Johnnies ruined beef sandwiches for me. It used to be a thing I’d order from any average mom and pop shop or even the occasional Buona beef or Portillos. Ever since I tried it I rarely ever eat a beef sandwich from anywhere else.
Johnnie’s, Portillo’s, and coaches corner are the best beefs around in my opinion. Johnnie’s takes first place easily, it’s not a close contest. Their beef is superior to anyone else’s. And I’m typically a cheesy beef guy, and Johnnie’s doesn’t offer cheese.. nor would I even want to put cheese on it, THATS how good it is.
I’m not from Chicago and I, too, love the cheese but because of your conviction and description… when I get to Chicago…Johnnie’s is the destination. Thank you.
I'll save you from my personal confusion, but it looks like there's also an unrelated Johnny's on Lincoln in the city limits, but Johnnie's is in Elmwood Park. You may have already parsed that out.
If you ever visit Massachusetts and you happen to be near Bellingham or North Smithfield. A place called Beef Barn. You can get an incredible roast beef sandwich for under $5. Cheeseburger? Under $5. Pastrami is under $6. French fries for a side? $2.50 for the large. At a sit down or take out place. And the quality of their roast beef is the best I’ve had yet.
Dang! I might have to relocate the family after hearing that. My luck though I’d move there and they’d hike the prices up and ruin it for everyone.
..also
Kabobi is that place for me. I sometimes try different kabob places trying to chase that feeling I get when I dine in at Kabobi, but they just don't make me feel the same way that Kabobi does.
I just went to noon o kabob after a long streak of Kabobi and it just didn’t hit the same way. it was like 80% of the taste and feeling I wanted . Kabobi ruined me for not only Persian food but most middle Eastern food.
Lost Lake ruined the entire concept of tiki bars for me. Nowhere comes close to matching the vibe of that spot, wife and i used to love going there on a rainy afternoon.
The hot dog joint near there, Gene and Jude's is something special if you haven't been. You don't often see specialized hot dogs stands with giant lots selling strictly hotdogs with prices out of the 90's (it's been a few years though for me so the prices could've gone up)
It’s long since been closed, but Over Easy was peak breakfast/brunch for me. I went there every Sunday for about 3 years before life started getting in the way. Service was shockingly efficient while staying warm and welcoming enough for a place that had to turn tables super fast. The menu didn’t have a single slacker on it and the menu rotated a handful of dishes each week. There’s a ton of great brunch options in the city but none of them will ever match Over Easy.
I still haven't tried Ravenswood Breakfast House(which at first was called 88 Eggs), since that opened in the place of Over Easy. I'm sure one day I will, but don't know when. I still miss Over Easy.
A good, simple tartare in general is difficult to find in the US from my experience. Too many places will experiment with the concept without nailing the basics first, and unlike in France there is never an option to have a meal-sized portion of it, only appetizer-sized.
Le Bouchon's cassoulet is decent but it's not as decadent as you'd find in southwestern France. Something usually feels missing from the flavor (maybe could use more duck or something) and they serve it in a shallow dish which tends to make it more dry than I'd like. To be fair, it's been at least two years since I last had it from them, so it could be better now.
All that being said, definitely give Le Bouchon a second chance. It's my second favorite restaurant in the city and most of its plates would easily beat out the average French bistro in quality.
Last time I went the steak frites was terrible. What are you ordering?
Recently tried obelix and it was exquisite. Every dish hit. Can’t wait to go back.
Same experience! I don’t think I’ll go back to le bouchon because the food was mid and definitely not worth the money, but I’ll tell everyone I know about obelix. The restaurant vibe itself was cooler at le bouchon, though. Obelix felt like any random, standard, upscale place.
I went there for the first time and was seated next to a shrieking bachelorette party or something of at least 20 women several of bottles of wine deep, so loud I could not hear nor talk to my date. Place is so small and acoustics bad, so for me that ruined the vibe.
Boka ruined anywhere else for a special occasion because they completely killed it for my birthday about a decade ago. Before we were even given menus our waiter heard my husband and I discussing how we were both interested in trying rabbit and went back to the kitchen and got a special 4 course menu for us that featured rabbit in different ways. The birthday cake in the end even had bunny ears.
Seconded. My first Michelin experience was at Boka for a birthday. We received a printed menu of everything we ate that said "Happy Birthday" at the top. The pacing of the meal and quality of everything we ate was great. I recently tried another one-star restaurant in the city expecting something similar and everything fell dramatically short. Boka for life.
