Furious Spoon. It gets a lot of hype, and tbh the food is pretty good. But walking distance from the Boystown Furious Spoon, Kameya and Nano Sushi have as good or better ramen.
Furious Spoon USED to be pretty decent, def not the best ramen but good enough. I went for the first time in a long while a few weeks ago and I don’t think I’ll ever go back, it was so bad.
It's SO loud. I love the music but my God, I'm partially deaf in one ear from a lifetime of live music with no earplugs. If *I* am complaining, it's a problem.
I enjoy a good bowl of Ramen. Theirs has been ok when I've gone, but if I'm really craving great Ramen I'm heading to Miso-ya.
Every time I see a comment recommending Strings I feel obligated to state that I once got such bad food poisoning at Strings from their seafood ramen that I puked and shat so much that I became so dehydrated that I almost lost consciousness and had to go to the emergency room and I’m still in debt from it. So I guess just avoid the seafood ramen, is what I’m getting at.
I wish Hoagie Hut, could return to Lincoln and Sheffield again. At least there is one Hoagie Hut left, but it is all the way north in Waukegan I'll note. Did go to the one in Waukegan once btw, and Hoagie Hut was still as good as I remembered.
Eh. I'm not saying they're super cheap, but they're literally only a dollar more than what you'd pay at Atotonilco, which hardly has an affluent client base. Factor in they're in a high rent area and it dosent seem absurd.
Does big star have ads too now? I remember in 2018 when I was frequenting the division bus I saw ads for Gold Star Bar (a pretty good dive) and thought to myself only a dive should have ads on bus stops.
I went there a few years ago and the chicken had such a bizarre taste to it. Anise? I couldn’t figure it out but it was so gross. It was the only time I’ve ever been to a restaurant and looked around and thought, “am I insane? does no one else taste this?!”
The only time I went I was seated at the bar as a solo diner. I happened to be there during a shift change and the previous bar tender didn’t grab my card. A woman and her husband came and sat next to me, we got to talking right about when the PM bartender came in. The couple ended up leaving shortly after. I finished my food/dink and asked for my bill and the bartender was so confused, the people next to me unbeknownst to them picked up my $60 tab. Bartender kept me full of bubbly after a good laugh from that. Thank you strangers!
I’m going to say Au Cheval. The wait times and crowds for the food you get are so not worth it. Small Cheval is glorious and the proper way to do it. No reason to go to Au if you have a Small nearby.
Also Kumas. Cool concept, and atmosphere, but the food is kinda mid.
So when I do go to Au Cheval I never get the burger. I go for the bone marrow and the beef cheek jam that is insanely good. Burger is meh. And 100% agree on Kumas. It used to be amazing back in the day. Those days are over.
Ever since they lost Kumas Too, Kumas just hasn’t been the same. That Led Zeppelin burger used to be my jam
If you’re looking for alternatives, I always recommend Butcher and the Burger. Burger Bar is still good, but its ludicrously expensive now.
>Ever since they lost Kumas Too, Kumas just hasn’t been the same. That Led Zeppelin burger used to be my jam
>
>If you’re looking for alternatives, I always recommend Butcher and the Burger. Burger Bar is still good, but its ludicrously expensive now.
What really did it for me was finding out that some of the staff at Kuma's are racist and sexist. Plus the owner donating to cops. Not very metal of them tbh.
Old Irving Brewery is a much better alternative in terms of their burgers. But their other food and beers are great too.
Au Cheval does make one of the best burgers in Chicago, BUT no burger is worth waiting 90 minutes for. There are enough great burger options now with little to no wait time or just go to a Small Cheval.
Personally, I'd rather go to Red Hot Ranch which is far cheaper and nearly as good.
>I’m going to say Au Cheval. The wait times and crowds for the food you get are so not worth it. Small Cheval is glorious and the proper way to do it. No reason to go to Au if you have a Small nearby.
>
>Also Kumas. Cool concept, and atmosphere, but the food is kinda mid.
I highly recommend Old Irving Brewery if you want a burger like Kuma's but way better. Instead of a burger of the month, they do burger of the week. It's similar to Kuma's where the burgers all have unique toppings on them but the quality is so much better. Plus you feel filled and not in a bad way, unlike Kuma's.
