Where to eat in Chicago

4,377 independent restaurants, bakeries and food spots in Chicago. Chains are left out.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first. Showing the top 40 of 4,377.

Photo: Seth Anderson from Chicago, us, CC BY-SA 2.0 (licence)

EatHot dog restaurantLincoln Park-Old Town
The Wiener's Circle
The food is only so-so, the prices fair, but what makes this walk-up joint famous is the staff, who have zero patience for customers and the colorful language skills of a bartender at the seediest dockside bar imaginable. A favorite of the late-night crowd, who after a long night of drinking seem to find major entertainment value in being served a massive dose of profane invective with their greasy chili fries and Chicago-style hot dogs.
Sun-Thu 11AM-4AM, Fri Sat 11AM-5AM$3-7
EatGreek restaurantNear West Side
Greek Islands
One of the best and probably the biggest Greek restaurant in the city, with about 400 seats. Good standard Greek food: seafood, lamb, and chicken.
Sun-Thu 11AM-midnight, Fri Sat 11AM-1AMOutdoor seating · Wheelchair accessible
EatMexican restaurantNear North
Frontera Grill
Renowned chef Rick Bayless presents authentic Mexican cuisine as most have never experienced it (outside of Mexico), with a particular emphasis on seafood. Frontera won the 2007 James Beard Award for Outstanding U.S. Restaurant. Also has Topolobampo, the dressier side of the house where reservations are necessary.
Lunch Tue-Fri 11:30AM-2:30PM, Sat 10:30AM-2:30PM; dinner Tue 5:20-10PM, Wed Thu 5-10PM, Fri Sat 5-11PMWheelchair accessible
EatChicken restaurantBronzeville
Harold's Chicken Shack
The great South Side fried chicken chain is cheap, usually a little dirty, and always delicious. Harold's was born right near here on 47th street, by the way, in north Kenwood, although the original location (at Greenwood) closed long ago.
$2–5
EatFine dining restaurantLincoln Park-Old Town
Alinea
Ranked seventh in the world in 2012 by Restaurant Magazine (second in the USA), and Chicago's only restaurant to hold three stars from Michelin; that's only the beginning of the acclaim for Alinea and Chef Grant Achatz. Reservations can be tough to get; start well in advance with the ticket system on their website and keep an eye on their social media for same-night tables.
Tickets $210 and up, depending on time and day; more with wine pairings
EatRestaurantLincoln Park-Old Town
Boka
The menu mixes Japanese, Mediterranean, European, and dang ol' Midwestern food without apparent self-consciousness. Plenty of seafood and a raw bar, too. Dinners are satisfying but light, making it the perfect place for a pre-show meal. You won't need formal dress, but you will need a reservation.
Sun-Fri 5PM-2AM, Sat 5PM-3AM$50+
EatIce creamBridgeport-Chinatown
Runaway Cow
A splash purple and green neighborhood ice cream parlor offering vegan ice cream, sundaes, and hot dogs.
Noon-10PM dailyOutdoor seating · Wheelchair accessible · Fully vegan
EatPizza restaurantLoop
Pizano's
Deep dish pizza that has roots in the family that produced UNO's and Lou Malnati's, but will serve a worthy thin-crust, too.
Sun-Fri 11AM-2AM, Sat 11AM-3AM$12-20 · Outdoor seating · Wheelchair accessible
EatBakeryWicker Park
Alliance Bakery & Café
Just a look at the whirls of frosting and gingerbread fortresses in the window tends to bring a smile. The tarts, cupcakes, and coffee back that up. Alliance has been here for more than 80 years. There's a pleasant, inviting cafe next door with free WiFi.
Mon-Sat 6AM-9PM, Sun 7AM-9PM$3-7 · Wheelchair accessible
EatItalian restaurantBridgeport-Chinatown
Gio's Cafe & Deli
Some of Chicago's best Italian is hidden in a tiny checkerboard tablecloth deli, more resembling a grocery store than a restaurant, hidden further still in the residential streets of Bridgeport. It's also, as you might expect, a steal of a bargain. Delicious Italian pastas, chicken, and panini.
