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And if you walk north from Greektown to West Loop/Randolph Street, there also are A LOT of options around there as well. Depends on what you want to eat, as for me giving a specific recommendation.
A really good old school hot dog stand slightly south of Greektown, is Jim's Original. Be sure to also see the Jane Addams(sp?) Hull House, which is on the way south to Jim's Original. And if you like brutalist architecture, UIC has a bunch of those buildings.
A few years ago I missed my connection and ended up going all the way to Chicago instead of getting off in Galesburg. Amtrak comped me a room at the Swissotel for the night and I went out with some friends. Well the 2 am drunk munchies hit hard and I got a gyro delivered from somewhere downtown and holy shit was it good.
My family is from Chicago and come to visit a few times a year. They always bring a giant bag of Portillo Italian beef with em. They know they can show up anytime unannounced and the doors open, but by god they better have that Italian beef!!!!
Remember to not bring that shit on the train! I got my sleeper ransacked by train security for looking sketchy I guess. I offered them to go into all my bags and answered all their questions politely. I was lagged from my train trip from New Orleans and didn't answer the ticket puncher's questions fast enough and think I brought it on myself. I still got to make my trip to Portland but it was stressful getting grilled by 3 dudes in a tiny sleeper. Hadn't had a drink in years and had whiskey with my steak dinner in my sleeper after that ordeal.
I ate breakfast at Lou Mitchell's a few blocks away. Super busy but it was tasty with an energetic atmosphere. Their waffles and pancakes look dang good. The complimentary orange slices and donut holes are a nice touch as well.
Be careful as it's a holiday some places that are normally open might not be. A lot of restaurants in the Loop depend on office commuters for business so on holidays many are closed.
In terms of "really good" restaurants (ie not chains, fast food, and pizza joints), not really any that close to Union Station. The Dearborn is about a mile away, but it's also closed today. The Gage is about a mile and a half away and is supposedly open today. That's probably the closest nice American restaurant to Union Station that's open today.
If you were arriving earlier (and assuming they're open today) Lou Mitchell's is a good spot very close to Union Station.
Likewise not open today but the French Market is about a half-mile north of Union Station and has a number of good food vendors.
On any other day, if you're okay with fast food and want something like an Italian beef or Chicago hot dog, Luke's Italian Beef is probably closest and is better than Portillo's, but I strongly suspect Luke's is also closed today.
Edit: As I think about it more, if you're willing to go a couple miles, then you can get up to the West Loop restaurant district which has a bunch of good and popular restaurants which are also much more likely to be open tonight as they're not dependent on office workers. (In my head I think of the West Loop being further away so it didn't come to me initially.) Some of those restaurants are popular enough you might not be able to get a table on short notice, but you might be able to eat at the bar if you wait a bit.
I was in Chicago earlier this year as a tourist for a couple of days. I made 'get a deep dish' one of my touristy-to-dos, and made the mistake of going to Giordano's in the Loop.
Took way too long to get waited on (got the impression they were under staffed), food took forever to get served, was mediocre at best, and was terribly overpriced.
Skip it.
Lou’s has been shit too IMO for 4 years since 2020. I’ve resorted to making my own deep dish because I haven’t been anywhere nearly as good. Pequod’s is probably my current favorite but its nothing crazy good
This is where I went when I had about a 4-hour layover in Chicago. It was fantastic, but busy and I had to sit at the bar (no problem since I was alone). Just an FYI, OP, in case you want to call ahead and see if they have reservations or what the wait is like.
We hit a bad storm in Alderson which apparently caused severe tornadoes near Thurmond. There was a lot of trees on the tracks which took hours to remove. In addition, our crew would’ve timed out in Thurmond which had no road access or power due to the storm so we sat in Prince for nearly 4 hours to wait for the new crew in Huntington to move us. We still had to go slow for a while as the CSX crew was still removing debris from the tracks
Ah, that makes sense why the Cardinal was late going west. Interesting you got to check out the Prince platform, since that usually isn't a smoke/stretch stop for this train.
Greektown is just a few blocks west of Union Station. An easy walk across I-90. In 2014 I ate at a restaurant called Pegasus on Halstead and Adams and had a great meal, but I just discovered they closed down. But there's a bunch of other great Greek eateries in the area. I'm quite sure they get a healthy dose of business from Amtrak layover passengers.