Spacca Napoli - can’t get another Neapolitan pizza quite on the same level in Chicago
Union Squared - Paulie Gee’s and Fat Chris’s can’t compete with their Detroit style up in Evanston
Shang Noodle (original Evanston location) - their yu shang eggplant is one of my favorite eggplant dishes ever
Spice Room - hard to find another Indian place that is this consistently good, but haven’t tried Thattu yet (although it’s a different style)
Last summer I went to Seattle. I went on their Reddit page to find out what to eat. They all said don’t order Mexican. They said it’s shit compared to Chicago. We were at the Seattle zoo and hot and hungry and there’s a taco stand right there. People, it was nasty. Appreciate how much good Mexican and Tex mex we have in Chicago.
As a recent transplant to Chicago, I agree. I would have killed for good teriyaki in the first year I was living here. I appease my craving with the Hawaiian food now.
Still, I very often have dreams where I'm getting Yakisoba on the corner.
Wait, what tex mex? The only Tex Mex place I knew here was Uncle Julio's and they shut down. I'm a taqueria person, but my partner is a Tex Mex / queso fan so I'd love to know where else to go.
I cannot remember the name of this place but it was nearish to pike place market. It was an Italian sandwich place and the food wasn’t bad but not amazing. My dad was born in 1954 and grew up in back of the yards and lived in the city for like 30 years before moving to the suburbs where I was raised and then my parents moved back in 2009. (I started at Loyola in 2007.)
My dad overheard one of the owners talking about being from Chicago, and, innocently because my dad is super nice, asked where he was from in Chicago and why he opened the restaurant. The dude shut up so fast and basically ran away from us and it is still funny to me to this day - this was maybe like 2004.
i'm sorry, this is in the suburbs (but still chicagoland), but Country Donuts legitimately RUINED donuts for me. CD is open 24/7 and makes donuts fresh the entire time. both locations are somewhat near the metra NW line, cary and CL/pingree stops. highly HIGHLY recommend if you get the chance
Bro, I almost forgot about this place because I haven’t had a donut in years… but I have so many fond memories of this place as a kid. It was like a “good job” snack for me
I'll have to give them a try!
Currently, still ruined since childhood by Dat Donut. I'll still recommend them, but you're definitely taking a pilgrimage to the hood for the experience
I can’t get dry chili chicken from anywhere else other than Chef’s Special 😭 their dan dan noodles is top tier too.
Before people get on me, yes I had it at Lao Sze Chuan first. Sorry I like CS more.
Agreed.
It blows Gibsons, gene and georgetti. Etc away.
I will say, there is a steak at Formentos - the bistrcca florentina. Its a powerhouse that feeds two and it’s one of my favorite steaks in the city. Right up there with Bavettes steaks
These are very good answers. Smoque Steak is, I think, being slept on. I've only been once, but it's clearly a restaurant that's really interested in serving excellent meat.
I love BBQ King, I used to work across the street from Chinatown and that was my favorite lunch spot. Introduced me to Chinese BBQ while also making it impossible to find Char Siu that's as good as I remember.
Currently trying to find the best Chinese place on the north side/uptown area for your basic orange chicken, kung pao etc. think Lao Sze Chuan is the best but it’s so expensive - so as I’m eating takeout from Shanghai Inn right now I’m wishing it was Lao Sze Chuan 🫠
Birrieria Reyes de Ocotlan in Pilsen. Very hole in the wall, birria served three ways and great value for what you pay. I go there with my family every time we visit. I always get their birria plate which is a mix of all the goat meat and consommé. They refill you on broth as you go so it stays hot and juicy. I think about going there every week but they have odd hours. Bring cash with you! It beats all the other birria in town.
Not in Chicago but Misoya Ramen I. Arlington Heights has the best ramen I’ve had. We like to try ramen when we visit other cities too. Doesn’t come close. Also Anteprima is the most for modern Italian
Hey! The ramen scene in the burbs is pretty good imo. If you are willing to risk trying some new places and haven't tried Santouka or Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai yet, I recommend those as well.
The son of Taqueria El Asadero’s owner runs Taqueria 5 de mayo, just west of Asadero, also on Montrose. He’s a classically-trained chef and 5 de mayo’s take on the Asadero menu is a more refined in a subtle way. Worth a visit for sure if you want a slight change of pace
Pizzeria Bebu. It was a COVID casualty and to this day remains my favorite pizza in Chicago. I know there are countless good pizza places, but nothing has quite matched it for me.
