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All Places
Name
Description
My Notes
Tags
Neighborhood
MUST go
Map
Website
Type
1
Lardon
Charcuterie spot
Awesome (in-house!) charcuterie & aperitifs
Logan Square
Food
2
Pequod’s Pizza
Deep dish stalwart
THE place for deep dish in Chicago. Hands down. Alternately you can go to in Morton Grove if you’re in the burbs, which has similar origins (sort of the same place).
@Burt’s Place
deep dish
Lincoln Park
Food
3
Lou Malnati’s
Deep dish local chain (the superior one)
If you’re in a pinch & can’t get to Pequod’s. In no circumstances should it be necessary to go to the other chain that starts with “G” and ends with “don’t go there”.
deep dish
River North
Wicker Park
Gold Coast
Food
4
Jibaritos y mas
Neighborhood jibarito spot
Jibaritos are a classicly Chicago (but Puerto Rican-inspired) sandwich with plantains instead of bread. if you don’t believe me.
Logan Square
Food
5
Lula Cafe
Logan brunch classic
Very popular brunch spot in Logan Square
brunch
Logan Square
Food
7
Small Cheval
Sister spot to Au Cheval with burgers — way less wait
Easier way to get one of Chicago’s best burgers — and while you’re at it, take a stroll on
@The 606
burgers
Logan Square
Food
8
The 606
Chicago’s version of the high line
If you’re in the area for a stroll and it’s a nice day, it’s a great place to walk
outdoors
Logan Square
Recreation
9
Dove’s luncheonette
Diner
Can’t remember if I’ve been here but it’s supposed to be good and a Wicker Park classic
brunch
cocktails
diner
Wicker Park
Food
10
Wormhole Coffee
Famous hipster coffee shop
I’ll ruin the surprise — it’s famous because there’s a Dolorean on the ceiling. Good coffee, very hipster despite Wicker being gentrified away from the hipsters.
coffee
Wicker Park
Food
11
Myopic Books
Funky lil used books store
Has the classic Wicker hipster bookstore vibe — nice to pop in if you’re strolling down Milwaukee to get a sense of what the neighborhood is all about
bookstore
Wicker Park
Store
12
Subterranean
Music venue
Used to go to this music venue all the time in high school <3 nice smaller place for music
music
Wicker Park
Music venues
13
Paulie Gee’s
Pizza, Detroit style
LOVE their Detroit-style pizza. Do not get any other style of pizza here because that is sooooo good. There’s a comparable place in DC called Red Light. You should try their pizza too.
pizza
Logan Square
Wicker Park
Food
14
The Whale
Brunch, lunch, cocktails
Could be lit for brunch, fun to watch big groups who are all dressed up for brunch but you don’t need to be.
brunch
Logan Square
Food
15
Estereo
Cocktail bar
People really like to go here — I think it’s nice & great (pricey) drinks, but not worth a long wait it
cocktails
Logan Square
Nightlife
16
The Whistler
Cocktails & music (check the website for what kind)
On my friends’ list of their favorite bars. There’s always dancing but at the same time you can order fancy cocktails. That’s a fun night out. Hipsters & normal people alike, mostly all young, having a good time. This is Chicago.
cocktails
dancing
Logan Square
Nightlife
17
Emporium
Barcade
In Fulton Market, this is a cool spot. The one in Logan is 🤷 — there are a lot cooler spots around.
I do have coins though 👀
barcade
Fulton Market
Logan Square
Wicker Park
Food
18
Chicago Distilling Company
Distillery with a bar that serves gin & whiskey cocktails
I’m really into their gin & they have great gin cocktails
cocktails
Logan Square
Food
19
Cafe Mustache
Quirky local bar
Now this is that Chicago hipster you’re lookin for — weird place with interesting characters. Might be a good place to try Malort. Could be empty, could be full, who could know.
cocktails
coffee
Logan Square
Nightlife
20
Cafe con Leche
Latin fusion
My sister likes this place
brunch
Logan Square
Food
21
Beauty Bar
Nightclub
Fun dancing, nice clubby night out without the fancy-ness of a club. I feel like there’s one in New York, not sure.
