Favorite Foods of Chicago
Disclaimer: I don’t enjoy fancy foods that you spend a fortune and get a small bite. My food taste is very down to earth, and that’s what you’ll see in this post.
I have included the cost with money signs based on Yelp.
With multiple locations, this place is a must try! They specialize in American and Seafood as well as Brunch. I stopped in for a late Lunch during happy hour in the middle of the week right before going to a Broadway show. There weren’t many people there, but this is a big brunch spot for the locals on weekends. I had the Frosé which they are known for, and my husband got the Bee’s Knees (which was also delicious). We had the Parmesan Fries as an appetizer and the Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup as a meal. I ordered the Avocado on the side because my husband doesn’t like avocado (but it normally comes inside the grilled cheese). The Parmesan fries are delicious! Pro Tip: Check in on Yelp and get them for free! The Grilled Cheese was so perfectly melty and gooey, and the “soup” was perfect for dipping. I wouldn’t call the Tomato Soup and soup though because it was really chunky. The atmosphere was nice and a great place for pictures. I would love to come back for brunch that doesn’t break the bank! (and next time I’ll get some seafood)
This place is all about the ambiance! It is a beautiful place to eat brunch or lunch and take some pictures. The food was really good! I just think it was a little pricey and I would give it $$$ not $$. I believe you pay for the view and the quality ingredients that go into the meals. I had the cheese burger and fries which were both really good! The lobster roll looked really good but I didn’t want to pay $30 for one meal for lunch. This place gets really busy and we had to wait about 40 minutes. Get there early to beat the crowd!
We wanted a good hot dog while in Chicago but didn’t want to go to Portillos (which is a Chicago original and number 1 on Yelp) because it is really crowded and touristy, plus we’ve have it in Phoenix. I decided on Devil Dawgs because it looked the most appetizing and down to earth based on the pictures. We loved this place because locals frequent it, it’s a small hole in the wall type place, it’s delicious and the prices were cheap! There are so many options for hotdogs (including Chicago Dog of course) and sides and everything was so good! Their milkshakes looked delicious too.
Pizzeria Due $$
We had to get Chicago Style Pizza while in Chicago! We found a groupon for Pizzeria Due good for appetizer, a small deep dish pizza, and two drinks for only $30 so we took advantage of it! It was really good, and filling even though we shared everything! We liked the vibe of the place because it wasn’t touristy and the servers were all really friendly. This place is the same brand as Pizzeria Uno (just the second location). Giordano’s is the most commercialized and toursity and Pizzeria Uno I’ve seen in other cities too. Other places we wanted to try just didn’t have the time to are Lou Malnati’s and Pequod’s. Note: Deep dish pizza takes a long time to make, be prepared to wait 40minutes – 1 hour for your pizza!
Public House $$
We came here for some late night food and were impressed. This place just happen to still be open for food and was walking distance from where we were at. I got the mini corn dogs and they were delicious! They came with 3 dipping sauces including ketchup, garlic aioli, and a homemade honey mustard. The french fries were also very good and crispy! I would recommend for decently priced bar food/American food and late night food. Their late night food menu was small, but the full menu has many delicious options. They also have some crazy shakes with full slices of cake on top (which look like they are worth the try)!
Now I know this is not where you go to get a meal but this was our sugary breakfast one morning! There are so many Donut options in Chicago and they all look amazing. I came to Stan’s because there was a location right around the corner from my hotel. Stan’s specialize in cake donuts but they have regular donuts too. I got the Red Velvet Cake Donut and my husband got a Chocolate Glazed Donut. They have many flavors to choose from including some creative flavors. The donuts were fresh, moist and rich! I also got a mocha there and it was seriously one of the best mocha’s I’ve ever had! I went back multiple times during the week I was in Chicago just for the Mocha. I like really sweet coffee and their mocha tastes like a rich hot chocolate (not much coffee flavor at all, but still had a good amount of espresso in there). I would definitely recommend stopping by for both coffee and a donut!
Honorable Mentions
Eataly $$
This was the first time I had been in an Eataly and I was impressed with the grocery store and food selections. We ordered a Margherita pizza and Pasta Carbonara. The pizza was more a cheese pizza, good, but definitely not margherita! The pasta carbonara was good, but nothing to brag about. I’ve heard people rave about Eataly, but I wasn’t too impressed. It’s a great fast food Italian option but if you want real quality Italian, go to a real Italian restaurant.
We came here for the nostalgia factor. Billy Goat Tavern is a Chicago Original and has a lot of history particularly with the Cubs and the “Billy Goat Curse“. This place is also known for the SNL skit Cheezborgor. They have a limited menu centered around cheese burgers (“cheezborgors”), chips, and Coke. We only stayed here for a short time, it is definitely a dive and underground. The food is not great but it’s fast, cheap, and open late!
