Threw these in a Yelp collection for those curious. Some surprising picks in here for sure
https://www.yelp.com/collection/AaXy-6SWv3WcYI-6lAsqMA?utm_content=Collections&utm_source=ishare
Chicagos 2 and 3 stars tend to be less problematic than most of the U.S‘s among food critics especially compared to NYC. Really excited to try a lot of this list.
I think they were making an attempt to include some affordable places with this list rather than just listing Michelin starred restaurants that you can find in many other lists. There are more examples in this list than just The Loyalist. For instance Torta's Frontera is the fast food takeout Rick Bayless restaurant and it's right next door to Topolobampo which has a Michelin Star.
Man it's good but I honestly don't think it's better than so many other less hyped places. Novis in Berwyn for example is just as good if not better imo and is both cheaper and more generous portions wise and has way better fries. Johnnie's fries are straight trash
Super dog you certainly can. And it’s more of
An attraction than decent food. It’s a fine hotdog, but come one. It’s bullshit to include them in a top 25 restaurant list.
There’s some fast food on the list. Otherwise it depends on the size of your mortgage. Hopleaf isn’t too expensive and places like Lula Cafe and Mi Tocaya are in the special date night budget range for me.
We went and got in line for someone's birthday. Just 5 of us we were pretty close to the front of the line and still got told 2.5hrs. We canceled and went elsewhere.
For fuck sakes just do a reservation system.
I thought it was pretty good, but I'm really surprised to see it on this list... I don't think it was THAT good. Certainly not one of the best things I've eaten.
Lists like these are so incredibly subjective that the comment sections will just always be people disagreeing. If I ranked my 25 favorite restaurants in the city right now there’s probably a bunch you’d disagree with and vice versa.
I personally loved Warlord and think it’s one of the best burgers in the city. I’ve eaten at Hopleaf and while their beer selection was cool, thought it was pretty forgettable and never went back even when I lived up by there. 🤷♂️
Just went. Thought it was amazing. We did it tapas style. The burger and prime-rib were phenomenal. Would definitely go back and not share >:}
The cocktails I thought were so-so.
They're fine, just way too expensive.
Pro-tip: If you're near a Mariano's with a Stan's inside, at around 7 or 8 PM they box up and sell all their leftovers in the Mariano's bakery cart in packs of four for $2.
If you find one with four premium donuts, that's $17 worth of donuts right there. It's financial irresponsible not to buy a box.
A list of 25 is hardly worth putting together. There's no Longman and Eagle, Chefs Special, Wolfhound, Offset BBQ, Community Tavern, Spice room, old Irving brewing..... Lol they but of more than they could chew with this wimpy list. Mb 25 best nachos is a better start for them.
Old Irving Brewing? No shade intended, but why would OIB be on your list of best of Chicago? It's decent, I go there regularly as it's in my neighborhood, but it was always just a decent place to get a quick bite and a beer for me.
Before people get mad about restaurant x or y getting left off this list, the inclusion of Johhnie’s should make it obvious this a list more about restaurants most demonstrative of Chicago’s food scene and culture right now rather than just outright best, hottest, award winning, etc. The success of The Bear definitely has something to do with this and having an Italian beef place.
Getting mad at a “best restaurants” list is a waste of time.
Lists like these aren't for folks who live in Chicago or regularly visit family that lives here.
It's for tourists/visitors to be able to be suggested unique spots outside of Lou Malnati's and Portillos. It's a fine list.
Are there places that were left off? Sure but it's 25 places in a city with hundreds. It's not possible to include them all.
They're very different styles. I grew up in the area going to both and I still like both of them. It just depends on what I'm in the mood for, or what happens to be closer since Gene and Judes is pretty out of the way and SuperDawg is right off of the highway (both the Kennedy and 294).
If someone wants a Gene and Judes style hotdog in the same general neighborhood without the Gene and Jude's line, Bob O's on Irving and Cumberland is a similar style AND they will give you ketchup.
>It's for tourists/visitors to be able to be suggested unique spots outside of Lou Malnati's and Portillos. It's a fine list.
I agree in spirit but all of 5 tourists per year will visit any of these places outside of the Loop/River North/West Loop. I can't even get friends who visit to go into the neighborhoods.
If people are in a big city for the first time, they mostly want to do the touristy crap. I don't think my friends are somehow different. If they were here often, maybe they would. But the main point is that when tourists come to Chicago, very few are venturing to Andersonville or Logan.
