This spot has been around a while, but its new Boarding House lunch (with juicy fried chicken) hearty brunch platters and dishes culled from decades and centuries-old recipes has given it new life. Read more.
Hopleaf is well known for its huge beer selection—which is well deserved—yet the interesting takes on Belgian food is also a main reason crowds continue to pack the Andersonville spot. Read more.
The longtime family-owned spot serves Chicago's best bowl of pho, but there are a seemingly unlimited amount of finds on the 200-item menu full of soups, noodle dishes, rice, banh mi, and much more. Read more.
When we want to eat with our hands and sop up spicy Ethiopian sauces and tender doro wat and vegetables we head north to Uptown. Tip: they roast their own coffee, too. Read more.
The trendier Neapolitan pizza gets, the more you're reminded who does it best in Chicago. Come for Jonathan Goldsmith's perfectly charred pies from his custom-built oven. Read more.
With two smokers to prep meaty St. Louis-style ribs, tender brisket, apple-and-oak-smoked pulled pork and more, this 'cue joint ain't no joke. Read more.
Beverly Kim and John Clark's Korean-American restaurant in Avondale is one of the most critically-acclaimed, original, and best-done restaurants in some time. Read more.
It may not serve your momma's fried chicken—with bones, skin, et al—but Honey Butter has been making swaths of Chicagoans feel like kids again when they dip their birds in that honey butter. Read more.
Former underground chef Abraham Conlon has reached the big time with his creative take on Macau cuisine. Try the pickle assortments and namesake "fat rice." Read more.
This cult favorite British-inspired gastropub has a much better beer selection and the fish and chips are nearly as good as across the pond, and the burger is easily one of the best in Chicago. Read more.
Pequod's pies are of the pan variety, a deep doughy pizza that includes an addictive and lauded crispy caramelized crust made from baking cheese on the outside to give it a look that may appear burnt. Read more.
Before Logan Square had Longman & Eagle, it had Lula Café. More than a decade on, it's easy to see why people flock for its locally sourced menu, Sunday brunch and Monday night farm dinners. Read more.
While the savory food and the drinks are very good, the sweets and the hot chocolates are predictably not to be missed from an owner with a James Beard award for best pastry chef. Read more.
Now a decade old, the Boka Group's flagship restaurant is better than ever following a reboot that added chef Lee Wolen and a stunning remodel. Read more.
Food obsessives make pilgrimages from around the globe to the 10-year-old Lincoln Park restaurant to experience Achatz's emotional, interactive and expensive tasting menus. Read more.
Paul Kahan and co. bring Tex-Mex comfort food to a traditional diner environment, adding a standout mezcal selection and soul music wafting from a turntable. Try the fried chicken and torta ahogada. Read more.
Creative, eclectic, delicious takes on Asian street food, cocktails, and a lively patio. Don't miss the everything wings, General Tso's lamb sweetbreads, and the Korean-style stuffed cabbage. Read more.
Chicago's steakhouse tradition may be best experienced at Gibson's, the swanky Gold Coast institution that Eater readers voted the best steakhouse in America's meatiest city. Read more.
Boeufhaus is sort of the anti-steakhouse, serving delicious food such as short rib beignets, a standout wine list and a deli and meat counter during the day, all in a hip space. Read more.
Even if you can't sit on the city's best patio all year, chef Tony Priolo's pizzas, housemade pastas and grilled meats make a trip worth it even in the dead of winter. Read more.
Whether you're looking for hot dogs or Italian beef, very few places offer up that kind of greasy iconic Chicago-style street food better than the classic food hall-esque Portillo's on Ontario Street. Read more.
Under the direction of chef Jimmy Papadopolous, Boho honors Chicago's extensive Eastern European heritage with some of the most creative and tasty versions of that region's dishes in a gorgeous space. Read more.
The father-and-son Bannos duo's restaurant is a torch bearer for mediterranean small plates and charcuterie, and perhaps the best restaurant on the touristy Magnificent Mile. Be prepared for a wait. Read more.
Rick Bayless' Mexican haven, including Xoco on the corner, is a Chicago institution spawning spinoffs around the globe of south of the border fare from street food to high end. Read more.
Chef/owner John Manion continues to crank out empanadas and other chef-driven Latin fare among the big boys on Fulton Market. A fresh remodeling and inventive cocktails complete the experience. Read more.
A few years in, Paul Kahan's temple to pork and shellfish remains strong, with chef Cosmo Goss taking over for Brian Huston in the kitchen. Read more.
Duffy and his kitchen's tasting menus exude nearly unparalleled precision and refinement, while partner Michael Muser's wine and service are equally destination-worthy. Read more.
The quality of food—crispy potato hash with duck heart gravy; foie gras, scrambled eggs and toast; and those damn tasty griddled burgers—puts this spot in a new category. Read more.
Sepia continues to be one of the most consistent restaurants in Chicago. Andrew Zimmerman's menus paired with a cutting-edge beverage program makes it a complete experience. Read more.
The pastas are the stars, such as cannelloni saltimbocca with merguez, manchego cheese, peas, harissa, and balsamico, many of which are made on a small demonstration stage of sorts behind the bar. Read more.
The torchbearer for a dying breed of Jewish delis and diners in Chicago, Manny's has endured for more than a half-century in the South Loop thanks to massive and delicious pastrami sandwiches. Read more.
One of America's most innovative fine-dining restaurants, where 13-15 courses can include "culinary cocaine," a solid "White Russian" topped with caviar, and more mind-blowing delights. Read more.
Tackle one of the best burgers in town at the bar, embark on a journey through a decadent eight-course menu, or satisfy a sweets craving with a creative dessert tasting menu. Read more.
A landmark Bohemian building in Pilsen turned into a creative beer-themed restaurant, a basement punch-focused bar and a concert hall. Don't miss the "Juicy Lucy" and the General Tso's sweetbreads. Read more.
Head to this massive complex in Chinatown square for perhaps the best dim sum in Chicago. There's also a new location in Lakeshore East. Read more.
Kevin Hickey's personal passion project has garnered local and national accolades even the chef/owner didn't foresee. Don't miss the duck fat hot dog, the rotisserie duck, or the cocktails. Read more.
Consistently lauded as some of the best tacos in the country, venture to the southwest side for some of the best goat and other standout dishes like consomme at this small father-and-son standout. Read more.
When you need your fried seafood or smoked fish fix, hit this James Beard-recognized, Anthony Bourdain-endorsed classic Chicago fish house on the Far South Side. Read more.