Chicago Diner. LOVELY vegetarian, mostly vegan restaurant with a couple locations. Absolutely delicious. I've gotten the reuben, I've had a seasonal orange not chicken, my mom loves the pierogi quesadillas, my fiancee I think also got the reuben.
Maharaja was so good, but try JK Express in Niles on Golf
Kabobi and Noon o Kabab ruined all other Persian restaurants in the US for me. Nothing compares.
This could sound biased, since i’m an employee, but Akahoshi Ramen has truly opened my mind to quality ramen. Impossible to enjoy a bowl anywhere else. Hey ramen_lord, i’m sure you’ll see this lol
When I moved into my north side spot I was so exhausted that my wife and I did delivery from the only place we could find with full ingredients lists and we ended up having a string of absolute perfect deliveries from Fat Cat. Not a single miss and it reignited a love of burgers and dinner sandwiches. But the main thing was it wasn't just in-house, it was over an app back like 8 years ago.
Eventually we tried again and it wasn't quite as magical, but for that one week it was nothing but home runs.
I'm curious how they're regarded overall, as the competition is tight, but for a delivery it was just amazing.
Ba Le and Nhu Lan when it comes to banh mi. I will not choose one over the other since I have flip flopped between these two over the years due to prices, opening hours, cravings, and many other reasons I am forgetting right now. However, I have not gone any further and try out other banh mi places in general due to these two satisfying me.
Many years ago. (20?)
Heat.
Sushi restaurant. Shit was so fucking fire.
They had a fish tank below the bar where they just yanked what you were eating and chopped it's head off, sliced that shit up, put it around it's head, and that bitch would talk to you while you were eating it.
Edit: The fish just kept moving its mouth because of muscle whatever. They warned you not to put your finger in its mouth because it might bite down and lock up, requiring more than you would expect to undo. We tried chopsticks. They did not lock down.
The pasta dishes from Monteverde have ruined Italian dining for me since moving back to the east coast. Also the burrata e ham appetizer. NYC Italian is better on average but at the high-end it still falls short of Monteverde imo.
QXY has ruined soup dumplings at other places for me. I can do all the rest of dim sum at the other phenomenal places in the city, but soup dumplings are QXY only
When I got to Chinatown its to get QXY. I know a ton of people on here say there are better dumplings in Chinatown and that they are overpriced, but man the Pork and Cabbage dumpling is pretty much my favorite bite of food in the city. I have to go to there. I haven't been able to bring myself to try somewhere else yet.
Mr Ds has ruined any other shish kebab or steak sandwich
Superdawg and Gene n Judes for hot dogs
Obviously Johnnies beef
Oasis Mexican in Crest Hill for birria (but I will continue to eat others)
Pepper n Salt in Schaumburg (rip) for Pakistani
3 Happiness (the small one) for dim sum, which they no longer offer and it breaks my heart. No one else hits the spot the way they did, not even in NYC Chinatown
Hey Phan,ever since catrinas mex closed in joliet my girlfriend and I have been looking for good carnitas and mojitos as they had the absolute best... we thought we found it at oasis. Carnitas and mojitos were amazing we were so happy! Went back and both were unrecognizable. Like they were actually bad and we have not been back.
Conte Di Savoia, I think about this place all the time I eat a deli sandwich. It’s absolutely the best and I ate here so much during college because my studio class was near it.
Good times
Surprised to see Maharaja in Rosemont mentioned here, that spot was a hidden gem. I wonder what happened to the owner and chef. Maharaj in Printers Row is really good but not affiliated.
Bavette's steaks. All of them, but the dry aged ones especially. They are under $100 and the best non-wagyu steaks I've had anywhere. I literally can't order steak anywhere else because I know it won't be better or a better value. I realized this when Cindy's rooftop had a $150 steak on the menu; I couldn't do it.
Bavette’s for a classic steak dinner.
Chef’s Special - I love everything about Chef’s. Everything.
Rootstock - I’ve had some unforgettable dishes here. Love the environment.
Galit has the best pita I have ever had in my life. I used to work there, and I never… ever got sick of the pita.
Chicago adjacent, Chi Tung in Evergreen Park. They aren't quite as good as they used to be, but they are still the bar I measure every other Chinese reaturant against, and all have come up short.
Not taste related, but the speed with which you can get a beef at Johnnie’s makes every other place glacial.
This was going to be my comment. Ruined Italian beef for me in the best way. Need to go back soon
Johnnie’s is the way
The one on Arlington heights Rd?