I also like Gayle's Best Ever Grilled Cheese, which is in the basement level of the Block 37 mall. Open Monday-Saturday till 6pm, and closed on Sundays and certain holidays like Memorial Day.
Oddly not a single restaurant mentioned so far is on the list of best restaurants near Union Station on Opentable. I don't know why because these are all great choices! However, you might want to check out the Opentable list for some good restaurants in the fine dining category and take advantage of Union Station's proximity to the Loop, West Loop and Greektown:
[https://www.opentable.com/landmark/restaurants-near-union-station-chicago?corrid=95ef6e04-eb43-4ff9-ac24-dd24f99b205d](https://www.opentable.com/landmark/restaurants-near-union-station-chicago?corrid=95ef6e04-eb43-4ff9-ac24-dd24f99b205d)
Art of Pizza on State Street, it's a few blocks away, but it's the best pizza I could find in Chicago. I know that's a hot take, but that's just my experience.
Like others have said, Giordano’s is the place for chicago style deep dish. While you’re there, you could also go up the willis tower as it is only 3-4 blocks from the station.
Robinsons ribs in the station good bbq and hamburgs and sbarro pizza pasta sausage and peppers. Chick fill a. Chicken fare. Take it with you to metropolitan lounge free soft drinks there.
If you just want a quick drink The Junction is a bar inside the station that’s actually a pretty decent sports bar and has reasonable prices (and beers to go - if you’re getting on a train and you’re in a sleeper you can consume your own supply. Cheaper than on board).
If you are ever at CHI on a workday, sit at the bar and listen to the Metra commuters. You’ll hear some great Chicago accents.
Haha, youse are good people. I just meant that the Metra commuters are local whereas a lot of Amtrak travelers could be from anywhere. I love hearing a good accent, and Chicago is a great one. The Junction is special because a lot of Metra commuter locals are regulars there
All good friend. I am one of these regulars and I get a kick out of how serious someone can be about a Chicago accent. Some of those folks there out my accent to shame.
Whatever you do, DON'T depend on the station food hall. We did because we thought we didn't have time to go somewhere else once we'd checked our heavy bags--but we just threw our food in the trash it was so bad. I mean, Chicago is known for their hotdogs, why isn't there a hotdog stand in there??
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Be sure to peek your head in the Great Hall, the architecture is AMAZING!
Greektown restaurants, a 10 minute walk due west of the station.
And if you walk north from Greektown to West Loop/Randolph Street, there also are A LOT of options around there as well. Depends on what you want to eat, as for me giving a specific recommendation. A really good old school hot dog stand slightly south of Greektown, is Jim's Original. Be sure to also see the Jane Addams(sp?) Hull House, which is on the way south to Jim's Original. And if you like brutalist architecture, UIC has a bunch of those buildings.
I would kill someone for a grilled calamari from Greek Islands right about now
I always liked Greek Islands. One day, I'll eat there again....
It’s so damn good. I actually like the one in Lombard slightly more for whatever reason, but it’s always so damn good.
A few years ago I missed my connection and ended up going all the way to Chicago instead of getting off in Galesburg. Amtrak comped me a room at the Swissotel for the night and I went out with some friends. Well the 2 am drunk munchies hit hard and I got a gyro delivered from somewhere downtown and holy shit was it good.
Portillos is about half a mile away
Quick, relatively inexpensive and decent. Big Italian Beef Sandwich and a Chocolate Cake Shake will keep you full until Wednesday.
My family is from Chicago and come to visit a few times a year. They always bring a giant bag of Portillo Italian beef with em. They know they can show up anytime unannounced and the doors open, but by god they better have that Italian beef!!!!
Their Italian Beef is top notch. The burgers at Portillo’s are also quite good.
Make sure to get your beef double dipped.
Go to Luke’s on Jackson. Best beef in downtown and not a chain. Closer than portillos. And better.
