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Sure, this city has great architecture, museums, and sports venues. But at its heart, Chicago is really a food town. This is evident in the priority that good eating takes, no matter the occasion. Rain or shine, locals will wait in a line that snakes around the corner for dolled-up doughnuts at Doughnut Vault. They’ll reserve part of their paychecks to dine at inventive Alinea. And they love to talk about their most recent meal—just ask.
It's no wonder that outdoor festivals are often centered on food, from Taste of Chicago in summer, which packs the grounds at Grant Park, to smaller celebrations, like the German-American fest in Lincoln Square, a mini-Oktoberfest in fall.
Although the city has always had options on the extreme ends of the spectrum—from the hole-in-the wall Italian beef sandwich shops to the special-occasion spots—it's now easier to find eateries in the middle that serve seasonal menus with a farm-to-table mantra. For the budget conscious, it's also a great time to dine: some talented chefs aren't bothering to wait for a liquor license, opening BYOB spots turning out polished fare (just try Ruxbin in West Town).
Expect to see more Chicago chefs open casual concepts—Rick Bayless, Paul Kahan, and Michael Kornick have a head start with their respective sandwich, taco, and burger spots. Yet the goal remains the same: to feed a populace that knows good food and isn't willing to accept anything less than the best. In the following pages, you'll find our top picks, from quick bites to multicourse meals, in the city's best dining neighborhoods.
An urban bodega merges with a Vietnamese noodle shop at this quirky corner store that’s won accolades for its fragrant chicken, beef, and vegan pho, based on a family recipe. In the grocery section, hard-to-find imported Thai chips and Japanese chocolates mingle with household essentials.
The weekend bustle of this dim sum house can feel overwhelming, but Phoenix softens you up with second-floor picture-window views that frame the Loop skyline and an excellent food menu. Dim sum is the draw all day long on weekends, but don’t overlook the regular menu, which features an array of live seafood cooked how you like it.
A CTA construction project forced the Pick Me Up out of its original Lakeview location, but its new digs preserve its quirky, neighborhood café charm. The thrift-store treasures hanging on the walls are as eclectic as the crowd that comes at all hours of the day to drink bottomless cups of coffee or dine on a largely (but not entirely) vegan menu of sandwiches, appetizers, and desserts. In addition to specialty coffee drinks and fun milkshakes, they also offer wine, beer, and cocktails.
The antithesis of Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, Piece’s thin-crust pies mimic those made famous in New Haven, Connecticut. They’re somewhat free-form in shape and come in plain (tomato sauce, Parmesan, and garlic), white (olive oil, garlic, and mozzarella), or traditional red, with lots of topping options. Salads balance out the menu, while the award-winning house-brewed beers pair perfectly with the food.
Wood-fired pizzas are the main draw to this small, dark, rustic BYOB, but there are also interesting Bosnian side-quests into menu items like cevapcici (a dish of grilled, minced meat) and house-cured smoked beef on puffy homemade pita.
Serving inch-thick pizzas in a comfortable, well-worn dining room, Pizzeria Due is where everyone goes when they've found out that Uno, the original home of Chicago's deep-dish pizza up the street, has an hour-plus wait. Both restaurants serve deep-dish, but Due also offers thin-crust pizzas.
Chicago deep-dish pizza got its start here in 1943, and both local and out-of-town fans continue to pack this Victorian brownstone for the filling pies, while the dim, paneled rooms with reproduction light fixtures make the setting a slice of Old Chicago. Plan on two thick, cheesy slices or less as a full meal; this is no quick-to-your-table pie so also order salads and be prepared to entertain the kids during the inevitable wait.
Anglophiles are at home in this bit of Britain where savory pies in a flaky, buttery crust reign. Vintage wooden desks and industrial lighting fixtures bring a lived-in feel to the bright dining room. Find local, UK, and European beers on draft at the bar, which is likely showing a football match to the delight of fans.
After a long winter, Chicagoans think any old patio is magical, but the peaceful graveled outdoor dining area here is truly special, because it nestles alongside Frank Lloyd Wright's masterful Robie House. The all-day menu's full of satisfying rustic dishes (like grain bowls and prosciutto and manchego baguettes) with a French picnic vibe. There's coffee and wine by the glass, too.
Cheerful and reasonably priced, this fast-casual Little Italy café specializes in thick, square slices of pizza along with salads, sandwiches, and homemade pastas. Between the nearby University of Illinois Chicago campus and workers from the Rush University Medical District, it gets busy, but the cafeteria-style service makes it a quick, satisfying meal.
The weird rhythms of travel often leave hungry travelers stranded in the awkward zone between lunch and dinner. This corner spot, where the food skews American eclectic and produce forward, has the hack: all-day brunch. The vibes are mellow and the wine list so enticing you might want to stay on through dinner.
