Chicago offers the best of the best when it comes to food, drink, activities and attractions!
Where to Drink?
Best New Bars according to Chicago Eater
Best Breweries, Pubs, etc. according to Chicago Eater
Some Hand-chosen Beer Favorites:
- Half Acre Brewing (North Center) (close to Brown Line)
- Revolution Brewery (Logan Square) (close to Blue Line)
- Monk’s Pub (very close to the action)
- Berghoff Restaurant and Brewery (very very close to the action)
Where to Eat?
(OMG… Everywhere! It would actually be easier if we locals made a list of where not to eat!)
- Pizza
- For Deep Dish Pizza:
- Lou Malnati’s (various locations)
- Gino’s East (various locations)
- Pequod’s (Lincoln Park) – a local favorite
- For the Thin Crust Stuff:
- Coalfire – custom pizza
- Blaze – custom pizza
- Armand’s Pizza (various locations) – a local favorite
- Village Pizza (Illinois Medical District) (It’s literally across the street from its rival, Bacci Pizza.)
- Bacci Pizza (Illinois Medical District) (again, literally across the street from rival Village Pizza.)
- Little Clown Pizza (Logan Square)
- Gigio’s Pizza (Evanston)
- For Pizza Pot Pie:
- Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinder Company (Lincoln Park)
- Still undecided? Don’t worry. This article has you covered: https://www.tastingtable.com/820730/the-absolute-best-pizza-in-chicago-ranked/
- For Deep Dish Pizza:
- Vegan and Vegetarian Foods
- Chicago Diner (one in Logan Square and one in Boystown) – local recommendation
- Wormhole Cafe (Wicker Park)
- Damn Fine Coffee shop (conveniently next to Ground Control) ) – Vegan Donuts
- Dimo’s Pizza (Wrigleyville) – VEGAN Pizza
- Just about any ramen place in town has vegetarian options
- Can’t Believe It’s Not Meat (American Casual done meat free)
- Breakfast/Brunch Places Near Hotel
- Wildberry Cafe (Loop and River North)
- Yolk (many convenient locations) – Most are bigger with more tables, good for groups 6+
- Wishbone (Loop)
- Little Goat Diner (West Loop) – a bit fancier
- Kanela Breakfast Club (River North) – best breakfast location for coffee
- Crepe Bistro (Loop) – Great savory or sweet crepes.
- Lou Mitchell’s (Loop) – Chicago classic
- Goddess and Bakery (Loop) – great pastries
- Breakfast/Brunch Places Elsewhere
- Chicago has a ton of great places to eat breakfast. Check out this article.
- Cornerstone Cafe (bucktown) – Chibri’s favorite
- Uncle Mike’s Place (Ukrainian Village) – local favorite with Filipino flavors
- Nellie’s Restaurant (Humboldt Park)
- Waffles Cafe (many locations)
- Golden Nugget (many locations) – classic 24 hour breakfast
- Walnut Room (Loop) – a bit fancier, but a favorite
- Bongo Room (many locations)
- Chicago Dogs
- What makes a hot dog “chicago style”? A Chicago-style hot dog, Chicago Dog, or Chicago Red Hot is an all-beef frankfurter, usually Vienna Beef, on a poppy seed bun. The hot dog is topped with yellow mustard, chopped white onions, bright green sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, tomato slices or wedges, pickled sport peppers and a dash of celery salt (celery salt is the key unmistakable flavor).
- Fatso’s Last Stand (Ukrainian Village)
- Wiener Circle (Lakeview)
- Portillos (many locations, including River North)
- Choppers (Bucktown, also good burgers)
- Devil Dogs (downtown)
- Byron’s Hot Dogs (North Center)
- Superdawg (waaaaay up there)
- Frankly anything with a Vienna Beef sign in the window
- Burgers
- Au Cheval (Near West Side) – for a burger that will blow your mind!
- Edzo’s (Evanston)
- Byron’s Hot Dogs (various locations)
- Lloyd’s Express (downtown)
- Fatso’s Last Stand (Ukrainian Village) – how can you not with a name like that?)
