Top Spots to Eat & Sip in Illinois (Chicago)

Becs
Jan 3, 2022
6 min read

Updated: Mar 4

Are you in Illinois and looking for somewhere to eat?? This article is for you!

If you know of some AMAZING places to eat in Illinois, let me know below!

Martinez Bar & Grill

Located: 3301 S Morgan St, Chicago, IL 60608

Do you think you could finish a 2 foot, 7 pound burrito?? We tried to finish it at Martinez Bar & Grill in Chicago, Illinois! This spot is known around the US for serving up massive and delicious burritos. Martinez Bar & Grill serves homemade guacamole and chips, tasty tacos, delicious salsas, sides, and more. If you are looking for a Taco Tuesday special in Chicago, Martinez Bar & Grill has a 3 for $10.99 special! There is a full bar inside of the restaurant offering up fun drinks too! While you are there, check out some of the products, drinks, produce, and snacks that are available for purchase. I was in there for a while looking at the packaged Hispanic snacks and foods! If I lived in Chicago, I would visit this spot very frequently. Make sure to check out Martinez Bar & Grill and see if you can finish the 2 foot burrito!

Link to Martinez Bar & Grill Website

Cesar's Killer Margaritas

Located: 2924 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60657

Cesar's Killer Margaritas off Broadway is a popular restaurant in Chicago because of the incredibly tasty margaritas and entrees. You have to start your meal off with the queso dip or the elotes appetizer! The house chips and fresh salsa are free to begin with, but if you want a refill, that will cost you extra. Our table ordered a mix of items to try out: the 3 taco dinner, the fat burrito, and house special queso birrias. While you are here, you MUST order a margarita...the place is named after their tasty and loaded margaritas! Because of the popularity, there may be a small wait to get in, but the wait is totally worth it. Make sure to add Cesar's Killer Margaritas to your food bucket list in Chicago, Illinois.

Link to Cesar's Killer Margaritas

Lou Mitchell's

Located: 565 W Jackson Blvd, Chicago, IL 60661

If you have not been to Lou Mitchell's in Chicago, Illinois for brunch or lunch yet, then you need to definitely add this spot to your bucket list! This spot is pretty popular, because of how delicious and simple the menu items are. The more popular item on the menu are the omelets served in a skillet with homemade tasty breakfast potatoes and a slice of toast. I ordered the Greek sausage omelet which was packed with peppers, onions, and Greek sausage. Our table also enjoyed the special French toast with strawberries, as well as the breakfast sandwich. Start your morning off with some coffee, or even one of their pastries! The line may look long, but the wait wasn't too terrible! There is plenty of seating inside, as well as a few tables on the patio. If you were looking for an extremely tasty brunch in Chicago, Lou Mitchell's is the spot to check out!

Link to Lou Mitchell's Website

Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings

Are you searching for the top dumplings in Chinatown in Chicago?? I have a great recommendation for you! Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings is one of the more popular places to enjoy freshly made dumplings in the Chicago area. This restaurant makes the dumplings fresh in their exposed & open kitchen...super cool!! We tried both the steamed and pan-fried dumplings. This spot offers a variety of fillings, flavors, & methods of cooking the dumplings. We also started with the lamb skewers as an appetizer, which we all enjoyed trying!

Because of how popular this spot is, you should expect a short wait. The staff is friendly and rotate the tables in an efficient manner in order to quickly, yet politly, seat everyone.

Link to Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings Website

Little Branch Cafe

Little Branch Cafe in Chicago is a delicious & quaint cafe to hit up if you are in the mood for tasty coffee, fresh smoothies, and scrumptious brunch items. I started off with a black coffee and a freshly-blended smoothie. For my entree, I enjoyed perfectly seased ham, crispy potatoes, fresh fruit, and two over easy eggs. The service was spectacular! Little branch is a great spot to have a quick breakfast with friends and family, as well as a nice spot to work remote a couple of hours.

Link to Little Branch Cafe Website

Kennedy Rooftop

Located: 1551 W North Ave, Chicago, IL

Are you looking for a rooftop on the outskirts of Chicago with a good view of the city? If so, you need to check out Kennedy rooftop at the Hyatt hotel. This rooftop serves delicious food items, as well as tasty cocktails and mocktails. Although we didn't end up getting anything to eat, because we were only there for a drink or two, the food looked super tasty! I couldn't take my eyes off of the cheeseburger entrée and the buffalo wings. There's plenty of seating on the patio, and if it starts raining, they can cover it with the retractable roof. There are a lot of perfect spots to snag beautiful pictures on this patio. If you are looking for a Rooftop in the Kansas City area, make sure to check out Kennedy Rooftop!

Tacos & Burrito Express #3

Looking for a delicious and affordable spot to grab tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and more in the Chicago area? Make sure to check out Taco and Burrito Express #3! I ordered the 3 chicken enchiladas platter covered in verde salsa. I also ordered a side of chips and their housemade spicy salsa. Our table also ordered the mouthwatering 3 for $15 birria and cheese tacos and the fully loaded burrito. We ordered our meal and had it delivered to our table within 15 minutes. Quickly grab your food to go or enjoy your meal at one of the tables inside of the restaurant! This is a great location to visit if you are looking for a quick meal!

Mother's Ruin

Located: 2943 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL

Mother's Ruin is the perfect spot to visit in Chicago if you are looking for good vibes, great drinks, and delish food in a quaint but beautiful space! We stumbled upon this spot while scrolling through Yelp and had to check it out! The burgers, tacos, and chicken sandwiches are a hit here! The waffle fries are amazing as well! This is a great spot to go on a date or just to grab some drinks with friends. Make sure to check out Mothers Ruin when you are looking for spots to eat or drink in Chicago!

Three Dots And A Dash

Located: 435 N Clark St, Chicago, IL

Tropical speakeasy found in Chicago: Three Dots and a Dash! Head downstairs and enter into a vibey and fun-filled tropical speakeasy with good drinks and great music. I would recommend making a reservation if you can! This spot is popular for a reason. You should expect to wait outside in a line on a busy weekend, however, the wait is totally worth it! If you are looking for a speakeasy in Chicago, I would highly recommend Three Dots and a Dash!

Sushi Taku

Located: Chicago, IL - Wicker Park

I am a BIG fan of all you can eat restaurants! I am 100% willing to pay $30 for lunch or dinner if that means I can eat however much that I want. At Sushi Taku, you can choose to order your plates individually or pick AYCE (all you can eat). If you are going with a big group (we had five people total at our table), then I would highly recommend just doing AYCE. My favorite part about AYCE is that you can try a little bit of everything! I typically will order a lot of the appetizer options and will try new sushi rolls that I wouldn't typically order alone because I'm not sure if I would like it!

Link to Sushi Taku Website

Portillo's

Located: Chicago, IL - Multiple Locations

The famous and popular: Portillo's. Everytime I visit Chicago, I will go out of my way to make sure I get myself some Portillo's for lunch. I crave their hot dogs, homemade moist, chocolate cake, and their milkshakes. Portillo's has a little bit of everything - from hot dogs, chicken tenders, fries, shakes, cakes, burgers, sandwiches and ribs, salads to even pasta! I will always get a classic chili cheese hot dog and their fries. Sometimes I will order a little bit of everything so that I can enjoy the deliciousness of the Portillo plates (YUMMMMMAYY).