Anyone that is trying to learn about the best restaurants in Chicago has found the right post. Our only real goal is to make it easy to figure out where to eat some great food near you as quickly as we can.
Organizing this into the best Chicago restaurants of all flavors and varieties seems like the best way to proceed. For that reason there will be many different sections that discuss a wide variety of great places to eat all kinds of foods like Italian, steak houses, Mexican, Chinese, sushi, more types of Asian, Indian, BBQ, Greek, Mediterranean, seafood, pizza, burgers, buffets, vegan restaurants and other healthy food choices.
Contents
- 1 Best Italian Restaurants in Chicago
- 2 Best Steak Houses
- 3 Mexican Restaurants Near You
- 4 Best Chinese & Asian Food
- 5 Best Spots For Sushi
- 6 Indian Restaurants In Your Area
- 7 Yummy BBQ
- 8 French Restaurants
- 9 Greek & Mediterranean Food
- 10 Our Favorite Seafood Restaurants
- 11 Where To Eat Pizza
- 12 The Top Burgers & Fries
- 13 Best Buffets Near You
- 14 Vegan Restaurants
- 15 More Healthy Food Options
- 16 Breakfast & Brunch Spots
- 17 Bakeries & Desserts
- 18 Donuts
- 19 Ice Cream Shops
- 20 Cafes
- 21 Smoothies & Juices
- 22 Cocktail Bars
- 23 Breweries & Sports Bars
- 24 Enjoy Eating at the Best Chicago Restaurants
After those have all been covered it will be time to pivot to breakfast and brunch spots, bakeries, desserts, donuts and ice cream shops. And we will try to wrap this all up with drinks like cafes, smoothies, juices, cocktail bars, breweries, and sports bars.
Be sure to check out our Chicago restaurant map at the end to help you get a better lay of the land. We tried to link to their home pages or social media when possible so that you can order delivery or take out online if you are ready to eat now.
We have written many other local food guides for cities in the Midwest on our site which you can look through there.
Best Italian Restaurants in Chicago
The best Chicago Italian restaurants would be:
- Monteverde Restaurant & Pastificio at 1020 W Madison St
- Riccardo Trattoria at 2119 N Clark St
- Ciccio Mio at 226 W Kinzie St
- Piccolo Sogno at 464 N Halsted St
- Villa Fresh Italian Kitchen at 1650 Premium Outlet Blvd St 1203, Aurora
- Maciano’s Pizza & Pastaria at 2460 S Eola Rd St A, Aurora
- Maggiano’s Little Italy at 1847 Freedom Dr, Naperville
- Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano at 2752 Showplace Dr, Naperville
- Louie Angelo’s Fast Casual Italian at 325 S Randall Rd, South Elgin
- Bari Foods at 710 Schneider Dr, South Elgin
- Il Sogno at 100 N Hale St, Wheaton
- GIA MIA Wheaton at 106 N Hale St, Wheaton
- Sal & Tony’s Italian at 48 Raupp Blvd, Buffalo Grove
- Trattoria Demi at 1571 Sherman Ave St 1, Evanston
- Campagnola at 815 Chicago Ave, Evanston
- Il Vicolo Trattoria at 116 N Oak Park Ave, Oak Park
- La Notte Ristorante Italiano at 1120 Pleasant St, Oak Park
- ZaZa’s at 441 E Ogden Ave, Clarendon Hills
We also have a pizza list coming up soon if that is the info you are after.