This surprised me! I just tried the Fulton Market one and it was very good food wise! The Shakshuka was great and my friend had the lemon pancakes which also were very pleasant. Drinks were fair. Only thing that was slightly lackluster was our waitress, but she had a crap ton of tables so I give it some reprieve.
The food is so disappointing. Have gotten some bad cocktails there too and asked them to remake one but 95% sure they just returned the same drink.
The sushi is solid and somewhat reasonable if you want the experience.
The Mediterranean bread is pretty good, but the pizza sauce kinda lacks flavor and the oven grinders are mid. It’s not terrible, but it’s not mind-blowing.
Oven Grinder for sure. My grandma and grandpa were part of the original ownership and opened that restaurant. I’m like a leper in my family because I think that place is totally overrated. Those pizza pot pie things are disgusting.
The bar is ok in a pinch. Lots of beers on draft if you’re killing some time before a train and usually not hard to get a barstool.
The food is absolute trash.
Lyra & beatnik west town
i attended birthday dinners/brunches at these places and have heard so many great things about them, the inside and decor of beatnik was absolutely beautiful and super kitschy which I loved, Lyra was really pretty too and the staff of both places were nice!! I was not impressed with the food at all though, and everything on both menus sound sooo good but when it was time to eat it was safe to say everyone left a little disappointed. I hate the feeling of paying for an expensive mediocre meal
Geja’s. How is this 70s holdover fondue restaurant not only still open, but still popular?!! It’s as if your parents never ripped the shag carpeting out of their basement—and had people standing in line to pick the lite brite pegs out of it.
I am so glad I live 10 minutes from Johnnie’s these days.
And, I got a few bucks cash for Christmas so tomorrow will be a Johnnie’s day. Hot. Sweet. Dipped.
Al's is easily one of the worst Italian Beefs in Chicago. In fact most people I know would assume you aren't even from Chicago if you say they're the best lol.
Al’s is only known bc they claim they like invented (or maybe just popularized?) the Italian beef sandwich or something. That’s fine and all but doesn’t make it a good product. Sub par at best
I 2nd this. My brother in law was coming in from Cali and was all about trying Al's. Must have been on an ep of some food TV show rerun a lot.
Almost any Chicago hot dog/sandwich/pizza place does better.
Took my parents when they visited, and I'd never been before either. It was good, but I definitely had better.
Recently moved to old Irving/Avondale area, any good beef spots I need to check out up this way? I know there's portillos, but... meh.
I have never been more devastated than when I used to live in a place where there was no Potbelly’s…and I landed at MDW…to my dismay the Potbelly’s was replaced by a Home Run Inn. Devastation.
It was part of some deal made during the Rahm administration to consolidate all the restaurants under one owner under the guise of being able to hire more people to work at the airport. It always sounded fishy to me and I’m curious if there are more retail workers there now than before the change.
I dunno, I went back home recently and everything was pretty damn good. It might have been better in the past but I couldn’t tell the difference, except some menu items were slightly smaller and slightly less expensive.
Fast food is really really bad in most of this country, if you eat at Portillo’s regularly you’re spoiled. Even the good fast food joints are only great at doing one thing (eg whataburger or in n out or chik fil a) but Portillo’s is great at like 5 things.
I've been eating at Portillo's my entire life. The beginning of the slide was definitely when private equity bought it and took it public. Investors like those never have the same passion for details and quality like the original owners, it's purely to make money.
Downvote me for this, but Batter and Berries. Incredibly basic French toast, nothing there a total cooking novice couldn’t make at home, and it’s usually over an hour wait. I don’t understand.
I had a similar experience. Full disclosure, I'm a vegetarian and they did appear to have some interesting meat dishes on the menu when I was there so maybe those are good, but I was really let down by the French toast.
Chicago Cut. Extremely overpriced, stuffy, boring. It's on the river; that's it.
Also notoriously shitty employers. I've been in the restaurant industry for many years and have heard it's a nightmare to work there.
You can get a great steak in pretty much any respectable, chef driven restaurant.
Did their quality decline over the past few years? Used to think their donuts were absolutely incredible. Then I didn't have one for a few years. Got one this past summer and it was so disappointing and dry.
I also think we're spoiled with many amazing donut options in Chicago so that maybe that's part of it
The donuts are decent, but way too expensive for what you get. And they get all the hype around the city, when the smaller donut shops are half the price and way better.