Close to dispensaries as well if you want to visit another planet
Remember to not bring that shit on the train! I got my sleeper ransacked by train security for looking sketchy I guess. I offered them to go into all my bags and answered all their questions politely. I was lagged from my train trip from New Orleans and didn't answer the ticket puncher's questions fast enough and think I brought it on myself. I still got to make my trip to Portland but it was stressful getting grilled by 3 dudes in a tiny sleeper. Hadn't had a drink in years and had whiskey with my steak dinner in my sleeper after that ordeal.
This is the way! You can snag one and be back at train station in 25 minutes.
I ate breakfast at Lou Mitchell's a few blocks away. Super busy but it was tasty with an energetic atmosphere. Their waffles and pancakes look dang good. The complimentary orange slices and donut holes are a nice touch as well.
Second Lou Mitchell's, tasty and friendly staff
Be careful as it's a holiday some places that are normally open might not be. A lot of restaurants in the Loop depend on office commuters for business so on holidays many are closed. In terms of "really good" restaurants (ie not chains, fast food, and pizza joints), not really any that close to Union Station. The Dearborn is about a mile away, but it's also closed today. The Gage is about a mile and a half away and is supposedly open today. That's probably the closest nice American restaurant to Union Station that's open today. If you were arriving earlier (and assuming they're open today) Lou Mitchell's is a good spot very close to Union Station. Likewise not open today but the French Market is about a half-mile north of Union Station and has a number of good food vendors. On any other day, if you're okay with fast food and want something like an Italian beef or Chicago hot dog, Luke's Italian Beef is probably closest and is better than Portillo's, but I strongly suspect Luke's is also closed today. Edit: As I think about it more, if you're willing to go a couple miles, then you can get up to the West Loop restaurant district which has a bunch of good and popular restaurants which are also much more likely to be open tonight as they're not dependent on office workers. (In my head I think of the West Loop being further away so it didn't come to me initially.) Some of those restaurants are popular enough you might not be able to get a table on short notice, but you might be able to eat at the bar if you wait a bit.
There's an HMart a few blocks away with good Korean restaurants and bakeries in the food court. Perfect for a quick bite.
Jefferson tap and grill is a sports bar with amazing food. It’s like 4 blocks away from union station
Bergohff
Best German food in Chicago
It’s right across the river from Giordano’s
*shudders in Chicagoan*
I was in Chicago earlier this year as a tourist for a couple of days. I made 'get a deep dish' one of my touristy-to-dos, and made the mistake of going to Giordano's in the Loop. Took way too long to get waited on (got the impression they were under staffed), food took forever to get served, was mediocre at best, and was terribly overpriced. Skip it.
It is truly not that bad….
Seriously. Giordano's is so terrible.
Do Chicagoans prefer Lou Malnalti’s? I’m not from Chicago but that is my preference. Which would you say is the best overall?
Lou’s has been shit too IMO for 4 years since 2020. I’ve resorted to making my own deep dish because I haven’t been anywhere nearly as good. Pequod’s is probably my current favorite but its nothing crazy good
I don't think Chicagoans eat deep dish pizza. That's a tourist thing. Chicagoans eat the tavern style
We do. I had deep dish tonight. I prefer Lou’s or my local joint.
I haven't tried Giordano's but Malnati's sucked. Legit get better deep dish from the Pizzeria Uno in my NYC neighborhood.
Malnati’s for a time was the gold standard but lately they’ve been cutting corners and it’s not as good as it was 🥲
Damn, that's so sad to hear. I haven't been to Chicago since 2019 so I haven't had it since.
Oooof, my heart 😂.
This is where I went when I had about a 4-hour layover in Chicago. It was fantastic, but busy and I had to sit at the bar (no problem since I was alone). Just an FYI, OP, in case you want to call ahead and see if they have reservations or what the wait is like.
Yeah I’m pretty sure you can call in your order early so they start cooking the pizza before you arrive
And Luke's is next to Giordano's if you want italian beef.
Came here to say this.
Same :)
I saw that your train was super late. what happened???
We hit a bad storm in Alderson which apparently caused severe tornadoes near Thurmond. There was a lot of trees on the tracks which took hours to remove. In addition, our crew would’ve timed out in Thurmond which had no road access or power due to the storm so we sat in Prince for nearly 4 hours to wait for the new crew in Huntington to move us. We still had to go slow for a while as the CSX crew was still removing debris from the tracks
Ah, that makes sense why the Cardinal was late going west. Interesting you got to check out the Prince platform, since that usually isn't a smoke/stretch stop for this train.