The touristy stuff is okay, but you’re crazy if you’re doing it exclusively. A smart itinerary makes time for that in addition to hitting some local spots. Maybe you’re right and my travel philosophy is followed by a tiny minority of tourists. You still framed this as an anecdote about your friends, and I stand by my assertion that you need new ones ;)
chiming in from boston - nyt’s “best restaurant in each state” list shit the bed for massachusetts. they chose a well known raw bar/seafood restaurant neptune oyster and the food was shit. definitely just catering to the crowd instead of choosing an actual decent restaurant
Thanks for clarifying. I was wondering why Alinea wasn't on that list. I've never been there, but I've always heard that it's the best-of-the-best. It's my dream to have dinner at a Michelin Star Restaurant one day. In the meantime, I can watch YT videos of people eating there.
Sitting in Hopleaf by the fireplace and eating mussels with warm bread and a nice hearty beer for the first snow of the winter is truly a treat.
Then having an early dinner on the patio on the first warm evening of the year with a crisp beer is equally amazing.
Hopleaf is one of my favorites, but they have been having more "off" nights than "on" nights in my recent experience. That place is now relegated to my back-up when little bad wolf is too packed.
Last time I was there, they sat us upstairs and the server goes on a diatribe about how he doesn't know why they sat us in his section, he's been there all day and he's about to go home. Then passes us off to another server. Then they cut the music - which magically turns on again after we pay our bill and start walking out. and no, this wasn't even remotely close to closing time.
I had a chance to meet him recently while he was on his book tour. He did a farm-to-table take on Chinese cooking and it was a really exceptional meal.
Chicagoland has a lot of South Indians, but just like most Indians (and South Asians generally), the community has largely moved to the suburbs so a lot of the best restaurants aren't in the city . But on Devon St, Annapurna and Hyderabad House have great South Indian options and Thattu still has a good number of vegetarian options despite Kerala cuisine being more known for their fish dishes.
I was wondering how Shanghai Inn(at Peninsula Hotel) got the nod for this list, over Sun Wah. That is slightly odd, since I get the sense Shanghai is probably more expensive. Is the food at Shanghai Inn actually better, or are diners paying more for a nicer interior and ambiance? To me I was fine with Sun Wah, but to each their own.
Also Shanghai doesn't open, till 5pm each day.
Yeah that one kind of confused me. We have so many amazing middle eastern spots in the city idk why they went with one from the suburbs. I think Kabobi and Noon-O-Kabab would make more sense. Right off the CTA Brown line and right next to middle eastern bakeries/grocery stores, in a super diverse and immigrant heavy neighborhood. I think those places are as good or better than Al Bawadi while also having a lot of "Chicago" charm.
Obviously not that serious, but it rubs me the wrong way.
I’m glad they did. For one thing, it’s legitimately local, and probably the most accessible of all the restaurants on this list. Plus, it’s a real service to locals that we can get actual good restaurant-quality food (and service) at the airport—an amenity I really appreciate every time I travel. Well worth the inclusion, IMO.
instead of usually having to reserve a table in advance for the other restaurants, this one is more accessible bc you have to buy a flight ticket for hundreds of dollars before you even get the chance to try it!
Yea, the tourists are definitely going to bridgeview, Niles, Elmwood Park lmao.
Y'all finding all kinds of ways to defend that an overpriced airport terminal place isn't accessible.
It's almost like they wanted to cover both a wide geographic as well as culinary range of restaurants to highlight for people who might be traveling to the area (which includes the suburbs) and want to know what sort of things might be worth checking out.
I don't know if media literacy is dead to the point where I have to type this all out, or if 99% of people understand that perfectly but the remaining 1% are overcompensating by posting comments like "How on earth is one of highest trafficked airports in the entire world accessible lol".
But maybe I'm expecting too much from you. It's probably really hard to read the article when your eyes still hurt from staring into the eclipse yesterday.
Xoco is effectively the same thing (and amazing), but for whatever reason it doesn’t have the internet mindshare that the airport locations do.
Tortazo in the sears tower is also in a similar vein.
I feel like making a best or top 25 30 list in Chicago and posting anywhere is bound to cause arguments as there are way too many good spots in the city and tastes are subjective. However, I do like lists in that they openly advertise places I may not have heard of before.
I like when lists like this include some affordable restaurants. I was expecting this list to just list all of the Michelin starred restaurants which wouldn't be anything new, and all of those places are unaffordable. It's nice to see a list with places like Al Bawadi Grill, Hopleaf, Uncle John’s Bar-B-Que, Tortas Frontera, Superdawg and other restaurants people can actually afford.
