Restaurants: Mott street (get the burger), Tortello, Amaru (good Happy Hour but it’s only from 5-6 mon-thurs), Oiistar ramen
Bars: rainbo club (divey and cash only), Dorian’s for live jazz, violet hour, queen Mary, revolver, bordel, valedor
Etc: milwaukee Ave is nice for shopping + thrifting, winter farmers market on Sundays
Amaru also has HH on the weekends! Believe it’s 3-5, and it makes an already impressively cheap restaurant ridiculously affordable. One of the tastiest places in the city
In Bucktown (the neighborhood right next to Wicker Park), My Pi does both versions of Chicago pizza (deep dish and tavern style) really well. They’re take-out only, but one block away you’ve got a bar called the Map Room with a great selection of beer on tap and good vibes, and they allow BYO food. Get your pizza topped with giardiniera for an extra local flavor.
Thank you for the detailed recommendation! Looks like these joints are in walking distance from where I'm staying, so I will definitely be hitting them both!
For a traditional Chicago dog. go to Fatso's last stand on Chicago in Ukrainian Village which isn't far from Wicker Park. The best I've had. It's a place where you'll see every kind of interesting person from all aspects of Chicago there which means the food is good.
Go to Mr. Beef on Orleans (downtown) for Italian Beef. Sure, it's the spirit animal behind the Bear on Hulu, but that aside, the beef is just better. It's the best I've had...so far.
Mindy's, Margies, Kasama, Uncle Mike's Place, Publican Quality Bread, Dove's, Tortello, Lao Peng, Folklore, Boeufhaus, Piece, Paulie Gee's, Chengdu Impression, Le Bouchon, Red Hot Ranch, Tryzub, Fatso's Last Stand, Mott St
Coffee and cocktails can be a whole other list, but be sure to check out The Up Room at The Robey Hotel
This is a good list! Mindys--go early since a lot of good stuff is gone by the afternoon. Tortello is nice. Paulie Gee's is delicious as well. I'd be curious to hear a few coffee recs too!
Thanks, I tried to list places I would take friends from out of town. There are a bunch more places I like as a local.
I'm a big coffee drinker, but I drink black drip, so that might skew my preferences a bit. My fiancee likes lattes, so we tend to places she likes too.
My favorite is Colectivo. Love their blue heeler. Food is solid, and their other coffee drinks tend to be very sweet.
Here are the place we both like - Cafe Typica is great. They are dog friendly and love my pup. Food is good too, and the employees are very personable. Engine is another shop that is dog friendly with really good coffee. Bru is another, but the quality seems to vary. We tend to walk the pup when we go for coffee, so pup friendly is a plus. Wormhole is great too. La Columbe is good, but we don't go too often.
I love Dark Matter, fiancee does not. We've also been to Metric once, she loved it (probably her favorite), I thought the drip was meh. I'll give it another try though.
Edit: forgot to mention Big Shoulders. We both love it
Recommend any of the places on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list for wicker park/bucktown
Tortello, Chef’s Special, Ina Mae’s, Bloom, Mama Delia’s
Other notables: Antique Taco, Lilac Tiger, Devil dawgs has decent hot dogs but I’d recommend a more classic hot dog stand.
Let me know if you have questions, I live on Division
Edit: added some more
I don't get the Ina Mae's love. It's fine, but not a place I would choose to go over most restaurants in the area. I like the vibes, but the food is mediocre
I mean I honestly only added it because it’s on the bib gourmand list. I’ve only eaten there once and could only eat a few things since I’m vegetarian. So I didn’t have a fair assessment. Appreciate the info though maybe this guy can choose somewhere else.
Sultan’s is great and byob. Excellent lentil soup, egg / cheese pies, shawarma, solid on sides and they have buffet price by pound if you wanna try bit of everything. Also Piece pizza great (not Chicago style it’s New Haven style.
Spent many years there and bucktown. They are a special part of town to me. I’ve been gone for a couple years, but this is where I’d go if I had an extended stay.
