Cheeseburger At Au Cheval
For the last couple of years, the wait outside Au Cheval in Chicagos West Loop could last up to three hours. Most waiting were in search of a legendary burger dubbed one of the nations best, though their patience would also be rewarded with maybe the best hash browns, larded with duck heart gravy, and mille-feuille, anywhere. To combat the lengthy waits, owner Brendan Sodikoff opened a spinoff, a tiny shack aptly named Small Cheval, which serves only the burger , fries, shakes and some choice cocktails. The lines are a bit shorter, but the medium-rare burger dripping with Kraft cheese and an artery-delighting slather of housemade Dijon mustard-spiked aioli is still just as great. Its the backyard burger your dad would make if hed trained at The Culinary Institute of America.
Life On Marz Community Club
The gist: The folks behind Bridgeport-based Marz Community Brewing Co. have ventured north to set up shop on the edge of Logan Square and Bucktown. Inspired by VFW halls, the aptly-titled project aims to foster community within a whimsical space festooned with bright colors and clean design. The food: While its all about Marz beers, CBD seltzers, nitro coffees, and canned booch, you can also snack on Makowskis sausages and hot dogs, housemade seven-spice nori snack mix, flavored jerky, meat sticks, and more. The cost: Snacks $5 – $11, drinks $4 – $6. How to book:Stop by for counter service.
Io Godfrey Rooftop Lounge
127 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654
IO Godfrey is probably the best-known Igloo dining spot in Chicago. After doing this every year, theyve basically perfected the holiday Igloos with colorful lights, adorable trees, and other seasonal decorations. The pink lighting used here would definitely make you feel like a happy plant in a greenhouse, ready to eat and grow!
Each small igloo can hold up to 6 people and requires at least one bottle of beverage purchase. The larger igloos are perfect for private events as it includes 6 small igloos. Reservations are necessary and can be made on Tock.
Recommended Reading: Top Strip Clubs In Chicago
Best Lunch Spots In Chicago
Visitors come to see Chicago’s many iconic attractions, from “the Bean” in Millennium Park to the shops of the Magnificent Mile. Cattle and hogs raised in the Midwest region transformed Chicago into the country’s largest meatpacking center. So that means “The Windy City” has unrivaled steakhouses plus local specialties like Polish sausage and hot dogs. So where do the locals go for the best lunch Chicago has to offer? Check out our Tastemaker 20. We’ve pulled data from thousands of restaurants to find the spots for the best lunch Chicago-style among OpenTable’s most expert, seasoned diners. Reserve a table today!
- Fit for Foodies
- Romantic
For some of the freshest food in Chicago, go to Sepia. The menu here is completely seasonally-driven, and it rotates regularly, depending on what ingredients the chef can get daily. The menu here feat…
Chicago Sweatlodges Rehydrate Bar And Cafe
At the Rehydrate Water Bar and Cafe, diners can experience the Russian banya, a plunge pool, a Turkish massage, and Mexican cuisine.
The Russian banya is a traditional sweat lodge experience guests are thwacked with oak leaf brooms to stimulate blood flow and then sit in a sweltering sauna. Spa-goers then urn into diners, where guests can choose to indulge in everything from pierogies to chicken fajitas.
Read Also: Taste Of Chicago 2021 Schedule
Americas Dog & Burger
If you are in the mood for a hot dog or even a good turkey burger, check out Americas Dog & Burger. Not only can you get a Chicago Dog , but you can take yourself on a tour of America through your mouth by trying different cities unique hot dog specialties, all without leaving the Pier!
The story behind Americas Dog and Burger is an American Dream come true. In 1993, a pair of brothers, Manolis and George Alpogianis took a cross-country road trip. They packed their Jeep and hit the road. It was on this road trip, through their frequent stops to grab a bite, the brothers discovered that every place in America had a slightly different way of making their hot dogs.
This is where an idea started to form. They wanted to showcase the great American road trip, by featuring these unique hot dog recipes in one location.
Insider Tip: Want to find out what the 7 ingredients to a Chicago style hot dog are and how they all originated? You can learn that and much more about Chicagos food scene on the Signature Food Tour at Navy Pier.
Serving Food As Medicine For 30+ Years
At Original Soul Vegetarian, we seek to offer a one-of-a-kind culinary experience for vegans and health aficionados throughout the Chicago area. For the past 30 years, we have offered food that is both healthy and deliciouswinning the praise and consistent patronage of vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike.
