Edison Park's Newest Places to Eat Opened Inside a Pub and a Grocery Store

Edison Park got two new places to eat on Northwest Highway in 2026, and neither one has its own storefront. One is a smash burger counter inside The Emerald Isle. The other is a taqueria and bakery inside the grocery store that replaced Happy Foods. Both opened in buildings the neighborhood already used. That pattern shapes how this stretch of Northwest Highway is coming back.

The Halloween pub crawl and the Thanksgiving morning race use the same few blocks, which puts both new kitchens along the routes of this fall's two biggest neighborhood events.

A Burger Counter With a Bar Already Built Around It

Brennan's Gourmet Burger Shack opened at the start of May inside The Emerald Isle, 6686 N. Northwest Highway, according to Block Club Chicago. Conor Brennan and his wife, Alyssa Salvato-Brennan, run it, and Brennan grew up in Edison Park. Block Club reported that his first restaurant job, near the end of high school, was at the neighborhood's own Café Touché. After that he worked at Hogsalt Hospitality restaurants including Au Cheval, Gilt Bar and Ciccio Mio. He and Salvato-Brennan met while working at Bavette's Bar & Boeuf in River North.

Before they had a kitchen of their own, the couple ran burger pop-ups as McBrennan's Smash Burgers. Block Club reported that they met The Emerald Isle's owners through a family friend of Brennan's. Taking over a pub kitchen let them open without building out a new space.

Here's the menu as Block Club described it in June:

• Too Gouda Be True: gouda, red onion jam, cream sherry mayo and fried onions
• The Royale: havarti, aged white cheddar, caramelized onions and dill pickled jalapeños
• Sides: fries and cheese curds cooked in beef tallow, with the curds coming from Ellsworth, Wisconsin
• House details: pickles made in-house and buns from Fausto's Bakery in Elk Grove Village

"I want it to ruin all other burgers for people so that they only crave my burger," Salvato-Brennan told Block Club Chicago.

The hours have changed since opening, so check before you go. The Brennan's website now lists 3 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. In June, Block Club had reported Monday service and a 10 p.m. close on weekends. The couple also said they planned to add a Caesar salad, a rotating burger special, late-night bites and desserts over the following months.

The Grocery Store That Took Three Years to Replace

Farther along Northwest Highway, the second new place to eat sits inside a full grocery store. EP Fresh Market opened in early March at 6783 N. Northwest Highway. That's the old Edison Park Happy Foods site, which Block Club Chicago reported had been closed for more than three years. Co-owner Eduardo Haro told the outlet that neighbors had been asking him for more than a year when it would open. He said he came to know Edison Park through his friendship with Dale and Barbara Eastman, who owned Happy Foods.

Some of the wait came from rebuilding the place. In January, Nadig Newspapers described a complete gut renovation with new electrical, plumbing and refrigeration systems. Block Club reported that the owners redid the parking lot too. The building now has a taqueria, a bakery and a dining area next to the grocery aisles.

The taqueria makes tacos, burritos, grilled chicken sandwiches, burgers and pepito sandwiches, a torta made with skirt steak. Haro told Block Club how he pictures it being used. Commuters would stop in for breakfast on their way to the nearby Metra station, and parents would pick up dinner from the taqueria while they shop. On the grocery side, the store stocks Irish, Italian and Hispanic staples. Haro said he wants to hear what neighbors would like on the shelves.

Two more additions were in the works when the store opened. In March, Haro said a smoothie and coffee bar would probably be finished within a month. He also hoped to add wine and local beer in the following months. The hours reported at opening were 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, with a possible 9 p.m. close in summer. Weekly specials go up on the store's Facebook page, which is the best place to check what's running now.

Why Shared Space Suits This Stretch of Northwest Highway

Both openings make more sense when you remember 2023. That September, Block Club Chicago reported that The Curragh, Que Onda and Giordano's closed after their building was sold. When Block Club covered Brennan's opening, it pointed back to those closures and noted that the business district has lost some businesses in recent years. The Brennans told the outlet they want to draw more people to downtown Edison Park.

"I want people from all across the city to know that we're doing elevated, clean, delicious food here because a lot of people just stay downtown, but we have a lot to offer up here," Brennan told Block Club Chicago.

A kitchen inside an established pub opens to a room that already has regulars, while a taqueria tucked beside the grocery aisles catches shoppers who came in for milk and bread. Neither one depends on a stand-alone restaurant space to stay busy. Brennan told Block Club he would like to open other restaurants in downtown Edison Park. Haro described his goal as simply "to just be a great neighborhood store."

The Fall Calendar Runs Past the Same Doors

Haro also told Block Club he wants EP Fresh Market to be part of the neighborhood's bigger moments. He mentioned opening up the store's parking lot during the annual Edison Park Turkey Trot and the twice-a-year "Pack the Highway" car show. The Turkey Trot's listed address, 6750 N. Northwest Highway, is on the same stretch of Northwest Highway as the store at 6783.

Two events land between now and Thanksgiving:

The Edison Park Chamber of Commerce is running the pub crawl. The ticket covers drink specials, raffles, costume contests and food at stops along the route, and the Chamber recommends buying ahead. The Chamber also asks people to plan a safe ride home, whether that's a designated driver, a rideshare, a taxi or public transit. With the Metra station right in the business district, that last one is easy.

The Edison Park Turkey Trot is organized by a race committee, and part of its goal is raising money for charities. Thanksgiving falls on November 26 this year. If your household runs, register before the Sunday afternoon cutoff on November 22 to save $5 per person.

There's a practical overlap here. The crawl's 7 p.m. start lines up with Brennan's Friday kitchen hours, which run until 9 p.m., so eating before the first stop is easy. A taqueria and bakery that was opening at 7 a.m. as of March sits on the same stretch as the Turkey Trot start, which helps on a morning when the family has to be out the door before the turkey goes in. If you're planning around either one, confirm the hours that day.

Thanksgiving is often when families talk about who hosts next and whether a longtime home still fits. If your holiday plans include a conversation about how the house works for everyone, or what the next chapter could look like, I'm glad to listen first and help you sort through the options at your own pace. Sharon Lynch is a phone call away whenever you're ready. Let's Connect.