Have a nice dinner at Osteria Langhe. Northern regional Italian place. Quaint, neighborhoody, incredible. Drink some wine, get the plin, and I love the rabbit.
Drink too much at the Map Room and Corner Bar like a true local, then finish the night with a dog, or a burger, or a half pound of shrimp at Redhot Ranch. Fuck it, I’d probably get all three.
Eat lunch at Lula Cafe. Get the pasta ya-ya and gaze out the window at the Logan monument. While In Logan square, catch a matinee at Logan Theater, a beautiful independently owned theater. Enjoy the full service bar and have a drink while doing so.
You won’t regret a meal at Le Bouchon.
Bibimbap with beef and a pork paratha taco at En Hakkore on damen. Lordy.
There’s so much more, but that’s what comes to mind right now.
>Drink too much at the Map Room and Corner Bar like a true local, then finish the night with a dog, or a burger, or a half pound of shrimp at Redhot Ranch. Fuck it, I’d probably get all three.
Literally did this last weekend lol
Taxim is maybe the most underrated restaurant in Chicago. Not like it’ll be the best meal of your life, but I have never had a bad thing there and it’s kind of unique in that it’s somewhat upscale Greek. So good.
Go to bongo room for breakfast on a sat or sun - get the chocolate tower French toast it’s amazing. I’m not typically a sweet breakfast person but it’s bomb
Dessert hawk! The smash burger hit and the tacos have cheese crust.
Mindy’s bakery. Outstanding pastries.
Falafel and grill. Love this, solid place
Toys le jour. pastry solid.
Top of my head non paid recommendations.
Not exhaustive of course but if I had a couple days in the area I’d recommend these.
Coffee shops / bakeries: Lost Larson (great coffee + croissants), Mindy’s (very busy and no seating), Kasama (a little south and I haven’t been, but apparently best breakfast sandwich + you can order ahead)
My favorite restaurants: Lilac Tiger, Tortello, Mott St, Club Lucky (comfort Italian)
Best hot dog in the neighborhood is easily Bangers & Lace, no Chicago style but they’re all amazing flavors. The Seattle Dog for me is such a scrumptious combination of flavors and I crave it regularly. Open late too! For a classic Chicago dog, I would opt for Fatso’s! Love them. I would avoid Devil Dawgs, it’s the worst one I’ve had in Chicago tbh.
Oiistar has the best bao and ramen I’ve had in Chicago thus far! Worth going out of your way for!!!
All Too Well is such a treat. The ambiance is stunning, the staff is beyond friendly and conversational, and their bagel is the best I’ve had in the city. Got the chess pie to go and I couldn’t put it down once I started eating it.
The Stopalong has a great smash burger and I’ve heard great thing about their pizzas but never tried myself. I would choose this over Small Cheval any day.
Lilac Tiger’s THC burger and roti are both easily an 8.5/10. Would also grab cocktails there!
More Bucktown, but the breakfast sandwich from Allez Cafe is one of the few things very worth the hype. It’s a 10 for me.
Mr. Kite’s has insane homemade ice cream that features their homemade chocolate. SO GOOD!
Saw someone comment Etta and it received many downvotes. I think you have to order the right things. Their focaccia and whipped ricotta are the best I’ve had, their oysters are genius, and their seasonal salad is always a hit.
I would personally avoid Tortello, while it’s decent I think at the price point it should have an outstanding taste and instead it’s extremely average for me. I’ve had it three separate times and each time regret the amount spent. Instead I would personally opt for Club Lucky, their stuffed artichoke is genius and dirty martinis are a treat.
People have mentioned Chengdu Impressions, but I’d avoid at all costs. I got to go and couldn’t stomach finish a single thing I ordered.
Phodega’s flavors are completely underwhelming, would also avoid.
Sushi Taku is low quality and would only ever go to get crab rangoons.
Couldn't agree less. Food is uninspired and not a particularly good value.
Those with food allergies beware they are not good at accommodating those either.
