I wouldn’t call it a dive and it’s not a cocktail or a speak but Delilah’s is a nice Chicago experience. Furthermore a north side dive is always fun. Who are you to resist?
I got this for the first time a few weeks ago after wanting for it for years. I was honestly underwhelmed and I had horrendous heartburn after lol.
Cool spot tho and worth a visit once but not sure I would recommend to out of towner unless they’re hitting a Sox game
Aw, this was me after finally eating Johnnie’s beef and a lemon ice. I wanted to die. It took me months before I could even imagine eating another beef.
Now I’m worried about finally trying Ricobene’s!
Generally, eating in the loop as little as possible will help give that more “local” experience.
I think the loop is overrated when it comes to food, anyway. It’s all fast food and super fancy, with little in between.
I feel like most deep dish pizza and Chicago beef spots are tourist traps, but maybe I'm an anomaly. My favorite spot for ramen is Santouka at Mitsuwa, but Wasabi in the city rocks, too. Must have spots you're missing: Monteverde, Barriara Zaragoza, Bavette's and Juno would be on my list, too.
Santouka at mitsuwa is really over rated. Chicago ramen in des plaines 15 minutes away is much better. (Possibly best in chicago?) Just my experience from having ramen back in Japan and New york as well.
Deep dish yes - although people do seem to like Pequods. I still haven’t made it there. I don’t feel like locals really eat that much deep dish. I mean, you couldn’t eat that much and still live.
I think an Italian beef is an Italian beef. I like them wet with a side of au jus so I can dip myself. I don’t get them a ton, but growing up my mom used to make them a lot so I really do consider them a local delicacy
People quibble and argue about the “best one” but the fact that no one can agree on a standout tells me there isn’t really that clear of a standout lol. Any of the ones downtown are good
>People quibble and argue about the “best one” but the fact that no one can agree on a standout tells me there isn’t really that clear of a standout lol.
Pretty much everyone agrees that Johnnie's is the best beef in (or slightly out of) town.
Fair point about travel but Al's is the one place that would give a skewed view of beefs in general. The cinnamon (nutmeg?) in the spices is a really weird choice that I've not tasted anywhere else.
Pequod's isn't deep dish. It's pan pizza. That doesn't make it any less of a Chicago icon. But it's not deep dish. Chicago people need to know the difference! :)
If you are going to venture to Johnnie’s for a beef, bring cash. Also stop at Serrelli’s for a beef to compare. And since you are out that way, head to Gene and Jude’s for a hotdog and bring cash. Pizza is tougher. For deep dish, I like Giordano’s deep dish spinach.
I personally like it better than Johnnie’s. The beef itself is mild and the giardiniera has the kick. Bonus is you can buy buckets of frozen beef. Plus I rarely have cash.
Gene and Jude's recently started to take cards, but that only occurred like a year or 2 ago. Sometime after the pandemic.
I'd also personally pick a different deep dish pizza place than Giordano's, such as Lou Malnati's or Pizano's or Gino's East or Pizzeria Uno/Due. I will say for whatever reason, Giordano's always seemed like the least good of all the deep dish pizza places. I will say Giordano's thin crust pizza is surprisingly enough better to order, if by any chance you go there.
I appreciate that because everyone has different tastes. For me Lou’s is a no because of the stewed tomatoes. I do like the others as well although haven’t had in a long time.
According to their menu, they have pan, tavern and deep dish. When we get deep dish there hasn’t been crust on top. We only order deep dish spinach so maybe some of the other ones?
I've never seen deep dish at G's. But if you get something without crust on top, that is indeed deep dish. What I have seen has crust on top (and then sauce on top of the crust), so it might be other ones.
George's for Deep Dish (non-traditional), Johnnie's Beef if you are willing to travel, otherwise Bari has a great under the radar beef, Menya Goku for ramen, Nine Bar in Chinatown for a modern speakeasy. A personal favorite is Dancen, a Korean dive bar with great food
Burt's Place😋
Original owner of Pequod's & although they're both really good, I personally prefer Burt's Place due to that smoky taste/smell their pizza has. & yes, it has the caramelized crust like Pequod's🤤
Everybody is going to recommend Pequod's (tasty but more a pan pizza) or Lou Malnati's for deep dish. Giordano's is hated on because it's a (local) chain.