Best Steak Houses
These great local steak houses won’t disappoint:
- Chicago Cut Steakhouse at 300 N La Salle St
- Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse at 1028 N Rush St
- RPM Steak at 66 W Kinzie St
- Texas Roadhouse at 986 Illinois Rte 59, Aurora
- Fairbanks Steakhouse at 1 W New York St, Aurora
- CUT 158 Chophouse at 110 N Chicago St, Joliet
- Outback Steakhouse at 3241 Chicagoland Cir, Joliet
- Sullivan’s Steakhouse at 244 S Main St, Naperville
- Morton’s The Steakhouse at 1751 Freedom Dr, Naperville
- Jimmy’s Charhouse at 2290 Point Blvd, Elgin
- Buckinghams Steakhouse & Bistro at 250 S Grove Ave, Elgin
- The Barn Steakhouse at 1016 Church St Rear, Evanston
Mexican Restaurants Near You
Any of these Mexican restaurants should have all the burritos, tacos, and nachos that you desire:
- XOCO at 449 N Clark St
- XOchimilco Mexican Restaurant at 2030 W Montrose Ave
- Mercadito at 108 W Kinzie St
- Taqueria El Tio & Restaurant at 81 S River St, Aurora 81 S River St, Aurora
- La Quebrada Aurora Restaurant at 723 S Broadway, Aurora
- The Blue Taco at 79 N Chicago St, Joliet
- La Mex at 3157 W Jefferson St, Joliet
- Quiubo at 120 Water St 122, Naperville
- Totopos Mexican Restaurant at 2048 Aurora Ave, Naperville
- Bellos Restaurant of Elgin at 1315 Lillian St, Elgin
- Sammy’s Mexican Grill & bar at 3091 US-20 #111, Elgin
- Mi Casa Restaurant at 1720 N Main St, Wheaton
- Hale Street Cantina at 109 N Hale St, Wheaton
- Eva’s Mexican Restaurant at 205 W Dundee Rd, Buffalo Grove
- La Principal at 700 Main St, Evanston
- Taco Diablo at 1026b Davis St A, Evanston
- Hecho en Oak Park at 1053 Lake St, Oak Park
- Tacos El Tio #4 at 1115 Lake St, Oak Park
Best Chinese & Asian Food
Head to one of these restaurants to enjoy Chinese and other Asian food:
- MingHin Cuisine at 333 E Benton Pl #300
- Joy Yee at 2139 S China Pl
- Tasty Asian Restaurant at 3500 N Broadway
- Ah Chung’s Kitchen at 4334 E New York St # 114, Aurora
- China Kitchen at 1104 Houbolt Rd, Joliet
- MingHin Cuisine at 1633 N Naper Blvd, Naperville
- Little Panda Chinese Restaurant at 267 S Randall Rd, Elgin
- China Star at 605 Roosevelt Rd, Wheaton
- New Golden Dragon Restaurant at 742 S Buffalo Grove Rd, Buffalo Grove
- Koi Fine Asian Cuisine & Lounge at 624 Davis St, Evanston
- Happiness Chinese Restaurant at 6222 Roosevelt Rd, Oak Park
Best Spots For Sushi
There are some great spots for sushi in your area like:
- Roka Akor – Chicago at 456 N Clark St
- Juno Sushi Chicago at 2638 N Lincoln Ave
- Sushi-san at 63 W Grand Ave
- Big Sea Sushi & Noodles at 2009 W Galena Blvd, Aurora
- Sushi Plus Rotary Sushi Bar at 4430 Fox Valley Center Dr #106, Aurora
- Sushi Ya at 2721 W Jefferson St #120, Joliet
- Blue Sushi Sake Grill at 123 Water St, Naperville
- Shinto Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Lounge at 504 Illinois Rte 59 #116, Naperville
- Kubo Sushi & Sake Lounge at 70 S Grove Ave, Elgin
- Sushi Station at 2486 N Randall Rd, Elgin
- Sushi Ukai at 281 Rice Lake Square, Wheaton
- Wok n Fire Wheaton at 120 E Liberty Dr, Wheaton
- Hakuya Sushi at 161 W Dundee Rd, Buffalo Grove
- Taste of Tokyo at 159-163 McHenry Rd, Buffalo Grove
- Kuni’s Japanese Restaurant at 511 Main St a, Evanston
- Kansaku at 1514 Sherman Ave, Evanston
- Sen Sushi Bar at 814 S Oak Park Ave, Oak Park
- Sushi House Oak Park at 1107 Lake St, Oak Park
- Sakura Nami Japanese Restaurant – All You Can Eat at 439 E Ogden Ave, Clarendon Hills
- Wasabi Restaurant & Bar at 31 S Prospect Ave, Clarendon Hills
Indian Restaurants In Your Area
You will find some delicious curries at the best Indian restaurants near you:
