The Top 100 Restaurants Near The Understudy Coffee and Books

  1. Rank 1. Kie Gol Lanee

    Oaxacan Mexican

    In a quiet corner of Little Saigon, regulars who've traveled to Oaxaca gather to debate the merits of soft pork tamales in green mole and crispy tlayudas loaded with chorizo. The roasted Cornish hen arrives with skin like a potato chip, cloaked in a dark mole built from layers of spice that taste faintly sweet. A focused menu, executed with care, for those who know the difference.


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    Address
    5004 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  2. Awards
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    5131 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  3. Awards
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    4925 N Broadway, Unit E, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  4. Rank 4. George's Deep Dish

    Chicago-Style Pizza


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    6221 N Clark St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  5. Awards
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    6157 N Broadway St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  6. Rank 6. Big Jones

    Creative Southern


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    5347 N Clark St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  7. Rank 7. Demera

    Ethiopian

    Demera's corner storefront on Broadway draws Uptown neighbors into its bright dining room, where communal wicker tables and wide windows create theater around the meal. The yesiga wot—beef stewed dark in berbere with ginger and onions—arrives with injera for sauce-sopping, and the vegetable spreads are equally substantial.


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    Address
    4801 N Broadway, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  8. The dining room fills nightly with neighborhood regulars drawn to Roman-style pizzas with a bubble-like char and a serious kitchen that doesn't settle for one talent. Oblong pies like the diavola sbagliata, paired with house-made pastas that sing with restraint and care, suggest this unfussy spot knows exactly what it's doing.


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    4656 N Clark St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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    4800 N Broadway, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  10. Awards
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    1769 W Sunnyside Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  11. Rank 11. Galit

    Modern Middle Eastern

    Inside a modest storefront, Zach Engel's modern Middle Eastern cooking unfolds through a prix-fixe of diners' choosing, opening with creamy hummus, warm pita, and pickles that establish the evening's warmth. The falafel carries unexpected brightness, wines from the Levantine region flow with purpose, and the whole operation hums with genuine hospitality.


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    2429 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  12. In a narrow Ravenswood room, Lawrence Letrero and Raquel Quadreny trace their Cuban and Filipino lineages through a tasting menu: arroz caldo crowned with lobster in calamansi butter, vaca frita recast as wagyu with black bean purée. The format forgoes stuffiness entirely, each plate a deliberate reclamation that honors both traditions without nostalgia.


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    1810 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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    2434 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  14. Awards
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    505 Main St, Evanston, IL · Evanston
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  15. Rank 15. Nadu

    Regional Indian

    Chef Sujan Sarkar's Nadu serves contemporary regional Indian cuisine designed for sharing, with meen gassi—walleye in coconut and tamarind curry—standing out as a richly spiced centerpiece. The warm, upbeat dining room welcomes walk-ins at the bar, though reservations help secure a table for the vegetable moilee and other dishes meant for the whole table.


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    2518 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  16. Rank 16. Ragadan

    Middle Eastern


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    4409 N Broadway, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  17. Lively chatter and seasonal cocktails fill the dining room at this Logan Square antojeria, where Diana Dávila's menu reclaims lesser-known Aztec traditions—guisado de nopalitos, a fragrant cactus stew with charred chilies and salty fried cheese curds, arrives with warm tortillas. The tacos carry the clarity of Mexico City street food, unpretentious and exact.


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    2800 W Logan Blvd, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  18. Rank 18. Daisies

    Italian

    Sunlit and sprawling, Daisies has upgraded into a roomier iteration of itself, keeping its house-made pastas—pappardelle with mushroom ragù, rigatoni with pork ragù and fermented tomato—front and center. The onion dip with house-made ruffles remains essential; a new bakery operation supplies pastries, ice creams, and sorbets that close the meal with intention.


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    2375 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  19. Awards
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    6580 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  20. Garlic smoke rises from the rice cooker each time the door swings open at this narrow Filipino spot, once a food stall, now a compact temple to pork—crispy belly hash, herb-marinated cuts, sausage. Steelhead trout in burnt tomato and tamarind broth offers brief reprieve; a fried plantain spring roll dusted with brown sugar closes the meal like a handheld brûlée.


