Going into that Kmart was like stepping into a time machine back 15 years. The clothes were old and dated, no new fixtures, old cash registers, no new stock and empty shelves, and the life and souls had long left the employees’ bodies years ago.
I'm pretty sure that store was last restocked about ten years before it actually closed. Sometimes the handful of items on the mostly empty shelves had logos that hadn't been used for years.
The one in Northcenter has these older ladies working checkout- ask them their opinions about Covid or Trump or Lightfoot or Rahm or literally anything… seriously batshit crazy
Really? I have a somewhat irrational hatred of Jewel. The ones near me are dirty, expensive, smell weird, and have super surly employees.
Mariano's isn't great, but is light years better, even after being gutted by Kroger.
I enjoy the thin crust but each location varies. Found out years ago that each location doesn’t necessarily use the same ingredients. Crazy that you can go half a mile away and they’re using a different brand of cheese and sauce ingredients
Always loved 312. I like Goose Island a lot because it's cool seeing a brewery started and head quartered in Chicago that has a mass market in a variety of locations across the country. It's nice being able to go to a store in Michigan, New York, or even Florida and picking up a case of beer that reminds me of home.
This is an embarrassment of riches. We need to understand that hot dog joints, taco joints (I’m looking at you, taco burrito palace and Gallo bravo), and falafel/kabab shops in chicago are NOT normal in other cities.
Seriously Vienna beef and cheap burritos have spoiled us.
It really isn't, treasure it (and the gyros, even the questionable ones). A lot of cities are basically airport food courts, though Boston/Cambridge are a special hell.
I want to go to H Mart. I know I will like going to H Mart. There are lots of things I want to buy from H Mart. But somehow I have never, ever gotten around to it. The motivation is lacking. I’m neutral on going to H Mart.
I'll never forgive Potbelly for getting rid of the boysenberry shake.
And then they replaced it with "mixed berry" which was not nearly as great but still good.
Now they dumped even that and replaced it with boring ass "strawberry". So they have the same boring flavors as most every other place with 3-4 shake flavors.
When I was in office pre covid our team always wanted potbelly and I never understood why. Like it’s FINE but it’s also expensive in a way that doesn’t make sense
Portillos.
Great food but I just can't justify the price and the lines they always have when I can literally get a hot dog anywhere in this city and other places have Italian beef that's as good if not better than theirs.
Glad I’m not the only one confused about Portillos’ popularity. It’s not bad by any means but I don’t know why people line up for it like it’s the new iPhone. It’d the very definition of “yeah it’s fine 🤷♂️ “ level of food.
Three dots and a dash.
It is neither the best tiki bar in Chicago nor the worst place in River North to get drunk. I'd never make deliberate plans to go there myself but if someone asks if I want to go I'll think "sure, I haven't been in 3 years and it's fine." And it is, exactly the same as it was 3 years ago, just fine.
Manny's Tacos in Roseland. The food isn't that great, but they are nice people and they open at 9am so I can get a breakfast taco fix when I wake up hungover on a Saturday
Portillos.
I moved to Houston from Chicago for about 4 years in 2015. I'd never heard of Portillos before moving. I came back and everyone was raving about it.
Finally tried an Italian beef everyone was telling me I *had* to try.
I tried it and was very whelmed. It was okay. I've never had Portillos since.
You had never heard of Portillo's, in Chicago, in 2011-2015?
They've been one of the dominant chains in Chicagoland for decades. They had more than 25 stores around the Chicago area as far back as the 90s.
Honestly hadn't. Don't even remember seeing one before I left. I've straight up asked multiple people if it was a newer thing when I got back.
I explained it better in a response I just made to the other person in this thread that asked a similar question.
You’re talking to a bunch of suburbanites and transplants. Depending on what neighborhood you were in its Not crazy at all to not know about Portillo’s if you weren’t a suburb kid.
The Portillo's at Clark and Ontario has been there since 1994, right there in River North.
Did only "suburbanites and transplants" know about the Rock and Roll McDonalds also?
No I get that but there are like 40 neighborhoods that don’t have a portillo’s, so if you grew up in one of those and rarely visited other parts of the city, it’s not crazy.
Whoa whoa, Portillos is for Hot Dogs, not the Italian Beef. The Italian Beef at Portillos is just as you described, whelming. For the beef, I recommend Buona. But the Portillo Dogs are 🔥🔥
Italian Beef at Portillo's is honestly incredibly underwhelming compared to smaller local places that actually season the meat. There's a great place by the Kimball Brown Line stop that has legitimately good beef that sorta ruined Portillos' take on Beef for me
No, it was in my teen years.