Started in 1963 as a hot dog stand called "The Dog House" in the Chicago suburbs, this River North restaurant is a favorite among locals and tourists alike (usually with a drive-thru line to prove it). A "Chicago Style" hot dog (mustard, relish, onions, tomatoes, pickle, celery salt, and peppers) is the obvious quick bite, but what about an Italian beef sandwich—yum!
Cuts of all-natural Black Angus beef, dry-aged in-house, are the star of the show at this expansive steak house. The 1920s-inspired decor is upscale but not oppressive, and the menu checks all the classic steak house boxes, from a well-curated wine list to classic sides and rich desserts.
Handmade dumplings are the specialty at this sleek, modern restaurant. Order them fried or steamed, packed with fillings like lamb and coriander, lobster, pork and cabbage, and many more.
Even though there's a hot dog on the sign, Red Hot Ranch has become a destination for some of the best hamburgers and fresh-cut fries in the city. Their straightforward, In-N-Out inspired style of smash burger proves that burgers don't need eight toppings or specially ground Wagyu beef on fancy brioche buns to be delicious. Add a side of their craveable deep-fried shrimp for an extra treat.
Grant Achatz's and the Alinea Group’s most casual, affordable restaurant is a rollicking good time, where the flavors are as bold as the soundtrack. Snag a seat by the roaring fire, which assists the chef with capturing smoky flavors, or squeeze into the tables that overlook a busy West Loop corner; either way, you’ll want to order a big meaty dish to share with the table, and some of the excellent cocktails.
This daytime-only spot from Charlie McKenna, who made his name on the local barbecue scene, packs in locals and students for Southern-accented brunch and lunch fare in a light-filled space with a modern farmhouse vibe. The dishes are hearty—think beignets and chicken fried steak—so a good plan is to dine with abandon and then walk it off on a stroll to Promontory Point.
As precious as a jewel box, this red, lacquer-trimmed 80-seat restaurant hidden away in the Peninsula Hotel reveals the hotelier's Asian roots. Come for stylishly presented upscale dim sum, stay for the outdoor terrace that seats up to 70 during warmer months and lets you revel in a relaxing Cantonese and Shanghainese meal four stories above the madding crowds of Michigan Avenue.
The sweet, smoky aroma wafting out of this casual barbecue spot always attracts a crowd, and although the line to order at the counter extends out the door on weekends, it moves quickly. Smoque covers a range of barbecue styles, from St. Louis ribs to 14-hour-cooked Texas-style brisket. If you can't make up your mind between brisket or shredded pork shoulder, order the half-and-half—a sandwich with half of each. It's BYOB, so pick up a beer or two before arriving if desired.
Named 2020's Restaurant of the Year by Chicago's annual Jean Banchet Awards, Smyth features a 15-course tasting menu that's tweaked daily by husband-and-wife chefs John B. and Karen Urie Shields. The dishes are ever-changing and depend on what the kitchen can get from The Farm, just outside the city, which provides ingredients grown to the chefs’ specifications; for a more casual meal—including the Chicago Tribune's pick for the city's best burger—head downstairs to the Loyalist bar.
Morning or afternoon, there's a buzz in the air at the first U.S. outpost of a Ukraine-based third-wave roaster—and it's not just all the caffeine. Since debuting in 2024, the petite corner café has fast become a neighborhood favorite for its cool, minimalist vibe, an excellent selection of baked goodies like chocolate-dipped croissants, and potent brews made from beans roasted in the motherland.
Sleek and elegant, this all-day restaurant, with two bars and views of the open kitchen, is an ideal see-and-be-seen spot for Gold Coast drinks and sampling thoughtful new American cuisine. Featuring local ingredients, the breakfast, lunch, and dinner menus are inspired by Lake Michigan and Midwest farms. For dessert, the cookie plate is always worth saving room for.
A 1920s-era marble bar salvaged from a Milwaukee drugstore anchors this darling dining room in Humboldt Park, where the young and young at heart flock for old-fashioned sodas and malts. No mere one-note, the shop also serves an all-day breakfast menu, warm and cold sandwiches, and tempting pastries.
The largest Starbucks in the world offers a 35,000-square-foot coffee wonderland across five floors. Smell coffee brewing in a Chemex or siphon while beans whoosh in overhead tubes in the multi-sensory experience. Watch live coffee roasting on the ground level, snag one of many sleek seats along floor-to-ceiling windows, or admire Michigan Avenue views from the roof terrace. Reserve ahead for tours or hands-on experiences like Art of the Espresso Martini or Coffee Lab: A Journey of the Senses to skip the line when it gets busy (especially on the weekends).
In your enthusiasm for exploring Avondale's bright young things, don't overlook this institution, which has been fortifying the neighborhood with heaping platters of traditional Polish fare since 1984. Starting off with pierogies (there are six varieties on offer) is a no-brainer. If you've brought a date, the special for two (which in truth could probably sate three or four) is a good way to sample the restaurant's greatest hits, like soul-warming stuffed cabbage and lacy potato pancakes.
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