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    4337 N Western Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  21. Rank 21. Anelya

    Eastern European

    In a cozy Avondale dining room, Johnny Clark and Beverly Kim honor Clark's grandmother through meticulously sourced Eastern European fare: green borsch alive with nettles, a zakusky cart of tart roe and seed hummus, butter-glazed pampushky bread. The stuffed cabbage arrives as a study in restraint—locally raised beef, deliberate flavors, no flourish beyond what the ingredients demand.


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    Address
    3472 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  22. Rank 22. Boka

    Modern New American

    Lee Wolen's dining room—all banquettes, mirrored fixtures, quiet confidence—sustains its reputation through unwavering technique and seasonal rigor. Hokkaido scallops arrive with green garlic purée and aerated sabayon; house-made ricotta gnocchetti swims in cream beneath crispy chicken skin. A restaurant that has earned its steadiness.


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    1729 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  23. Rank 23. Coda Di Volpe

    Southern Italian


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    3335 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  24. Rank 24. Mirra

    Fusion

    Mirca's kitchen splices Indian and Mexican vocabularies with unguarded confidence, sending out dum biryani with lamb barbacoa and scallop ceviche in crispy fenugreek roti alongside housemade achar and salsa tatemado that taste like they belong together. A young crowd packed elbow-to-elbow under exposed brick and ambient noise confirms what the food already knows: restraint has no place here.


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    1954 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  25. Awards
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    3159 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  26. Awards
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    1300 W Wellington Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  27. After years of pop-ups, this neighborhood spot has settled into a playful approach to Indian cooking that freely mixes tradition with invention. Naan arrives topped with jalapeños and mozzarella or folded into a butter chicken calzone; Kerala crab curry and chana chaat hold their own alongside. The warehouse space, with exposed brick and a long bar, feels open and generous.


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    3059 W Diversey Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  28. Awards
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    2957 W Diversey Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  29. A brick-lined neighborhood corner that fills early and stays full, Lula cycles through seasonal plates with the ease of a place that knows its regulars. The potato 'nduja tart arrives burnished and sharp with aged cheddar; the house-made spaghetti, dressed in pancetta and a sweet-heat chili bean sauce, tastes of real technique applied without pretense. This is comfort that doesn't announce itself.


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    Address
    2537 N Kedzie Blvd, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  30. Awards
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    2340 N California Ave, Unit B, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  31. Rank 31. John’s Food and Wine

    Modern New American

    White brick and a long banquette set the scene at this counter-service neighborhood spot where diners order before sitting. The kitchen sends out country ham with fried sunchokes, lobster salad with leek aioli, dry-aged steaks with potato pavé—each plate arriving with the confidence of a place that knows what it's doing. Beef fat fries alone justify a return.


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    2114 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  32. Rank 32. S.K.Y.

    Contemporary

    Tall ceilings and dim sconces frame an intimate dining room where the kitchen moves fluidly between continents—roasted lamb meatballs arrive slicked with tikka masala butter, bibimbap gleams with char and mushroom bulgogi. The banana budino endures, a tether to what worked before, while strawberries meet champagne and pistachio cake in the kitchen's newer ambitions.


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    2300 N Lincoln Park W, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  33. Rank 33. Sochi

    Modern Vietnamese

    The husband-and-wife team behind Sochi craft modern Vietnamese dishes with uncommon depth, from duck salad with banana blossoms to pho enriched with Wagyu short rib. Bright, minimalist space on Belmont; desserts like cassava cake justify the hunger you'll bring.


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    1358 W Belmont Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  34. Awards
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    1820 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  35. Rank 35. Bokeh

    Cocktail Bar


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    4716 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  36. Rank 36. Pat's Pizza

    Tavern-Style Pizza


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    2679 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  37. Rank 37. Chilam Balam

    Modern Mexican

    A subterranean dining room where the rotating menu of small plates balances culinary ambition with approachable flavors, from roasted plantains layered with cottage cheese and salsa macha to achiote-marinated beef empanadas. The kitchen demonstrates real command of Latin American tastes, and the staff's attentiveness makes the inevitable waits feel purposeful rather than tedious.


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    3023 N Broadway, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  38. Rank 38. Kasama

    Filipino

    Tim Flores and Genie Kwon cook Filipino food with striking originality in a spare room, each dish—mussel adobo, shrimp-paste peanut sauce—arriving as both homage and reinvention. The desserts, particularly a corn semifreddo that riffs on mais con yelo, are equally inventive, suggesting a kitchen where tradition and technique speak the same language.