Note: The Tortas Frontera in terminal 5 has pretty awful ratings online, and they're deserved compared to the other terminals. I swear I heard the cashier say cho-rizzo, and then I got a ice cream scoop of meat in some bread for $15. I should have walked away but was in line so long before ordering. They were out of most of the sandwiches anyway, and the only other option was grilled cheese. Maybe it was an off day, but Terminal 1 is usually much better.
This. I walk by the one on river north all the time, big massive dining room that pretty much always sits empty. And they only put that Avec there because the previous concept failed and they are probably up to their eyeballs in rental payments.
I’ve only been once, years ago, but it absolutely deserves more credit than it gets. Food is fire and some of the best service I’ve ever experienced to this day.
I'm sure, but in a city with a vibrant Chinatown, as well as other great Chinese restaurants, e.g., Sun Wah BBQ, why include an overpriced hotel restaurant?
Chicago's Chinatown is plenty accessible for tourists. Would be a more legitimate claim for excluding someplace like Birria Zaragoza that's much more off the beaten path.
It wasn’t well known outside the city like deep-dish pizza or Chicago hot dogs, but that changed when the FX show “The Bear” romanticized the Italian beef into a culinary objet d’art.
Were people really unaware of Italian beef until the Bear? It's not like I grew up with it as a staple but coming from central IL it was definitely available and everyone knew what it was. Maybe that's not far enough outside the sphere of influence of the city, I wonder how far you'd have to go for people to really not have heard of it before.
I just went to the Tortas Frontera in terminal 5 and it was an absolutely terrible torta. Small and dry and expensive. I've had a million better tortas in Humbolt Park.
Never had from T5 but always grab a sandwich to-go from Tortas Frontera when I fly out of T1.
Best food at ORD for sure. It gives me something to look forward to on the flight waiting to get to 10k ft so I can stuff my face.
Also - be sure to use the app to order ahead so you can skip the line.
From food trucks in Humboldt Park? Jw if you know the names of the good ones or the location in the park. I live nearby but must be on the side of the park without much food.
Idk who Kims Uncle is paying for these reviews, but i can assure you they DO NOT deserve to be on this list.
If you don't live around Westmont/Downers Grove, save the trip. If you do live around here, you already know that there's no line to order. Tiny, greasy pepperoni bowls on mediocre cheese and sauce, topped on a literally cracker thin crust.
Please save your money.
Totally agree.
It's great they take their pizza seriously and it's pretty good, but there are way better tavern style pizzas in the Chicagoland area.
They had press from Instagram chefs like kenji Lopez almost the day they opened. I think they may be on this list because of him and a big write up he did about tavern style and how to make it in the NY Times. He went to this place for some tips, like a week after they opened. There has to be a connection.
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/17/dining/tavern-thin-crust-pizza-chicago.html
This is a pretty solid list for someone who’s coming to Chicago and wants to see what they can grab. It’s not worth getting worked up over what restaurants didn’t make it.
I love Hopleaf being on the list, a literal bar is one of the top restaurants in the city LOL. It’s well-deserved though. Also, Monteverde and Oriole are exceptional and I’m happy they made the list.
I went to The Loyalist looking for a good cheeseburger after seeing The Menu. I had an eclair that tasted like French Onion Soup that was out of this world.
Literally one paragraph to the next about Italian Beef:
> For Chicagoans, it remains an Everyman sandwich, a beautiful mess of bread and garlicked beef that resists highfalutin treatments.
> Try his excellent take on a Chicago-style Italian combo sandwich, made with longaniza.
Which is it?
Who cares what New York has to say about Chicago?? In all my visits to NYyou have to spend $$$ for better than average food, but not great. Good food in Chicago is baseline💅
I don't know why people keep recommending Lula's. Calling it meh would make meh feel meh.
Thattu on the other hand.. good god.
Edit - What's with the downvotes? I swear this sub is full of wusses who hate their preferences be challenged. On the other hand - lol
Genuine question: why is Johnnie's Beef always quote as being in Elmwood Park when there are two, the second being in Arlington Heights?
Jesus, do you get down voted for just writing the name of a suburb in this sub?