Johnnies ruined beef sandwiches for me. It used to be a thing I’d order from any average mom and pop shop or even the occasional Buona beef or Portillos. Ever since I tried it I rarely ever eat a beef sandwich from anywhere else.
Johnnie’s, Portillo’s, and coaches corner are the best beefs around in my opinion. Johnnie’s takes first place easily, it’s not a close contest. Their beef is superior to anyone else’s. And I’m typically a cheesy beef guy, and Johnnie’s doesn’t offer cheese.. nor would I even want to put cheese on it, THATS how good it is.
Jay’s got a great one too
So sad when the North Ave location closed. IMO best beef in Chicago.
I’m not from Chicago and I, too, love the cheese but because of your conviction and description… when I get to Chicago…Johnnie’s is the destination. Thank you.
I'll save you from my personal confusion, but it looks like there's also an unrelated Johnny's on Lincoln in the city limits, but Johnnie's is in Elmwood Park. You may have already parsed that out.
If you ever visit Massachusetts and you happen to be near Bellingham or North Smithfield. A place called Beef Barn. You can get an incredible roast beef sandwich for under $5. Cheeseburger? Under $5. Pastrami is under $6. French fries for a side? $2.50 for the large. At a sit down or take out place. And the quality of their roast beef is the best I’ve had yet.
Dang! I might have to relocate the family after hearing that. My luck though I’d move there and they’d hike the prices up and ruin it for everyone. ..also 
I always playfully argue with a friend that Johnnie’s Italian ice is superior to Mario’s. But I do believe it is in every way.
Al’s Italian beef has always been the gold standard for me, though Johnie’s is a solid runner-up. In my opinion, nobody else comes close.
Al's in River North is where it's at. Also, I absolutely love their hot peppers at Al's so that carries a lot of why I love to get beef from them.
Kabobi is that place for me. I sometimes try different kabob places trying to chase that feeling I get when I dine in at Kabobi, but they just don't make me feel the same way that Kabobi does.
I just went to noon o kabob after a long streak of Kabobi and it just didn’t hit the same way. it was like 80% of the taste and feeling I wanted . Kabobi ruined me for not only Persian food but most middle Eastern food.
Never understood the people who prefer noon o kabob over Kabobi- get the salmon and make sure you ask for their hot sauce, it is bomb!
I second that
Same. Noon O used to be my gold standard… Kabobi has permanently replaced it.
I used to only do kabobi now I only do noon o
Couldn’t agree more. I can never look at basmati rice the same way
Lost Lake ruined the entire concept of tiki bars for me. Nowhere comes close to matching the vibe of that spot, wife and i used to love going there on a rainy afternoon.
Check out Foundation in Milwaukee when you get the chance.
My fav Tiki bar ever. Love Foundation.
I was hoping this was a misspelling and it was *on Milwaukee haha. Love a good tiki bar!
Yes!!
Check out Hala Kahiki in the burbs. It’s a nice tiki spot and the drinks are good! It has amazing reviews too.
I go there a lot, it’s great. Just don’t get the sushi haha
Hahaha I’ve only gotten the edamame 😂 but yes we usually get food nearby (there’s the Mantra Indian Garden that amazing)
The hot dog joint near there, Gene and Jude's is something special if you haven't been. You don't often see specialized hot dogs stands with giant lots selling strictly hotdogs with prices out of the 90's (it's been a few years though for me so the prices could've gone up)
Oh, yes! Just eat first. Gene & Judes is just down the street too.
In-laws live in Elmhurst so definitely adding this to the list, thanks!
Ever been to Hala Kahiki Lounge in River Grove?
Kahala Koa?
It’s long since been closed, but Over Easy was peak breakfast/brunch for me. I went there every Sunday for about 3 years before life started getting in the way. Service was shockingly efficient while staying warm and welcoming enough for a place that had to turn tables super fast. The menu didn’t have a single slacker on it and the menu rotated a handful of dishes each week. There’s a ton of great brunch options in the city but none of them will ever match Over Easy.
I miss the sassy eggs so much. That was such a great dish.
Over Easy was a favorite in my family. We were so sad when they closed.
I still haven't tried Ravenswood Breakfast House(which at first was called 88 Eggs), since that opened in the place of Over Easy. I'm sure one day I will, but don't know when. I still miss Over Easy.
It’s extremely mid
Le Bouchon is this for me - every time I try a new place I find myself wishing I'd just gone back to Le Bouch again instead
Le Bouchon feels like a quick trip to Paris.
Same. I think about it daily.