Recommended Reading: Top Strip Clubs In Chicago
El Che Steakhouse And Bar
El Che Steakhouse represents the spirit of the West Loop in the best way. This restaurant offers Argentinian cuisine, with a live-fire grill that ramps everything up a notch. Their menu features a variety of meat dishes, with sides to balance it all out. The lively atmosphere makes it ideal for group meals and friendly gatherings.
Homestead On The Roof
Homestead on the Roof is an open-air, rooftop, restaurant. It boasts a secret rooftop, and I confirm that it is a bit challenging to find you have to walk inside of a pizza restaurant to get there.
The patio features fresh flowers and an immersive garden experience. There is also indoor seating in a second-story alcove. Menus at Homestead on the Roof are always changing. Rotating pop-up chefs create globally inspired menus with dishes that have influenced their careers. You can visit many times and always taste something new!
Read Also: Taste Of Chicago 2021 Schedule
Things To Do In Chicago + Top Photo Spots
Want to check out other things in Chicago besides food? Ive got you covered! There are so many exciting things to do, see, and eat in this great city. You can easily spend a week exploring its attractions.
But first, coffee. Suppose you want to start your morning off right check out the best cafes in Chicago.
If youre looking for the best skyline views, unique photo opportunities, and possible tours, You can find that post here:Chicago Photo Locations.
If youd like to read what restaurants other locals are raving about , you can find that post here:Where Locals Eat in Chicago.
Curious about where to stay to make the most of your trip? Check out these 11 best Airbnbs in Chicago.
Below are a few of the top tours to enjoy in the city. You can find more in the Chicago photo post linked above. You can click through to learn more about each tour or search for others. I use GetYourGuide when traveling to a new place and like the options, plus the fact that you can easily cancel if plans change.
Ramen At Furious Spoon Ramen
This is one exception to the $10 cutoff, as the namesake Furious Ramen clocks in at $12.25 . The combo of apple chile-spiked furious sauce, garlic relish, runny poached egg, marinated mushrooms, tender chashu pork belly and silky shards of white pepper chicken soaked with a soulful spicy miso broth is the best ramen in the city.
Also Check: Taste Of Chicago 2021 Schedule
Smoked Brisket At Smalls Smoke Shack
Despite its Midwestern location, Chicago is a serious barbecue town until recently, the epicenter of that movement was Smoque in Irving Park. Smoque still holds the throne, but Smalls Smoke Shack, which mashes up Korean, Filipino and Mexican flavors, is a fast up-and-comer, making some of the meanest, juiciest hickory-smoked brisket in town. The brisket , topped off with a drizzle of lime-y, chile-spiked tiger cry sauce, a helping of pickled cucumber and carrot aka not slaw and sandwiched between thick planks of grilled Texas toast, makes a serious claim to the crown for Chicagos best brisket.
Pork Gyro At Piggie Smalls
Often when people are scarfing down a gyro, they are doing it on the run or after a night of debauchery. Occasionally, though, a gyro is thoughtfully crafted to deserve proper recognition, thanks to whole cuts of freshly butchered meat, salted, cured and marinated carefully, then carved off a flame-roasted spit. Enter Jimmy Bannos Jr. and his Piggie Smalls with the throwback gyro, a much closer cousin to the turkish doner kebab than the commodity food-service gyro. The pork gyro in particular is incredibly juicy. Dripping in a creamy tzatziki, the gyros richness is cut with onion and tomato and tangy banana peppers.
Read Also: Loft Party Rental Chicago
+ Top Navy Pier Restaurants For Foodies
When you think of Navy Pier, images of the Ferris Wheel, the amazing skyline views , and Bubba Gump Shrimp may come to mind. But there is more to Chicagos Navy Pier than the first few places you see, especially when it comes to food options.
Navy Pier is home to many cuisines that is sure to satisfy any food, snack or dessert craving you may be having. Plus! There are some new spots that add even more adventure to your dining experiences.
Where To Go For A Meal Involving Red Meat And A Ridiculously Large Potato
Chicago has always been a meat town. As a matter of fact, by our count, there are approximately 1,734 steakhouses in River North alone. And while you have plenty of excellent options for steak across the city, the sheer number of possibilities can also be a little overwhelming.
Rather than leave what almost always ends up being an expensive meal to chance, use this guide. Our favorites are a mix of classic and newer spots, and they all work when you want a big slab of meat plus the classic sides.
Sorrylooks like you screwed up that email address
Also Check: Taste Of Chicago Schedule
Where To Eat Near The Art Institute Of Chicago
Looking for where to eat near the Art Institute of Chicago?
Youre probably either already at the museum with a grumbling stomach, or youre planning a trip and want the lowdown on the best eats in town. Maybe youre doing team building in Chicago with us and want to grab a bite afterwards.
