Local Favorite, Trendy, Famous, Vegetarian Options, Vegan Options, Salad, Coffee Tea, Cafe, Cocktails, Gluten Free Food, Romantic, Take Outs, Outdoor Seating, Healthy Food Options, Byob, Takes Reservations, Desserts
2537 N Kedzie Blvd, chicago
Lula cafe at Logan Square is inventive, market-driven, primarily organic food in a casual, funky space, hosting a trendy breakfast/brunch. They specialize in using locally sourced fresh produce and seasonal ingredients, and the patio is lovely on a warm night with the perfect atmosphere.
Local Favorite, Vegetarian Options, Salad, Coffee Tea, Cafe, Take Outs, Outdoor Seating, Tacos
449 N Clark St, chicago
Xoco—pronounced "SHO-ko"—is the Aztec word for "little sister." Rick Bayless, who runs the iconic flagship restaurant Frontera, opened the place. But there's nothing little about Xoco's bold Mexican marketplace flavors. This quick-service café from Rick and Deann Bayless is open early and closing late and proffers contemporary expressions of Mexico's most beloved street food and snacks: flaky empanadas, hot-from-the-fryer churros, frothy Mexican hot chocolate, crusty tortas, and meal-in-a-bowl caldos.
Local Favorite, Vegetarian Options, Vegan Options, Salad, Coffee Tea, Cafe, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten Free Food, Healthy Food Options, Soup
333 East Benton Place, chicago
Eggy's, a contemporary diner, is more than just breakfast (though it does have an extensive egg-centric menu). The 60's inspired menu is full of items designed to give a home-cooked feel. Think pancakes, grilled cheese sandwiches, and burgers. But it has made national news for its crunchy French toast, featured on Travel Channel's "Food Paradise" as a can't-miss carby dish.
Local Favorite, Vegetarian Options, Vegan Options, Coffee Tea, Cafe, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten Free Food, Happy Hours, Take Outs, International Food, Fried Food
2119 S Halsted St, chicago
In 2011, husband and wife Art and Chelsea Jackson opened Pleasant House Bakery, a small pie shop specializing in Royal Pies—their own various handmade, artisanal meat and vegetable savory pies. In 2016, they expanded their signature British-inspired, locally sourced menu in a new location, Pleasant House Pub, which also features a full bar and cafe.
Local Favorite, Famous, Burgers, Vegetarian Options, Vegan Options, Coffee Tea, Cafe, Gluten Free Food, Take Outs, Outdoor Seating, Takes Reservations, Fried Food
3411 N Halsted St, chicago
Chicago Diner has been serving innovative and delicious vegan and vegetarian fare since 1983. True to their signage, "meat free since '83," all of their menus are a take on the classic American diner with a twist. It has earned numerous accolades from various media outlets for its fantastic food. They use local, seasonal ingredients and produce. All their cleaning products are eco-friendly, to-go containers are bio-degradable, and they practice bio-diesel conversion of waste oil.
Local Favorite, Vegetarian Options, Vegan Options, Salad, Coffee Tea, Cafe, Gluten Free Food, Take Outs, Outdoor Seating, Juice Bar, Healthy Food Options, Soup
3552 N Southport Ave Ste 1, chicago
Specialty grocery-cafe fusion place uses local ingredients to create artisanal culinary dishes, lunch boxes, ready-to-cook food, and gift baskets serving breakfast and lunch all day. They showcase numerous local food artisans. Customers come here to experience the from-scratch fare and unique dishes, including the occasional secret supper.
Trendy, Family Fun, Lush, Vegetarian Options, Coffee Tea, Cafe, Gluten Free Food, Take Outs, Outdoor Seating, European
3258 W Foster Ave, chicago
Tre Kronor is a quaint European-style café and the only Nordic Bistro in Chicago serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Owner/Chefs Patty Rasmussen and Larry Anderson strive to create a fantastic experience with customers returning for years to come. The place is cozy and beautiful, with Swedish decorations, giving a cabin vibe. Locals and visitors line up to get European food and hospitality experience.