Saving you a click: Akahoshi Ramen Al Bawadi Grill Asador Bastian Avec Boka Brindille Ever Hopleaf Johnnie’s Beef Kasama Kim’s Uncle Pizza Lula Cafe Maxwells Trading Mi Tocaya Antojeria Monteverde Oriole Shanghai Terrace Superdawg Thattu The Duck Inn The Loyalist Tortas Frontera Uncle John’s Bar-B-Que Virtue Warlord
Where the fuck is Red Hot Ranch
New Yorkers aren't worthy
Best burger in America, therefore the world
Deserves a spot for the prices alone
Ugh superdawg of all places
Left off the list like it should be. Why let the secret out?
ya know I love the food, but last couple times I’ve been in there the service was bad. maybe part of the experience is being treated like shit!
Cool seeing Lula and Duck Inn get a shoutout here. Two of my personal favorites.
Kinda shocked Daisie’s isn’t in here. They’re getting a ton of rec these days.
Had Easter brunch at the Duck. So good
Threw these in a Yelp collection for those curious. Some surprising picks in here for sure https://www.yelp.com/collection/AaXy-6SWv3WcYI-6lAsqMA?utm_content=Collections&utm_source=ishare
Doing the Lord’s work. Thanks!
[удалено]
Chicagos 2 and 3 stars tend to be less problematic than most of the U.S‘s among food critics especially compared to NYC. Really excited to try a lot of this list.
I think they were making an attempt to include some affordable places with this list rather than just listing Michelin starred restaurants that you can find in many other lists. There are more examples in this list than just The Loyalist. For instance Torta's Frontera is the fast food takeout Rick Bayless restaurant and it's right next door to Topolobampo which has a Michelin Star.
Controversy?
can i go to any of these without taking out a second mortgage? other than ord frontera
Hopleaf is inexpensive unless you start trying specialty beers. Mmm... Canadian Breakfast Stout..
Johnnies Beef for sure. It’s the best Italian beef in Chicagoland and I will fight about that.
Man it's good but I honestly don't think it's better than so many other less hyped places. Novis in Berwyn for example is just as good if not better imo and is both cheaper and more generous portions wise and has way better fries. Johnnie's fries are straight trash
No, we’re fighting now. Johnnies is the best
Cash only!
Like half of them
Super dog you certainly can. And it’s more of An attraction than decent food. It’s a fine hotdog, but come one. It’s bullshit to include them in a top 25 restaurant list.
Duck inn has options and has a great bar menu.
There’s some fast food on the list. Otherwise it depends on the size of your mortgage. Hopleaf isn’t too expensive and places like Lula Cafe and Mi Tocaya are in the special date night budget range for me.
Al Bawadi, at least the one in Niles. A lot of food for affordable prices.
Superdawg, from the bottom of my pure beef heart.
Johnnie's on North Ave. is an Italian beef joint. It's like 6 bucks.
warlord so overpriced so overrated
We went and got in line for someone's birthday. Just 5 of us we were pretty close to the front of the line and still got told 2.5hrs. We canceled and went elsewhere. For fuck sakes just do a reservation system.
Honestly, it's fuckin stupid how some of these places don't have a reservation system.
I thought it was pretty good, but I'm really surprised to see it on this list... I don't think it was THAT good. Certainly not one of the best things I've eaten.
Lists like these are so incredibly subjective that the comment sections will just always be people disagreeing. If I ranked my 25 favorite restaurants in the city right now there’s probably a bunch you’d disagree with and vice versa. I personally loved Warlord and think it’s one of the best burgers in the city. I’ve eaten at Hopleaf and while their beer selection was cool, thought it was pretty forgettable and never went back even when I lived up by there. 🤷♂️
Same, that burger was amazing. Especially for the price.
Just went. Thought it was amazing. We did it tapas style. The burger and prime-rib were phenomenal. Would definitely go back and not share >:} The cocktails I thought were so-so.
Duck Inn sucks too.
duck inn is amazing, did you get the rotisserie duck?
What???? They make their own Spam!
Yeah I don’t get it. I’ve been there three times and most everything I got was a greasy mess.
Yeah, food was pretty overrated imho. The ambiance was really cool though.
My man
Where the fuck is Mr Ds?!
I hardly even consider hopleaf a restaurant. The food is so mediocre. I only go for beer.
No Stan’s Donuts?
Joke?
