned meals never fail to satisfy. My personal favorite is the panko crusted avocado, in both its taco and salad form. For these reasons, I gave the food a high rating of 9/10.
The menu itself is pretty diverse, offering shareable plates and sides like chips and guacamole, as well as tacos, sandwiches, burgers and salads. However, it does lack more traditional entrees that are not some derivation of a sandwich or salad. Thus, I rated the diversity of the menu a solid 8/10. Furthemore, Stacked & Folded is great about allergies and offers accessible menu items. The menu clearly marks gluten free options and has an entire vegetarian section. However, it is limited in its vegan offerings, contributing to my 9/10 rating for accessibility.
The restaurant itself is located a few blocks west of Tech (Northwestern’s largest science building). While Stacked & Folded is convenient for those living on North campus, it can be a bit of a hike for everyone else as it is far from the rest of downtown Evanston. Consequently, its proximity to North, but distance from South campus, earned it an 8/10 for location. The atmosphere, however, is very fun and lively. This sometimes translates to a wait time on Friday and Saturday nights, but the friendly service and sounds of laughter at nearby tables create a great ambience. 9/10 stars in the atmosphere category is certainly well-deserved!
Stacked & Folded is a bit on the pricier side for Evanston restaurants of its kind. While cheaper than some other sit-down options like Farmhouse and Traitorri Demi, it is significantly more expensive than the likes of Pono Ono and Elephant and Vine. For example, an entree at Stacked & Folded is typically around $14, whereas it costs around $25 at Farmhouse but only $11.70 at Pono Ono. Thus, Stacked & Folded deserves a more expensive $$ rating for price.
Overall, Stacked & Folded is a great, affordable sit-down dining option for college students. Its amazing food and fun atmosphere contribute to a great night out. Averaging all the scores (besides price) resulted in an overall rating of 8.6/10 for Stacked & Folded.