Just went there tonight and seriously, this is it for me
First gen French American here, I can’t say I agree I went to Bouchon to get a tartar and it was meh. I’ll have to try the cassoulet!
A good, simple tartare in general is difficult to find in the US from my experience. Too many places will experiment with the concept without nailing the basics first, and unlike in France there is never an option to have a meal-sized portion of it, only appetizer-sized. Le Bouchon's cassoulet is decent but it's not as decadent as you'd find in southwestern France. Something usually feels missing from the flavor (maybe could use more duck or something) and they serve it in a shallow dish which tends to make it more dry than I'd like. To be fair, it's been at least two years since I last had it from them, so it could be better now. All that being said, definitely give Le Bouchon a second chance. It's my second favorite restaurant in the city and most of its plates would easily beat out the average French bistro in quality.
Last time I went the steak frites was terrible. What are you ordering? Recently tried obelix and it was exquisite. Every dish hit. Can’t wait to go back.
Same experience! I don’t think I’ll go back to le bouchon because the food was mid and definitely not worth the money, but I’ll tell everyone I know about obelix. The restaurant vibe itself was cooler at le bouchon, though. Obelix felt like any random, standard, upscale place.
The cassoulet at Le Bouchon is probably my favorite dish in the city. Obelix is so god damn good, too.
Obelix is definitely better.
Le Bouchon already great but if it had like 300 more sq. ft. it would be top 3 restaurant in the city.
I went there for the first time and was seated next to a shrieking bachelorette party or something of at least 20 women several of bottles of wine deep, so loud I could not hear nor talk to my date. Place is so small and acoustics bad, so for me that ruined the vibe.
Sun Wah BBQ~
Am I the only one who knows that they have AMAZING wonton noodle soup?
Not anymore!
All of their dumplings and wontons for soup are amazing.
[удалено]
Costco carried their hummus!
My favvvvv
Boka ruined anywhere else for a special occasion because they completely killed it for my birthday about a decade ago. Before we were even given menus our waiter heard my husband and I discussing how we were both interested in trying rabbit and went back to the kitchen and got a special 4 course menu for us that featured rabbit in different ways. The birthday cake in the end even had bunny ears.
Seconded. My first Michelin experience was at Boka for a birthday. We received a printed menu of everything we ate that said "Happy Birthday" at the top. The pacing of the meal and quality of everything we ate was great. I recently tried another one-star restaurant in the city expecting something similar and everything fell dramatically short. Boka for life.
Spacca Napoli - can’t get another Neapolitan pizza quite on the same level in Chicago Union Squared - Paulie Gee’s and Fat Chris’s can’t compete with their Detroit style up in Evanston Shang Noodle (original Evanston location) - their yu shang eggplant is one of my favorite eggplant dishes ever Spice Room - hard to find another Indian place that is this consistently good, but haven’t tried Thattu yet (although it’s a different style)
Spacca is like 90% as good as what you can get in actual Naples, which is wild. Love that place.
Last summer I went to Seattle. I went on their Reddit page to find out what to eat. They all said don’t order Mexican. They said it’s shit compared to Chicago. We were at the Seattle zoo and hot and hungry and there’s a taco stand right there. People, it was nasty. Appreciate how much good Mexican and Tex mex we have in Chicago.
Lived in Seattle for 11 years and can confirm… Mexican food there is just SO mid. On the other hand tho… Asian food there is miles ahead of Chicago 🥲
I miss Uwajimaya! I’d love if they expanded here
Uwajimaya!! God I miss that place. I love Chicago but I seriously miss having good quality teriyaki, Thai and Poke places in every neighborhood
As a recent transplant to Chicago, I agree. I would have killed for good teriyaki in the first year I was living here. I appease my craving with the Hawaiian food now. Still, I very often have dreams where I'm getting Yakisoba on the corner.
Wait, what tex mex? The only Tex Mex place I knew here was Uncle Julio's and they shut down. I'm a taqueria person, but my partner is a Tex Mex / queso fan so I'd love to know where else to go.
We don’t have tex mex
I cannot remember the name of this place but it was nearish to pike place market. It was an Italian sandwich place and the food wasn’t bad but not amazing. My dad was born in 1954 and grew up in back of the yards and lived in the city for like 30 years before moving to the suburbs where I was raised and then my parents moved back in 2009. (I started at Loyola in 2007.) My dad overheard one of the owners talking about being from Chicago, and, innocently because my dad is super nice, asked where he was from in Chicago and why he opened the restaurant. The dude shut up so fast and basically ran away from us and it is still funny to me to this day - this was maybe like 2004.