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    1001 N Winchester Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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    Tock
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  39. Chef Lee Wolen's casual rotisserie counter honors his mother with impeccably sourced bird—split by quarter or whole—and sides like chicken-fat mashed potatoes that inspire hoarding. Nostalgic desserts and professional warmth elevate what could be ordinary into something genuinely comforting.


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    Address
    3325 N Southport Ave, Unit 2, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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    Tock
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  40. Rank 40. Itoko

    Japanese

    Itoko's bright Lakeview dining room—all pale wood and natural light—frames an expansive izakaya menu where tom yum hand rolls share equal footing with robata and sushi, each dish marked by unexpected flavor pairings. A beef tsukune slider finished with miso mustard and a matcha-dipped donatsu suggest a kitchen that treats tradition and invention as equals.


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    3325 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  41. Awards
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    3355 N Clark St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  42. Rank 42. Thattu

    Coastal Indian


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    2601 W Fletcher St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  43. Rank 43. Tied House

    New American

    A sleek tavern next to Schubas serving gutsy comfort food with technique: butternut squash schnitzel over spaetzle rivals the classics. The kitchen balances approachability with ambition, whether smoking trout or braising garbanzo beans beneath Spanish mackerel.


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    Address
    3157 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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    Tock
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  44. A sunny corner in Logan Square holds a restaurant content with uncomplicated cooking—tender runner beans with garlic confit, silken duck liver mousse on warm bread—where seasoning lands true and flavors sing without fuss. The breezy dining room welcomes you equally whether you've reserved a table or pulled up to the counter. No pretense, no tweezers, just honest food that knows what it is.


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    3025 W Diversey Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  45. Awards
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    1801 N Spaulding Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  46. Rank 46. Scofflaw

    Gin-Focused Cocktail Bar


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    3201 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  47. Awards
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    3152 W Diversey Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  48. Chef Otto Phan's 10-seat omakase strips down to nigiri alone, with fish cut large and pressed onto generous rice mounds that feel substantial rather than precious. The tamago finishes silky; the prices and beverage list suggest a counter confident enough to skip pretension.


    Awards
    Address
    2513 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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    Resy
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  49. Rank 49. The Gundis

    Kurdish Middle Eastern

    The Gundis opens onto weathered wood and brick, a sleek frame for Kurdish spreads and flatbreads that taste of Turkey, the Middle East, and beyond. Breakfast—eggs with roasted peppers, black sesame bread, house preserves—arrives with bottomless tea, a warming argument for the meal's underrated place in the day.


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    Address
    2909 N Clark St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  50. Rank 50. Le Bouchon

    Lyonnaise French


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    1958 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  51. A corner gastropub that looks like a whiskey bar but executes refined dishes—terrines, stroganoffs, omelets with brie—from a tiny hidden kitchen. The daylit cured salmon and breakfast menu rival the cocktails that draw neighborhood regulars through morning until night.


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    2657 N Kedzie Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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    Resy
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  52. Awards
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    3922 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  53. Rank 53. Zazas Pizzeria

    NY-Style Pizza


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    3037 N Clark St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  54. Rank 54. mfk.

    Iberian Spanish

    A sunlit basement lined in whitewashed brick and silver tile channels the spirit of M.F.K. Fisher, serving Iberian small plates that move from warm boquerónes to seared scallops with persimmon gazpacho. The meal builds with deceptive simplicity—a croquette, an anchovy on toast, a wedge of Basque cake—each component precise enough to feel inevitable.


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    432 W Diversey Pkwy, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  55. Awards
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    3057 N Rockwell St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  56. Awards
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    2840 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  57. Rank 57. Ina Mae

    Southern

    A sprawling New Orleans tavern anchors a corner of Wicker Park with a three-deep bar and the restless energy of a place that knows what it does. The gumbo and po'boys arrive honest and sturdy, but it's the Nashville fried chicken—a staff obsession—that reveals the kitchen's true ambition.


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    1415 N Wood St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  58. Awards
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    2200 N Clark St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  59. Rank 59. Union

    American

    A warm, wood-lined gastropub that balances comfort food with creative touches, from spicy baby gem salad to shawarma-spiced chicken. Regulars camp at the bar under Edison bulbs while the kitchen keeps cheeseburgers and fried cheese curds turning.