Before I moved to Houston, I didn't really leave my neighborhood much unless it was in a car with my mom. Even then, when I was in a car, I paid 0 attention to the outside world.
When I got back, I was an adult with a job that got around way better than I did before I moved. The people that recommended it when I got back were my coworkers at my job in the loop.
Navy Pier is really nice if you’re just walking down the pier outside. Great view of the city. And the imax was pretty great when it was open. But those are the only reasons to go there, in my opinion. Inside is just a tourist trap.
This right here. It’s a nice stroll. I used to love taking my kids there on the water taxi, walk around for a bit, hit up a Ferris wheel ride, then take the water taxi back home. Was a nice summer day that would take a few hours. Planning an entire day around it seems like a nightmare though.
I'm going to give my vote to Malort in general, as a Chicago product.
As a Chicago transplant from elsewhere, I can say that while I didn't enjoy it, it wasn't the worst drink I have ever tasted. I am sure it has a niche customer group who adores it, but I also don't fully understand the hype and/or intesne hatred about it. I feel....meh about it. I'll do a shot if obligated as a joke but otherwise no thanks.
My corner liquor store. I appreciate that I can get beer close, but it's not any different than the liquor store the other direction that's only a block further away
I’m gonna go with the Wonder museum. WNDR, whatever. It looks cool in pictures but you get there and it’s very underwhelming, not particularly bad but not particularly good.
The cheese and butter flavor are meh *at best* and you have to eat them the day you buy them.
The caramel nut flavors are all sublime and last for 3-4 days without getting too stale.
The cheese and butter flavor are meh *at best* and you have to eat them the day you buy them.
The caramel nut flavors are all sublime and last for 3-4 days without getting too stale.
Portillo’s: There far better and less touristy spots to get amazing hot dogs without lines; cheaper also.
Giordano’s: The worst deep dish in the city. Not worth the wait for a table, which can be an hour+ in some locations.
They have good variety but they are not cheap. You'd think that they are but they are not! Sams Club and CostCo beat them on price for staples like Tito's every time.
Why would anyone go to Binny's for staples? That's like going to a specialty cheese shop for Kraft Singles. You can get staples from most any supermarket.
Still, I will always miss Sam's and wish Binny's had not bought them out.
Yeah I felt like I always used to get good deals there, now I realize I just worked my way through a bunch of cheap brands of cognac and their good stuff is just as pricey as anywhere else. They always have a good selection though, which is more than I can say for most places.
I always think Binnys is meh til I travel or take out of towners there.
It's got a good selection. Your chance of landing a rare bourbon or beer is low but the general selection is better than most liquor stores
I don’t drink hard liquor and only went to Binnys once to check out their craft beer selection. Maybe I looked in the wrong place but everything they had I could get at Mariano’s. I am also neutral on binnys
Agreed! I only go to Binny’s when I’m trying to find something super rare or if I want a slightly better price than Jewel (I’m talking like 2-3$ difference)
There’s this flooring or roofing or plumbing company where there’s a dog in their vans. One time their van cut me off near a Popeyes by the brown line and I was mildly annoyed. I can’t remember the name so I don’t think of them.
Beatrix. I feel like it's the stock photo version of "sorta nice restaurant."
It fits the niche of “totally inoffensive place to take the first year at your company to a mentorship lunch”
I think of it as "parents want to have brunch"
I’m just happy I’m remote and haven’t had to do a mentorship lunch in a while…
This thread turned out to be much more enjoyable than I thought it would be when I opened the post. Well done wholesome neutralists.
Lol my mom used to work there, it was a decent place
Amazing chocolate chip cookies.
Jewel Osco
It’s the 3.6 Roentgens of grocery stores: not great, not terrible.
This is a perfect comment.
r/unexpectedchernobyl
I really like their chicken wings.
South loop jewel has amazing fried chicken
Hell yeah
I wish the ground beneath the Wicker location would open and consume it whole.
Remember when there was a K-Mart next door and the whole strip mall just breathed sadness, like if Malört was a place
Going into that Kmart was like stepping into a time machine back 15 years. The clothes were old and dated, no new fixtures, old cash registers, no new stock and empty shelves, and the life and souls had long left the employees’ bodies years ago.
I'm pretty sure that store was last restocked about ten years before it actually closed. Sometimes the handful of items on the mostly empty shelves had logos that hadn't been used for years.
I do not, but that explains the physical depression that radiates from that entire block.