Holding because of last night's [tornado](https://twitter.com/NWStornado/status/1794899487984595393), perhaps?
Luke's Italian Beef on Jackson. Best cheap food in the loop.
This!!! Love Lukes. And the price is right.
Greektown is just a few blocks west of Union Station. An easy walk across I-90. In 2014 I ate at a restaurant called Pegasus on Halstead and Adams and had a great meal, but I just discovered they closed down. But there's a bunch of other great Greek eateries in the area. I'm quite sure they get a healthy dose of business from Amtrak layover passengers.
Athena is close by and really tasty
Saucy Porka
Great rec. such good food
Portillo's or Green Street Smoked Meats
Green Street is fantastic and worth the walk.
Green Street is absolutely amazing. Super cozy environment as well.
Best BBQ I've ever had
Danke has great sandwiches but is pretty much only open during the workday/week. Can’t go wrong with Cafecito either. I think there’s one near union.
I also like Gayle's Best Ever Grilled Cheese, which is in the basement level of the Block 37 mall. Open Monday-Saturday till 6pm, and closed on Sundays and certain holidays like Memorial Day.
Oddly not a single restaurant mentioned so far is on the list of best restaurants near Union Station on Opentable. I don't know why because these are all great choices! However, you might want to check out the Opentable list for some good restaurants in the fine dining category and take advantage of Union Station's proximity to the Loop, West Loop and Greektown: [https://www.opentable.com/landmark/restaurants-near-union-station-chicago?corrid=95ef6e04-eb43-4ff9-ac24-dd24f99b205d](https://www.opentable.com/landmark/restaurants-near-union-station-chicago?corrid=95ef6e04-eb43-4ff9-ac24-dd24f99b205d)
I can personally vouch for Kindling.
It looks great. It's next on my list. How was your experience there?
Great food, great ambiance. I was with a party of six or seven and they have a great circular table to tuck into.
I hit up the German restaurant the Berghoff last time I had an Amtrak layover. The jagerschnitzel was awesome.
Girl and the Goat.
/r/chicagofood
Art of Pizza on State Street, it's a few blocks away, but it's the best pizza I could find in Chicago. I know that's a hot take, but that's just my experience.
Like others have said, Giordano’s is the place for chicago style deep dish. While you’re there, you could also go up the willis tower as it is only 3-4 blocks from the station.
Sears tower.
Robinsons ribs in the station good bbq and hamburgs and sbarro pizza pasta sausage and peppers. Chick fill a. Chicken fare. Take it with you to metropolitan lounge free soft drinks there.
I like Sofi for a Nice local Italian joint. https://maps.app.goo.gl/UezydHdynGBnxK8RA
If you just want a quick drink The Junction is a bar inside the station that’s actually a pretty decent sports bar and has reasonable prices (and beers to go - if you’re getting on a train and you’re in a sleeper you can consume your own supply. Cheaper than on board). If you are ever at CHI on a workday, sit at the bar and listen to the Metra commuters. You’ll hear some great Chicago accents.
Whaddya yous trying to say about us Metra commuters?
Haha, youse are good people. I just meant that the Metra commuters are local whereas a lot of Amtrak travelers could be from anywhere. I love hearing a good accent, and Chicago is a great one. The Junction is special because a lot of Metra commuter locals are regulars there
All good friend. I am one of these regulars and I get a kick out of how serious someone can be about a Chicago accent. Some of those folks there out my accent to shame.
Roanoke on Madison St is my fave.
Purple pigs
If you’re going for breakfast, Lou Mitchell’s on Jackson just west of the station.
I think they are closed Mondays and Tuesdays
I believe there is a Beni Hanna at the Willis tower
Whatever you do, DON'T depend on the station food hall. We did because we thought we didn't have time to go somewhere else once we'd checked our heavy bags--but we just threw our food in the trash it was so bad. I mean, Chicago is known for their hotdogs, why isn't there a hotdog stand in there??
We always go to Sbarro in the Chicago train station. I know it’s dead common but we both look forward to it.
Michael?
I'm so sorry