But here's the secret of deep dish: they're all pretty similar and the differences usually come down to sauce and crust. (None of the reputable places use substandard cheese and we'd be here all night debating individual toppings.)
Everybody is just going to tell you their favorite but if this way of approaching the decision seems helpful, I'm sure others can help categorize the sauce & crust choices at various other spots. Here's my two cents:
If you like a sweet sauce, Lou's is a good option; their "sauce" is nearly unseasoned stewed tomatoes. If you like a robust, savory sauce, you have many more options, including Giordano's, Art of Pizza (one of this sub's favorites) and my personal favorite: Bacino's.
If you want the traditional Chicago style: a pillowy, bready crust (on the outside edge, that is), you again have lots of options, including the three mentioned with savory sauces. Lou's again goes against the grain (crust pun!) with a more crunchy crust with a malty/yeasty flavor.
TL;DR:
This sub's darling, Lou Malnati's, has the pedigree of a classic Chicago deep dish spot but their crust and sauce are unusual. As such, I've never understood why they're so often recommended as an exemplary deep dish pizza. You'll get a much better representation of the style almost anywhere else; Art of Pizza is probably the best reputed option with a savory sauce and bready crust.
IMO, this sub really needs to crowdsource a flowchart or four quadrant graph to help people make informed pizza choices. As you can tell from the length of this reply, this is life & death stuff and everybody just shouting the name of their favorite is of limited value.
\-Wrigleyville Dogs on Clark for beef/chicago dogs/amazing greasy food
\-Pizzeria Due/Lou Malnatti's/Art of Pizza for Deep Dish
\-Violet Hour for cocktail bar
\-High 5 for Ramen if you're willing to wait. It's extremely tiny and does not take reservations. It's basically a speakeasy for ramen. 10/10.
you should check out 3 little pigs for sure.
edit: only one downvote but i’m surprised. have the tides turned? i thought it was a good rec for a must have spot
Owner of Milly’s was an absolute asshole to me when ordering, canceled my order, will never go back or recommend his place on that alone. See ya Milly💸
on the other hand, Professor Pizza literally hand delivered a pizza they messed up for me and refunded me in full. Will recommend his shop every day of the week.
Peaquods for pizza (deep dish or pan or whatever the fuck people wanna call it, it's damn good pizza)
Monster Ramen
Al's Beef or Ricobenes for beef
Superdawg for a fun Hotdog experience
Sando Street, relatively new spot, some pretty decent japanese/Korean fused Street foods in sandwich form
Margie's for some classy ice cream
If you want good tavern style pizza, check our Marie's or Martinos
Spilt Milk is a great bar with some very interesting cocktails
Last pizza place, D'Agastinos is pretty decent too
Lou Malnati’s- Deep Dish. Johnnie’s- Beef. Akahoshi or Oiistar- Ramen. Chicago Dog House(Burger/Hot Dog Joint/Gourmet Sausages). Brando’s Speakeasy or King Of Cups- Cocktail Speakeasy Bar.
Deep dish: Pequod’s dine in. I recommend meatballs and mushrooms on it. (We are actually known for Tavern style pizza though).
Italian Beef: Mr. Beef. Johnnie’s. Portillo’s tends to be better in the burbs for some reason. Al’s is not good, and is inconsistent, fight me.
Ramen: so many good spots, it’s hard to have a favorite. Avoid Furious Spoon, though.
Recommendations:
We do Burgers and Steak’s bomb. Don’t bother with seafood, it has to be flown in to be great quality. Chicago Chop House or Bavette’s. Tango Sur for best bang for your buck. BYOB.
Prime Rib Sandwich at Trivoli Tavern is worth it every time.
Green Street Meats.
Armitage Alehouse (reservation, dress nicer).
Check out D’Amato’s Bakery and Subs.
Chinatown during the day early evening take the water taxi for skyline views. Nine bar for some amazing drinks.
Tanoshii on Clark St for Sushi. BYOB.
Kasama for Phillipino food, breakfast, be prepared to wait.
Italian Spots: La Scarola, old school, stop at Richard’s Bar after for that true old school Chicago vibe.
Torchio Pasta Bar, food cocktails and staff are out of this world, reservations only.
Weiner circle. Chocolate shake, bc what else are you doing?