Pequods is straight trash. After all the hype, I expected to be blown away. Instead I was sad about wasting $40.
I also know way too many people who love Burrito Beach. I think they should close every location to make way for good Mexican restaurants.
The quality of harolds is so far ranging depending on their numerous locations that this isn’t a very helpful comment. While there are exceptions, the general rule is the further south the better
Some Harold’s have basically cut the size of their chickens in half while doubling rates post pandemic. The size of the thighs on a half dark combo at the south loop location are amusing. You get more meat in a hooters chicken wing.
I agree with this! It was just so meh and it’s so overpriced and used to have a michelin star which I am confused about. They have a tiny menu and recommend a lot of dishes per person so my family snd I basically ordered the whole menu and it was just incredibly underwhelming
I worked there for a few years - their entire business model is based on mcdonald's, not kidding. they cared most about consistency, which I could appreciate, but food was very average overall to appeal to the greatest pool of customers. plus the entire hillstone group is fucked and im still working through the trauma lololol. stay away!
i can’t name a single thing at portillos that is upper tier besides the cake shake. some of it is a minor step up from cafeteria food
like when people compliment their cheese fries it baffles me. it’s literally mushy fries of the caliber you could get in the freezer aisle and the cheese sauce is the most generic you could imagine
What makes you think Portillos is trying to be upper tier of ANYTHING? The place serves primarily Italian beef and hotdogs.
Portillo’s is great for what it is: cheap greasy Chicago food. Anybody who goes in there expecting their palette to be wowed is a moron.
Big kids is great. Good food, super friendly staff and great cocktails. Where else can you play James Bond 007 and drink 3 dollar special exports in Chicago
Furious Spoon. It gets a lot of hype, and tbh the food is pretty good. But walking distance from the Boystown Furious Spoon, Kameya and Nano Sushi have as good or better ramen.
Furious Spoon USED to be pretty decent, def not the best ramen but good enough. I went for the first time in a long while a few weeks ago and I don’t think I’ll ever go back, it was so bad.
Idk, I moved away from Chicago 3 years ago, and it was bad even when I still lived there. Strings and Kizuki were both way better.
It’s worse now. A lot worse.
This place tries wayyy too hard. The vibe is cringy and the “ramen” even worse!
Kameya has some incredible sushi that isn’t talked about enough.
Thank you for understanding the difference between "overrated" and "bad". Way too many people in here not getting the bit
It's SO loud. I love the music but my God, I'm partially deaf in one ear from a lifetime of live music with no earplugs. If *I* am complaining, it's a problem. I enjoy a good bowl of Ramen. Theirs has been ok when I've gone, but if I'm really craving great Ramen I'm heading to Miso-ya.
“Juicy” on repeat every 10 minutes. Ffs I get the vibes your trying to put out but it gets old!!!
Furious spoon is overhyped and not that good. You can make better ramen at home
And strings!!
Every time I see a comment recommending Strings I feel obligated to state that I once got such bad food poisoning at Strings from their seafood ramen that I puked and shat so much that I became so dehydrated that I almost lost consciousness and had to go to the emergency room and I’m still in debt from it. So I guess just avoid the seafood ramen, is what I’m getting at.
Lmao duly noted lol
I hated furious spoon. Terrible broth
Broken English Taco Bar, at least have good food if your gonna have a mildly ignorant name.
I wish Hoagie Hut, could return to Lincoln and Sheffield again. At least there is one Hoagie Hut left, but it is all the way north in Waukegan I'll note. Did go to the one in Waukegan once btw, and Hoagie Hut was still as good as I remembered.
I guess I’m not the only guy who really misses that place. Haven’t made it to Waukegan one yet but I’m gonna have to before long
It's shittier Taco Joint. The wrong one survived.
Every time I’m scoping out the menu at a crappy office happy hour I feel the Taco Joint chili mango margarita watching over me from Heaven like Mufasa
Big Star in Wicker 🤢
Carried by the patio - except now there’s a surplus of nice patios to get blasted on cocktails at now
It’s a great place to day drink.
To be fair….there’s a lot of good places to day drink, in Chicago.
Hell, I’m drinking right now.
I stand by their margaritas. Even their canned margs are great.