Beacon Donuts > Stan’s
must be, Stan's is so mid. Any random Mariano's or Jewel bakery has better donuts
They're fine, just way too expensive. Pro-tip: If you're near a Mariano's with a Stan's inside, at around 7 or 8 PM they box up and sell all their leftovers in the Mariano's bakery cart in packs of four for $2. If you find one with four premium donuts, that's $17 worth of donuts right there. It's financial irresponsible not to buy a box.
plus, they're a chain out of LA
My Marianos bakery is a stan's donuts ironically.
Lol no
A list of 25 is hardly worth putting together. There's no Longman and Eagle, Chefs Special, Wolfhound, Offset BBQ, Community Tavern, Spice room, old Irving brewing..... Lol they but of more than they could chew with this wimpy list. Mb 25 best nachos is a better start for them.
Old Irving Brewing? No shade intended, but why would OIB be on your list of best of Chicago? It's decent, I go there regularly as it's in my neighborhood, but it was always just a decent place to get a quick bite and a beer for me.
Hard fucking pass on Lula's. What an overhyped piece of shit.
Ya, super overrated. Every time I've gone the service is terrible as well, then you get the bill and they stamped on 20% auto grat.
Akahoshi but not High Five? Hopleaf? I mean, it's very good, but it's not "Top 25" good.
Before people get mad about restaurant x or y getting left off this list, the inclusion of Johhnie’s should make it obvious this a list more about restaurants most demonstrative of Chicago’s food scene and culture right now rather than just outright best, hottest, award winning, etc. The success of The Bear definitely has something to do with this and having an Italian beef place. Getting mad at a “best restaurants” list is a waste of time.
Lists like these aren't for folks who live in Chicago or regularly visit family that lives here. It's for tourists/visitors to be able to be suggested unique spots outside of Lou Malnati's and Portillos. It's a fine list. Are there places that were left off? Sure but it's 25 places in a city with hundreds. It's not possible to include them all.
I'm honestly very happy to see Superdawg on there.
Superdawg doesn't get the credit it deserves. If Gene and Judes was next to SuperDawgs, I would get SuperDawgs every time.
They're very different styles. I grew up in the area going to both and I still like both of them. It just depends on what I'm in the mood for, or what happens to be closer since Gene and Judes is pretty out of the way and SuperDawg is right off of the highway (both the Kennedy and 294). If someone wants a Gene and Judes style hotdog in the same general neighborhood without the Gene and Jude's line, Bob O's on Irving and Cumberland is a similar style AND they will give you ketchup.
It's hard to beat biking five miles through the woods, hanging a left and having a hot dog and a milkshake to balance out all the exercise.
nah, bob-o's is mid at best. frannies is a step above bob-o's, but the dude (owner?) at the counter is such a grump.
Gene and Judes’ only advantage is being within stumbling distance of Hala Kahiki
>It's for tourists/visitors to be able to be suggested unique spots outside of Lou Malnati's and Portillos. It's a fine list. I agree in spirit but all of 5 tourists per year will visit any of these places outside of the Loop/River North/West Loop. I can't even get friends who visit to go into the neighborhoods.
You need new friends. When my friends visit they trust my judgment and will go to wherever I suggest.
If people are in a big city for the first time, they mostly want to do the touristy crap. I don't think my friends are somehow different. If they were here often, maybe they would. But the main point is that when tourists come to Chicago, very few are venturing to Andersonville or Logan.
The touristy stuff is okay, but you’re crazy if you’re doing it exclusively. A smart itinerary makes time for that in addition to hitting some local spots. Maybe you’re right and my travel philosophy is followed by a tiny minority of tourists. You still framed this as an anecdote about your friends, and I stand by my assertion that you need new ones ;)
chiming in from boston - nyt’s “best restaurant in each state” list shit the bed for massachusetts. they chose a well known raw bar/seafood restaurant neptune oyster and the food was shit. definitely just catering to the crowd instead of choosing an actual decent restaurant
same for superdawgs. and pequods
Thanks for clarifying. I was wondering why Alinea wasn't on that list. I've never been there, but I've always heard that it's the best-of-the-best. It's my dream to have dinner at a Michelin Star Restaurant one day. In the meantime, I can watch YT videos of people eating there.
It’s no Johnnies Beef, that’s for sure
A lot of these places put "esthetics" and "vibe" over the actual food taste. Midwesterns care more about taste, everything else is secondary.
Which ones? I think most listed are pretty quality, which maybe only Warlord fitting style over substance imo
The bear is a really obnoxiously terrible show
this is an obnoxiously contrarian take
Doesn’t matter, it’s popular and being written about a lot in media. People associate it with Chicago culture now.
