181 Best Restaurants in Chicago, Illinois

Neighborhood foodies flock to this minimalist dining room for handmade pastas dressed in the season’s best produce and kooky but quaffable cocktails like a margarita infused with fermented mushrooms. At lunchtime there’s an excellent roster of rustic sandwiches.

Northwestern students and suits line up here for burgers (ground in-house), nine kinds of french fries (try the ones with truffle salt and Parmesan), and spicy Mexican-chocolate shakes.

A wood-fired hearth comprises the primary cooking equipment here, and many of chef Danny Grant’s dishes, from pizza to pork collar, take their turn getting kissed by the flames. Brunch adds another layer of deliciousness with flaky, gooey treats from locally revered pastry chef Aya Fukai.

You might not expect romance at the top of the Chicago Stock Exchange, but at Everest, there are sweeping westward views of the city's sprawl, the service is impeccable, and the prix fixe menu is French with an Alsatian bent. The space, where modern sculpture melds with art nouveau, is an elegant place to settle in for a luxurious meal.

This all-day counter service spot crosses Lebanese and Mexican flavors with some kooky notions (halloumi tacos, baklava blended into a milk shake), to fun and tasty results. It’s situated in cheerful digs a stone’s throw from Lincoln Park Zoo--a good place to walk off overindulgence guilt.

Gaucho-clad servers parade through the dining room brandishing carved-to-order fire-roasted meats at this Brazilian churrascaria. The Full Churrasco Experience starts at  $57.95 and the first stop should be the lavish Market Table with an array of seasonal salads, antipasti, and charcuterie; then, using a plate-side poker-chip-like disc, you signal green for "go" to bring on the selection of meats, stopped only by flipping your chip to red, for "stop” though you can restart as often as you like.

Chef Zachary Engel has established himself as a critical favorite for his approach to Middle Eastern cuisine, which merges fine dining technique with big flavors and a disarming sense of humor that’s telegraphed through cheeky menu descriptions (e.g., tehina hummus with “way too much olive oil”).

Lines form early and stay throughout the day. The popcorn is so popular that there are several other Chicago outlets plus branches in Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and Malaysia.

Grab a seasonal brew and watch a game on the big screen, fill up on yummy Chicago deep-dish pizza, or catch a nightly stand-up comedy act at the graffiti-covered Gino's East.

The name means "game" in Italian, and the restaurant fulfills the promise not with venison, but in the spirit of having fun. The decor is distressed-urban, with brick walls and well-worn hardwood floors—the space is said to have been used by the Chicago gangsters of early 1900s as a gambling house. But the menu is comfort-Italian, with dishes ranging from pizzas and homemade linguine with Manila clams to rustic fare like grilled Colorado lamb chops, and roasted branzino with puttanesca sauce. It's a cozy, neighborhoody spot that keeps the regulars coming back.

Tasty sandwiches and salads that please vegans and carnivores alike are served at Goddess and Grocer.

Tasting menus tend to come with sky-high prices, but that's not the case at this welcoming BYOB spot in nearby Bridgeport, where $35 gets you four courses served in a sleek, comfortable dining room. The menu is eclectic, and skews toward Chinese dishes and flavors, though there are other global influences as well among the creative offerings.

Back to basics soul food is what you’ll get at Harold’s, which has been serving made-to-order fried chicken since the 1950s and has locations all over the city. The chicken dinner is a half or a quarter chicken (white meat, dark meat, or “regular,” which is a mix), fries, 2 pieces of white bread, and a cup of coleslaw. With Chicago-styled fried chicken, the sauce is drizzled over the chicken and fries so that everything soaks up the sauce.”

Famed Cubs announcer Harry Caray died in 1998, but his legend lives on as fans continue to pour into the namesake restaurant—where Harry frequently held court—for Italian-American specialties, prime steaks and chops, and ice-cold martinis. If you're looking for a classic Chicago spot to catch a game, the generally thronged bar serves items off the restaurant menu; you can also follow the summer crowds to Navy Pier and the Harry Caray's outpost there.

Every day is Mardi Gras at Heaven on Seven, which pursues a good time all the time. The restaurant has a menu centered on a daring collection of hot sauces, and the food is plentiful and filling. Some guests find the menu too spicy for their kids, but would go back for the well-priced Mardi Gras jambalaya, fried oyster po'boy, cheese grits, and chicory coffee. Cheddar-jalapeño biscuits and chocolate peanut-butter pie are great menu bookends.

This Loop legend is famous for casual Cajun breakfasts and lunches that have area office workers gladly lining up to be served.

This place was named to invoke the pre-chain days when cafés were forums for discussion, but the long, broad farmer's tables and handsome couches are usually occupied by students and other serious types who treat the café like their office. Intelligentsia does all of its own coffee roasting and sells its house blends to local restaurants. The North Broadway branch is one of six citywide.

Power up after a brisk walk on the adjacent 606 trail with nitro drafts and lattes brewed with the shop's own range of beans. There are sandwiches and mini donuts to snack on during the day, and a curated selection of local beers to lubricate customers come happy hour.

This BYOB Costa Rican spot has been going strong since 1990, thanks to its range of empanadas, mixed grill platters, and sandwiches that offer good value but don’t skimp on flavor. The casual, brightly colored dining room and patio call to mind a laid-back beach shack--a welcome vision during Chicago’s rough winters.