dancing
West Town
Nightlife
22
Beatnik
Cool big restaurant with nice vibes
I’ve only been to the West Town location, so only going to add that to the list for now, but LOVE the vibes at this place. Really cool and interesting and makes for a very fun chill with friends to eat slowly and take in the atmosphere (pricey-ish).
brunch
lunch
West Town
Food
23
Hoosier Mama Pie Company
Pie shop
Incredible pies — plan in advance so they aren’t sold out of what you want
pies
West Town
Food
24
Soulé
Soul food
Awesome soul food — get shrimp and grits, jerk chicken wings, blackened catfish, etc
soul food
West Town
Food
25
Kasama
Coffee, pastries, Filipino breakfast dishes
Really excellent food & coffee & pastries — REALLY long line even if you come right at the opening, might not be worth the super long wait
coffee
brunch
bakery
West Town
Food
26
Jeni’s
Ice cream
The OG. Any location is good.
ice cream
Wicker Park
Fulton Market
Food
27
En Hakkore Sushi Burrito & Poke Bowl
Poke & sushi creations
LOVE their sushi tacos 😍
sushi
Wicker Park
Food
28
Crumbl
cookies
I hate myself for putting this on here because it’s a huge national chain & a huge personal addiction.
cookies
Wicker Park
Food
29
The Delta
Southern food
Pretty delish southern dishes
soul food
Bucktown
Food
30
Crossroads
Consignment store
Some nice vintage pieces to be found, but not cheap for thrifting. But it’s fun to hit up all the thrift stores in Wicker Park! (there are a couple on the same block)
thrift store
Wicker Park
Food
31
The Budlong Hot Chicken
Hot chicken
Good spot for Nashville hot chicken
lunch
Lincoln Park
Food
32
Jim’s Original
24/7 hot dogs
Classic Chicago polish. Polish = Polish sausage. The correct thing to do here is grab one & eat it in your car.
hot dogs
Little Italy
Food
33
White Palace Grill
24-hr diner
Only go here at 3-4am if everything else is closed. It’s great cheap simple diner food with INCREDIBLE people-watching, any time of day. You can get a great feel for Chicago in there.
diner
brunch
South Loop
Food
34
Qiao Lin Hotpot
Sichuan hot pot
Hot pot & it’s sooo gooooood — expensive but worth it
Chinese
Chinatown
Food
35
Cà Phê Dá - Dang Good Wings
Vietnamese ice coffee & pastries
They have the fun Vietnamese coffee, including the egg custard one. Apparently the adjoining restaurant is good too.
coffee
bakery
Vietnamese
Pilsen
Food
36
Tahoora Sweets & Bakery
Indian sweets & snacks
Devon Ave is “Little India” and there is no mistaking it. Sights smells & sounds of the real India here. This is one place on Devon where you can get snacks, but there are many and you can definitely enjoy an afternoon going into different stores and having different snacks etc.
indian
Devon (Little India)
Food
37
Ghareeb Nawaz Restaurant
Indian + Pakistani
Known Devon spot that’s 24/7
indian
Devon (Little India)
Food
38
Bingo Tea
Milk tea
Personally think it’s one of the best milk teas in Chicago, but milk tea is all about one’s own preference. Either way, it’s fun to walk around this Chinatown plaza & go into all the shops etc. — I used to come here all the time when I was in high school, taking the water taxi from the Loop.
milk tea
Chinatown
Food
39
Summer House Santa Monica
Cute brunch
Good place to pretend you’re not in Chicago & also good place to watch large flocks of white ladies brunching
brunch
Lincoln Park
Food
40
Burt’s Place
Deep dish classic
Great option for deep dish if you’re in these parts. Excellent cheese curds.
deep dish
Suburbs - Morton Grove
Food
41
Butcher & The Burger
Burgers & breakfast
Great Lincoln Park burger spot — BYOB which is pretty common in Chicago.