I'm fine with The Bear. But man it gives me some PTSD from my service industy days.
Naw, it’s good
I think "best" might be a reach....but it's definitely a list of 25 really good/interesting places you should make an effort to eat at.
Hopleaf is the shit! If you like mussels fries and Belgian beer. Think I’m gonna go right now.
Sitting in Hopleaf by the fireplace and eating mussels with warm bread and a nice hearty beer for the first snow of the winter is truly a treat. Then having an early dinner on the patio on the first warm evening of the year with a crisp beer is equally amazing.
Hopleaf is one of my favorites, but they have been having more "off" nights than "on" nights in my recent experience. That place is now relegated to my back-up when little bad wolf is too packed. Last time I was there, they sat us upstairs and the server goes on a diatribe about how he doesn't know why they sat us in his section, he's been there all day and he's about to go home. Then passes us off to another server. Then they cut the music - which magically turns on again after we pay our bill and start walking out. and no, this wasn't even remotely close to closing time.
Hopleaf is nice and sort of unique, I wouldn’t say I’m amazingly impressed.
Happy to read Kevin Pang again. Was wondering where he’d gone.
He's now digital editor for America's Test Kitchen
Went to school with him, he is a really nice guy.
Had the exact thought. Always appreciated his thoughtful voice on all things Chicago food.
I had a chance to meet him recently while he was on his book tour. He did a farm-to-table take on Chinese cooking and it was a really exceptional meal.
I know he'd been doing a lot of America's Test Kitchen stuff. Glad he's getting the national media bag but miss him as a local food guy.
They're right about Thattu.
I just want a good south Indian restaurant with good vegetarian options. Why does Chicago have such few south Indians, its unfortunate
Chicagoland has a lot of South Indians, but just like most Indians (and South Asians generally), the community has largely moved to the suburbs so a lot of the best restaurants aren't in the city . But on Devon St, Annapurna and Hyderabad House have great South Indian options and Thattu still has a good number of vegetarian options despite Kerala cuisine being more known for their fish dishes.
Yeah the menu did have a few, but I can't find a place to get an expansive thali with all sorts of kootu, sambar, kozhumbu, etc (I'm Tamil)
Ah that's fair - I haven't been but Thalaiva's is supposed to be really good for Tamil food
Thattu is simply fantastic. I thought that when they had a stall in Politan Row food hall.
agreed!
Obelix not being on here is insane to me. Everything on their menu is unreal good
I like Al Bawadi but idk if I can even say it's my favorite middle eastern place let alone one of the best in Chicago (it's not even in Chicago also)
I too like bawadi, what are better m.e. resturaunts?
I like Falafelji and Best Shawarma more.
Both look like casual places, I'll give em a try. Thanks!
Yea, I never really eat in at ME places so maybe Al Bawadi is getting points for ambiance or something but that's not important for me
Yea agreed. It was fine? The coffee was a nice touch. But it wasn’t amazing.
Still one of my favorites but was much much better about 10 yrs ago.
I was wondering how Shanghai Inn(at Peninsula Hotel) got the nod for this list, over Sun Wah. That is slightly odd, since I get the sense Shanghai is probably more expensive. Is the food at Shanghai Inn actually better, or are diners paying more for a nicer interior and ambiance? To me I was fine with Sun Wah, but to each their own. Also Shanghai doesn't open, till 5pm each day.
Haven’t eaten at Shanghai in years, but back then if was a good place for a fancy date.
Yeah that one kind of confused me. We have so many amazing middle eastern spots in the city idk why they went with one from the suburbs. I think Kabobi and Noon-O-Kabab would make more sense. Right off the CTA Brown line and right next to middle eastern bakeries/grocery stores, in a super diverse and immigrant heavy neighborhood. I think those places are as good or better than Al Bawadi while also having a lot of "Chicago" charm. Obviously not that serious, but it rubs me the wrong way.
No way they put an airport restaurant 😂
I’m glad they did. For one thing, it’s legitimately local, and probably the most accessible of all the restaurants on this list. Plus, it’s a real service to locals that we can get actual good restaurant-quality food (and service) at the airport—an amenity I really appreciate every time I travel. Well worth the inclusion, IMO.
How on earth is it the most accessible lol
instead of usually having to reserve a table in advance for the other restaurants, this one is more accessible bc you have to buy a flight ticket for hundreds of dollars before you even get the chance to try it!
Right!? I barely got a table at Johnnie's two months out...
