Illinois Italian Beef Sandwich Ottos Pub
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Chicago's Most Iconic Dishes
Classic foods every local needs to try at least once
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Chicago has a rich culinary history and a myriad of unique foods. Many of the city's famous bites have gained national recognition for captivating taste buds across America. The following map celebrates 20 of Chicago's most iconic dishes, spanning from the North Side to the South Side. Old-school street fare makes up much of the list, but the landscape continues to evolve over time thanks to the ingenuity of local chefs. The latest additions include Weber Bakery's Atomic Cake, Calabria Imports' Freddy sandwich, and birria from Birrieria Zaragoza.
As of August 20, the city has mandated that everyone wear facial coverings while indoors. For updated information on coronavirus cases, please visit the city of Chicago's COVID-19 dashboard . Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; the latest data about the delta variant indicates that it may pose a low-to-moderate risk for the vaccinated , especially in areas with substantial transmission . The latest CDC guidance is here ; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here .
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Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.
6649 N Lincoln Ave
Lincolnwood, IL 60712
Deep dish pizza: Chicago is synonymous with deep dish and Lou Malnati's is one of the style's gold standards. The heavy blend of cheese and vine-ripened tomato sauce inside a thick crust holds a special place in Chicagoans' hearts. The "Malnati Chicago Classic" improves upon the classic recipe with a layer of lean sausage patty alongside an oh-so-good buttercrust. Place online orders here.
- Open in Google Maps
3253 W Lawrence Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
Lollipop Chicken Wings: This storied Chinese Korean restaurant provides one of the best examples of a Chicago invention: the Asian-style lollipop chicken wing. The sauce is sweet and spicy, and the wings a specially hacked, based on a classic Korean-Chinese dish. These wings were created in Albany Park in the 1980s and demonstrate immigrant ingenuity. Place online orders here.
- Open in Google Maps
2720 N River Rd
River Grove, IL 60171
Depression Dog: The classic Chicago-style hot dog — a Vienna Beef frankfurter on a poppy seed bun topped with mustard, onions, relish, tomatoes, sport peppers, pickle spear, and celery salt — is among the most revered foods in the Windy City. Legendary suburban stand Gene & Jude's offers a variant, the "Depression Dog," that withholds some traditional ingredients but tosses a heap of fries on top of the whole thing. Many critics and fans have hailed it as the finest of its kind.
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- Open in Google Maps
- Foursquare
3400 W Fullerton Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
Jibarito: The jibarito is a Puerto Rican sandwich first created at Borinquen Restaurant in 1996. Jibaritos y Mas offers a textbook version of the original recipe — sliced steak, lettuce, tomato, and cheese are stacked between two pieces of fried plantain. Two additional outposts are located in Lincoln Park and Dunning. Place online orders here.
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- Open in Google Maps
7500 W North Ave
Elmwood Park, IL 60707
Italian beef: There's much debate over the best way to eat an Italian beef. Hot or sweet peppers? Dry or au jus? Johnnie's two locations boast a small menu but everything is executed to perfection. For an even meatier option, try the combo — an Italian sausage topped with shredded beef.
- Open in Google Maps
1670 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60622
Tamales: Claudio Velez has endeared himself to Chicagoans for the past decade. The city has many tamale vendors and restaurants that serve a wide variety of the item, including ones with Mexican, South American, and Mississippi Delta roots. Velez, affectionately known as "the Tamale Guy," peddled his pork, chicken, and cheese varieties at bars across the city before the pandemic. They were transported around in a plastic cooler and would emerge as hot sustenance for hungry drinkers. Velez recently found a new home and is operating out of Bangers & Lace in Wicker Park. Online orders can be placed here.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69748416/F707EC86_B600_40D1_8F48_61E3DC40CD47.0.jpeg)
- Open in Google Maps
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1024 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
Shrimp DeJonghe: Shrimp DeJonghe was invented in Chicago near the turn of the 20th century. It's a simple casserole of shrimp, garlic, breadcrumbs, and either wine or sherry. Many Italian and seafood restaurants in the area offer it but Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House's version is one of the best.
- Open in Google Maps
8. Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse
Copy Link33 W Kinzie St
Chicago, IL 60654
Chicken Vesuvio: The origins of the dish remain murky, but most agree it's a Chicago creation. The recipe features chicken, potato wedges, and peas sautéed in white wine sauce, and Harry Caray's version is a solid introduction for both locals and tourists alike. Online ordering is available here.
- Open in Google Maps
- Book with OpenTable
- Foursquare
615 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60661
Chorizo-stuffed Medjool dates wrapped in bacon: It's nearly impossible to resist ordering the dates at One Off Hospitality's Mediterranean-inspired hotspot. Bathing in a bright red picquillo pepper sauce, four Medjool dates are stuffed to the brim with smoky chorizo sausage and held together with bacon. The prized appetizer is a perfect blend of savory and sweet. A second avec outpost is located in River North. Order online here.