- Rooh Chicago Progressive Indian Restaurant & Cocktail Bar at 736 W Randolph St
- Vajra at 1329 W Chicago Ave
- Basant Modern Indian Restaurant at 1939 W Byron St
- Angaara Restaurant at 646 S Frontenac St, Aurora
- Bollywood Bistro & Banquet at 1413 Plainfield-Naperville Rd, Naperville
- Sara’s Pakistani & Indian Cuisine at 2860 Showplace Dr, Naperville
- India Palace Restaurant at 242 E Geneva Rd, Wheaton
- Flambe India at 1155 McHenry Rd 102 B, Buffalo Grove
- Rivaj Indian Cuisine at 1034 Weiland Rd, Buffalo Grove
- Taste of Nepal at 610 Davis St, Evanston
- Mt. Everest Restaurant at 630 Church St, Evanston
- Khyber Pass at 1031 Lake St, Oak Park
Yummy BBQ
There will be great slow cooked meats at these BBQ restaurants:
- Honky Tonk BBQ at 1213 W 18th St
- County Barbeque at 1352 W Taylor St
- Smoke Daddy BBQ – Wicker Park at 1804 W Division St
- Green Street Smoked Meats at 112 N Green St
- The Patio BBQ, Sandwiches & Salads – Aurora at 4400 Fox Valley Center Dr, Aurora
- Louisiana Barbeque at 1220 Richards St, Joliet
- Gemato’s Wood Pit BBQ at 1566 W Ogden Ave, Naperville
- Mission BBQ at 376 Illinois Rte 59, Naperville
French Restaurants
Some of the top places to try French food in this city are:
- Chez Joel Bistro Francais at 1119 W Taylor St
- Le Bouchon at 1958 N Damen Ave
- Chez Moi at 2100 N Halsted St
- Craft Urban Aurora at 41 S Stolp Ave, Aurora
- Paris Bistro at 2656 Showplace Dr, Naperville
- Burnt Toast Restaurant at 2492 N Randall Rd, Elgin
- The Hen House of Wheaton at 1060 College Ave, Wheaton
- Jilly’s Cafe at 2614 Green Bay Rd, Evanston
Greek & Mediterranean Food
From gyros to moussaka and more Greek & Mediterranean meals visit:
- Nisos Mediterranean at 802 W Randolph St
- Andros Taverna at 2542 N Milwaukee Ave
- Ema at 74 W Illinois St
- Naf Naf Grill at 4430 Fox Valley Center Dr #101, Aurora
- Amba Mediterranean Grill at 1522 Illinois Rte 59, Joliet
- Pita Inn at 1835 Abriter Ct, Naperville
- Larsa’s Kitchen at 1188 N McLean Blvd, Elgin
- Yia Mas A Taste Of Greece at 133 W Front St, Wheaton
- Dengeos – Buffalo Grove at 195 W Dundee Rd, Buffalo Grove
- Habibi In Mediterranean Grill at 825 Church St, Evanston
- Papaspiros at 728 Lake St, Oak Park
Our Favorite Seafood Restaurants
Lobster, crab, fish and more are all available at the best seafood restaurants in your area:
- Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab at 60 E Grand Ave
- RPM Seafood at 317 N Clark St
- Shaw’s Crab House at 21 E Hubbard St
- Red Lobster at 1036 Illinois Rte 59, Aurora
- Red Crab – Juicy Seafood at 2314 W Jefferson St, Joliet
- Catch 35 Naperville at 35 S Washington St, Naperville
- Red Sugar Crabs at 481 Bluff City Blvd, Elgin
- Oceanique at 505 Main St, Evanston
- Seafood Junction at 132 Madison St, Oak Park
Where To Eat Pizza
You aren’t lacking for options but we think the best pizza places in Chicago are:
- Pequod’s Pizza at 2207 N Clybourn Ave
- South Loop – Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria at 805 S State St
- Bonci Pizzeria at 161 N Sangamon St
- Maciano’s Pizza & Pastaria at 2460 S Eola Rd St A, Aurora
- Cemeno’s Pizza at 1630 Essington Rd, Joliet
- MOD Pizza at 103 S Washington St #113, Naperville
- Village Pizza & Pub Elgin at 2496 N Randall Rd, Elgin
- Addante’s Pizzeria at 2221 N Gary Ave, Wheaton
- Pizanoz Pizza at 1137 Weiland Rd, Buffalo Grove
- Blaze Pizza at 1737 Sherman Ave, Evanston1737 Sherman Ave, Evanston
- Salerno’s Pizza of Oak ParkSalerno’s Pizza of Oak Park at 7128 Roosevelt Rd, Oak Park
Of course you can also find great pizza near you at many of the spots in our Italian restaurants list.