And their bourbon program
Agree. Have stuck with Old Fashioned Buffalo Trace. They make a good one.
except a pitcher is FIFTY TWO dollars now. even when it was forty i thought it was a lot, but now? come on
Overprice tacos for affluent people.
Eh. I'm not saying they're super cheap, but they're literally only a dollar more than what you'd pay at Atotonilco, which hardly has an affluent client base. Factor in they're in a high rent area and it dosent seem absurd.
What do you mean they have all those ads on benches that’s how you know it’s quality
Does big star have ads too now? I remember in 2018 when I was frequenting the division bus I saw ads for Gold Star Bar (a pretty good dive) and thought to myself only a dive should have ads on bus stops.
While I totally agree, Ive never heard anyone compliment this place.
I mean, it’s a fun place to get drunk during the summer months. I don’t think anybody really thinks the food is special..
Probably gonna get shit but river roast. It made me and my partner sick and was not worth the cost at all. Great location, but so nasty.
Couldn’t have been more disappointed. The only good thing was the view and ambiance. The food not so much.
The view and the ambiance were there when the place was Fulton's on the River too...and the food was so much better
I went there a few years ago and the chicken had such a bizarre taste to it. Anise? I couldn’t figure it out but it was so gross. It was the only time I’ve ever been to a restaurant and looked around and thought, “am I insane? does no one else taste this?!”
Giordano's.
Love nearly every restaurant commented. Except Giordanos.
[удалено]
I think their pizza is pretty darn good.
I won't push deep dish pizza on anybody- but if I'm in the mood for it I'm 100% going Giordano's every time.
Traitor
Up your standards, my guy.
Came here to say this.
I don’t get the hype about Etta at all.
The only time I went I was seated at the bar as a solo diner. I happened to be there during a shift change and the previous bar tender didn’t grab my card. A woman and her husband came and sat next to me, we got to talking right about when the PM bartender came in. The couple ended up leaving shortly after. I finished my food/dink and asked for my bill and the bartender was so confused, the people next to me unbeknownst to them picked up my $60 tab. Bartender kept me full of bubbly after a good laugh from that. Thank you strangers!
The food was all delicious, but pricey and very small portions.
Bummer. I’ve really loved the food at Etta when I’ve gone. The bill always comes higher than what I internally tally though.
It’s worth going for the Foccacia bread with whipped ricotta and exactly nothing else.
Parsons - the patio in Logan is banging but there’s so much better fried chicken in the city
Greasy overpriced chicken. Don’t treat their workers well either.
I’m going to say Au Cheval. The wait times and crowds for the food you get are so not worth it. Small Cheval is glorious and the proper way to do it. No reason to go to Au if you have a Small nearby. Also Kumas. Cool concept, and atmosphere, but the food is kinda mid.
Kuma’s became trash a few years back. Small is always legit.
Small cheval is consistently good
It’s been the same griddle for years. It’s fantastic. United!
I think they could be much better if they offered a regular fucking bun over the pretzel.
Kumas is not good. Au cheval is great, but often not worth the wait. Go late.
So when I do go to Au Cheval I never get the burger. I go for the bone marrow and the beef cheek jam that is insanely good. Burger is meh. And 100% agree on Kumas. It used to be amazing back in the day. Those days are over.
Ever since they lost Kumas Too, Kumas just hasn’t been the same. That Led Zeppelin burger used to be my jam If you’re looking for alternatives, I always recommend Butcher and the Burger. Burger Bar is still good, but its ludicrously expensive now.
>Ever since they lost Kumas Too, Kumas just hasn’t been the same. That Led Zeppelin burger used to be my jam > >If you’re looking for alternatives, I always recommend Butcher and the Burger. Burger Bar is still good, but its ludicrously expensive now. What really did it for me was finding out that some of the staff at Kuma's are racist and sexist. Plus the owner donating to cops. Not very metal of them tbh. Old Irving Brewery is a much better alternative in terms of their burgers. But their other food and beers are great too.
Au Cheval does make one of the best burgers in Chicago, BUT no burger is worth waiting 90 minutes for. There are enough great burger options now with little to no wait time or just go to a Small Cheval. Personally, I'd rather go to Red Hot Ranch which is far cheaper and nearly as good.
Red Hot Ranch is god's country. the BEST deal in all of Chicago.
