Restaurant

Cultivate by Forbidden Root

Name: Cultivate by Forbidden Root
Address: 4710 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL, 60640, US
Telephone: (773) 961-7919
Price range: value

Global•Ravenswood•value

Cultivate by Forbidden Root is one of the best global restaurants in Chicago for dinner, especially if you want a strong option in Ravenswood.

Editorial review updated•Jul 28, 2026

Cultivate by Forbidden Root earns its reputation not by accident of location but by design: it's the restaurant arm of Chicago's first botanic brewery, planted in Ravenswood's Malt Row corridor in the space that previously housed Band of Bohemia. That lineage matters. This isn't a brewery that bolted on a kitchen as an afterthought — it's a place where Executive Chef Carlos Cruz built a menu around wood-fired cooking with genuine personal stakes. Cruz trained under James Beard Award-winning chef Christopher Gross and Boka Restaurant Group's Giuseppe Tentori, but the throughline on his menu is more personal than pedigreed: a fondness for live-fire technique rooted in his father's backyard grill outside Houston. The result is global in range and grounded in sourcing — Nichols Farm, Seedling Farm, Phlour Bakery, and Andreotti supply the kitchen — at price points that make this one of the more honest value propositions on the North Side. The menu centers on a handful of dishes that reward the kitchen's approach. The Braised & Grilled Boneless Short Rib — served with eggplant purée, roasted red pepper coulis, mushroom, and garlic naan — is the clearest expression of what Cruz is doing: technique-forward cooking that draws on multiple culinary traditions without performing fusion for its own sake. The Smash Burger, built with giardiniera mayo, white American cheese, B&B pickles, and a buttery bun, leans into Chicago identity through that giardiniera and is known as a reliable anchor for anyone who arrives thirsty from the taproom. The Iceberg Salad — green goddess, marinated tomatoes, pickled pearl onions, egg yolk, house-smoked bacon — signals a kitchen that takes composed salads seriously, not as a placeholder. The move regulars know: after dinner, find the side taproom tucked behind the restaurant and brewery. It opened in winter 2022 and operates as a genuinely intimate beer-focused room stocked with board games and a focused selection of Forbidden Root's botanic brews alongside a tight spirits and wine list. It's the kind of space that doesn't advertise itself loudly, which is exactly the point. Book the restaurant for dinner, then migrate to the taproom — and order the short rib before you do.

Carlos Mendez, Food & Drink Editor

Methodology•Chicago guides•Editorial team•Report outdated information

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Taste Score 7.9/10

Rating (Google) 9.4

315 reviews

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7.9/10

Taste Score

Google 9.4 from 315 reviews

Best for

dinner and neighborhood

Price and pace

Good value

Neighborhood

Ravenswood | 4710 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, USA

Price

Good value

Taste Score

7.9/10

Phone

(773) 961-7919

Inside the restaurant

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Menu and ordering

Cultivate by Forbidden Root menu: what to order

Start with the dishes below, drawn from the restaurant details and TastyPals notes available on this page. Cultivate by Forbidden Root is listed in the Good value price range. Menus, availability, and prices can change, so confirm current details before visiting.

Braised & Grilled Boneless Short Rib

Smash Burger

Iceberg Salad

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Why go

What makes Cultivate by Forbidden Root worth the move

Cultivate by Forbidden Root is a clean first click in Ravenswood in Chicago when you want a global option you can trust. Braised & Grilled Boneless Short Rib and Smash Burger also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 315 Google reviews.

What to know fast

Public rating

9.4 from 315 Google reviews

Best for

dinner and neighborhood

Style

Global in Ravenswood

Spend

Good value

Best for

neighborhood dinner local

Know before you go

Google rating: 9.4 from 315 reviews

Price point: value

Popular dishes: Braised & Grilled Boneless Short Rib, Smash Burger, Iceberg Salad

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TastyPals Reviews

What diners are saying

0 diner reviews · reviewed by Carlos Mendez for Cultivate by Forbidden Root

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Google snapshot

9.4 from 315 reviews

TastyPals notes

Editorial review by Carlos Mendez

No diner notes for Cultivate by Forbidden Root yet.

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Plan the visit

Quick details

Visit Website Menu Directions

Address: 4710 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, USA
Phone: (773) 961-7919
Price: value
TastyPals score: 7.9/10
Google rating: 9.4 (315 reviews)
Cuisine: Global
Neighborhood: Ravenswood

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Restaurants in Ravenswood

Frequently asked questions

What cuisine does Cultivate by Forbidden Root serve?

Cultivate by Forbidden Root is a Global restaurant located in Ravenswood, Chicago. Cultivate by Forbidden Root earns its reputation not by accident of location but by design: it's the restaurant arm of Chicago's first botanic brewery, planted in Ravenswood's Malt Row corridor in the space that previously housed Band of Bohemia.

What is Cultivate by Forbidden Root best for?

Cultivate by Forbidden Root is best for neighborhood, dinner, local. Cultivate by Forbidden Root is a clean first click in Ravenswood in Chicago when you want a global option you can trust. Braised & Grilled Boneless Short Rib and Smash Burger also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 315 Google reviews.

How much does it cost to eat at Cultivate by Forbidden Root?

Cultivate by Forbidden Root is in the Good value price range (value). Google rating: 9.4 from 315 reviews

What should I order at Cultivate by Forbidden Root?

Start with Braised & Grilled Boneless Short Rib, Smash Burger and Iceberg Salad. These dishes are shown from TastyPals notes or restaurant data on this page.

Is Cultivate by Forbidden Root worth visiting?

Cultivate by Forbidden Root holds a 9.4 Google rating from 315 reviews. Cultivate by Forbidden Root is a clean first click in Ravenswood in Chicago when you want a global option you can trust. Braised & Grilled Boneless Short Rib and Smash Burger also give you a decent sense of the menu. It also holds a 9.4 rating across 315 Google reviews.

Where is Cultivate by Forbidden Root located?

Cultivate by Forbidden Root is located at 4710 N Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640, USA. Directions are available via Google Maps.

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