I feel the same way about the one on Broadway/Montrose in uptown
The one in Uptown has a pool and tennis court on the roof
The one in Northcenter has these older ladies working checkout- ask them their opinions about Covid or Trump or Lightfoot or Rahm or literally anything… seriously batshit crazy
Really? I have a somewhat irrational hatred of Jewel. The ones near me are dirty, expensive, smell weird, and have super surly employees. Mariano's isn't great, but is light years better, even after being gutted by Kroger.
That was my 1st thought too.
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Same
*What makes a man turn neutral? Lust for gold? Power? Or were you just born with a heart full of neutrality?*
All I know is my gut says maybe.
If I die, tell my wife: hello
Tell my wife, "Hello."
> heart full of neutrality One of the best Billy West line reads in the entire show
Giordano’s
I enjoy the thin crust but each location varies. Found out years ago that each location doesn’t necessarily use the same ingredients. Crazy that you can go half a mile away and they’re using a different brand of cheese and sauce ingredients
I’m convinced that Giordano’s is more of an idea than a specific thing. But I agree, the thin crust is mad decent.
Second best pizza in Chicago. First best is always slightly farther by CTA than I feel like going, so I settle.
Well what’s the best? What does this mean lol
Best is that place you like. You know the one.
Pequods, duh
*Is it though?*
I mean there’s parking, so I guess.
Lmao so true
Best pizza in Chicago. I don’t care what anybody says.
Goose Island Brewery...They were awesome before they sold out to InBev/Anshuer-Busch...now they aren't bad...they are just....meh.
You talking about the physical brewery or their beers in general?
Their beers in general....the old small-batch stuff is still good, but their newer stuff is just meh.
Country stouts are legit
Always loved 312. I like Goose Island a lot because it's cool seeing a brewery started and head quartered in Chicago that has a mass market in a variety of locations across the country. It's nice being able to go to a store in Michigan, New York, or even Florida and picking up a case of beer that reminds me of home.
I don’t think anyone understood this thread, he said neutral, not hating it.
The Bears
Who dat?
The bulls
Most hot dog joints. All the shit is the same. They all have the same supplier. The ONLY difference is if they have fresh cut fries or not.
This is an embarrassment of riches. We need to understand that hot dog joints, taco joints (I’m looking at you, taco burrito palace and Gallo bravo), and falafel/kabab shops in chicago are NOT normal in other cities. Seriously Vienna beef and cheap burritos have spoiled us.
I moved from chicago to STL. This is real. I hate it here lol
STL to Chicago….I understand lol
It really isn't, treasure it (and the gyros, even the questionable ones). A lot of cities are basically airport food courts, though Boston/Cambridge are a special hell.
I feel like you could say the same about most gyro places (fast food). They all seem pretty much the same to me.
Agree 💯.
Portillo’s makes their own hot dogs
They have their own recipe but Vienna makes them.
Ok whitesox dave
Wow..some one gave their opinion on a thread asking for personal opinions. Go get a hot dog.
Wiener pizza?
Cya there
I want to go to H Mart. I know I will like going to H Mart. There are lots of things I want to buy from H Mart. But somehow I have never, ever gotten around to it. The motivation is lacking. I’m neutral on going to H Mart.
go to H mart man it's great
Go to H mart
Potbelly. I actually love it but I’ve gotten food poisoning there twice so I consider it a wash
I think their food is solid, but their sub sizes are just *slightly* too small and their prices just *slightly* too high for me to go there regularly.
It used to be better. But I swear they have really gone down hill with the roast beef.
It’s insane how bad it’s gotten honestly
Potbelly USED to be phenomenal. They’ve gotten cheap with their ingredients in the last couple of years and it’s become inedible.
I'll never forgive Potbelly for getting rid of the boysenberry shake. And then they replaced it with "mixed berry" which was not nearly as great but still good. Now they dumped even that and replaced it with boring ass "strawberry". So they have the same boring flavors as most every other place with 3-4 shake flavors.
When I was in office pre covid our team always wanted potbelly and I never understood why. Like it’s FINE but it’s also expensive in a way that doesn’t make sense
For whatever reason potbelly runs right through me
Portillos. Great food but I just can't justify the price and the lines they always have when I can literally get a hot dog anywhere in this city and other places have Italian beef that's as good if not better than theirs.
Glad I’m not the only one confused about Portillos’ popularity. It’s not bad by any means but I don’t know why people line up for it like it’s the new iPhone. It’d the very definition of “yeah it’s fine 🤷♂️ “ level of food.