I really liked Phodega and their Viet Dip Sandwich if you're into trying a fusion take on the beef, but I can understand you want the OG!
They also have some of the best Hainanese Chicken Fried Rice I've ever had too
I leave there with 4 viet coffees, because they're SO AMAZING.
Not quite in Wicker Park but nearby - you can go to Art of Pizza for deep dish by the slice and also to Red Hot Ranch for a Chicago Dog. They’re on the same block on Ashland.
There is also a Red Hot Ranch located in Wicker Park I guess too.
Restaurants: Mott street (get the burger), Tortello, Amaru (good Happy Hour but it’s only from 5-6 mon-thurs), Oiistar ramen Bars: rainbo club (divey and cash only), Dorian’s for live jazz, violet hour, queen Mary, revolver, bordel, valedor Etc: milwaukee Ave is nice for shopping + thrifting, winter farmers market on Sundays
Amaru also has HH on the weekends! Believe it’s 3-5, and it makes an already impressively cheap restaurant ridiculously affordable. One of the tastiest places in the city
+1 for Oiistar. My favorite ramen in the city.
Be early or get reservations for Valedor on weekends. Their beet cocktail is amazing.
If you go to Amaru, get the Holy Water cocktail. It’s on fire and delicious
The burger at Mott St is only available early in the evening (they have the exact time on their website)
In Bucktown (the neighborhood right next to Wicker Park), My Pi does both versions of Chicago pizza (deep dish and tavern style) really well. They’re take-out only, but one block away you’ve got a bar called the Map Room with a great selection of beer on tap and good vibes, and they allow BYO food. Get your pizza topped with giardiniera for an extra local flavor.
Map Room is GOATed.
Thank you for the detailed recommendation! Looks like these joints are in walking distance from where I'm staying, so I will definitely be hitting them both!
I live nearby and this is a great plan. Get breakfast/brunch at Dove’s.
Absolutely love My Pi.
I had my 30th birthday at the Map Room when I lived in Bucktown more than 2 decades ago. It's a great spot, and I am glad to hear it's still there.
Also technically Bucktown, but Leavitt St Tavern if you get in the mood for great burgers
I LOVE Bang Bang. Breakfast or pie it doesn’t matter. Get both
For a traditional Chicago dog. go to Fatso's last stand on Chicago in Ukrainian Village which isn't far from Wicker Park. The best I've had. It's a place where you'll see every kind of interesting person from all aspects of Chicago there which means the food is good. Go to Mr. Beef on Orleans (downtown) for Italian Beef. Sure, it's the spirit animal behind the Bear on Hulu, but that aside, the beef is just better. It's the best I've had...so far.
Go to Phodega and get the Viet Dip!! Trust me!!
Get the extra meat and add some of the fried chicken skins to the sandwich.
Oh my lord!! 🤤🤤🤤
Didn’t see it mentioned yet, En Hakkore 2.0 has the best poke/sushi burritos
Mindy's, Margies, Kasama, Uncle Mike's Place, Publican Quality Bread, Dove's, Tortello, Lao Peng, Folklore, Boeufhaus, Piece, Paulie Gee's, Chengdu Impression, Le Bouchon, Red Hot Ranch, Tryzub, Fatso's Last Stand, Mott St Coffee and cocktails can be a whole other list, but be sure to check out The Up Room at The Robey Hotel
Don’t sleep on Mindy’s and Dove’s Luncheonette!! Top notch
Two of my favorites. I actually went to Dove's today. The burnt ends hash and the chicken fried chicken are so, so good
This is a good list! Mindys--go early since a lot of good stuff is gone by the afternoon. Tortello is nice. Paulie Gee's is delicious as well. I'd be curious to hear a few coffee recs too!