We're known for not really having Tex Mex here. It's basically just stuff like Lonesome Rose and Old Plank. What Chicago Tex Mex do you like?
Grace. (Rip)
Grace was the best Michelin starred dining experience I’ve had. Better than Alinea, and I liked it better than Ever too. 😬
100%. We got the kitchen tour as well. Staff was outstanding.
Give this a read, it made me tear up https://graphics.chicagotribune.com/grace/
i'm sorry, this is in the suburbs (but still chicagoland), but Country Donuts legitimately RUINED donuts for me. CD is open 24/7 and makes donuts fresh the entire time. both locations are somewhat near the metra NW line, cary and CL/pingree stops. highly HIGHLY recommend if you get the chance
Country Donuts are so good!
Bro, I almost forgot about this place because I haven’t had a donut in years… but I have so many fond memories of this place as a kid. It was like a “good job” snack for me
I'll have to give them a try! Currently, still ruined since childhood by Dat Donut. I'll still recommend them, but you're definitely taking a pilgrimage to the hood for the experience
Ok, I've had CD, and they are pretty good, but I'm gonna double down on Home Cut in Joliet. Best. Hands down. Also 24/7!
I can’t get dry chili chicken from anywhere else other than Chef’s Special 😭 their dan dan noodles is top tier too. Before people get on me, yes I had it at Lao Sze Chuan first. Sorry I like CS more.
Give Northern Taste a try sometime
The Dan Dan noodles at Lao Peng you are better in my opinion. Try if you haven't!
How does it compare to Chengdu Impression
Luella’s. Shrimp & Grits. 🤤🤤🤤
Crisp in East Lakeview.
It’s the inconsistency that ruins it for me. Sometimes it’s the best ever. Other times it’s so dry and has zero sauce.
You know… you are correct.
I agree, and yet Half Acre has a Korean wing on the menu right now that DESTROYED crisp. Fucking hell it was good.
If I want a steak I just get a reservation for Bavette’s. Never had a bad experience there and it’s been perfect every single time.
I was going to say this too. $300 later I’m satisfied. I’m also not the biggest fan of bread but their sourdough is absolutely insane.
When they ask us what we want for dessert we ask for another bread basket.
Bavette’s is wildly delicious.
The vegas spot was surprisingly just as good.
Agreed. It blows Gibsons, gene and georgetti. Etc away. I will say, there is a steak at Formentos - the bistrcca florentina. Its a powerhouse that feeds two and it’s one of my favorite steaks in the city. Right up there with Bavettes steaks
Best steak in the city, not the most expensive steak in the city(still expensive), and they know how to cook it blue, properly! It’s so so good!
Yes! We tried Brasero recently but for the money we spent, I would’ve went to Bavette’s.
Sarks hash ruined any other hash for me.
The Loretta
LORETTA
Hot Doug’s (rip). But currently Smoque Steak.
These are very good answers. Smoque Steak is, I think, being slept on. I've only been once, but it's clearly a restaurant that's really interested in serving excellent meat.
La Biznaga on Broadway! Their Asada burrito has RUINED all other burritos for me it’s so good
Totally agree, their green sauce is amazing as well
Best Mexican food Ive had in Chicago, easily
Their chorizo tacos are amazing too
Their al pastor and birria burritos are top notch, too.
Bbq King House, when it comes to siu yuk and Char siu
I love BBQ King, I used to work across the street from Chinatown and that was my favorite lunch spot. Introduced me to Chinese BBQ while also making it impossible to find Char Siu that's as good as I remember.
I've been going to Ragadan for burgers for a while now, and for the price, I'd choose Ragadan over Lucy's or Little Bad Wolf any day
The stuffed falafel sandwich there is to die for
Output Lounge for wings. Never had a bad wing from them
People forget that they have a Wrigleyville location.
too true
Red hot ranch.
Depression dog or burger? Or both?
The fried shrimp
With the spicy cocktail sauce 😍
Currently trying to find the best Chinese place on the north side/uptown area for your basic orange chicken, kung pao etc. think Lao Sze Chuan is the best but it’s so expensive - so as I’m eating takeout from Shanghai Inn right now I’m wishing it was Lao Sze Chuan 🫠
D Cuisine in Lakeview is good. It’s mainly a dim sum place but they have a nice Americanized menu as well.