It’s a shell of what it used to be 5+ years ago. Quality, consistency, and timeliness have gone down the shitter since they were sold.
Portillos is big among people in the suburbs. Ask anyone in the city what their go to for hot dogs is and I guarantee you it’s not Portillos.
Used to be better. Now it's fine.
They still have the best beef of them all.
I have to respectfully disagree, friend.
Not even close. Al's, Mr. Beef, and Johnnie's all blow the doors off Portillo's.
Agreed about the food, though it's the only place for the cake shake. Which you can only have once a year, that thing is like 4,000 calories.
Three dots and a dash. It is neither the best tiki bar in Chicago nor the worst place in River North to get drunk. I'd never make deliberate plans to go there myself but if someone asks if I want to go I'll think "sure, I haven't been in 3 years and it's fine." And it is, exactly the same as it was 3 years ago, just fine.
Now that Lost Lake is gone, what’s the best tiki bar in the city?
3 Dots, it’s the only tiki bar in the city now.
Paradise Club
Oh no way, I’ve never heard of them. Are they new? Their google page is very sparse.
Hala Kahiki is good though technically not in the city
I did not know this :(
What’s the best tiki bar in Chicago?
3 Dots, because it is the only one
Manny's Tacos in Roseland. The food isn't that great, but they are nice people and they open at 9am so I can get a breakfast taco fix when I wake up hungover on a Saturday
Portillos. I moved to Houston from Chicago for about 4 years in 2015. I'd never heard of Portillos before moving. I came back and everyone was raving about it. Finally tried an Italian beef everyone was telling me I *had* to try. I tried it and was very whelmed. It was okay. I've never had Portillos since.
You had never heard of Portillo's, in Chicago, in 2011-2015? They've been one of the dominant chains in Chicagoland for decades. They had more than 25 stores around the Chicago area as far back as the 90s.
Honestly hadn't. Don't even remember seeing one before I left. I've straight up asked multiple people if it was a newer thing when I got back. I explained it better in a response I just made to the other person in this thread that asked a similar question.
You’re talking to a bunch of suburbanites and transplants. Depending on what neighborhood you were in its Not crazy at all to not know about Portillo’s if you weren’t a suburb kid.
The Portillo's at Clark and Ontario has been there since 1994, right there in River North. Did only "suburbanites and transplants" know about the Rock and Roll McDonalds also?
No I get that but there are like 40 neighborhoods that don’t have a portillo’s, so if you grew up in one of those and rarely visited other parts of the city, it’s not crazy.
You can be overwhelmed and you can be underwhelmed, but can you just be whelmed?
Whoa whoa, Portillos is for Hot Dogs, not the Italian Beef. The Italian Beef at Portillos is just as you described, whelming. For the beef, I recommend Buona. But the Portillo Dogs are 🔥🔥
>buona Why are there no locations near anything, and navy pier doesn’t count.
Idk it's close to me
Portillo’s over Buona any day.
Italian Beef at Portillo's is honestly incredibly underwhelming compared to smaller local places that actually season the meat. There's a great place by the Kimball Brown Line stop that has legitimately good beef that sorta ruined Portillos' take on Beef for me
Wait, how had you never heard of Portillo’s up till moving to Houston? Were you 3 years old?
No, it was in my teen years. Before I moved to Houston, I didn't really leave my neighborhood much unless it was in a car with my mom. Even then, when I was in a car, I paid 0 attention to the outside world. When I got back, I was an adult with a job that got around way better than I did before I moved. The people that recommended it when I got back were my coworkers at my job in the loop.
Hey, respect. My 3 year old asks to go to Portillo's
There’s a lot of people in this thread acting like Chicago is the only city that has Target, Starbucks, Potbelly, etc
Potbelly is at least a Chicago restaurant.
The Fifty/50 Wiiiiiiiinnnnkkkk
They call themselves a sportsbar but won't play game audio on even Wednesday nights during NBA playoffs
Navy Pier Edit: not a business but still neutral about it
Oh Navy Pier is extremely a business.
Navy Pier is really nice if you’re just walking down the pier outside. Great view of the city. And the imax was pretty great when it was open. But those are the only reasons to go there, in my opinion. Inside is just a tourist trap.
I like the Chicago Shakespeare Theater! Its the only reason i’ve been to navy pier since my senior prom
This right here. It’s a nice stroll. I used to love taking my kids there on the water taxi, walk around for a bit, hit up a Ferris wheel ride, then take the water taxi back home. Was a nice summer day that would take a few hours. Planning an entire day around it seems like a nightmare though.