- Butcher & The Burger (Lincoln Square) – they grind the meat in front of you
- Billy Goat Tavern – A Chicago institution immortalized here. The one on Michigan Ave. is underground. Follow the directions there, look for stairs, and go down.)
- Tacos
- For the taco faction. This gets as bad as the pizza debate. Our suggestion to find good tacos: throw a dart at the map. You can also help settle the taco war on Armitage and Western.
- Nuevo Leon (Pilsen)
- Antique Taco (Wicker Park) – Down the street from Wormhole Coffee
- Authentaco (Wicker Park)
- La Pasadita (East Village)
- Guanajuato (East Village)
- Picante Taqueria (Wicker Park)
- Las Asadas (Armitage and Western)
- Arturo’s Tacos (Armitage and Western)
- Fried Chicken
- Honey Butter Fried Chicken (Avondale) – Honey, butter, and fried chicken? You can’t go wrong.
- Roost Carolina Kitchen (Milwaukee Ave. location) – another favorite.
- Italian Beef
- Al’s Beef (various locations)
- Mr. Beef On Orleans (River North)
- Blaze-N-Grill (Northwest)
- Johnny’s Beef (Lincoln Park)
- Arturos express (west loop)
- Desserts or Coffee
- Bang Bang Pie (Logan Square)
- Spinning J (Humboldt Park)
- Baker Miller (Lincoln Square) – brunch/dessert
- Sweet Mandy B’s (Lincoln Park) – get the Hoosier Mama Pie
- Dollop Coffee (various locations)
- Firecakes (various locations)
- Wormhole Coffee (Wicker Park) (down the street from Antique Taco) – VEGAN
- Chicago French Market (West Loop)
- Bennison’s Bakery (Evanston)
- Oberweis Dairy (various locations) – some connected to That Burger Joint
- Capannari Ice Cream (Mt. Prospect)
- Black Dog Gelato (various locations)
- Original Rainbow Cone (Navy Pier/Far South Side)
- Xocoatl Churros (Logan Square)
- Margies Candies (Bucktown)
- JoJo Shakebar (River North)
- Sugar Factory (River North)
- Green City Market: One of the best farmer’s markets in the city, and arguably the Midwest. The market is open from 7:00AM to 1:00PM.
Attractions in Chicago
There are a million things to do in the Windy City, from museums and theaters to sports events and shopping. There’s something for everyone!
See below for just a few suggestions of things to do and see in Chicago! Consider buying a CityPass for combined, discounted access to multiple attractions!
- Navy Pier – events, free public programs, attractions, culture, dining, shopping and more. It’s where fun lives large, whether you’re a visitor or local, with family or friends.
- Sears Tower Skydeck (called the “Willis” by some uncultured types) – Step outside what’s not only the tallest building in Chicago but the third-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere! The viewing tower offers spectacular views spanning up to four states, but there’s also The Ledge, a glass balcony extending four feet outside Willis Tower’s 103rd floor.
- Millennium Park, Cloud Gate (also known as the Bean), & Grant Park-If reopened on time!
- The Art Institute of Chicago – home to a collection of art that spans centuries and the globe—and one of Tripadvisor’s “Best of the Best” US attractions of 2023
- Adler Planetarium – America’s first planetarium, on Chicago’s Museum Campus. Your visit is sure to be out-of-this-world!
- Shedd Aquarium – Meet beluga whales and bluegills, rockhopper penguins and rockfish and so much more as you explore the world’s oceans, lakes, rivers and reefs!
- Field Museum of Natural History – a revered Chicago institution and one of the world’s great museums of natural history. Their immersive exhibits explore everything from ancient cultures to the latest scientific discoveries, drawing from an astounding collection of more than 24 million objects.
- Museum of Science and Industry – the Western Hemisphere’s largest science museum.
- Lincoln Park Zoo and the Lincoln Park Conservatory
- Chicago Cultural Center – Constructed over 100 years ago as the Chicago Public Library and a Civil War memorial, it reflects the best of Chicago.
- 360 Chicago at John Hancock Center – Experience breathtaking panoramic views of Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan from 1,000 feet above the famed Magnificent Mile.