Local Favorite, Famous, Nightlife, Vegetarian Options, Cocktails, Take Outs, Italian, Takes Reservations, Soup, Pasta
2207 N Clybourn Ave, chicago
Pequod's Pizza has gained a cult following for its pan-style deep dish Pizza with a caramelized crust edge. The Pizza gained popularity with word of mouth, and Pequod's became the best-known secret for Pizza in Chicago. Mozzarella cheese is cooked along the edge of a cast-iron pan creating a crust unlike any other hence the name "caramelized crust." Customers get blown away after tasting the pie with the savory sauce and flavorful toppings.
Local Favorite, Trendy, Famous, Vegetarian Options, Vegan Options, Seafood, Coffee Tea, Cafe, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten Free Food, Small Plates, Takes Reservations, Desserts
444 N Michigan Ave, chicago
Jimmy Bannos Jr., a fourth-generation restaurateur, opened this place after graduating from the College of Culinary Arts at Johnson and Wales University and working for other nationally renowned chefs in Italy and New York City (Mario Batali and Joe Bastianich). He also traveled through Italy, Greece, and the United States, cultivating his culinary approach from the region's culture and food. Since opening in 2009, The Purple Pig has received numerous accolades. In 2014, Chef Jimmy received his first James Beard Award for "Rising Star Chef." The Purple Pig has been a Michelin Guide Bib Gourmand recipient since 2011 and has collected numerous culinary and wine awards nationally.
Burgers, Vegetarian Options, Vegan Options, Seafood, Cocktails, Gluten Free Food, Outdoor Seating, Takes Reservations, Desserts
145 N Dearborn St, chicago
The Dearborn was opened by two sisters in 2016, Amy and Clodagh Lawless, with 40-plus years of hospitality experience and a passion for heartfelt service from their Irish roots. Executive Chef Aaron Cuschieri creates dishes that lean into Midwestern seasonality with unfussy but rooted classical techniques. They also serve creative cocktails and deliciously nostalgic desserts with a modern twist. Chicago's past inspires the restaurant's murals, leather booths, and other details.
Local Favorite, Vegetarian Options, Pizza, Take Outs, Outdoor Seating
1769 W Sunnyside Ave, chicago
For over a decade, Spacca Napoli has made pizza faithful to the authentic Neapolitan style. The dough is tended daily as a blend of love and craft and baked in an oven built by third and fourth-generation artisans from Napoli. Ingredients are carefully sourced from trusted vendors, many of which are unavailable anywhere else in Chicago. Wines and music are selected to create just the right experience and mood. Spacca Napoli preserves and elevates hearty, rustic dishes in a beautiful space while showcasing the essence of the Italian experience.
Local Favorite, Trendy, Burgers, Vegetarian Options, Vegan Options, Salad, Pizza, Cafe, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten Free Food, Take Outs, Outdoor Seating, Healthy Food Options, Date Night, Takes Reservations, Tacos, Desserts, Pasta
1954 N Halsted St, chicago
Summer house offers a vibrant, light, airy, and summer vibe to its guest in terms of food, ambiance, and everything they do. A large atrium with a beautiful setting and all-weather spaces would surely delight everyone. They serve dishes from modern American Cuisine and a few internationally inspired dishes.
Burgers, Vegetarian Options, Vegan Options, Cafe, Cocktails, Gluten Free Food, Take Outs, Outdoor Seating, Southern, Fried Food, Comfort Food
3361 N Elston Ave, chicago
True to its name, Honey Butter Fried Chicken serves the great tasting deboned fried chicken with honey butter. This industrial design place is filled with artsy stuff. They use fresh and local ingredients, including humanely raised, cage-free, and antibiotic-free chicken (never processed or frozen). This place has been featured in various TV and Media outlets for its famous poultry dishes.