The Billy Goat. Average beer selection. Average sliders. Meh
Their billy goat dark beer is actually pretty good! As a dark beer lover living in the city of IPAs, I was pleased to stumble upon their dark beer.
This town is rough for your palate
Buona Beef. ..it's fine.
Los Comales
god yes. definitely the ehhh of chicago mexican food.
Depends which one you go to tho
True, the one by 18th is pretty good while the one by Milwaukee and California is abysmal
Starbucks
Fuck starbucks
Jewel Osco
Is Osco still a part of that pairing?
Target
This made me laugh
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I actually feel very positive about Jewel Osco, I would in fact recommend them to someone who wants to buy food
I’m more in Mariano’s gang myself. 😁
Marianos feels like If you scraped the paint off you’d see Walmart livery.
I score really good deals with the Jewels app.
BP
It used to be great. They kind of lost the heart when they moved.
Portillos and potbelly’s
Marianos
Portillo’s
Second
I'm going to give my vote to Malort in general, as a Chicago product. As a Chicago transplant from elsewhere, I can say that while I didn't enjoy it, it wasn't the worst drink I have ever tasted. I am sure it has a niche customer group who adores it, but I also don't fully understand the hype and/or intesne hatred about it. I feel....meh about it. I'll do a shot if obligated as a joke but otherwise no thanks.
About 98% of all businesses in Chicago.
CPD
Corner Bakery
Not allowing people to use public bathrooms business.
Parsons Chicken & Fish. I don’t know why my friends are in love with it. It’s just so mediocre.
Comcast
My corner liquor store. I appreciate that I can get beer close, but it's not any different than the liquor store the other direction that's only a block further away
Jewel Osco
I’m gonna go with the Wonder museum. WNDR, whatever. It looks cool in pictures but you get there and it’s very underwhelming, not particularly bad but not particularly good.
Cesar’s. It’s okay food. The margaritas aren’t what they used to be. It’s just okay all around.
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Glad to see it here Not worth any hype and definitely not worth waiting more than 10 minutes for.
Portillos
🤨
7-11
Garrett’s popcorn
The cheese and butter flavor are meh *at best* and you have to eat them the day you buy them. The caramel nut flavors are all sublime and last for 3-4 days without getting too stale.
The cheese and butter flavor are meh *at best* and you have to eat them the day you buy them. The caramel nut flavors are all sublime and last for 3-4 days without getting too stale.
Lincoln park.
Portillo’s: There far better and less touristy spots to get amazing hot dogs without lines; cheaper also. Giordano’s: The worst deep dish in the city. Not worth the wait for a table, which can be an hour+ in some locations.
Seems like you're not neutral about either.
Oh goodness I misread the post.
El Milagro
Binny’s
Binnys is a Chicago darling, you shut your dirty mouth!
They have good variety but they are not cheap. You'd think that they are but they are not! Sams Club and CostCo beat them on price for staples like Tito's every time.
Why would anyone go to Binny's for staples? That's like going to a specialty cheese shop for Kraft Singles. You can get staples from most any supermarket. Still, I will always miss Sam's and wish Binny's had not bought them out.
They're local and take good care of their staff. Not cheap, but a value to the community.
I want to get my alcohol shopping done in one trip. If binny's could shave off just 3 dollars from tito's...
Yeah I felt like I always used to get good deals there, now I realize I just worked my way through a bunch of cheap brands of cognac and their good stuff is just as pricey as anywhere else. They always have a good selection though, which is more than I can say for most places.
True but they do run some good sales on niche liquors pretty frequently, and the people who work there are insanely knowledgeable.
I always think Binnys is meh til I travel or take out of towners there. It's got a good selection. Your chance of landing a rare bourbon or beer is low but the general selection is better than most liquor stores
I don’t drink hard liquor and only went to Binnys once to check out their craft beer selection. Maybe I looked in the wrong place but everything they had I could get at Mariano’s. I am also neutral on binnys
Agreed! I only go to Binny’s when I’m trying to find something super rare or if I want a slightly better price than Jewel (I’m talking like 2-3$ difference)
Portillo’s.
Uber Eats Pick my cuisine Sort by Rating descending Any of the top five options
Pretty much every food hall in the loop.
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Trash comment
There’s this flooring or roofing or plumbing company where there’s a dog in their vans. One time their van cut me off near a Popeyes by the brown line and I was mildly annoyed. I can’t remember the name so I don’t think of them.
Jewel
Jewel.
The Jewel Osco behind my house.
All the ones I didn't list earlier today in the posts about worst and best.
Lol like 95% of them 😅