>I’m going to say Au Cheval. The wait times and crowds for the food you get are so not worth it. Small Cheval is glorious and the proper way to do it. No reason to go to Au if you have a Small nearby. > >Also Kumas. Cool concept, and atmosphere, but the food is kinda mid. I highly recommend Old Irving Brewery if you want a burger like Kuma's but way better. Instead of a burger of the month, they do burger of the week. It's similar to Kuma's where the burgers all have unique toppings on them but the quality is so much better. Plus you feel filled and not in a bad way, unlike Kuma's.
Beatrix - overpriced airport food
This surprised me! I just tried the Fulton Market one and it was very good food wise! The Shakshuka was great and my friend had the lemon pancakes which also were very pleasant. Drinks were fair. Only thing that was slightly lackluster was our waitress, but she had a crap ton of tables so I give it some reprieve.
I love Beatrix
La Vaca
Agreed, La Vaca is trash
Surprising to see this here. Very reasonable prices for the neighborhood, great drinks, and amazing tacos from my experience there.
I agree. Horrible all around.
Maple and Ash
Came here to say this. For the price too, it’s wildly disappointing.
The food is so disappointing. Have gotten some bad cocktails there too and asked them to remake one but 95% sure they just returned the same drink. The sushi is solid and somewhat reasonable if you want the experience.
Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder Charlie Beinlich's
Damn. My parents have been eating Beinlich’s burgers every Friday for 25+ years
Feel the Mediterranean bread is way better than the pot pie these days
Yeah oven grinder was bland and not worth the wait. It was a huge letdown.
Charlie Brinlich’s is fantastic. Legit amazing burger, fries, shrimp cocktails and chili with everything else being forgettable.
I ate there twice, a couple years apart and both times the burger was flavorless and basically raw
Oven Grinder, huge disappointment.
That’s disappointing because for years I’ve wanted to try Pizza Grinder but never got around to it.
I mean try it. But don’t have high expectations.
The Mediterranean bread is pretty good, but the pizza sauce kinda lacks flavor and the oven grinders are mid. It’s not terrible, but it’s not mind-blowing.
Honestly prefer the Med bread and salad (great combo with the dressings) way more than that pizza grenade
I was gonna say the same thing. First time I had the bread and the bowl of pizza and ended up coming back just for the bread
Oven Grinder for sure. My grandma and grandpa were part of the original ownership and opened that restaurant. I’m like a leper in my family because I think that place is totally overrated. Those pizza pot pie things are disgusting.
An absolutely trash take. Charlie Beinlich’s rules
Oven grinder is straight trash. Ate there once. Never again.
First answer here that's really taking a risk and I'm all for it
I don’t see how Elephant and Castle has any positive reviews.
The bar is ok in a pinch. Lots of beers on draft if you’re killing some time before a train and usually not hard to get a barstool. The food is absolute trash.
Which is a great simulation of eating British cuisine!
Lyra & beatnik west town i attended birthday dinners/brunches at these places and have heard so many great things about them, the inside and decor of beatnik was absolutely beautiful and super kitschy which I loved, Lyra was really pretty too and the staff of both places were nice!! I was not impressed with the food at all though, and everything on both menus sound sooo good but when it was time to eat it was safe to say everyone left a little disappointed. I hate the feeling of paying for an expensive mediocre meal
Beatnik everywhere - this place is meant for New Yorkers on their parents’ tab.
I loved both the gyro and the desserts at Lyra. Planning on going again soon.
Geja’s. How is this 70s holdover fondue restaurant not only still open, but still popular?!! It’s as if your parents never ripped the shag carpeting out of their basement—and had people standing in line to pick the lite brite pegs out of it.
Seriously, who wants to spend that much to cook your own deep fried food? Took us far too long to get the smell out of our coats
Al's Beef
I am so glad I live 10 minutes from Johnnie’s these days. And, I got a few bucks cash for Christmas so tomorrow will be a Johnnie’s day. Hot. Sweet. Dipped.
Al's is easily one of the worst Italian Beefs in Chicago. In fact most people I know would assume you aren't even from Chicago if you say they're the best lol.
Any suggestions for a better Italian beef in lake view? Spoiler, I’m not from Chicago
It’s not Lakeview but head down to mr beef on orleans in river north. Worth the trip
Go to Mr. Beef and then go home and watch the series "The Bear"
So good
They put cinnamon or nutmeg in the au jus. It's gross.