Local Favorite, Vegetarian Options, Vegan Options, Salad, Take Outs, Healthy Food Options
623 N State St, chicago
Sweetgreen is a fresh, plant-forward, and earth-friendly restaurant. Three college graduates started it for a healthier, faster, more nutritious option. Their mission is to build healthier communities by connecting people to real food, and their goal is not to sacrifice quality over convenience. Their rotating seasonal menu offers a wide variety of warm and cold vegan, vegetarian, and meat salads, soups, and bowls with savory, house-made dressings and a slice of bread.
Nightlife, Take Outs, Outdoor Seating, Desserts
6363 N Milwaukee Ave, chicago
Established in May of 1948, Superdawg remains family-owned and operated in the same location today. Maurie Berman, a world war II veteran, and his wife Florence opened a hotdog stand business to serve during the summer, one that would be as unique and distinctive as they were. The restaurant still serves the food with the original recipe, trademark figures (continuing to wink at each other flirtatiously), and the drive-in concept.
Dog Friendly, Vegetarian Options, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Food, Take Outs, Outdoor Seating, Byob, Tacos
2234 N Western Ave, chicago
Located in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, Taqueria Chingón is a Mexico City street-style taqueria focused on one of Mexico City's favorite street foods: the Al Pastor. They've developed a menu with classics that stay true to their origins and some tacos that create a new tradition. All the items on the menu are tasty treats, especially tacos.
Take Outs, Outdoor Seating, Fried Food
2449 W Armitage Ave, chicago
Red Hot Ranch (RHR) was established by the two partners, who wanted to reintroduce the city to the original Chicago dog often referred to as the "Depression dog" – a minimalist hotdog served with mustard, relish onion, sport peppers, and fresh-cut fries. They also brought back long-forgotten techniques that ensured a better hot dog, like cooking in old-fashioned ceramic crocks and using natural casing that would snap and burst with flavor with each bite. The Chicago-style hot dogs are the real deal, paired with golden, old-style fresh-cut fries wrapped up in old-school wax paper.
Trendy, Dog Friendly, Famous, Dine In, Asian Fusion, Cocktails, Full Bar, Romantic, Desserts, Cozy
1001 N Winchester Ave, chicago
The world's first Michelin-starred Filipino restaurant, Kasama, is a bakery and modern Filipino restaurant by chefs Genie Kwon and Timothy Flores in the East Ukrainian Village neighborhood of Chicago. The place is small, with 14 tables, but it's modern and inviting, with an open kitchen and impressive tile work. There is also an outdoor patio to accommodate (weather permitting!) additional quests.
Famous, Vegetarian Options, Seafood, Coffee Tea, Gluten Free Food, Take Outs, Soup, Deli, Comfort Food, Salad
1141 S Jefferson St, chicago
Jack opened Manny's Cafeteria & Delicatessen more than 50 years ago in his teenage son's name, Emanuel (or Manny, to family and friends). Manny opened its location more than 50 years ago, a unique style of urban eatery – the home style, family-run cafeteria bubbling with the spirit of its neighborhood and attracting patrons from all walks of life. Manny's delights its customers with Jewish Deli classics.
Local Favorite, Famous, Vegetarian Options, Vegan Options, Salad, Gluten Free Food, Take Outs, Soup, Date Night, Takes Reservations
4801 N Broadway, chicago
Demera, which opened in November of 2007 by the owner and chef Tigist Reda, is one of Chicago's favorite Ethiopian restaurants and a staple of the Ethiopian-American community of Chicago. Situated within Uptown's vibrant and colorful neighborhood, Demera serves Chicago residents and visitors daily, allowing guests to experience Ethiopian hospitality and a lot of flavors. Demera has received excellent reviews from many media outlets, including Eater 38 Essential Chicago Restaurants, Hungry Hound, Yelp, Zagat, Check Please!, And Michelin Guide Recommended.