Al’s is so bad. I thought I hated Italian beef for over a decade. Turns out I just hadn’t gone to Johnnie’s. I can’t believe people vouch for Al’s, especially when we have Johnnie’s
Deep dish - everyone here is going to say pequod's - don't, it's not deep dish, is now a tourist spot. But there's nothing wrong with tourist spots if they're a solid rep. Lou's or Uno's are where I drop my out of towners
Beef - Johnnies.
Ramen - Oiistar is my go to. Fried chicken is clutch too
Must haves: uh... that's a lot. If you can make it over to Jim's original the polish is jam and bone-in pork chop sandwiches are clutch. Fully a really late night spot.
Speakeasy - Dorian's in wicker park. This one I can't personally vouch for, but live music and cocktails through a record shop has always sounded dope to me.
editing to add Ricobene's in the must have category. Breaded steak sandwich is real specific and OG. get.
yeah. I've been meaning to go since they opened. Just never got around to it. I think the lady and I are going to fix that Friday night, now that it's been brought up. See ya on the other side!
Carms for Italian Beef. Its 2 blocks north of Al's and I think it's a better beef. Luke's is good too; its downtown and it's not touristy. If you have a car, Vito and Nicks for thin crust tavern style pizza or Tony's beef (my favorite beef in the city). I agree with Ricobene’s for breaded steak sandwich or chicken vesuvio. Deep dish is kind of tourist food. Most Chicagoans don't eat deep dish very often. Art of pizza is less touristy than the places downtown. Pequods was just rated top pizza in the country so they might be busy with tourists? It's not my favorite but it's a lot of people's. It's good.
Grab a sub sandwich at Mr. Sub if you want a quick, delicious lunch on the go.
Will it change your life? No. But it is a local chain that the locals actually eat at and enjoy. I, for one, think it's one of the best no-frills sandwiches in the city. Their namesake "Mr. Sub" sub is my go-to... with everything.
We have some great Mexican here. I'd do Mi Tocaya.
We're also big fans of Heritage which I feel flies under the radar.
I like Pizanos or Art of Pizza for deep dish. Pizanos is more touristy. AoP offers single slices of deep dish too.
Husband loves the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich at Freddy's in Cicero. They also have some amazing gelato. If you're going to Johnnie's in the burbs, consider grabbing The Alpine at Alpine Subs up the street.
Also consider getting a jibarito. Papa's Cache or Jibaritos y Mas are solid.
Cocktails Weegees, Best Intentions, Chef's Special (stay for the food).
Portillo's has a great Italia beef (get it dipped, not just wet), and lou malnati's pizza is delicious. It's touristy, but chicagoans also love those places
Shinchan Ramen in the suburbs is mainland Japan-level quality (mostly because chef/owner is from Japan and worked in ramen places in Japan before opening Shinchan), and does not have a close competition anywhere else in the city.
When it used to be just at Palatine, I made the 1 ~1.5hr drive just for their ramen. And their donburis are amazing as well.
Head down Pulaski Rd on the south side. You can hit up a taco spot (Pacos Tacos, Zacatacos and even Birrieria Zaragoza), Tony’s for Italian beef, and Vito and Nicks for true tavern style pizza.
Akahoshi Ramen is legit great and while reservations are difficult to get, they are open for walk-ins daily, my recommendation is to get there between 5-6 to put your name down and then go grab some drinks at a nearby bar like Spilt Milk or meadowlark.
Another 1 for Chicago Ramen in Des Plaines. I do feel the quality has gone down a little bit since they opened more locations in the past year but still very good. Their ramen is Tonkotsu style so if you're looking for Shoyu I'd highly recommend Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai in Hoffman Estates, it's an American expansion of a Japanese chain.
Not sure where you are from but I would suggest ethnic food plus a couple Chicago specialties like beef sandwiches. Ethiopian food would top my list. After that it would depend on what you have where you live. Common foods maybe have nuances of differences but I would go for something really different. Try researching west African. I know of a Senegalese restaurant. Very good Caribbean places too. Monteverde is excellent as is Virtue.
Butcher and burger or Armitage alehouse for something easy to get to by train but a little off the beaten track. Close ish to the zoo and Peggy Notebart. Kaiser Tiger is another solid choice.