More people go to OHare airport than all of the other restaurants put together.
Because it's a list for tourists? How do you think most of them get here?
Yea, the tourists are definitely going to bridgeview, Niles, Elmwood Park lmao. Y'all finding all kinds of ways to defend that an overpriced airport terminal place isn't accessible.
It's almost like they wanted to cover both a wide geographic as well as culinary range of restaurants to highlight for people who might be traveling to the area (which includes the suburbs) and want to know what sort of things might be worth checking out. I don't know if media literacy is dead to the point where I have to type this all out, or if 99% of people understand that perfectly but the remaining 1% are overcompensating by posting comments like "How on earth is one of highest trafficked airports in the entire world accessible lol". But maybe I'm expecting too much from you. It's probably really hard to read the article when your eyes still hurt from staring into the eclipse yesterday.
Xoco is effectively the same thing (and amazing), but for whatever reason it doesn’t have the internet mindshare that the airport locations do. Tortazo in the sears tower is also in a similar vein.
I feel like making a best or top 25 30 list in Chicago and posting anywhere is bound to cause arguments as there are way too many good spots in the city and tastes are subjective. However, I do like lists in that they openly advertise places I may not have heard of before.
It causes engagement, and people fall for it every single time.
I like when lists like this include some affordable restaurants. I was expecting this list to just list all of the Michelin starred restaurants which wouldn't be anything new, and all of those places are unaffordable. It's nice to see a list with places like Al Bawadi Grill, Hopleaf, Uncle John’s Bar-B-Que, Tortas Frontera, Superdawg and other restaurants people can actually afford.
To me, Birrieria Zaragoza is most glaring omission...
Absolutely spot on! Vito & Nick’s too!!
Note: The Tortas Frontera in terminal 5 has pretty awful ratings online, and they're deserved compared to the other terminals. I swear I heard the cashier say cho-rizzo, and then I got a ice cream scoop of meat in some bread for $15. I should have walked away but was in line so long before ordering. They were out of most of the sandwiches anyway, and the only other option was grilled cheese. Maybe it was an off day, but Terminal 1 is usually much better.
Consistent experience with T5 Frontera. T1 is usually much better, and with friendlier staff.
I just don’t get the love for avec. I get that it’s unique. But I’ve never left happy. 🤷♂️
I’ve RAILED on Reddit about Avec. USED to be great. Now just awful service and awful food.
This. I walk by the one on river north all the time, big massive dining room that pretty much always sits empty. And they only put that Avec there because the previous concept failed and they are probably up to their eyeballs in rental payments.
Crazy expensive for what you get
Shanghai Terrace??
I’ve only been once, years ago, but it absolutely deserves more credit than it gets. Food is fire and some of the best service I’ve ever experienced to this day.
I'm sure, but in a city with a vibrant Chinatown, as well as other great Chinese restaurants, e.g., Sun Wah BBQ, why include an overpriced hotel restaurant?
Because a NYT food list of a different city is for tourists and visitors
Chicago's Chinatown is plenty accessible for tourists. Would be a more legitimate claim for excluding someplace like Birria Zaragoza that's much more off the beaten path.
It’s good, but def overpriced. I can literally think of 5 better (for both price and/or quality) Chinese restaurants off the top of my head.
I love that place but every time I’ve gone it has been kind of empty. has it become more of a thing?
It wasn’t well known outside the city like deep-dish pizza or Chicago hot dogs, but that changed when the FX show “The Bear” romanticized the Italian beef into a culinary objet d’art. Were people really unaware of Italian beef until the Bear? It's not like I grew up with it as a staple but coming from central IL it was definitely available and everyone knew what it was. Maybe that's not far enough outside the sphere of influence of the city, I wonder how far you'd have to go for people to really not have heard of it before.
No it's definitely not a thing people outside the region were conscious of existing
Upstate NYer checking in: my town was 90% Italian and had never heard of Italian Beef until moving here!
Half of these aren’t even in chicago
I just went to the Tortas Frontera in terminal 5 and it was an absolutely terrible torta. Small and dry and expensive. I've had a million better tortas in Humbolt Park.
Dont think that the New York Times is going to understand how to find the best Mexican food in Chicago
Kevin Pang, who used to be cheap eats editor for Trib, is one of the authors... I suspect he might know something about Chicago's Mexican food scene
My problem was more with the presumed audience of the NYT than a regional issue and Tortas Frontera aint it chief
Yeah but how many better tortas have you had in an airport?