burgers
Lincoln Park
Food
42
Dog Haus
Hot dogs
Fun & tasty hot dogs — not necessarily Chicago style so maybe skip this if you’re trying to really experience Chicago
hot dogs
Lincoln Park
Food
43
Johnnie’s Beef
Italian beef
Johnny’s Beef is my Italian beef of choice — there’s one out in the suburbs by me that’s a bi-weekly guilty pleasure. The proper order is dipped, with sweet & hot peppers on the side (so you can add them at your own pace).
italian beef
Suburbs - Elmwood Park
Food
44
Gene & Jude's
Hot dogs
Very classic Chicago hot dog. Can’t go wrong.
hot dogs
Suburbs - River Grove
Food
45
Portillo’s
Hot dogs
Classic Chicago chain for Italian beef, Polish sausages & hot dogs. If you don’t have time to go out to the serious spots for these things, Portillos is the place to try em. And you must try a chocolate cake shake while you’re at it.
hot dogs
italian beef
River North
Food
46
Bang Bang Pie & Biscuits
Biscuits — savory & sweet, with outdoor seating
Amazing biscuits!! Big line, though. Haven’t tried the pie but I’m sure it’s fantastic. Quality spot.
pies
soul food
brunch
Logan Square
Food
47
Greetings from Chicago mural
Mural for the insta
Honestly never been here but might be a nice tourist pic if you’re in the neighborhood
outdoors
Logan Square
Recreation
48
Split-Rail
Biscuits & fried chicken
Haven’t been but heard good things!
brunch
soul food
West Town
Ukrainian Village
Food
49
Fatso’s Last Stand
Known hot dog spot
Don’t know if I’ve actually been here but it’s a thing
hot dogs
West Town
Ukrainian Village
Food
50
Sidetrack
Boystown bar
Boystown is fun! This is one of the dance bars where you can go to have fun
dancing
Boystown
Nightlife
51
Progress Bar Chicago
Boystown bar
Boystown is fun! This is one of the dance bars where you can go to have fun
dancing
Boystown
Nightlife
52
Roscoe’s Tavern
Boystown bar
Boystown is fun! This is one of the dance bars where you can go to have fun
dancing
Boystown
Nightlife
53
Berlin
LGBTQ nightclub
Fun & casual place to end the night (closes around 4-5am)
dancing
Boystown
Nightlife
54
The Metro
Music venue
Where I went to my first concert — great place with notable artists that play here
music
Wrigleyville
Music venues
55
Smartbar
Club
Underneath Metro — many of my friends enjoy going here for house / electronic music. House music is from Chicago — this could be a good place to go enjoy it.
music
Wrigleyville
Music venues
56
Green Mill
Blues bar
A big part of Chicago history is the blues! Green Mill is a great example — probably better to go earlier when there’s no cover & soak up the vibes, then leave before you get too sleepy
music
Uptown
Music venues
57
Buddy Guys Legends
Blues bar
Chicago blues classic place.
music
Grant Park
Music venues
58
Big Jones
Southern brunch
Andersonville is the neighborhood of middle aged gay men. You’ll see them out in droves & you may fee a little young. But there’s lots of cool stuff in that neighborhood that anyone can enjoy — including a DELICIOUS brunch at Big Jones.
brunch
soul food
Andersonville
Food
59
Hopleaf
Belgian beer bar
Good Belgian food & beer — would recommend if you’re in the neighborhood and enjoy Belgian beer
beer
Andersonville
Food
60
Tank Noodles
Vietnamese noodles
Don’t think I’ve been here but this area has a lot of good Vietnamese
Vietnamese
Andersonville
Food
61
Lincoln Park Zoo
Free zoo
One of the oldest in the country I think. I like to go and take pics & maybe stop by the ape house if I’m near Lincoln Park & down for a long walk.
zoo
outdoors
Lincoln Park
Recreation
62
Sprinkles
Famous cupcake store with a cupcake ATM
They’re legit & one of many Chicago cupcake spots — ask for more recs if you want em
cupcakes
dessert
Magnificent Mile
Food
63
Mercadito
Upscale tacos
Pretty good, bougie Mexican food
tacos
River North
Food
64
Three Dots and a Dash
Tiki bar
Pricey but really cool tiki bar — hot spot so come at an odd hour or make a reservation. The entrance is in an alleyway.