The Top Burgers & Fries
Who doesn’t like a good burger and french fries:
- The Burger Point at 1900 S State St
- Salt Burgers + Fries at 1920 W North Ave
- Epic Burger at 1000 W North Ave
- M Burger at 1650 Premium Outlet Blvd, Aurora
- Five Guys at 2694 Plainfield Rd, Joliet
- Meatheads Burgers & Fries at 2555 W 75th St 127, Naperville
- Gabutto Burger at 2502 N Randall Rd, Elgin
- The Burger Social at 108 N Hale St, Wheaton
- Wiener Take All at 1117 Weiland Rd, Buffalo Grove
- Edzo’s Burger Shop at 1571 Sherman Ave, Evanston
- Scratch On Lake at 733 Lake St, Oak Park
Best Buffets Near You
Heading to one of the best buffets is a good way to get variety:
- Red Apple Buffet at 6474 N Milwaukee Ave
- Market Creations at 111 W Jackson Blvd
- Pa Lian Burmese Restaurant at 254 E Geneva Rd, Wheaton
- Le Peep Evanston at 827 Church St, Evanston
Vegan Restaurants
We think the best Chicago vegetarian and vegan restaurants are:
- Lyfe Kitchen at 270 E Ontario St
- Urban Vegan at 1601-1603 W Montrose Ave
- Kale My Name at 3300 W Montrose Ave
- Lucy’s Café at 2100 W Roscoe St
- Soul Veg City at 203 E 75th St
- Ground Control at 3315 W Armitage Ave
- Handlebar at 2311 W North Ave
- K&S Supper Club at 1904 Brookdale Rd #128, Naperville
More Healthy Food Options
For more healthy food try out:
- RealGood Stuff at 701 N Wells St
- True Food Kitchen at 1 W Erie St
- Syrup at 1961 W Galena Blvd, Aurora
- Poke Bros at 1147 N Eola Rd #103, Aurora
- Farmer’s Fridge at 333 North Madison St, Joliet
- Nature’s Best Café at 1904 Brookdale Rd, Naperville
Breakfast & Brunch Spots
These breakfast and brunch spots are where to start your day:
- Lula Café at 2537 N Kedzie Blvd
- Sunny Side Up at 42 E Superior St
- Yolk at 340 N State St
- Double Yolk Pancake House at 555 Butterfield Rd St, Aurora
- Ozzie’s Diner at 2290 Ogden Ave, Aurora
- Old Fashioned Pancake at 2022 W Jefferson St, Joliet
- Big Apple Pancake House at 106 N Larkin Ave, Joliet
- Buttermilk at 1715 Freedom Dr, Naperville
- EggCited at 2728 Hassert Blvd #160, Naperville
- Alexander’s Café at 1725 N State St, Elgin
- Lark & Owl Eatery at 219 Walnut Ave, Elgin
Bakeries & Desserts
From breads to yummy desserts these Chicago bakeries will have you covered:
- Sweet Mandy at 1208 W Webster Ave
- Dinkel’s Bakery at 3329 N Lincoln Ave
- Magnolia Bakery at 108 N State St
- The Cakery at 937 Oak St, Aurora
- Katich Breads at 605 Plum St, Aurora
- Milano Bakery at 427 S Chicago St, Joliet
- DeEtta’s Bakery at 428 W 5th Ave, Naperville
- Fiene’s Bakery at 1603 N Aurora Rd #101, Naperville
- Pastigel Bakery at 154 E Chicago St, Elgin
Donuts
Save yourself time in the morning with a quick visit to one of these donut shops:
- Firecakes Donuts at 68 W Hubbard St
- Dat Donut at 8251 S Cottage Grove Ave
- Stan’s Donuts at 535 N Michigan Ave
- La Chicanita Bakery at 700 E New York St #110, Aurora
- Donut Den at 3043 Theodore St, Joliet
- Home Cut Donuts at 1317 E Washington St, Joliet
- Country Donuts at 3091 US-20 #101, Elgin
Ice Cream Shops
For the best ice cream near you try:
- Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at 3404 N Southport Ave
- Pretty Cool Ice Cream at 2353 N California Ave
- Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt at 2510 N Clybourn Ave
- Forever Yogurt at 3510 N Halsted St
- Yogurt Squarea at 4701 N Lincoln Ave