Trendy, Date Night, Burgers, Vegetarian Options, Salad, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten Free Food
800 W Randolph St, chicago
A diner-style bar and restaurant, Au Cheval, elevates traditional diner fare. Guests can indulge in dishes ranging from chopped chicken liver and roasted bone marrow to traditional sandwiches, egg-focused entrees, and the signature cheeseburger. The bar program showcases solid and classic cocktails, including the Horse's Neck, Vieux Bonal, and Hemingway's Daiquiri. A robust draught beer list offers a wide range of neighborhood, domestic, and international selections. The dimly lit restaurant, pulsating with a vintage reel-to-reel soundtrack, features dark leather booths, dark wood paneling, and a zinc bar wrapped around the open kitchen.
Trendy, Vegetarian Options, Vegan Options, Salad, Coffee Tea, Take Outs, Noodles, International Food, Fried Food, Soup
727 W Maxwell St, chicago
The Momo World serves perfect and delicious Himalayan street food with influence from the Nepali culture and taste from the Himalayas. The place is small with counter service, but the exotic and unique flavors and a few fusion dishes elevate this place above the rest. The food is prepared with an array of vegetables, meats, and seafood and flavored with seasoning born in the mountains of the Himalayas.
Local Favorite, Vegetarian Options, Salad, Cocktails, Full Bar, Take Outs, Outdoor Seating, Takes Reservations, Tacos
1531 N Damen Ave, chicago
Big Star is a bourbon, beer-focused, taco-serving, late-night establishment in the heart of Chicago's Wicker Park and Wrigleyville neighborhoods. Executive Chef Paul Kahan and Chef de Cuisine Chris Miller's menu, inspired by authentic Mexican street food, is complemented by an extensive house-selected single-barrel bourbon program. Housed in a defunct 1940's gas station, the Wicker Park taqueria and its highly sought-after patio have been a neighborhood staple for ten years. Wrigleyville's two-story branch is nestled just across the street from Wrigley Field.
Vegetarian Options, Salad, Cocktails, Take Outs, Byob, Date Night, Takes Reservations, Soup, Tacos
1865 N Milwaukee Ave, chicago
Irazu is A BYOB restaurant serving the cuisine and flavor of Costa Rica since 1990 with a warm and genuine Latin welcome and a relaxed "Pura Vida" experience. A wide selection of Costa Rican traditional homecooked dishes is available on the menu. It is the first and only Costa Rican restaurant in Chicago, delighting guests with fresh, healthy, and hearty dishes.
Coffee Tea, Take Outs, Tacos
2500 S Whipple St, chicago
La Chaparrita is a small, unpretentious, no-frills Mexican restaurant inside a grocery store. The place is famous for its Mexico City-style tacos and street food. Restaurant owner Angelina Mendez uses family recipes from her mother for sausages and meat seasoning.
Famous, Vegetarian Options, Salad, Pizza, Coffee Tea, Pasta
8433 S Pulaski Rd, chicago
Vito and Nick's Pizzeria is a renowned thin-crust pizza institution in southside Chicago. It recently celebrated its 100th anniversary. This family-owned pizzeria specializes in thin-crust well-done pizza and fine Italian dining. Through the years, Vito & Nick's has become a favorite dining and gathering spot for thousands of Chicagoans and visitors. This original Sicilian-style pizza uses quality tomato sauce, carefully seasoned sausage, pure cheese, and a guarded dough recipe.
Local Favorite, Famous, Vegetarian Options, Coffee Tea, Cafe, Cocktails, Take Outs, Outdoor Seating, Fried Food, Deli
2552 N Clark St, chicago
Frances' has been a landmark in Lincoln Park for 80 years, serving diners breakfast, lunch, and brunch (before it was even a thing)! It has always been known for its comfort food, generations-old family recipes, and sandwiches too big to finish in one sitting. With his original team, Chicago-famous Chef and personality Derek Rylon has been perfecting his culinary skills and recipes for over 30 years. His iconic following is a testament to his gift for creating unbelievable dishes at Frances'.