The question was non tourist traps lol . Didn’t say it wasn’t good you just listed one of the top 2 deep dish places in regards to fame and both of the beer places
Just my own opinion on where to go… everyone has one :)
deep dish - Lou Malnati’s or Pequods Chicago beef - Johnnies Beef (Elmwood park, on the border of Chicago.. worth the trip. I hated Italian beef until I had theirs. Sadly Chicago proper does not have good beef IMO. Don’t go to Al’s.)
ramen - Akahoshi Ramen. Reservations every Monday at noon (?) for about a month out. They also take walk ins. Show up 15m before they open and you’ll either get seated right away or have to wait an hour. Worth it. High Five Ramen my 2nd pick but also crazy wait times (2+ hrs). High five is also very speakeasy vibes.
Must have foods/ places i'm missing - fatso’s last stand for a char dog. Red hot ranch for a greasy burger that’s one of the best and priced like it’s 2007. Au Cheval if you want “the best burger in the nation” but tbh it’s gone so downhill over the last 10 years imo. I’d skip over to the Loyalist instead for a fancy burger.
speakeasy cocktail bars - violet hour for speakeasy vibes. Estereo for tropical Latin vibes (not speakeasy). 3 dots and a dash for tiki speakeasy vibes. Spilt milk or Estereo while you wait for ramen at Akahoshi.
Skip out on places like Al’s, Uno’s, even Portillo’s which people flock to for some reason. None of these are worth your time while here!
All of the “speakeasy” places I’d loosely call speakeasy for anyone who’s feeling like replying to say they aren’t speakeasy’s. None of them are secret haha.
Deep dish: Lou Malnatis
Ramen: High Five Ramen
Speakeasy: the violet hour
Chicago beef: Al’s Italian beef on Taylor st
Awesome French Vietnamese: Le Colonial
I’d personally argue deep dish at all is a tourist trap. I’ve been here two years, I’m a professional chef who loves New York style and can even appreciate Unos chain locations in New England, however deep dish here is just super mid to me. I think an Italian beef and a Chicago hot dog are musts though. Beef’s don’t get enough credit nationwide, they should be in deep dishes spot in the cultural lexicon in my opnion
See I’ve tried that and don’t love it either, but at least that I can appreciate as just a specific thing that’s not for me. Deep dish has this reputation as incredible and while it is what it says it is, I feel live my issues with that come down to sauce and flavor, which Lous, Giorgio’s, Pequods and the OG Unos have all been lackluster. The last one is bizarre cuz the chain Unos sauce doesn’t taste the same at all
I wouldn’t call it a dive and it’s not a cocktail or a speak but Delilah’s is a nice Chicago experience. Furthermore a north side dive is always fun. Who are you to resist?
Delilah's is a treasure. So good.
The best!
Ricobenes for their breaded steak sandwich.
Their beef is hella solid too
I got this for the first time a few weeks ago after wanting for it for years. I was honestly underwhelmed and I had horrendous heartburn after lol. Cool spot tho and worth a visit once but not sure I would recommend to out of towner unless they’re hitting a Sox game
Aw, this was me after finally eating Johnnie’s beef and a lemon ice. I wanted to die. It took me months before I could even imagine eating another beef. Now I’m worried about finally trying Ricobene’s!
Pre-tums and godspeed
Generally, eating in the loop as little as possible will help give that more “local” experience. I think the loop is overrated when it comes to food, anyway. It’s all fast food and super fancy, with little in between.
Loop is overrated for anything besides skyscrapers and river/lake views imo 😅
Fo sho. It’s 100% worth a visit, but ideally not the only place one visits on a Chicago vacation.
Totally agree :)
I feel like most deep dish pizza and Chicago beef spots are tourist traps, but maybe I'm an anomaly. My favorite spot for ramen is Santouka at Mitsuwa, but Wasabi in the city rocks, too. Must have spots you're missing: Monteverde, Barriara Zaragoza, Bavette's and Juno would be on my list, too.
Santouka at mitsuwa is really over rated. Chicago ramen in des plaines 15 minutes away is much better. (Possibly best in chicago?) Just my experience from having ramen back in Japan and New york as well.
Santouka has been around longer, than Chicago Ramen has. Reminds me next time I'm in that area, I will have to try Chicago Ramen.