cocktails
River North
Nightlife
66
Chicago Riverwalk
Path along the Chicago River
Beautiful place to walk on a sunny day — you can see all the different architecture & enjoy being in the city
outdoors
River North
Recreation
67
Buckingham Fountain
Old fountain, classic Chicago pic
This was the Grant Park structure to go take pics by until the Bean was built and everyone started ogling & taking selfies there instead
outdoors
Grant Park
Recreation
68
Millennium Park
Modern park for tourists
Overrated but whatever it’s still nice. Walking around Lurie Gardens can be nice & maybe picnicking or hanging around in the grass in front of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion is also nice.
outdoors
Grant Park
Recreation
69
Second City
Improv comedy
This is where Tina Fey, Steve Carrell, Amy Poehler, Jordan Peele, Stephen Colbert, etc. etc. etc. got famous. Definitely fun to go to a show — check website for tickets & times.
improv
Old Town
Entertainment
70
The Game Room at Chicago Athletic Association
Chill but classy bar for drinks & games
If you’re at Millennium Park which you will inevitably be, this is a great place to stop by and maybe get a drink. Even if you don’t want anything, I’d still stop in, it’s really nice in there & there’s often some wedding photoshoot you can crash.
barcade
cocktails
Grant Park
Food
71
Celeste
Restaurant/nightclub with different atmospheres
One of my favorite clubs in Chicago — there are different floors with different kinds of music on each floor. The disco floor is always fun!
dancing
cocktails
River North
Nightlife
72
Bonci Pizzeria
Roman style pizza with crazy toppings
SO GOOD — and you can get as much or as little as you want as they sell it by weight. The other weekend I treated myself to octopus & basil, blueberry sausage and also potato pizza.
pizza
Fulton Market
Food
73
McDonald’s Global Menu Restaurant
McDonalds offerings from around the world
McDonalds is headquartered in the Chicago area, so there are a few fun Mickey D’s, including a huge one and this one which serves a rotating menu pulled from stores around the world.
lunch
Fulton Market
Food
74
Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio
Fresh pasta, made directly in front of you when you sit at the bar. Need I say more? 🧑🍳👌
pasta
Fulton Market
Food
75
Blind Barber
Fulton Market
Nightlife
76
Au Cheval
Awesome burger but definitely find other stuff to do in Fulton Market while you’re waiting for a table — there will be a wait.
burgers
Fulton Market
Food
77
Girl & the Goat
Fulton Market
Food
79
Sawada Coffee
Coffee shop with bar
Hip coffee spot that’s big & good for groups
coffee
Fulton Market
Food
80
TimeOut Market
Marketplace with stalls offering a sampling of many different restaurants throughout Chicago
Great way to try different stuff out. Same concept as the Timeout markets in other cities like New York.
lunch
Fulton Market
Food
81
Kurumi
Bougie ice cream & milk tea
Earl grey tea soft serve is great. If you want, try the gold or silver leaf topping. All pretty pricey but good quality.
milk tea
coffee
ice cream
Little Italy
Food
82
Xi’an cuisine
Like the name says - cuisine from Xi’an
Pretty good Xi’an food
Chinatown
Food
83
Elitea
Milk tea
I think it's pretty great but then again there's a location near me, and I go all the time.
milk tea
Chinatown
Food
84
Dolo
Dim sum
Apparently good for dim sum (made to order, no carts) — haven't been but seems really good
dim sum
Chinese
Chinatown
Food
85
Lao Sze Chuan
Sichuan food
Pretty good Sichuan in Chinatown
Food
86
Greek Islands
Greek food
Haven’t been here but it’s supposed to be a good spot in Greektown. At any Greektown restaurant definitely try the flaming Saganaki — I thought this was a thing everywhere but apparently it was invented in Chicago.
Greek
Greektown
Food
89
Uncle Mike's Place
Great Filipino place! Nice hearty breakfast.
brunch
Filipino
West Town
Food
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