Local Favorite, Trendy, Famous, Vegetarian Options, Vegan Options, Gluten Free Food, Take Outs, International Food, Salad, Romantic, Date Night, Takes Reservations, Tacos
1559 N Milwaukee Ave, chicago
As the name suggests, Bloom Plant Based Kitchen is a 100% plant-based and gluten-free establishment in the wicker park neighborhood in Chicago. They offer a wide variety of dishes without using animal products to focus on bringing flavorful, healthy, and affordable vegan food to the everyday family while being desirable and appealing to even the non-vegan. The dining room welcomes the guests with its bright light, lots of greenery, and fun vibe.
Trendy, Vegetarian Options, Vegan Options, Take Outs, Outdoor Seating
161 N Sangamon St, chicago
Bonci Pizzeria, helmed by Rome's esteemed pizzaiolo Gabriele Bonci, serves pizzas that are so delicious, creative, and visually stunning that has developed a passionate following not only in Italy but around the globe. Guests enjoy the famed airy yet crips taglio pizza made with "quality without compromise" fresh ingredients. Vogue magazine's food critic describes Gabriele as "The Michelangelo of Pizza."
Famous, Take Outs, Tacos
2813 W 55th St, chicago
Founded in 1975 by Inocencio Carbajal, aka "El Guero," Carnitas Uruapan is the legendary destination for those whose palates crave authentic Carnitas from Michoacan, Mexico. The chef's hard work, passion for Mexican flavors, and courage have made him a local celebrity in Chicago's Pilsen neighborhood. It has been featured in various media outlets, including Univision, The Food Network, VICE, The Cooking Channel, and PBS, by consistently ensuring the family recipe remains true to its Mexican heritage, unmodified for the American market in any way.
Seafood, Salad, Gluten Free Food, Take Outs, Cozy, Ceviche
3131 N Central Ave, chicago
Avenida Peru started its humble beginning in Chef Karlo Caceres’ tiny two-bedroom apartment during the Pandemic. The food became a big hit because of hard-to-find Peruvian dishes and delicious flavors, and it grew from word-of-mouth into a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Trendy, Dog Friendly, Romantic, Vegetarian Options, Salad, Pizza, Gluten Free Food, Take Outs, Outdoor Seating, Italian, Date Night, Takes Reservations, Pasta
3719 N Harlem Ave, chicago
Forno Rosso Pizzeria Napoletana brings the flavor of authentic Italian Neapolitan Pizza to the city of Chicago with the hand-picked freshest ingredients from Italy. Chef Nick Nitti applies learning and inspiration from his first-hand travel experience with his family from his childhood in Italy. There are currently two branches: one on Harlem Ave and another in West Loop on Randolph Street.
Local Favorite, Vegetarian Options, Salad, Cocktails, Full Bar, Take Outs, Takes Reservations, Desserts
1927 W North Ave, chicago
Opened in July 2001, Piece, the most award-winning brewpub in Chicago, has been serving New Haven-style pizza, honey butter fried chicken, handcrafted lagers, and ales produced in small batches in our seven-barrel brewhouse. The Piece has won 28 medals, including Champion Small Brewpub at the World Beer Cup in 2006.
Local Favorite, Vegetarian Options, Salad, Gluten Free Food, Desserts, Pasta
520 W Taylor St, chicago
In 1963, Dick Portillo started Portillo's hot dog stand in Villa Park, IL, which he called "The Dog House." Years later, Portillo's has become a brand synonymous with Chicago. People say it's not a real trip to Chicago unless you eat at Portillo's. There are more than 70 locations across several states of Portillos'. They are famous for the Chicago Hot Dog containing mustard, relish, celery salt, freshly chopped onions, sliced red ripe tomatoes, kosher pickles, and sports peppers piled onto a steamed poppy seed bun.