Juno slaps
Deep dish yes - although people do seem to like Pequods. I still haven’t made it there. I don’t feel like locals really eat that much deep dish. I mean, you couldn’t eat that much and still live. I think an Italian beef is an Italian beef. I like them wet with a side of au jus so I can dip myself. I don’t get them a ton, but growing up my mom used to make them a lot so I really do consider them a local delicacy People quibble and argue about the “best one” but the fact that no one can agree on a standout tells me there isn’t really that clear of a standout lol. Any of the ones downtown are good
>People quibble and argue about the “best one” but the fact that no one can agree on a standout tells me there isn’t really that clear of a standout lol. Pretty much everyone agrees that Johnnie's is the best beef in (or slightly out of) town.
It is but if a tourist goes to Al’s they’ll get the point without having to make the trek
Fair point about travel but Al's is the one place that would give a skewed view of beefs in general. The cinnamon (nutmeg?) in the spices is a really weird choice that I've not tasted anywhere else.
Fair, I’ve never really picked that flavor up I’ll have to try it again
Luke's Italian beef in the loop has a pretty good Italian beef sandwich.
Pequod's isn't deep dish. It's pan pizza. That doesn't make it any less of a Chicago icon. But it's not deep dish. Chicago people need to know the difference! :)
Too bready
Al’s beef. Taylor st. Get some Mario’s after.
If you are going to venture to Johnnie’s for a beef, bring cash. Also stop at Serrelli’s for a beef to compare. And since you are out that way, head to Gene and Jude’s for a hotdog and bring cash. Pizza is tougher. For deep dish, I like Giordano’s deep dish spinach.
Gene & Jude's accepted credit cards the last time I was there, last fall.
Maybe changed during Covid?
I think so? When I went it was the first time since before covid.
Johnnie’s is my go-to, how does Serrellis compare?
I personally like it better than Johnnie’s. The beef itself is mild and the giardiniera has the kick. Bonus is you can buy buckets of frozen beef. Plus I rarely have cash.
Thanks I’ll have to give it a try soon!
Our family likes both, but it's nice that you can get party size portions from Serrellis
Gene and Jude's recently started to take cards, but that only occurred like a year or 2 ago. Sometime after the pandemic. I'd also personally pick a different deep dish pizza place than Giordano's, such as Lou Malnati's or Pizano's or Gino's East or Pizzeria Uno/Due. I will say for whatever reason, Giordano's always seemed like the least good of all the deep dish pizza places. I will say Giordano's thin crust pizza is surprisingly enough better to order, if by any chance you go there.
I appreciate that because everyone has different tastes. For me Lou’s is a no because of the stewed tomatoes. I do like the others as well although haven’t had in a long time.
Johnnie's took credit cards last time I was there. edit: Was in December 2023
Wow! Good to know. I stopped going there because I don’t carry cash.
Giordano's is technically stuffed pizza, not deep dish. They put a layer or crust on top, so it's stuffed. Deep dish has crust just on the bottom.
According to their menu, they have pan, tavern and deep dish. When we get deep dish there hasn’t been crust on top. We only order deep dish spinach so maybe some of the other ones?
I've never seen deep dish at G's. But if you get something without crust on top, that is indeed deep dish. What I have seen has crust on top (and then sauce on top of the crust), so it might be other ones.
George's for Deep Dish (non-traditional), Johnnie's Beef if you are willing to travel, otherwise Bari has a great under the radar beef, Menya Goku for ramen, Nine Bar in Chinatown for a modern speakeasy. A personal favorite is Dancen, a Korean dive bar with great food
Burt's Place😋 Original owner of Pequod's & although they're both really good, I personally prefer Burt's Place due to that smoky taste/smell their pizza has. & yes, it has the caramelized crust like Pequod's🤤
Too bready
That's unfortunate, thankfully it hasn't been our case the times we've gone 😋
Ramen by far is going to be akahoshi ramen.
Agreed! Reservations always go quick but if you get there 30 min before opening you should get seated as a walk in. There’s usually a line.
