Chicago restaurants & cafes

Chicago means deep-dish pizza, steakhouses and a serious neighborhood food scene. This page is being prepared.

This page is being prepared. We’ll gather vetted places in Chicago - deep-dish institutions, diners and bars near the center.

Each venue will be verified, with the check date noted. What to try first will be in the guide to American food.

What to try in the USA: a guide to American food

Our vetted places

A whole Chicago deep-dish pizza cut into wedges, showing the thick crust and chunky tomato sauce spooned on top — Photo: Mad Mod Smith · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons ( source)

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Lou Malnati's Pizzeria

River North Chicago deep-dish pizza $$

A River North outpost of Chicago's best-known deep-dish family, a few blocks off the Magnificent Mile, serving the same buttery crust and sauce-on-top formula the Malnatis have run since 1971.

Opening hours: Sun-Thu 11:00-23:00, Fri-Sat 11:00-24:00 (please confirm)

Picked as one of Chicago's most-recommended deep-dish names, a family-run chain that traces back to 1971 and still gets named first on most 'best deep dish' lists.

Verified · August 9, 2026 On the map Website

A hand holding a flaky Italian beef sandwich dripping with gravy, sliced open to show the layers of beef — Photo: Wjmummert · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons ( source)

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Portillo's

River North Chicago hot dogs, Italian beef $

The only Portillo's inside Chicago city limits, a counter-service institution for char-grilled hot dogs and Italian beef sandwiches a few minutes' walk from the Magnificent Mile.

Opening hours: daily 10:00-01:00 (please confirm)

Picked as the Chicago hot dog and Italian beef chain visitors ask about most, founded in 1963 and now a Chicago institution with a cult following on review apps and delivery alike.

Verified · August 9, 2026 On the map Website