4 Best Restaurants in Chicago, Illinois

DMK Burger Bar

$ | Lakeview
Chef and co-owner Michael Kornick knows fine dining, but he's also a longtime fan of the simple burger, and the two worlds mingle at DMK Burger Bar, where grass-fed beef patties can come topped with green chiles or chipotle ketchup, and fries are often adorned with truffle aioli. If you're not in the mood for beef, any burger can be made with turkey, bison, or a veggie patty.

Epic Burger

$ | South Loop
After walking through exhibits at the Art Institute, follow the local college crowd to this order-at-the-counter eatery, where the ambience is kitschy but the food is, as owner David Friedman describes it, “more mindful." Friedman serves hand-shaped, natural beef burgers, as well as a plant-based Beyond Burger, all served atop a soft bun with add-ons like Wisconsin cheese, nitrate-free bacon, or an organic fried egg.

R.J. Grunt's

$ | Lincoln Park

Just outside Lincoln Park Zoo, R.J. Grunts has been serving killer milk shakes and burgers since 1971. In a 21st-century twist, its famous (and gargantuan) salad bar---allegedly the country’s first---has been reinvented in a digital format.

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