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    2202 N California Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  60. Rank 60. Lardon

    Salumeria Italian

    A converted butcher shop where whole-animal charcuterie hangs in plain sight, Lardon arranges house-cured pork across wooden boards and soft bread with the precision of a craftsman's inventory. The honeycomb floors and visible curing chamber anchor an old-world Chicago sensibility that extends from midday salumeria to weekend bistro fare.


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    2200 N California Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  61. Awards
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    925 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  62. Awards
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    3800 N Pulaski Rd, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  63. Rank 63. Maple & Ash

    Steakhouse

    A wood-fired steakhouse that doubles as a scene: leather banquettes, a photo booth, and a semi-open kitchen where dry-aged beef and whole octopus emerge burnished from the flames. The seafood tower arrives tableside, lobster tail and king crab glistening in garlic butter and chili oil, but it's the theatre—the music, the glow—that makes you want to stay.


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    Address
    8 W Maple St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  64. Rank 64. Smyth

    Contemporary

    The open kitchen at this chic West Loop tasting room showcases Shields and Urie-Shields' boundary-pushing approach to seasonal produce, some grown on-site. A kelp tart with pea butter and trout roe, or foie gras doughnuts with crab, exemplify their restless creativity.


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    Address
    177 N Ada St, Unit 101, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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    Tock
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  65. A handsome Greek taverna near Logan Square where mezze platters and grilled lamb chops emerge from a wood-burning oven with equal care. The wine list ranges across Greek regions, and custard pie with phyllo provides an impressive finale.


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    2542 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  66. A rustic Alpine tavern on Armitage where communal tables and an inviting bar set the stage for whimsical cooking that refuses convention. The grilled lamb shoulder towers over creamy lentils; choucroute garni's beef richness yields to sauerkraut purée; pretzel ice cream sits atop jalapeño caramel. Creative dissonance runs through every course, from charcuterie to dessert.


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    2728 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  67. Rank 67. Ever

    Creative

    On a hushed corner of Fulton Market, Curtis Duffy orchestrates an austere dining room where every element—light, spacing, plating—answers to a larger vision. The food arrives as disciplined architecture: technically assured, visually composed, each plate a study in structure and restraint.


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    1340 W Fulton St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  68. Awards
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    108 E Superior St, FL 4, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  69. Awards
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    2451 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  70. Rank 70. Asador Bastian

    Basque-inspired Steakhouse

    Asador Bastian applies Basque grilling discipline to dry-aged beef cooked over charcoal with deliberate restraint, avoiding performance for precision. Set in a 1883 building, the restaurant prioritizes selection and control over volume, anchored by a working open kitchen.


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    214 W Erie St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  71. Rank 71. Giant

    New American

    Jason Vincent transforms familiar comfort foods—crab salad, ribs, onion rings—with unexpected flourishes in a cozy, modern-rustic room on Armitage. His thick pici noodles with bacon and jalapeños prove that straightforward ingredients, when treated with precision, need no apology.


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    Address
    3209 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  72. Awards
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    4711 W Touhy Ave, Lincolnwood, IL · Lincolnwood
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  73. Awards
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    5044 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  74. Rank 74. Osteria Langhe

    Piedmontese Italian

    A glass-fronted garage space on Armitage glows with bare bulbs and wood tables where Piedmontese cooking unfolds with quiet confidence. Thin ribbons of poached beef drift in tonnato; house-made tajarin, eggy and abundant, swirls with ragù; hand-pinched ravioli cradles creamy la tur. A neighborhood fixture that earns its steady crowds through unfussy execution and genuine hospitality.


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    2824 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  75. Rank 75. Lilac Tiger

    Cocktail Bar


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    1742 W Division St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  76. Rank 76. Brasero

    South American


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    1709 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  77. Rank 77. Redhot Ranch

    Chicago-Style American


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    2449 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  78. Awards
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    1072 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  79. Rank 79. Sol de Mexico

    Traditional Mexican

    Tropical walls and mariachi set the scene at this Cicero mainstay, where sopes arrive filled with caramelized plantain and house chorizo in vivid abundance. The pollo en mole manchamanteles—its mahogany sauce rich and nutty—justifies the dish's name: tablecloth stainer.