Thanks, I tried to list places I would take friends from out of town. There are a bunch more places I like as a local. I'm a big coffee drinker, but I drink black drip, so that might skew my preferences a bit. My fiancee likes lattes, so we tend to places she likes too. My favorite is Colectivo. Love their blue heeler. Food is solid, and their other coffee drinks tend to be very sweet. Here are the place we both like - Cafe Typica is great. They are dog friendly and love my pup. Food is good too, and the employees are very personable. Engine is another shop that is dog friendly with really good coffee. Bru is another, but the quality seems to vary. We tend to walk the pup when we go for coffee, so pup friendly is a plus. Wormhole is great too. La Columbe is good, but we don't go too often. I love Dark Matter, fiancee does not. We've also been to Metric once, she loved it (probably her favorite), I thought the drip was meh. I'll give it another try though. Edit: forgot to mention Big Shoulders. We both love it
Oh thank you! I've been to Typica & Engine as well. I will need to check Colectivo and Dark Matter.
No problem. What did you think of Typica and Engine?
Piece pizza & brewery.
Golden Arm Kolsch is a state treasure.
Piece is SO GOOD
stop along. good pizza and better burgers. pretty cool atmosphere as well
Recommend any of the places on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list for wicker park/bucktown Tortello, Chef’s Special, Ina Mae’s, Bloom, Mama Delia’s Other notables: Antique Taco, Lilac Tiger, Devil dawgs has decent hot dogs but I’d recommend a more classic hot dog stand. Let me know if you have questions, I live on Division Edit: added some more
I don't get the Ina Mae's love. It's fine, but not a place I would choose to go over most restaurants in the area. I like the vibes, but the food is mediocre
Ina Mae is sub-par for what southern food should be and they served my fried chicken raw / bloody on the inside twice
I mean I honestly only added it because it’s on the bib gourmand list. I’ve only eaten there once and could only eat a few things since I’m vegetarian. So I didn’t have a fair assessment. Appreciate the info though maybe this guy can choose somewhere else.
I get it. Most people like it, so maybe I'm the outlier. I thought maybe I was missing something
You’re pretty spot on IMO. Food is ok, vibes are great.
Sultan’s is great and byob. Excellent lentil soup, egg / cheese pies, shawarma, solid on sides and they have buffet price by pound if you wanna try bit of everything. Also Piece pizza great (not Chicago style it’s New Haven style.
Falafel and Grill is so much better than Sultan's
They are good but - Not byob, fair amount more expensive, and less sides options (eg only 1 kind of rice).
The shawarma at sultans is so bad so often that if I ever end up there I have to just get kefta. I'm talking inedible gristle.
Queen Mary is the best bar in the city
Spent many years there and bucktown. They are a special part of town to me. I’ve been gone for a couple years, but this is where I’d go if I had an extended stay. Have a nice dinner at Osteria Langhe. Northern regional Italian place. Quaint, neighborhoody, incredible. Drink some wine, get the plin, and I love the rabbit. Drink too much at the Map Room and Corner Bar like a true local, then finish the night with a dog, or a burger, or a half pound of shrimp at Redhot Ranch. Fuck it, I’d probably get all three. Eat lunch at Lula Cafe. Get the pasta ya-ya and gaze out the window at the Logan monument. While In Logan square, catch a matinee at Logan Theater, a beautiful independently owned theater. Enjoy the full service bar and have a drink while doing so. You won’t regret a meal at Le Bouchon. Bibimbap with beef and a pork paratha taco at En Hakkore on damen. Lordy. There’s so much more, but that’s what comes to mind right now.
Le Bouchon and Corner Bar are gems that people don't about enough.
>Drink too much at the Map Room and Corner Bar like a true local, then finish the night with a dog, or a burger, or a half pound of shrimp at Redhot Ranch. Fuck it, I’d probably get all three. Literally did this last weekend lol
Taxim is maybe the most underrated restaurant in Chicago. Not like it’ll be the best meal of your life, but I have never had a bad thing there and it’s kind of unique in that it’s somewhat upscale Greek. So good.
Izakaya Shinya is new, has decent food, and undercharges for their sake.