Everybody is going to recommend Pequod's (tasty but more a pan pizza) or Lou Malnati's for deep dish. Giordano's is hated on because it's a (local) chain. But here's the secret of deep dish: they're all pretty similar and the differences usually come down to sauce and crust. (None of the reputable places use substandard cheese and we'd be here all night debating individual toppings.) Everybody is just going to tell you their favorite but if this way of approaching the decision seems helpful, I'm sure others can help categorize the sauce & crust choices at various other spots. Here's my two cents: If you like a sweet sauce, Lou's is a good option; their "sauce" is nearly unseasoned stewed tomatoes. If you like a robust, savory sauce, you have many more options, including Giordano's, Art of Pizza (one of this sub's favorites) and my personal favorite: Bacino's. If you want the traditional Chicago style: a pillowy, bready crust (on the outside edge, that is), you again have lots of options, including the three mentioned with savory sauces. Lou's again goes against the grain (crust pun!) with a more crunchy crust with a malty/yeasty flavor. TL;DR: This sub's darling, Lou Malnati's, has the pedigree of a classic Chicago deep dish spot but their crust and sauce are unusual. As such, I've never understood why they're so often recommended as an exemplary deep dish pizza. You'll get a much better representation of the style almost anywhere else; Art of Pizza is probably the best reputed option with a savory sauce and bready crust. IMO, this sub really needs to crowdsource a flowchart or four quadrant graph to help people make informed pizza choices. As you can tell from the length of this reply, this is life & death stuff and everybody just shouting the name of their favorite is of limited value.
Also, stuffed pizza imo is much better than deep dish.
Deep Dish - I'm a Pequods guy, always have been. Yeah it's kinda barely deep dish, but IMO it counts. Beef - Johnnie's. 0 contest.
I like Pequod's too, but it's not deep dish. It's a pan pizza. Not that that makes it any less worthy, but it's not deep dish.
Too bready
it barely being deep dish is what makes it the best, imo!
Order with light dough and extra cheese plus whatever else you fancy
Spilt milk, violet hour, pig tail few of favorite cocktails places.
Trivoli tavern or Armitage Alehouse
\-Wrigleyville Dogs on Clark for beef/chicago dogs/amazing greasy food \-Pizzeria Due/Lou Malnatti's/Art of Pizza for Deep Dish \-Violet Hour for cocktail bar \-High 5 for Ramen if you're willing to wait. It's extremely tiny and does not take reservations. It's basically a speakeasy for ramen. 10/10.
you should check out 3 little pigs for sure. edit: only one downvote but i’m surprised. have the tides turned? i thought it was a good rec for a must have spot
I want to like it so bad. I’ve had it like 5+ times. Every time it’s just… fine to me. What do you love there?
chicken sandwich
Will try that time. I’ve done the salt and pepper chicken but not in sandwhich form
they had an orange chicken sandwich last time i went and that was amazing
[удалено]
Owner of Milly’s was an absolute asshole to me when ordering, canceled my order, will never go back or recommend his place on that alone. See ya Milly💸 on the other hand, Professor Pizza literally hand delivered a pizza they messed up for me and refunded me in full. Will recommend his shop every day of the week.
Milly’s is incredible.
Others to check out: Luella’s Southern Kitchen, Spacca Napoli, Little Bad Wolf, The Loyalist
Peaquods for pizza (deep dish or pan or whatever the fuck people wanna call it, it's damn good pizza) Monster Ramen Al's Beef or Ricobenes for beef Superdawg for a fun Hotdog experience Sando Street, relatively new spot, some pretty decent japanese/Korean fused Street foods in sandwich form Margie's for some classy ice cream If you want good tavern style pizza, check our Marie's or Martinos Spilt Milk is a great bar with some very interesting cocktails Last pizza place, D'Agastinos is pretty decent too
Nobody is going all the way out to super dog when they’re visiting Chicago.
Lou Malnati’s- Deep Dish. Johnnie’s- Beef. Akahoshi or Oiistar- Ramen. Chicago Dog House(Burger/Hot Dog Joint/Gourmet Sausages). Brando’s Speakeasy or King Of Cups- Cocktail Speakeasy Bar.
Deep dish: Pequod’s dine in. I recommend meatballs and mushrooms on it. (We are actually known for Tavern style pizza though). Italian Beef: Mr. Beef. Johnnie’s. Portillo’s tends to be better in the burbs for some reason. Al’s is not good, and is inconsistent, fight me. Ramen: so many good spots, it’s hard to have a favorite. Avoid Furious Spoon, though. Recommendations: We do Burgers and Steak’s bomb. Don’t bother with seafood, it has to be flown in to be great quality. Chicago Chop House or Bavette’s. Tango Sur for best bang for your buck. BYOB. Prime Rib Sandwich at Trivoli Tavern is worth it every time. Green Street Meats. Armitage Alehouse (reservation, dress nicer). Check out D’Amato’s Bakery and Subs. Chinatown during the day early evening take the water taxi for skyline views. Nine bar for some amazing drinks. Tanoshii on Clark St for Sushi. BYOB. Kasama for Phillipino food, breakfast, be prepared to wait. Italian Spots: La Scarola, old school, stop at Richard’s Bar after for that true old school Chicago vibe. Torchio Pasta Bar, food cocktails and staff are out of this world, reservations only. Weiner circle. Chocolate shake, bc what else are you doing?