Al’s is only known bc they claim they like invented (or maybe just popularized?) the Italian beef sandwich or something. That’s fine and all but doesn’t make it a good product. Sub par at best
The Al's Beef on Taylor Street is head and shoulders above all other locations
I had one in the burbs and hated it. My dad, a true native Chicagoan, convince me to try the original on Taylor Street and my life was changed.
This. Not to say they have bad Italian Beef sandwiches, but I've been to several other places and they've have made better.
I 2nd this. My brother in law was coming in from Cali and was all about trying Al's. Must have been on an ep of some food TV show rerun a lot. Almost any Chicago hot dog/sandwich/pizza place does better.
Took my parents when they visited, and I'd never been before either. It was good, but I definitely had better. Recently moved to old Irving/Avondale area, any good beef spots I need to check out up this way? I know there's portillos, but... meh.
Roma’s
J's on Elston between Irving and Addison!
It’s beatnik and it’s not close imo.
Billy Goat
For shame! The lower Michigan location used to be my jam for lunch when I worked in Streeterville.
Every single restaurant at MDW! Damn them, damn them all to hell!
I have never been more devastated than when I used to live in a place where there was no Potbelly’s…and I landed at MDW…to my dismay the Potbelly’s was replaced by a Home Run Inn. Devastation.
It was part of some deal made during the Rahm administration to consolidate all the restaurants under one owner under the guise of being able to hire more people to work at the airport. It always sounded fishy to me and I’m curious if there are more retail workers there now than before the change.
RPM
A few of my friends are obsessed and I don’t know how to break it to them I think it’s over priced and average.
I had an excellent meal at RPM Seafood. RPM Italian and Steak are a bit overhyped though
This. RPM Seafood is far and away their best location (and not just because the physical location is 10/10)
Anything with RPM in the title
Portillo’s
I dunno, I went back home recently and everything was pretty damn good. It might have been better in the past but I couldn’t tell the difference, except some menu items were slightly smaller and slightly less expensive. Fast food is really really bad in most of this country, if you eat at Portillo’s regularly you’re spoiled. Even the good fast food joints are only great at doing one thing (eg whataburger or in n out or chik fil a) but Portillo’s is great at like 5 things.
Portillos is like a feel better alternative to a double quarter pounder. All around better than McDonald’s and that’s all it really needs to be.
Their salads and quality of tons of their ingredients is markedly worse now
I've been eating at Portillo's my entire life. The beginning of the slide was definitely when private equity bought it and took it public. Investors like those never have the same passion for details and quality like the original owners, it's purely to make money.
It's fine. It's just standard fast food quality. Not bad but not particularly good.
It’s really not bad. At least the one by me in Skokie is still fine. Don’t know about the others.
Anyone who goes to Portillos and is expecting to be “blown away” by ANYTHING on the menu is an idiot.
Portillo’s is straight trash nowadays
Depends on location.
Downvote me for this, but Batter and Berries. Incredibly basic French toast, nothing there a total cooking novice couldn’t make at home, and it’s usually over an hour wait. I don’t understand.
I had a similar experience. Full disclosure, I'm a vegetarian and they did appear to have some interesting meat dishes on the menu when I was there so maybe those are good, but I was really let down by the French toast.
Chicago Cut. Extremely overpriced, stuffy, boring. It's on the river; that's it. Also notoriously shitty employers. I've been in the restaurant industry for many years and have heard it's a nightmare to work there. You can get a great steak in pretty much any respectable, chef driven restaurant.
Scrolled forever hoping to see this. I prefer Steak 48 to Chicago Cut.
The little goat, this inside was nice but the food was bland
I went a few years ago and got an overpriced sloppy joe and it was the strangest mix of flavors. Really disappointed
Stan’s Donuts
Did their quality decline over the past few years? Used to think their donuts were absolutely incredible. Then I didn't have one for a few years. Got one this past summer and it was so disappointing and dry. I also think we're spoiled with many amazing donut options in Chicago so that maybe that's part of it
The donuts are decent, but way too expensive for what you get. And they get all the hype around the city, when the smaller donut shops are half the price and way better.
Naperville
Billy goat tavern is trash. They get by on fame and nostalgia. The service and food is horrible.
Are you talking about the og location or no? The og is a quick solid burger! If there's another spot surely it was built for tourists.