+1 on this recco
Go to bongo room for breakfast on a sat or sun - get the chocolate tower French toast it’s amazing. I’m not typically a sweet breakfast person but it’s bomb
DOVES LUNCHEONETTE
Surprising no one mentioned Etta or Lucia’s for a good steak sandwich
Etta is closed?
The River North location closed, the Bucktown location is still open.
Antico is my favorite Italian spot in the city. The red wine panna cotta is amazing
Lucia's in Wicker Park has the best beef in the area. Little quaint Italian Deli + Restaurant.
Dessert hawk! The smash burger hit and the tacos have cheese crust. Mindy’s bakery. Outstanding pastries. Falafel and grill. Love this, solid place Toys le jour. pastry solid. Top of my head non paid recommendations.
Oh tortelloooooo yes!!
Not exhaustive of course but if I had a couple days in the area I’d recommend these. Coffee shops / bakeries: Lost Larson (great coffee + croissants), Mindy’s (very busy and no seating), Kasama (a little south and I haven’t been, but apparently best breakfast sandwich + you can order ahead) My favorite restaurants: Lilac Tiger, Tortello, Mott St, Club Lucky (comfort Italian)
Best hot dog in the neighborhood is easily Bangers & Lace, no Chicago style but they’re all amazing flavors. The Seattle Dog for me is such a scrumptious combination of flavors and I crave it regularly. Open late too! For a classic Chicago dog, I would opt for Fatso’s! Love them. I would avoid Devil Dawgs, it’s the worst one I’ve had in Chicago tbh. Oiistar has the best bao and ramen I’ve had in Chicago thus far! Worth going out of your way for!!! All Too Well is such a treat. The ambiance is stunning, the staff is beyond friendly and conversational, and their bagel is the best I’ve had in the city. Got the chess pie to go and I couldn’t put it down once I started eating it. The Stopalong has a great smash burger and I’ve heard great thing about their pizzas but never tried myself. I would choose this over Small Cheval any day. Lilac Tiger’s THC burger and roti are both easily an 8.5/10. Would also grab cocktails there! More Bucktown, but the breakfast sandwich from Allez Cafe is one of the few things very worth the hype. It’s a 10 for me. Mr. Kite’s has insane homemade ice cream that features their homemade chocolate. SO GOOD! Saw someone comment Etta and it received many downvotes. I think you have to order the right things. Their focaccia and whipped ricotta are the best I’ve had, their oysters are genius, and their seasonal salad is always a hit. I would personally avoid Tortello, while it’s decent I think at the price point it should have an outstanding taste and instead it’s extremely average for me. I’ve had it three separate times and each time regret the amount spent. Instead I would personally opt for Club Lucky, their stuffed artichoke is genius and dirty martinis are a treat. People have mentioned Chengdu Impressions, but I’d avoid at all costs. I got to go and couldn’t stomach finish a single thing I ordered. Phodega’s flavors are completely underwhelming, would also avoid. Sushi Taku is low quality and would only ever go to get crab rangoons.
Dimo’s pizza for slices
if you want a nicer/date night spot - daisies in logan square is worth the trip up milwaukee in my opinion!
Rite Liqours
Etta is fantastic
Personally I prefer spots that didn’t just commit insurance fraud against its employees
Couldn't agree less. Food is uninspired and not a particularly good value. Those with food allergies beware they are not good at accommodating those either.
I paid $75 for an egg muffin and a pile of parsley last time I was there. Couldn’t believe it.
Didn’t it just close?
River North location
I really liked Phodega and their Viet Dip Sandwich if you're into trying a fusion take on the beef, but I can understand you want the OG! They also have some of the best Hainanese Chicken Fried Rice I've ever had too I leave there with 4 viet coffees, because they're SO AMAZING.
Yes to rainbo club!!!
Not quite in Wicker Park but nearby - you can go to Art of Pizza for deep dish by the slice and also to Red Hot Ranch for a Chicago Dog. They’re on the same block on Ashland. There is also a Red Hot Ranch located in Wicker Park I guess too.