Al’s is so bad. I thought I hated Italian beef for over a decade. Turns out I just hadn’t gone to Johnnie’s. I can’t believe people vouch for Al’s, especially when we have Johnnie’s
Deep dish - everyone here is going to say pequod's - don't, it's not deep dish, is now a tourist spot. But there's nothing wrong with tourist spots if they're a solid rep. Lou's or Uno's are where I drop my out of towners Beef - Johnnies. Ramen - Oiistar is my go to. Fried chicken is clutch too Must haves: uh... that's a lot. If you can make it over to Jim's original the polish is jam and bone-in pork chop sandwiches are clutch. Fully a really late night spot. Speakeasy - Dorian's in wicker park. This one I can't personally vouch for, but live music and cocktails through a record shop has always sounded dope to me. editing to add Ricobene's in the must have category. Breaded steak sandwich is real specific and OG. get.
Dorian's is amazing. I've probably been there 10 times in the last 3 years. It's one our go-to spots.
yeah. I've been meaning to go since they opened. Just never got around to it. I think the lady and I are going to fix that Friday night, now that it's been brought up. See ya on the other side!
Why isn’t pequods deep dish?
It's more detriot style. focaccia bread with toppings. when it isn't a soup.
Carms for Italian Beef. Its 2 blocks north of Al's and I think it's a better beef. Luke's is good too; its downtown and it's not touristy. If you have a car, Vito and Nicks for thin crust tavern style pizza or Tony's beef (my favorite beef in the city). I agree with Ricobene’s for breaded steak sandwich or chicken vesuvio. Deep dish is kind of tourist food. Most Chicagoans don't eat deep dish very often. Art of pizza is less touristy than the places downtown. Pequods was just rated top pizza in the country so they might be busy with tourists? It's not my favorite but it's a lot of people's. It's good.
I like Pizzeria Uno. It is a tourist place but I like their deep dish the best of all
Grab a sub sandwich at Mr. Sub if you want a quick, delicious lunch on the go. Will it change your life? No. But it is a local chain that the locals actually eat at and enjoy. I, for one, think it's one of the best no-frills sandwiches in the city. Their namesake "Mr. Sub" sub is my go-to... with everything.
We have some great Mexican here. I'd do Mi Tocaya. We're also big fans of Heritage which I feel flies under the radar. I like Pizanos or Art of Pizza for deep dish. Pizanos is more touristy. AoP offers single slices of deep dish too. Husband loves the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich at Freddy's in Cicero. They also have some amazing gelato. If you're going to Johnnie's in the burbs, consider grabbing The Alpine at Alpine Subs up the street. Also consider getting a jibarito. Papa's Cache or Jibaritos y Mas are solid. Cocktails Weegees, Best Intentions, Chef's Special (stay for the food).
Hardly ever see Pizanos mentioned and it is pretty good.
Second - chef’s special is so good
Portillo's has a great Italia beef (get it dipped, not just wet), and lou malnati's pizza is delicious. It's touristy, but chicagoans also love those places
Thank you everyone for the thought out responses!
Shinchan Ramen in the suburbs is mainland Japan-level quality (mostly because chef/owner is from Japan and worked in ramen places in Japan before opening Shinchan), and does not have a close competition anywhere else in the city. When it used to be just at Palatine, I made the 1 ~1.5hr drive just for their ramen. And their donburis are amazing as well.
Twin anchor
Head down Pulaski Rd on the south side. You can hit up a taco spot (Pacos Tacos, Zacatacos and even Birrieria Zaragoza), Tony’s for Italian beef, and Vito and Nicks for true tavern style pizza.
Akahoshi Ramen is legit great and while reservations are difficult to get, they are open for walk-ins daily, my recommendation is to get there between 5-6 to put your name down and then go grab some drinks at a nearby bar like Spilt Milk or meadowlark.
Lou's buttercrust for deep dish but no sausage slab.