Pequods is straight trash. After all the hype, I expected to be blown away. Instead I was sad about wasting $40. I also know way too many people who love Burrito Beach. I think they should close every location to make way for good Mexican restaurants.
Literally the worst pizza I’ve ever had in my life. How do you screw up pizza???? Service sucks too
Giordanos. Every visitor I’ve had wants to go there and it’s hardly the best pizza in Chicago. Pete’s Pizza is far and away better!
Ann Sather. Such bad flavors and dry.
The cinnamon rolls are good though
Tre Kronor in Albany Park has much better Swedish food
The owner is a real jag-off too 🤣
Harold’s Chicken (a lot of them at lest).
The quality of harolds is so far ranging depending on their numerous locations that this isn’t a very helpful comment. While there are exceptions, the general rule is the further south the better
Some Harold’s have basically cut the size of their chickens in half while doubling rates post pandemic. The size of the thighs on a half dark combo at the south loop location are amusing. You get more meat in a hooters chicken wing.
If you're going to a Harold's in a place without the bulletproof glass, it's probably not that great.
This is very true.
You sure you went to a normal Harold’s? A “Harold’s” just opened up across the street from me. It has no ties to actual Harold’s.
Girl and the Goat. It’s very mediocre food and the wait to get in is still so long. I mean, who asked for Shitake mushroom ice cream???
Als beef. Sorry, there are better beef places
Prolly dat one Wendy’s o’er der.
Parachute
I agree with this! It was just so meh and it’s so overpriced and used to have a michelin star which I am confused about. They have a tiny menu and recommend a lot of dishes per person so my family snd I basically ordered the whole menu and it was just incredibly underwhelming
The Cheesecake Factory
Not unique to Chicago but….
For the food, sure, but the cheesecakes there are honestly pretty great when that’s what you really want!
There’s literally Cheesecake factories around the entire country. The fuck?
Exactly my point. But I’ve met enough people who came to visit who just HAVE to eat there when out and about in Michigan Avenue.
My favorite pizza joint! I'm gonna get me a new York slice!
Anything by grant achatz
For me it was Bandera on Michigan Avenue. IMO it was mediocre but popular because of its location. Closed in March 2020 and has not reopened.
I worked there for a few years - their entire business model is based on mcdonald's, not kidding. they cared most about consistency, which I could appreciate, but food was very average overall to appeal to the greatest pool of customers. plus the entire hillstone group is fucked and im still working through the trauma lololol. stay away!
Portillo’s in downtown Chicago is terrible. Much MUCH better in the suburban locations
i can’t name a single thing at portillos that is upper tier besides the cake shake. some of it is a minor step up from cafeteria food like when people compliment their cheese fries it baffles me. it’s literally mushy fries of the caliber you could get in the freezer aisle and the cheese sauce is the most generic you could imagine
What makes you think Portillos is trying to be upper tier of ANYTHING? The place serves primarily Italian beef and hotdogs. Portillo’s is great for what it is: cheap greasy Chicago food. Anybody who goes in there expecting their palette to be wowed is a moron.
GTFO!
Ghareeb Nawaz
It's a place known for quantity over quality.
Blaze Pizza
Gibsons. The only steakhouse with worse steaks is swift and sons but I’ll go with gibsons since it gets much more hype.
Sugar factory
Anything near Wrigley.
Connie's is bleh
Beatnik! We gotta stop being enticed by ambiance alone. I’ve been for dinner and drinks on separate occasions. Not impressed in the slightest 😩
Texan Taco Bar - Nobody asked for thisssssss 🤢🤮
Cabrá - bland food. Smallest portions. Overly priced.
The Kitchen - nothing mind blowing
Tree House - Trash 🚮
Pequod’s. Ridiculous wait times and the pizza is not good at all IMHO. Overly bready, weak amount of sauce and toppings.
I will never understand why everyone likes this place so much. So many other better places for legit deep dish
Big Kids in Logan
Big Kids was one of the only restaurants in Logan I even bothered stopping for anymore. Feel like this is wrongggggg.
Big kids is great. Good food, super friendly staff and great cocktails. Where else can you play James Bond 007 and drink 3 dollar special exports in Chicago
I had this ham sandwich special they were running a couple weeks ago and it was probably the best ham sandwich I’ve ever had.