It’s best to pack clothing a size bigger than yours for your travel to the Windy City - for Chicago is an absolute chowhounds delight! While the city is where numerous regional specialities such as the Chicago-style hot dog and the lip-smacking deep-dish pizza originated, it is also a place where you can find food from the Deep South and some delectable Macanese fare too. Whether you’re breakfasting, lunching, brunching, dining, or just snacking, Chicago has dime a dozen restaurants to suit every craving for every time of the day. Here’s presenting a list of the best casual restaurants in Chicago, Illinois.
1. Fat Rice
Editor's Note: There's no photo available at the time of writing
Dig into some killer Macanese-inspired fare in a space which is joyfully communal, crowded, and noisy at the Fat Rice, which features an impressive lineup of dumplings, noodles, and curries. Start out with the Paella-like Arroz Gordo, the restaurant’s namesake - a vibrant feast of sofrito-thickened jasmine rice, salted duck, and chorizo, and served with seafood, chicken, and pork, as well as chicken-fat-fried croutons and tea eggs! Experience some amazing, bold Macanese flavours in dishes such as curries with Goji and Tamarind, noodle dishes, juicy, housemade Linguiça and ginger and pork dumplings. Oh, the flavour!
Fat Rice
Address: 2957 W Diversey Ave, Chicago
Website: Fat Rice
Opening hours: Tue: 5:30pm - 10pm; Wed - Thu: 11am - 2pm, 5:30pm - 10pm; Fri - Sat: 11am - 2pm, 5:30pm - 10:30pm; Sun: 11am - 3pm (closed on Mon)
2. The Dearborn
The sprawling Dearborn features an eclectic, well-rounded American menu which works perfectly for casual dinners with parents, business lunches, and even date nights. The decor is eclectic-meets-modernity, with seating divided into different areas. Featuring a menu running a gamut of food items and price tags, some of the must-eat dishes at Dearborn include the Pork Belly appetizer, the ‘big salad’ of Lyonnaise with poached egg and bacon, Onion Panino, Key Lime Pie, and the cheeseburger - it’s really, really good.
The Dearborn
Address: 145 N. Dearborn St, Chicago
Website: The Dearborn
Opening hours: Tue - Thu: 11am - 11pm; Fri: 11am - 12am; Sat: 1am - 12am; Sun: 10am - 10pm; Mon: 11am - 10pm
3. The Gage
For a smart and varied selection of beer and an amazing quality of food, head to Chicago’s popular, upscale gastropub ‘The Gage’ which is located just steps from Millenium Park. Flag off your decadent meal with Scotch Eggs, a signature house favourite, followed by Fava Bean Mousse, Toasted Crostini and Ricotta, Bison Tartare served with a soft-boiled quail egg, rosemary mustard vinaigrette, gouda cheese, and a braised rabbit salad, smoked salmon sandwiches, and Vindaloo Mussells. Don’t miss the juicy big burgers, complete with a well-toasted brioche bun and fresh rosemary garnish. Wash it down with the amazing, locally-brewed Belgian-style ale of Goose Island Matildas.
The Gage
Address: 24 S Michigan Ave, Chicago
Website: The Gage
Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 11am - 11pm; Fri: 11am - 12pm; Sat: 10am - 2am; Sun: 10am - 12am
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4. Roister Restaurant
The high-end spinoff of the Alinea Group, the Roister Restaurant is a constant surprise of sorts. With an affordable a la carte menu and a casual ambience, Roister is armed with a menu that is all over the place - literally. Fried chicken, Tofu Mayo and Fish Flakes, Foie Gras Candy Bars, Chicken Salad, Kimchi, Gulf Shrimp Toast, Cucumber Salad, Whole Chicken and Chamomile, 30-Day Dry Aged Porterhouse Steak - you name it, the Roister Restaurant has it.
Roister Restaurant
Address: 951 W Fulton Market, Chicago
Website: Roister Restaurant
Opening hours: Tue - Thu: 5pm - 9pm; Fri - Sat: 10am - 2pm, 5pm - 10:30pm; Sun: 10am - 2pm, 5pm - 10pm; Mon: 10am - 2pm, 5pm - 9:30pm
5. Farmhouse Chicago
Farmhouse Chicago is the Windy City’s best farm-to-tavern restaurant, serving locally grown food from sustainably sourced ingredients, with the objective of highlighting the foods found in Michigan, Wisconsin, Indiana, and Illinois. The restaurant serves Midwestern, crowd-pleasing fare, some of which are must-eats like Roasted Beet and Baby Rocket Salad, the ‘Trippel’ slow-roasted Pork Belly and Grilled Cheese Sandwich served with Malted Tomato Soup, Fish and BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Farm Egg Scramble, Confit Chicken leg with Apple Chive Spaetzle and house-made Chicken Sausage, and Apple Chive Spaetzle, Short Rib Hash, and more. Wash it all down with a host of Midwestern craft beers, mead, pink, or classic mimosas, or house-made Bloody Marys.