Mon-Sat 8AM-9PM$5-25 · Vegetarian options
EatPizza restaurantLincoln Park-Old Town
Pequod's
Great place to get caramelized/burnt crust Chicago style deep dish pizza, considered a secret favorite.
Mon-Sat 11AM-2AM, Sun 11AM-midnight$6-12 · Outdoor seating
EatSeafood restaurantNear West Side
The Publican
Come hungry and carnivorous, as the Publican delivers mighty plates stacked high with ham, lamb, pork bellies, and other meats. There's also quite a lot of gourmet seafood from around the world. The Sunday brunch will destroy you.
Mon-Thu 3:30-10:30PM, Fri Sat to 11:30PM; Sun 10AM-2PM, 5-10PM$20-35 · Wheelchair accessible
EatMexican restaurantNear North
XOCO
The newest outlet in the Bayless empire focuses on "street food" of Mexico, with highlights including the red chile chicken and the Xoco salad (pork carnitas, mixed greens, and avocado-lime dressing). Good soups are on later in the day. No reservations are taken — just line up and watch the chefs at work, as the kitchen is in full view.
Tue-Thu 8AM-9PM, Fri Sat 8AM-10PM$10-14 · Wheelchair accessible
EatItalian restaurantLoop
Petterino's
Petterino's is a classic Chicago restaurant, serving high quality steaks, salads, and seafood dishes. The restaurant caters to the theater-going crowd, and reservations for dinner are wise.
Mon 11AM-9PM, Tue-Thu 11AM-10:30PM, Fri 11AM-11PM, Sat 11:30AM-11PM, Sun 3:30PM-7:30PM$12-40 · Outdoor seating
EatRestaurantLoop
Atwood
Popular restaurant with a bar in the classic Hotel Burnham. Good location and atmosphere for dinner before a show.
Breakfast Mon-Fri 7-10AM, Sat 8AM-10AM, Sun 8AM-3PM; lunch Mon-Sat 11:30AM-3:45PM; dinner Sun-Thu 5-10PM, Fri Sat 5-11PM$17-30
EatRestaurantWicker Park
Bongo Room
Great breakfast, with two stars: the design-your-own omelets and the big, delicious praline banana pancakes. Show up early: the line has been known to run down Milwaukee on weekends.
Mon-Fri 8AM-2:30PM, Sat-Sun 9AM-2PM
EatItalian restaurantPilsen
Bruna's Ristorante
Opened in 1933, and owned by an immigrant from Siena in Tuscany, who brings that influence to some of the dishes served here.
Mon-Thu 11AM-10PM, Fri Sat 11AM-11PM, Sun 1-10PM$16-25
EatBrazilian restaurantNear West Side
Carnivale
This chic Nuevo-Latino club has a great wait-staff and nice, colorful yet understated decor. They're always ready with a margarita, but only the (delicious) appetizers are available in the afternoon hours.
Mon-Thu 11:30AM-10:30PM (bar to midnight), Fri 11:30AM-11:30PM (bar to 1:30AM), Sat 5-11:30PM (bar to 1:30AM), Sun 5-10PM
EatMexican restaurantLakeview-North Center
Chilam Balam
Cash only BYO creative Mexican joint with a continuous line out the door for dinner. Known for fresh ingredients, moles, and small plates.
Tue-Thu 5PM-10PM, Fri Sat 5PM-11PM, Sun Mon closed$14-30
EatItalian restaurantNear North
Coco Pazzo
Very tasty Italian cafe. Try the gnocchi, and save some room for the fruit desserts.