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    3018 N Cicero Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  80. Rank 80. Middle Brow

    Tavern-Style


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    2840 W Armitage Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  81. Chef Edward Kim crisscrosses global flavors with Midwestern restraint, as in wok-fried cauliflower that crackles with Szechuan heat and tangy chili. The cooking avoids novelty for its own sake, letting crispy textures and pungent garlic speak for themselves.


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    1401 N Ashland Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  82. Rank 82. Sharpies

    Detroit-Style Pizza


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    1721 N Elston Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  83. Rank 83. Bocadillo Market

    Contemporary Spanish


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    2342 N Clark St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  84. Duck and foie gras anchor a menu of French classics made entirely in-house—from pâté en croûte to squab pithiviers—executed with a clarity that belies the kitchen's ambition. The sun-soaked River North room hums with the contentment of guests who finish with house-made ice creams and warm pastries, as if restraint were never an option.


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    700 N Sedgwick St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  85. Rank 85. Indienne

    Modern Indian

    Chef Sujan Sarkar's progressive vision of Indian cuisine arrives plated like gallery pieces in a River North warehouse: pani puris and curries refined with French restraint, each course deftly spiced and theatrically composed. The room itself—soaring beams above rose-pink booths—suggests ambition without pretense, a setting where familiar flavors taste like discovery.


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    Address
    217 W Huron St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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    Tock
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  86. Rank 86. Piece Brewery & Pizzeria

    New Haven-Style Pizza


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    Address
    1927 W North Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  87. Rank 87. Pizz’amici

    Tavern-Style Pizza


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    Address
    1215 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  88. Rick Bayless's Mexican fine dining showcases seasonal, tradition-rooted dishes with unexpected flourishes, from memela divorciada to salmon in pipian sauce. The agave-focused beverage pairings elevate each course with studied care.


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    Address
    445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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    Tock
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  89. Awards
    Address
    534 N Clark St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  90. Rank 90. Gavroche

    Modern French


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    1529 N Wells St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  91. Rank 91. Bisous

    Parisian


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    938 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  92. Rank 92. Sepia

    New American

    A former print shop on Jefferson Street holds a dining room where exposed brick and floor-to-ceiling wine racks frame Chef Andrew Zimmerman's restless intelligence. His brioche with black truffle and leek velouté, his sablefish with barbecue spice and smoked apple, suggest a cook equally at home in Southeast Asia, Korea, and the American South.


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    123 N Jefferson St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  93. Awards
    Address
    2 W Elm St, Chicago, IL · Chicago

  94. Awards
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    1953 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  95. A whitewashed storefront gives way to an industrial dining room lined with steel brewing vats—the real draw here. The kitchen turns out filet sliders with blue cheese and caramelized onions, grilled fish sandwiches with house-made remoulade, and a carrot cake that lands soft and generous on the plate. Beer is taken seriously enough that tastings guide your order.


    Awards
    Address
    1932 W Division St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
    Reserve
    Tock
    Online
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  96. Rank 96. Azul

    Pan Mexican

    On a stark industrial block, Azul materializes as a glowing corner refuge of aqua chairs, street murals, and attentive servers. Pan-Mexican cooking—whole grilled pineapple stuffed with octopus, smoky seafood paella—arrives balanced and visually assured, rewarding the journey inward.


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    Address
    1177 N Elston, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  97. A converted warehouse in West Loop fills nightly with the sound of conversation ricocheting off black-framed windows and an almost endless bar, its kitchen playing confidently with Japanese, Chinese, and Thai influences across dishes like soup dumpling tortellini and turbot with kombu beurre blanc. The rooftop garden feeds the plates; the bartenders fuel the momentum.


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    Address
    1516 W Carroll Ave, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  98. Rank 98. Avec River North

    Midwestern Mediterranean


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    Address
    141 W Erie St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  99. Awards
    Address
    800 Michigan Ave 7th Floor, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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  100. Awards
    Address
    1300 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL · Chicago
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This score is based on the awards it's won and sometimes its proximity to where you're located (if you're doing a location-based search).

    Stayscore

    This score is based on the awards it's won and sometimes its proximity to where you're located (if you're doing a location-based search).

      Doscore

      This score is based on the awards it's won and sometimes its proximity to where you're located (if you're doing a location-based search).

        Best Place Score

        The Best Place Score is the score we give to the place you're searching from, based on how cool we think the area around it is. If it seems unreasonably low, we probably just haven't added a representative amount of awards yet.