10 Best Foods in Chicago
In the past, multiple people have asked me for Chicago restaurant recommendations. It’s challenging to narrow down to a short list when we have 8,000+ restaurant options in this city!
When Frank’s friends were in town from DC, we took them out on a food adventure day to explore as many restaurants as we could. My stomach was hating life after eating at 10 different restaurants in one day, but I’m happy to report that it recovered!
The following list consists of foods that I love in Chicago and are worth checking out. For fancy dining and desserts, those would be separate lists that I need to create.
Lawrence Fish Market
Get the sushi platter, especially salmon nigiri. It’s a no-frills place where you’re better off picking up the sushi to eat at home. The fish quality is great and fresh. [Yelp] – North Park
Carnivale
Get the Arrachera dish. It’s grilled skirt steak with rice and beans, bacon sofrito, sweet red onion, and chimichurri sauce. The meat is tender and delicious. I recommend going here for lunch instead of dinner because it’s less crowded and cheaper. The ambiance is amazing where you truly get carnival-like colors and decor. [Website] – West Loop
Gilt Bar
Get the Wood-Fired Bone Marrow appetizer. It comes with red onion jam and parsley and is the best bone marrow I’ve had in Chicago so far! Not only was it flavorful, the bread was toasted perfectly. You should also get Orecchiette Pasta and Charred Green Beans. After dinner, try to head down to the speakeasy bar called The Library. Look carefully, and you’ll find it. [Website] – River North
Xi’an Dynasty Cuisine
Get the Wonton Soup. The soup comes with eight pork wontons, pork bone broth, cilantro, baby shrimp, and laver. It’s the best wonton soup I’ve had so far in Chicago! The wonton tastes fresh while the broth has just the right amount of saltiness. The food seems authentic here, which is a huge plus. [Yelp] – Lincoln Park
Sushi + Rotary Sushi Bar
Get sushi from the conveyor belt, including Yuzu Albacore, Sake Harasu, and Seared Hotate nigiri. The conveyor belt only runs during dinner hours on the weekdays, so make sure to go then for the full experience. However, the bento box lunch specials on the weekdays are amazing value also (especially the sashimi one). [Website] – Lakeview
Ramen Takeya
Get the Spicy Chicken Paitan Ramen. It has cage-free chicken broth, egg noodle, Berkshire pork belly char siu, soft boiled jidori egg, marinated bamboo shoots, kikurage mushroom, diced onion, scallions, and chili spice. This is currently my favorite ramen spot in Chicago, and the ramen is consistently good. [Website] – West Loop
North Buena Deli and Wine
Get The Italian sub. It has genoa salami, capacollo, mortadella, and provolone cheese that is topped off with red roasted peppers, lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, and Italian dressing on a 9″ French roll. This is my go-to deli sandwich place in Chicago! It’s also great that they sell a variety of alcohol and have a small selection of grocery items. [Website] – Uptown
Gus’s World Famous Fried Chicken
Get the 3-Piece Dark Plate. It comes with two chicken thighs and one leg with baked beans, slaw, and white bread. I opted for collard greens, which was the perfect side. The chicken was tender and delicious, and the skin was perfectly crispy. [Website] – Fulton Market
Sushi Joon
Get the Shrimp & Vegetable Tempura and Soft Shell Crab appetizer. This is probably the best tempura I’ve had in Chicago so far, and the texture was perfect. Both appetizers were amazing and a great start to the meal! I recommend also ordering a la carte from the Dollar Sushi and Premium Sushi menu instead of sushi rolls. Try Yellowtail, Red Flying Fish Roe, Mackerel, and Freshwater Eel. This is the only Chicago restaurant that I’m aware of to have a “raindrop cake.” It doesn’t have a strong flavor but certainly fun to eat! [Website] – Andersonville
Uni Sushi
Get the Uni Shooter. It has sea urchin, flying fish roe, chive, cucumber and house special sauce. I feel like I can eat 15-20 of these because they’re so good and light! While I wouldn’t reorder the sushi rolls that I got, I would definitely get this uni shooter again! It goes down your throat so smoothly and almost feels like you’re slurping up an oyster. [Website] – Wicker Park
Got a restaurant that you recommend? Comment below!