- Oberweis Ice Cream and Dairy Store at 951 Ice Cream Dr, N Aurora
- Charlie’s Silver Spoon Creamery at 6 E Downer Pl, Aurora
- Banana Split at 820 Church Rd, Aurora
- The Original Walt’s Ice Cream at 1314 W Jefferson St, Joliet
- Rich & Creamy at 920 N Broadway St, Joliet
- La Michoacana Premium at 18 S Larkin Ave 2, Joliet
- Oberweis Ice Cream at 760 Illinois Rte 59 #120, Naperville
- Yogurt Beach at 3027 English Rows Avenue, Naperville
- Andy’s at 1150 S Randall Rd, Elgin
Cafes
Get your caffeine kick at one of these local cafes:
- Oromo Café at 1912 N Western Ave
- Gaslight at 2385 N Milwaukee Ave
- The Wormhole at 1462 N Milwaukee Ave
- Endiro Coffee at 29 W New York St, Aurora
- Tredwell Coffee at 14 W Downer Pl #18, Aurora
- Blue Box Café at 176 E Chicago St, Elgin
- Arabica Café at 59 Douglas Ave, Elgin
Smoothies & Juices
Smoothie and juice bars are another healthy option:
- Balu Smoothies at 55 E Randolph St 2nd fl
- JuiceRx at 1880 N Damen Ave
- Hi-Vibe at 160 W Kinzie St
- Tropical Smoothie Cafe at 1535 Butterfield Rd, Aurora
- Surf City Squeeze at 140 Fox Valley Center Dr # 296, Aurora
- Flourish Juice at 3000 W Jefferson St, Joliet
- Robeks Fresh Juices & Smoothies at 2936 Showplace Dr, Naperville
- Gooses Natural Juices at 19 Ziegler Ct, Elgin
Cocktail Bars
These cocktail bars should have a nice ambience:
- The Violet Hour at 1520 N Damen Ave
- The Press Room at 1134 W Washington Blvd
- French 75 at 56 E Galena Blvd, Aurora
- On The Rocks at 1500 Essington Rd, Joliet
- SixtyFour at 123 Water St #105a, Naperville
- Northcott Liquorette at 40 W Chicago Ave, Naperville
- Martini Room at 161 E Chicago St, Elgin
Breweries & Sports Bars
Watch the big game or sample some unique suds at one of these breweries or sports bars:
- Old Irving at 4419 W Montrose Ave
- Timothy O’Toole’s at 622 N Fairbanks Ct
- MyGrain at 50 E Jefferson St #106, Joliet
- Heroes West at 1530 Commerce Ln, Joliet
- Solemn Oath at 1661 Quincy Ave #179, Naperville
- Draft Picks at 523 Fairway Dr, Naperville
- Rookies Sports Bar at 2486 Bushwood Dr, Elgin
We have also written about:
- Find Your Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner In Milwaukee
- Find Your Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner In Indianapolis
- Find Your Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner In St. Louis
- Find Your Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner In Detroit
Enjoy Eating at the Best Chicago Restaurants
We bet you are getting hungry after thinking about all of those delicious food options in your area. There was lots to learn about all kinds of great restaurants near you like Italian, steak houses, Mexican, Chinese, sushi, Asian, Indian, BBQ, Greek, Mediterranean, seafood, pizza, burgers, buffets, vegan restaurants and additional options for healthy food.
The post even got into breakfast and brunch spots, bakeries, desserts, donuts and ice cream shops. Plus there were cafes, smoothies, cocktail bars, breweries, and sports bars. Don’t forget that most of the above venues will allow you to order take-out or delivery online through those links.
It would help us and our readers out a lot if you could correct anything we may have gotten wrong or if you could share your own local food tips in the comments. Either way, we hope you enjoy eating delicious food at the best restaurants in Chicago!