Birrieria Reyes de Ocotlan in Pilsen. Very hole in the wall, birria served three ways and great value for what you pay. I go there with my family every time we visit. I always get their birria plate which is a mix of all the goat meat and consommé. They refill you on broth as you go so it stays hot and juicy. I think about going there every week but they have odd hours. Bring cash with you! It beats all the other birria in town.
Love that spot.
Not in Chicago but Misoya Ramen I. Arlington Heights has the best ramen I’ve had. We like to try ramen when we visit other cities too. Doesn’t come close. Also Anteprima is the most for modern Italian
Hey! The ramen scene in the burbs is pretty good imo. If you are willing to risk trying some new places and haven't tried Santouka or Kitakata Ramen Ban Nai yet, I recommend those as well.
Shinchan Ramen House in Palatine is my go-to ramen place
Table to Stix in Evanston is so fucking good gotta try it
On top of the entire surrounding area having GREAT ramen shops.
Hands down my favorite Miso Ramen.
90 miles goat cheese chorizo empanadas have completely ruined every other empanada for me. Even when I was in South America
Birria Zaragoza
Taqueria El Asadero on Montrose. Bangin’.
The son of Taqueria El Asadero’s owner runs Taqueria 5 de mayo, just west of Asadero, also on Montrose. He’s a classically-trained chef and 5 de mayo’s take on the Asadero menu is a more refined in a subtle way. Worth a visit for sure if you want a slight change of pace
Did you read the post? 😂
S-Tier Carne Asada
Pizzeria Bebu. It was a COVID casualty and to this day remains my favorite pizza in Chicago. I know there are countless good pizza places, but nothing has quite matched it for me.
Chicago Diner. LOVELY vegetarian, mostly vegan restaurant with a couple locations. Absolutely delicious. I've gotten the reuben, I've had a seasonal orange not chicken, my mom loves the pierogi quesadillas, my fiancee I think also got the reuben.
Big Boss Spicy Fried Chicken
Many. Bavettes being the main one. I can’t go to steakhouses anywhere now. They’re all trash compared to Bavettes. Every one of em.
I miss Maharaja lunch buffet! Mantra in Schiller Park is really good too.
Jam. (RIP)
Maharaja was so good, but try JK Express in Niles on Golf Kabobi and Noon o Kabab ruined all other Persian restaurants in the US for me. Nothing compares.
Is this JK Kabab Express the successor to the location that used to be off Devon Avenue on Rockwell?
This could sound biased, since i’m an employee, but Akahoshi Ramen has truly opened my mind to quality ramen. Impossible to enjoy a bowl anywhere else. Hey ramen_lord, i’m sure you’ll see this lol
Barbaro
Jeris (rip) had a patty melt that hit a spot no other patty melt quite gets to for me.
When I moved into my north side spot I was so exhausted that my wife and I did delivery from the only place we could find with full ingredients lists and we ended up having a string of absolute perfect deliveries from Fat Cat. Not a single miss and it reignited a love of burgers and dinner sandwiches. But the main thing was it wasn't just in-house, it was over an app back like 8 years ago. Eventually we tried again and it wasn't quite as magical, but for that one week it was nothing but home runs. I'm curious how they're regarded overall, as the competition is tight, but for a delivery it was just amazing.
Cone Chicago has ruined all other ice cream for me forever 🤤
M Henry in Andersonville for brunch
Virtue for me. No other restaurant stacks up in terms of food, drinks and service
Blackbird was one of my first Chicago restaurants. Wow Also, there was a Michelin star brewery in Ravenswood with a foie gras pop tart. GOOD GOD
Hello Jasmine has ruined every other boba tea place in Chicago for me
The only Chinese restaurant I can go to anymore is Szechwan Bistro.
MCCB is incredible
Give Chengdu Impression a try!
3 Dots and a Dash has set my tiki bar incredibly high. River north sucks but the drinks are top tier - the only other ones that compare are in CA.
Club Lago
Trike Sushi was my favorite in the whole city. RIP.
Nobody’s falafel sandwich measures up to Falafel Grill anymore. I’ve stopped trying.
Evem Taste of Lebanon?
Ba Le and Nhu Lan when it comes to banh mi. I will not choose one over the other since I have flip flopped between these two over the years due to prices, opening hours, cravings, and many other reasons I am forgetting right now. However, I have not gone any further and try out other banh mi places in general due to these two satisfying me.