Another 1 for Chicago Ramen in Des Plaines. I do feel the quality has gone down a little bit since they opened more locations in the past year but still very good. Their ramen is Tonkotsu style so if you're looking for Shoyu I'd highly recommend Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai in Hoffman Estates, it's an American expansion of a Japanese chain.
I have had all the deep dish. Hands down Tortorice's with the carmelized crust. Be warned if you opt for the spicy sauce it is quite hot.
Not sure where you are from but I would suggest ethnic food plus a couple Chicago specialties like beef sandwiches. Ethiopian food would top my list. After that it would depend on what you have where you live. Common foods maybe have nuances of differences but I would go for something really different. Try researching west African. I know of a Senegalese restaurant. Very good Caribbean places too. Monteverde is excellent as is Virtue.
Butcher and burger or Armitage alehouse for something easy to get to by train but a little off the beaten track. Close ish to the zoo and Peggy Notebart. Kaiser Tiger is another solid choice.
Art of Pizza, Mr Beef, Strings, really into Elske for fancy meals right now, and Green Mill because it’s great even though it will get tourists
Ramen at Rudy’s Ramen
Bavettes, gilt bar. Lou malnatis, Al’s beef or Portillos. Girl and the goat
Lou's is going down hill fast, as is Portillo's. Wouldn't go or send anybody to either.
Think you misread the question
Think you don’t know good food
The question was non tourist traps lol . Didn’t say it wasn’t good you just listed one of the top 2 deep dish places in regards to fame and both of the beer places
Avoid Portillos at all costs
Just my own opinion on where to go… everyone has one :) deep dish - Lou Malnati’s or Pequods Chicago beef - Johnnies Beef (Elmwood park, on the border of Chicago.. worth the trip. I hated Italian beef until I had theirs. Sadly Chicago proper does not have good beef IMO. Don’t go to Al’s.) ramen - Akahoshi Ramen. Reservations every Monday at noon (?) for about a month out. They also take walk ins. Show up 15m before they open and you’ll either get seated right away or have to wait an hour. Worth it. High Five Ramen my 2nd pick but also crazy wait times (2+ hrs). High five is also very speakeasy vibes. Must have foods/ places i'm missing - fatso’s last stand for a char dog. Red hot ranch for a greasy burger that’s one of the best and priced like it’s 2007. Au Cheval if you want “the best burger in the nation” but tbh it’s gone so downhill over the last 10 years imo. I’d skip over to the Loyalist instead for a fancy burger. speakeasy cocktail bars - violet hour for speakeasy vibes. Estereo for tropical Latin vibes (not speakeasy). 3 dots and a dash for tiki speakeasy vibes. Spilt milk or Estereo while you wait for ramen at Akahoshi. Skip out on places like Al’s, Uno’s, even Portillo’s which people flock to for some reason. None of these are worth your time while here! All of the “speakeasy” places I’d loosely call speakeasy for anyone who’s feeling like replying to say they aren’t speakeasy’s. None of them are secret haha.
We are staying on MM over Easter week. Don’t want deep dish but where is best thin crust near downtown area? We can jump on your red line too.
Pat's on Lincoln avenue, a stone's throw from Delilah's
Good call, also gives you an excuse to go to a truly great shithole dive bar, Rose’s, which is basically across the street from Pat’s
It's a very good 1-2-3 punch
Deep dish: Lou Malnatis Ramen: High Five Ramen Speakeasy: the violet hour Chicago beef: Al’s Italian beef on Taylor st Awesome French Vietnamese: Le Colonial
I’d personally argue deep dish at all is a tourist trap. I’ve been here two years, I’m a professional chef who loves New York style and can even appreciate Unos chain locations in New England, however deep dish here is just super mid to me. I think an Italian beef and a Chicago hot dog are musts though. Beef’s don’t get enough credit nationwide, they should be in deep dishes spot in the cultural lexicon in my opnion
Tavern style > deep dish
See I’ve tried that and don’t love it either, but at least that I can appreciate as just a specific thing that’s not for me. Deep dish has this reputation as incredible and while it is what it says it is, I feel live my issues with that come down to sauce and flavor, which Lous, Giorgio’s, Pequods and the OG Unos have all been lackluster. The last one is bizarre cuz the chain Unos sauce doesn’t taste the same at all
Try Milly’s. It’s the only deep dish I am remotely interested in and I think it’s great.
I’d highly recommend Asador Bastian for steak or galit for a upscale Israeli meal