Farmhouse Chicago
Address: 228 W Chicago Ave, Chicago
Website: Farmhouse Chicago
Opening hours: Tue - Wed: 11am - 10pm; Thu - Fri: 11am - 11pm; Sat: 10am - 11pm; Sun: 10am - 9pm
6. Copper Fox
The gastropub of Copper Fox is perfect for tucking in some delicious food and have a happy hour downing some drinks after a long-winding Michigan Avenue shopping trip. Try the boxed No. 16 biscuits served with whipped honey butter, named so for the 16th time the chef hit paydirt while trying out recipes for the same. Move on to the fried avocado salad, served with tomatoes, greens, candied jalapenos, pickled onions, and charred corn kernels. Try the razzle-dazzle of the seven-layer chicken for your entree, which features a massive cylinder stacked with romaine, white cheddar cheese, roasted tomatoes, black beans, corn, and chicken inverted onto the plate. Other must-tries include the Pork Porterhouse, the Classic Burger, and drinks the likes of the ‘Unfashioned’.
Copper Fox
Address: 165 E Ontario St, Chicago
Website: Copper Fox
Opening hours: Mon - Thu: 6:30am - 10pm; Fri: 6:30am - 11pm; Sat: 7am - 11pm; Sun: 7am - 10pm
7. Girl & the Goat
Girl & the Goat is a household name not just in the Windy City, but across the whole country for its exceptionally well-done menu with a whole section dedicated to goat, bold flavours, beautiful decor, and great service. The goat empanadas are a must-eat, served with apple and squash slaw and blue cheese aioli. Some of the restaurant’s favourite dishes with patrons include the signature dish of wood-oven-roasted pig face served with potato sticks, red wine-maple, coriander, tamarind, and egg, Duck Tongues with Piri-Piri, Crispy Wontons, Black bean Poke, and Tuna, and the Seared Scallop with Blood Orange Gremolata, Jerusalem Artichoke, and Pecan Romesco. All this is packaged in a dining room in a former industrial loft, creating a rustic yet modern homely feel while you eat your meal.
Girl & the Goat
Address: 809 W Randolph St, Chicago
Website: Girl & The Goat
Opening hours: Sun - Thu: 4:30pm - 11pm; Fri - Sat: 4:30pm - 12am
8. Doc B's Restaurant + Bar (Gold Coast)
Posted by Doc B's Restaurant + Bar on Wednesday, 20 March 2019
Doc B’s Restaurant + Bar in Gold Coast, North Michigan is all about high-quality ingredients being transformed into fresh food every day. Doc B’s menu features a variety housemade pizza, signature Wok Out bowls, sandwiches and burgers, ‘very special’ entrees, entree-sized salads, indulgent desserts and more. Wash all this down with an extensive, impressive collection of spirits, wine, craft beer, and signature cocktails!
Doc B's Restaurant + Bar
Address: 100 E Walton St, Chicago
Website: Doc B’s Restaurant + Bar
Opening hours: Mon - Sat: 11am - 10pm; Sun: 11am - 9pm
9. The Purple Pig
We're so honored to have been named as one of the 'Best Restaurants in Chicago Right Now' by Thrillist! Thank you so...
Posted by The Purple Pig on Tuesday, 12 March 2019
Tucked between a BoA branch and a Corner Bakery off Michigan Avenue is The Purple Pig, a perfect spot for indulging in some much-needed post-shopping dining. With an extensive Mediterranean menu, The Purple Pig serves delectable dishes which include a range of porcine pleasures the likes of Crispy Pigs’ Ears and Pig-Tail-stuffed Piquillo Peppers to Fried Egg Croquettes with Chorizo. The food is rich and light, ensuring that you many dishes before hanging up your table napkins. Also, keep space in that stomach for their excellent wine list. P.S.: This is a happening place with a ‘No Reservations’ policy, so be prepared to wait.
The Purple Pig
Address: 500 N Michigan Ave, Chicago
Website: The Purple Pig
Opening hours: 11:30am - 11pm (daily)
10. Wishbone Restaurant
The Deep South is more than just an inspiration for the food at Wishbone, which is famous for having been frequented by Oprah when she lived in the Windy City. Think North Carolina-style Crab Cakes with Lemon-Butter Sauce, Kentucky Scrambled Eggs, and Savannah Shrimp Omelletes when it comes to the menu, especially brunch on the weekend. Also, do not miss having the Cajun Shrimp and Grits, Catfish Po’ Boy, the Fried Chicken Sandwich, and the Fried Red Eggs served with Ancho-Chile Sauce and Tex-Mex fixins. With cuisine inspired by the traditions of the Deep South, Wishbone is a place in Chicago you must definitely eat at.
Wishbone Restaurant
Address: 161 N Jefferson St, Chicago
Website: Wishbone Restaurant
Opening hours: Mon: 8am - 3pm; Tue: 7am - 3pm; Wed - Thu: 7am - 9pm; Fri: 7am - 10pm; Sat: 8am - 3pm, 5pm - 10pm; Sun: 8am - 3:30pm
Casual dining in Chicago
A trip to Chicago, which was once named the ‘Tastiest City’ in Maxim, is incomplete without dining at these amazing restaurants, all of which, and more make the Windy City one of the country’s most exceptional dining destinations.
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