Either way, our renegade tours of the AIC need fuel, and Chicago has some amazing food to prepare or recharge after your museum adventure.
Weve spent years in and around the museum and have the full scoop on the best places to eat near the Art Institute of Chicago. Check below for the full list!
Gayles Best Ever Grilled Cheese
Gayle’s has been a fixture for years in Chicago farmers markets, where you could grab a crispy grilled cheese sandwich made with white sourdough from Bennison’s Bakery in Evanston, Prairie Pure Butterkase cheese from Belvidere and butter from Nordic Creamery in Westby, Wis. These exceptional ingredients fuse to make one gooey, irresistible sandwich. I especially love the Southport , which adds a sweet smoked onion marmalade to the classic grilled cheese. Located in the pedway,Block 37, Level B1, 108 N. State St., 312-285-2202, gaylessandwichshopchicago.com.
Recommended Reading: Retail Space For Rent Chicago
Batter And Berries 2748 N Lincoln Ave
If the name isnt delicious enough? This cafe has you covered with creative pancakes, omelets & other breakfast eats, and its melee of sandwiches and lunch. Then theres also the excitement of the 68-seat breakfast nooks and the mosaic-tiled tables, crafted by the owners themselves.
Berries and Batter Website HERE
Abby’s Breakfast And Lunch St Charles Il
If youre looking for a quiet, cozy place to have lunch in the St. Charles area, look no further than Abbys. They serve wonderful breakfast dishes and offer a combination of tradition and unique lunch items. Their lunch menu features sandwiches and salads served with waffle fries. They also have a soup of the day.
Recommended Reading: Top Strip Clubs In Chicago
Beignets At Ina Mae Tavern
These golden freshly fried beignets arrive at the table at Ina Mae Tavern covered in what feels like a kilo of confectioners sugar. In fact, you might have to do some exploration with your fork just to confirm there are in fact doughnuts below the sugar blizzard. There are. And when you bite in to those beignets, you inhale a yeasty perfume and regard the delightful contrast of the crisp exterior and the bubbly soft threads of the interior. You might even convince yourself theyre better than the ones served at New Orleans famous Café du Monde
King Ranch Casserole At Texican
Chef Kim Daltons mother was Korean and her dad a Swedish-Irish Bostonian, so naturally she decided to open a Tex-Mex restaurant in Chicago. Mexican night was popular at her critically acclaimed but short-lived restaurant Dodo, so she took it to the next level with a full-fledged Mexican-skewing spot. Instead of serving some fake chain-like vision of Tex-Mex, her fare, like the King Ranch casserole , a Mexican-lasagna of sorts, is rooted in authentic ingredients like El Milagro corn tortillas layered and tangy crema slathered over tender slivers of chicken enrobed in bubbly broiled cheddar cheese.
Also Check: Taste Of Chicago 2021 Schedule
The Budlong Hot Chicken
This local chain of Nashville-style fried chicken almost always has a long line at Revival Food Hall, and it’s easy to see why. The exterior of the chicken is crackly and genuinely spicy, while the interior stays juicy. Even the sides are top quality, including the intricately flavored collard greens. Revival Food Hall, 125 S. Clark St., 773-999-9411, revivalfoodhall.com
Ramen Takeya & Omakase Takeya
Arguably one of the most crowded restaurants in Downtown Chicago, the signature ramen dishes at Ramen Takeya are made with chicken and an adjustable spice level. The dining room offers ample space, plus a bar for those waiting.
It also happens to house one of the most famous sushi bars in the area in the basement. Keep in mind that Omakase Takeya is an Omakase-only sushi bar. They offer an interesting and oft-changing menu, but they have a small seating area for a maximum of 7 people, so its best to reserve a seat if you intend to visit.
Read Also: Taste Of Chicago Times
Best Restaurants In Chicago
- Save this
Save this for later.
The Emerald City of Americas heartland benefits from seasonality like few others in the country. Sourcing farm fresh ingredients from all over Illinoisnot to mention neighboring Michigan, Indiana, and WisconsinChicago’s best restaurants are recognized as some of the most exciting in the country, thanks in no small part to the talent in their kitchens. Take Abe Conlon who shares the rather niche cuisine of Macau with an always rambunctious crowd at Fat Rice, or industry giant Grant Achatz, who continues to ascend gastronomical heights at his temple to modern dining, Alinea, or David and Anna Posey who serve up hygge on a plate at Elske. From acclaimed chefs to memorable dining experiences, we’ve lists our favorite Chicago restaurants hereso snag your reservations ASAP.