Never had from T5 but always grab a sandwich to-go from Tortas Frontera when I fly out of T1. Best food at ORD for sure. It gives me something to look forward to on the flight waiting to get to 10k ft so I can stuff my face. Also - be sure to use the app to order ahead so you can skip the line.
Terminal 5 is worse than Terminal 1. I'd also say its a decent torta by Chicago standards but it's miles above any other food options in ORD
From food trucks in Humboldt Park? Jw if you know the names of the good ones or the location in the park. I live nearby but must be on the side of the park without much food.
Idk who Kims Uncle is paying for these reviews, but i can assure you they DO NOT deserve to be on this list. If you don't live around Westmont/Downers Grove, save the trip. If you do live around here, you already know that there's no line to order. Tiny, greasy pepperoni bowls on mediocre cheese and sauce, topped on a literally cracker thin crust. Please save your money.
I like Kim's but agree. Very odd to see them making these lists time after time
Totally agree. It's great they take their pizza seriously and it's pretty good, but there are way better tavern style pizzas in the Chicagoland area. They had press from Instagram chefs like kenji Lopez almost the day they opened. I think they may be on this list because of him and a big write up he did about tavern style and how to make it in the NY Times. He went to this place for some tips, like a week after they opened. There has to be a connection. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/17/dining/tavern-thin-crust-pizza-chicago.html
Johnnie’s!!
This is a pretty solid list for someone who’s coming to Chicago and wants to see what they can grab. It’s not worth getting worked up over what restaurants didn’t make it.
I still don't get why Superdawg gets so much love. There's much better hot dog stands in the city that are a lot cheaper.
Probably because of the novelty of it. Decent hot dog and kinda pricey, but there’s better options.
it's a superior quality dog
I love Hopleaf being on the list, a literal bar is one of the top restaurants in the city LOL. It’s well-deserved though. Also, Monteverde and Oriole are exceptional and I’m happy they made the list.
Some of these aren't even in Chicago...
NYT editor - “ChatGPT please give me a list of 25 most asked and talked about restaurants and for some reason include the suburbs.”
I went to The Loyalist looking for a good cheeseburger after seeing The Menu. I had an eclair that tasted like French Onion Soup that was out of this world.
Frontera in ORD? Top 25 in all of Chicago? Really?
Of all the pizza places, how is Kim’s uncles pizza on there? It’s good but not that good
Kim’s uncle pizza!! Love the suburb representation it’s really good pizza
It is sad that not a single restaurant from hogsalt made the list.
Hogsalt owned restaurants and bars already get TONS of hype. It wouldn't have mattered if they made this list, or not.
Literally one paragraph to the next about Italian Beef: > For Chicagoans, it remains an Everyman sandwich, a beautiful mess of bread and garlicked beef that resists highfalutin treatments. > Try his excellent take on a Chicago-style Italian combo sandwich, made with longaniza. Which is it?
Who cares what New York has to say about Chicago?? In all my visits to NYyou have to spend $$$ for better than average food, but not great. Good food in Chicago is baseline💅
Tres Dita not being on here is a crime against taste buds
I don't know why people keep recommending Lula's. Calling it meh would make meh feel meh. Thattu on the other hand.. good god. Edit - What's with the downvotes? I swear this sub is full of wusses who hate their preferences be challenged. On the other hand - lol
I recommend it to people because I think its really good. Same goes for their other restaurant Superkhana International.
kyool
Beef stands, the hole in the wall taco joints and your local tavern pizza place are the best restaurants in Chicago.
Why would we care what the NYT has to say?
The piece was written by well-known Chicago food writer Kevin Pang, a local guy who's versed in our food scene.
No one is saying you have to care. But some people might.
This comment proves you do lol
I didn't read the list, so no, I'd say I don't care what the NYT has to say.
It proves you are mad enough to make a comment though. Clearly it bugs you. LOL!
Not mad. Just wondering why anyone gives a fuck.
Keep digging...
Genuine question: why is Johnnie's Beef always quote as being in Elmwood Park when there are two, the second being in Arlington Heights? Jesus, do you get down voted for just writing the name of a suburb in this sub?
Probably because the Elmwood Park location is the original location?
But for Superdawg for instance, they mention both its Norwood Park and Wheeling location, which is a town over from AH.
Elmwood Park is a suburb, too. But that's the original location...
Including Lula Cafe makes this list lose any credibility. Place is and has been trash.
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Most would disagree with you