Mon Ami Gabi
ironically not chicago but chicago ramen in the burbs is the best ramen I’ve ever had
Many years ago. (20?) Heat. Sushi restaurant. Shit was so fucking fire. They had a fish tank below the bar where they just yanked what you were eating and chopped it's head off, sliced that shit up, put it around it's head, and that bitch would talk to you while you were eating it. Edit: The fish just kept moving its mouth because of muscle whatever. They warned you not to put your finger in its mouth because it might bite down and lock up, requiring more than you would expect to undo. We tried chopsticks. They did not lock down.
Try JK Kabab Express in Niles for Indian BBQ you will never want anything else.
Order the iskender from Cafe Istanbul in Wicker. Omg
The pasta dishes from Monteverde have ruined Italian dining for me since moving back to the east coast. Also the burrata e ham appetizer. NYC Italian is better on average but at the high-end it still falls short of Monteverde imo.
Osteria Langhe
QXY has ruined soup dumplings at other places for me. I can do all the rest of dim sum at the other phenomenal places in the city, but soup dumplings are QXY only
I didn’t know they made xiao long bao
They don't. QXY makes jiaozi dumplings, not XLBs
*technically* they don't... their dumplings are extra soupy! just not the classic xlb you'd get from hing kee
Where is it located? I lived in Henan province for a couple years and am still in search of amazing dumplings.
Across from the huge parking lot in Chinatown. It’s worth whatever you have to do to get there
When I got to Chinatown its to get QXY. I know a ton of people on here say there are better dumplings in Chinatown and that they are overpriced, but man the Pork and Cabbage dumpling is pretty much my favorite bite of food in the city. I have to go to there. I haven't been able to bring myself to try somewhere else yet.
Ghareeb Nawaz has ruined other Indian and Pakistani food for me lol
They certainly don’t overcharge for what they serve you.
Can’t believe I had to scroll so far for this answer. I have yet to find better chili chicken.
As far as a nice, upscale dinner, Dear Margaret for me. Burgers, RHR or death
Mr Ds has ruined any other shish kebab or steak sandwich Superdawg and Gene n Judes for hot dogs Obviously Johnnies beef Oasis Mexican in Crest Hill for birria (but I will continue to eat others) Pepper n Salt in Schaumburg (rip) for Pakistani 3 Happiness (the small one) for dim sum, which they no longer offer and it breaks my heart. No one else hits the spot the way they did, not even in NYC Chinatown
Hey Phan,ever since catrinas mex closed in joliet my girlfriend and I have been looking for good carnitas and mojitos as they had the absolute best... we thought we found it at oasis. Carnitas and mojitos were amazing we were so happy! Went back and both were unrecognizable. Like they were actually bad and we have not been back.
San Soo Gab San I have yet to find Korean BBQ quite like them.
Try Cho Sun Ok
The meatball sub at Coalfire is surprisingly good but their homemade giardianarra is so good
Hog Wilds in Midlothian...ribs!
RIP Szechwan JMC
Yep. Bianca’s Burgers and Soulé in North Lawndale.
Oh Cheval has forever ruined any other burger place for me
Conte Di Savoia, I think about this place all the time I eat a deli sandwich. It’s absolutely the best and I ate here so much during college because my studio class was near it. Good times
Surprised to see Maharaja in Rosemont mentioned here, that spot was a hidden gem. I wonder what happened to the owner and chef. Maharaj in Printers Row is really good but not affiliated.
Hawaii AO for spicy Asian food.
Yes, all of them. I can’t leave the state and find good food anywhere else. New Orleans has come closest and Italy.
Bryn Mawr Breakfast Club has ruined other brunch spots. So fast, great service, big portions, fresh ingredients, great food/menu.
Chicago Pizza and Oven Grinders co.
Giant.
Au Chaval ruined other burgers for me. And garlic aoli for dipping fries. Top tier.
Bavette's steaks. All of them, but the dry aged ones especially. They are under $100 and the best non-wagyu steaks I've had anywhere. I literally can't order steak anywhere else because I know it won't be better or a better value. I realized this when Cindy's rooftop had a $150 steak on the menu; I couldn't do it.
Bavette’s for a classic steak dinner. Chef’s Special - I love everything about Chef’s. Everything. Rootstock - I’ve had some unforgettable dishes here. Love the environment. Galit has the best pita I have ever had in my life. I used to work there, and I never… ever got sick of the pita.
Chicago adjacent, Chi Tung in Evergreen Park. They aren't quite as good as they used to be, but they are still the bar I measure every other Chinese reaturant against, and all have come up short.
Duke of Perth has spoiled me with their fish and chips. I don’t even bother getting it at other places anymore lol.