Lunch Mon-Fri 11:30AM-2:30PM; dinner Mon-Thu 5:30-10:30PM, Fri Sat 5:30-10:30PM, Sun 5-10PM$30+
EatChinese restaurantBridgeport-Chinatown
Ed's Potsticker House
Potsticker House
One of Chicago's great neighborhood restaurants, though you would never know it from the inauthentic sounding name. Chicago's Chinese community more and more bleeds across neighborhood boundaries into Bridgeport proper, and this restaurant is the showcase of the culinary possibilities this creates for the area. It's a mom and pop run Chinese restaurant specializing in Northern Chinese cuisine. There are a lot of great dishes on the menu (hint, not the ones you've heard of before) — aim for the lamb cumin, soup dumplings, or the whole Szechuan style tilapia.
Sun-Thu 10AM-10PM, Fri Sat 10AM-11PM
EatSmall plates restaurantNear West Side
Girl and the Goat
"Top Chef" winner Stephanie Izard offers ten options each from the meat, seafood, and vegetable categories; sharing plates is advised, and pairing with beer is highly encouraged (30 carefully selected brews on tap). Though the menu changes with the chef's creative whims, variations on the "pig face" theme seem to be a mainstay.
Sun-Thu 4:30PM-11PM, Fri Sat 4:30PM-midnight$25+
EatChinese restaurantBridgeport-Chinatown
Grand Palace
Dingy hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant in a more secluded area serving authentic Cantonese cuisine.
Sun-Tue, Thu 11AM-9PM, Fri-Sat 11AM-10PMAll items:
EatVietnamese restaurantPilsen
HaiSous
Highly-rated upscale Vietnamese restaurant, known for its modern interpretation of traditional Vietnamese cuisine.
Mon-Fri 5PM-11PM; Sat 10AM-3PM, Mon-11PM; Sun 10AM-3PM$40-60
EatBarbecue restaurantPilsen
Honky Tonk BBQ
Exactly what it sounds like — the speakers deliver honky tonk music, while the kitchen serves pulled pork sandwiches, beef briskets, rib tips, and cornbread. There's a full bar as well, with live music on Thursdays and weekends.
Tue-Fri 4PM-2AM, Sat 4PM-3AM, Sun 4PM-2AM; kitchen closes at 11PM$10-16
EatCosta rican restaurantLogan-Bucktown
Irazu
A family-owned neighborhood spot offering Costa Rican food since 1990. Casual atmosphere with seriously good food. Try the oatmeal shake.
Tue-Sat 11AM–9PM$20-30
EatAsian restaurantLakeview-North Center
Joy's Noodles and Rice
Long standing Thai food restaurant on Broadway in Boystown. Numerous noodle, curry, and rice dishes at a very affordable price. BYOB, so stop at Treasure Islando before hand and get a nice bottle of wine to go with your meal. Good price on lunch specials, or use it as a great meal to start your night out on the town.
Sun-Thu 11AM-9:30PM, Fri Sat 11AM-10:30PM$8.50-11
EatDelicatessenWicker Park
Kasia's Deli
Some call these the best pierogies in Chicago — high praise, indeed. The cabbage rolls are also highly recommended. If you like what you eat but live out of state, take comfort: Kasia's will deliver the good stuff anywhere in the USA.
Mon-Fri 9AM-7PM, Sat 9AM-6PM, Sun 10AM-2PM$3-8
EatMexican restaurantNear South
La Cantina Grill
Unpretentious, good Mexican cuisine. Live music on Friday nights.
Mon-Thu 11AM-11PM, Fri 11AM-2AM, Sat noon-2AM, Sun noon-10PM$10-15
EatChinese restaurantBridgeport-Chinatown
Lao Sze Chuan
Often considered the best Chinese in the Chicagoland area, Lao Sze Chuan serves up fiery Szechuan cuisine. Not only is the food excellent, the service is as well, and it even has a nice ambiance. As is often the case in Chinatown, sometimes the most inauthentic sounding names hide the best dishes; Tony's Chicken is the restaurant's rightly famous dish, served with three types of chili sauce. Other famous dishes include their very unusual cumin lamb, as well as the tea duck. If what you want isn't on the menu, tell them what you want and how you want it cooked — they'll likely invent the dish on the spot!
