10 Best Local Restaurants in Chicago

A Chicago financial district staple for more than 5 decades, the Exchequer Restaurant & Pub regularly features in Chicago Best Pizza top 10s and serves a decadent deep-dish pie. Spacious enough to host large groups of family and friends, the Exchequer is a popular spot for locals celebrating special occasions, but casual enough for after-work pizza hangouts too.

The building dates to the 1920s and its original restaurant, the 226 Club, was a favourite of notorious gangster Al Capone thanks to its speakeasy bar in the back. Don’t miss the original escape door that still stands in the restaurant today.

Splurge on steak and seafood at Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab in Chicago’s North Bridge district served up by tuxedo and bow tie-wearing servers. Enjoy a taste of the juicy Florida stone crab claws which the chain is famous for; Joe’s is the biggest buyer of these tasty crustaceans.

Dining on a budget? Make a reservation for lunch, when you can feast on classics such as jumbo shrimp cocktail, colossal lump crab cakes and their famous key lime pie on a prix-fixe menu that offers excellent value.

For over a century, Lou Mitchell’s has been serving up rib-sticker all-day breakfasts to hungry Chicagoans and visitors at the start of Route 66 in the heart of downtown Chicago. Everything on the vast breakfast menu is pretty delicious, but if you follow the Michelin guide recommendation of their fluffy omelettes, you won’t go wrong.

The very first all-day breakfast spot to open in Chicago, Lou Mitchell’s still offers up free doughnut holes to diners and makes their own marmalade in-house. Try it spread thickly on the Greek toast. 

Cafe Central has been serving up the original and best Puerto Rican comfort food in the west of Chicago since the 1950s. With a clientele today that extends way beyond its original local audience, Cafe Central has delighted, and expanded, the tastebuds of Chicagoans and visitors for generations.

New to this style of cuisine? Ask the friendly servers what they recommend, but meat-eaters shouldn’t miss the luscious lechon (slow-roasted pork) and the garlicky mofongo (sweet, mashed plantains with pork rinds). Desserts are house made too and the crispy empanadas with guava or papaya are divine. 

Head to Pleasant House Pub, a British eats-inspired pub in the artsy Pilsen ‘hood in Chicago’s Lower West Side, for their award-winning, house-made pies with buttery flaky pastry. Locals have come to love classic British pub-grub favourites thanks to the team at the Pleasant House, so come and enjoy a taste of nostalgia or try something completely new in this Michelin-recommended neighbourhood spot.

Try one of the pies \"crowned\" house-style with a generous scoop of mashed potato and bathed in rich gravy. Check the pub’s website for daily specials and put the Friday fish and chips or Wednesday curry night in your diary. 

Faceplant into a gigantic portion of the Midwest’s best ribs and brisket on Chicago’s Northwest side at Smoque BBQ, a BBQ joint certainly worth the drive. Showcased on TV’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives as \"BBQ Heaven,\" Smoque BBQ has passionate fans lining up outside, so get ready with plenty of napkins, because these sauce-drenched ribs are beyond finger-licking good.

Mix things up with taster portions of their divine ribs, pulled pork, Texas sausage links or chopped or sliced brisket, or go all-in with a half-and-half platter and load up on sides such as cornbread and BBQ beans. Try to leave room for the peach cobbler or pecan bread pudding with bourbon caramel sauce.

Located in the cozy Lakeview neighbourhood, The Crepe Shop is a delicious coffee and crepe stop that caters for gluten-free and vegetarian guests as well as omnivores. Choose from sweet crepes with homemade lemon curd and poppy seed or Matcha-infused batter with strawberries and mascarpone cheese. Alternatively, plump for a savoury option such as the three-cheese with a Parmesan crust or the Lox with salmon and herb cream cheese.

Come for the crepes but stay for the coffee as they specialize in flavoured lattes such as aromatic cardamon-rose, and spicy ancho chilli, cayenne and chocolate.

The Southern-inspired Mexican diner, Dove's Luncheonette, serves up tasty piled-high plates from morning till night at the handsome curved counter where it’s first come, first served. Clear any foggy morning head with a spicy brunch of brisket hash with burnt ends, queso fresco and Texas toast, or head back after dark to feast on coffee-rubbed hanger steak with chilli butter. Dove's Luncheonette is located in Chicago’s artsy Wicker Park neighbourhood.

The tequila and mezcal-focussed cocktails are on the creatively boozy side, but if you’re giving alcohol a break, you won’t miss it thanks to beautiful agua frescas such as watermelon with raspberry and chamomile or pineapple with cucumber and basil. 

Crips is a Korean-style fried chicken joint that specializes in crisp and super-tasty wings, located on North Broadway about 1.6 km from Wrigley Field. Order take-out or delivery to devour these double-fried, hormone-free birds in the comfort of your hotel, or enjoy the buzzy atmosphere in this small low-key shop that almost always has a line out of the door.

Skipping fried foods? Choose a healthier option of a Buddha bowl with plenty of veggies and a spicy Gochujang chili sauce or add some gut-healthy kimchi to your order. But make sure you add some extra crispy Superfly fries to your order with a side of Bud’s Buffalo Suicide sauce for a serious kick of heat.

The Warbler is a Northside favourite in Chicago’s German heritage Lincoln Square ‘hood that serves treats such as chicken wings, burgers, nachos and pasta with a few tasty chef-y touches. Charred veggies get a Middle Eastern hit with a Muhammara peppery side; roasted pork comes Korean style with a Gochujang glaze and the unmissable flatbreads have fancy touches such as shaved Manchego, pickled fennel and sweet dates.

Score a weeknight bargain at the popular early bird Supper Club (from 4.30 pm to 6 pm), where your party can feast on a selection of five dishes for a special price; this is excellent value for money if you’re travelling as a family, as kids 9 and under eat for free.