11:30AM-midnight daily$10-17
EatGerman restaurantLakeview-North Center
Laschet's Inn
It began as a tavern, but now has a full kitchen for German food and meaty dinner specials.
Kitchen Tue-Thu 2PM-10:30PM, Fri Sat noon-10:30PM, Sun noon-10PM; tavern Mon 4PM-2AM, Tue-Thu 2PM-2AM, Fri Sun noon-2AM, Sat noon-3AM$7-20
EatBakeryWicker Park
Letizia's Natural Bakery
Breakfast sandwiches, espresso and baked goods with good, healthy cooking. If you enjoy Letizia's, come back later for Enoteca, the wine bar under the same management next door.
6AM-11PM daily$4-12
EatBakeryPilsen
Panaderia Tortilleria Nuevo Leon Bakery
Tasty bakery run by the Nuevo León family, who run the fine restaurant a block down. They serve Mexican bread, pastries, coffee, and other early morning essentials under the watchful eye of a 1986-87 Chicago Bears team poster.
Mon-Fri 5:30AM-9PM, Sat Sun 6AM-9PM$1-4
EatRestaurantNear South
Pat's Pizza
Cheap thin-crust pizza with a devoted following. Lunch during the work-week is crowded.
Sun-Thu 11AM-11PM, Fri Sat 11AM-midnight$8-14
EatSoul food restaurantBronzeville
Pearl's Place
A nice sit-down soul food eatery in the heart of Bronzeville and adorned with pictures of famous historical Bronzeville residents (and adjacent to the Amber Inn). Brunch/breakfast is where they really shine, with famous sausage, Belgian waffles, and of course sweet potato pie. Very friendly staff.
Mon-Fri 7AM-8PM, Sat-Sun 8AM-8PM$6-15, brunch buffet: $12
EatChinese restaurantBridgeport-Chinatown
Phoenix
The Phoenix is the gold standard in Chicago dim sum, and with good reason. It's one of the three top dim sum establishments that actually has nice decor, which, naturally, you pay for. Unlike the other good dim sum options, Phoenix uses the ever-popular wheeled cart method of delivery. The one downside to Phoenix is that it is better known, and therefore a good deal more crowded (and expensive) than most Chinatown restaurants — it pays to arrive either early or late to avoid the crowd.
Dim Sum: Mon-Fri 9AM-3PM, Sat Sun 8AM-3PM; Dinner Sun-Thu 5PM-9:30PM, Sat Sun 5PM-10:30PM$18-30
EatRestaurantWicker Park
Piece Brewery & Pizzeria
Thin-crust pizza and micro-brews. Live music most Fridays, karaoke on Thursdays at 9PM — live band karaoke on Saturdays at 11PM. The kitchen usually isn't open past 11:30PM or so, though.
Mon-Thu 11:30AM-1:30AM, Fri 11:30AM-2AM, Sat 11AM-3AM, Sun 11AM-1AM
EatMexican restaurantLakeview-North Center
Que Rico!
Great Mexican/Argentinean food with comfortable indoor and outdoor seating that can turns one hour into three before you ever think to look at your watch.
Mon-Thu 5PM-11PM, Fri-Sun noon-10PM$14-22
EatRussian restaurantLoop
Russian Tea Time
This is the place to try Russian cuisine in Chicago! Easily one of the best Russian restaurants in the world with an inventive menu and excellent management. Ask to be seated in the front section. Afternoon tea runs from 2:30-4:30PM.
Sun-Thu 11AM-9PM, Fri Sat 11AM-midnight$22-32
EatIce creamLakeview-North Center
Scooter's Frozen Custard
One of Chicago's best-rated frozen custard shops, and a beloved local institution. Open only in the summer months.
Closed · opens 2 pm Wednesday$4-15

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Chicago (CC BY-SA 4.0). Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Place data from Overture Maps.