- Open in Google Maps
200 S Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60661
Saganaki: Flaming saganaki originated in Chicago, dating back to the late '60s at the now-shuttered Parthenon. The dish is a spectacle that involves servers bringing out a platter of white cheese (sheep's milk cheese is commonly used), setting it on fire at the tableside, and yelling "opa!"
- Open in Google Maps
- Foursquare
1250 S Union Ave
Chicago, IL 60607
Maxwell Street Polish: While hot dogs get all the glory, the Maxwell Street Polish — a kielbasa sausage topped with mustard, grilled onions, and sport peppers — is a low-key favorite that was first sold at Chicago's old Maxwell Street Market.
- Open in Google Maps
- Foursquare
4852 S Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL 60632
Birria: Long before quesabirria tacos swept the nation, this beloved mom-and-pop operation was introducing Chicago to traditional Jalisco-style birria. The fragrant, mouth-watering stew is made with organic goat meat that's been steam-cooked for hours, marinated in an ancho-based mole, and then finished in the oven. It arrives to the table accompanied by corn tortillas, cilantro, onions, fire-roasted salsa, and a side of consommé so that diners can assemble what are arguably the most exceptional tacos in town. Online ordering is available here.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/69748417/birrieria_zaragoza.0.jpg)
- Open in Google Maps
- Foursquare
1208 E 53rd St
Chicago, IL 60615
Fried chicken with mild sauce: A favorite among locals and celebrities, Harold's dishes out what many consider to be the best fried chicken in the city. The chicken's distinctive flavor is a result of being cooked to order in vegetable oil and beef tallow. Mild sauce is also a condiment of utmost importance, a sweet and tangy liquid that locals abide by. Even though quality can vary from restaurant to restaurant, a Harold's half chicken dinner covered in mild sauce is a quintessential Chicago meal. The popular chain oversees dozens of locations in the area, with a majority on the South Side.
- Open in Google Maps
7055 W Archer Ave
Chicago, IL 60638
Atomic Cake: Born on the city's South Side, this lesser-known dessert is an indulgent combination of banana, yellow, and chocolate cake. The three layers are separated by glazed strawberries and sliced bananas with Bavarian custard, and topped with rich fudge and whipped cream frosting. Long-standing Weber's Bakery calls its version a "Banana Split Torte."
- Open in Google Maps
- Foursquare
311 E 75th St
Chicago, IL 60619
Rib tips: Rib tips are an often overlooked barbecue specialty but they're the main attraction at this old-school joint. The tender, flavorful cuts are cooked in a customized aquarium smoker — the largest in the city — and slathered in a sweet sauce so expect to get a little messy. While pork is what Lem's is famous for, turkey tips have risen in popularity in recent years at other places.
- Open in Google Maps
8440 S Stony Island Ave
Chicago, IL 60617
Gym Shoe: It's unclear where the sandwich was created but this South Side shop is one of its most well-known purveyors. Despite the odd name, the gym shoe is a tasty trifecta of roast beef, gyro meat, and corned beef. That's not all, though, as the meat is mixed with giardiniera, sweet peppers, onions, tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, mayo, and Swiss cheese.
- Open in Google Maps
8433 S Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL 60652
Tavern-style pizza: Deep dish is what outsiders associate with Chicago pizza but tavern-style is just as, if not more, important to the city's culinary identity. This essential pizzeria makes arguably the finest thin crust in town, topping the crispy dough with ingredients like sausage, sliced beef, shrimp, and giardiniera. And in true Chicago fashion, the pies are best enjoyed with a cold pint of Old Style.
:format(webp):no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/63009724/vito_and_nicks.74.jpg)
- Open in Google Maps
- Foursquare
9233 S Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60643
Rainbow Cone: Why settle for one flavor when there are several to try? This South Side institution has been scooping colorful frozen treats for over nine decades. The namesake dessert is a combination of orange sherbet with chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House (vanilla with cherries and walnuts), and pistachio ice cream that both adults and children love.
- Open in Google Maps
1905 W 103rd St
Chicago, IL 60643
The Freddy: Italian sausage is king in Chicago but this South Side sandwich showcases it differently. Instead of being encased, the meat is formed into an oblong patty, tucked in a long roll, and topped with sweet peppers, melted mozzarella, and housemade tomato sauce. Though many pizzerias on the South Side offer it, a standout version can be found at Italian restaurant and deli Calabria Imports in Beverly. Online ordering is available here.
- Open in Google Maps
1316 W 111th St
Chicago, IL 60643
Sweet steak: Chicago's counterpart to the Philly cheesesteak is a sweet variant from the South Side. While it's not as widely known as Italian beef, this hoagie — featuring coarsely-chopped rib eye, tomatoes, bell peppers, and a signature sweet sauce — has earned loyal fans in Morgan Park.
- Open in Google Maps
- Foursquare
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1. Lou Malnati's
Deep dish pizza: Chicago is synonymous with deep dish and Lou Malnati's is one of the style's gold standards. The heavy blend of cheese and vine-ripened tomato sauce inside a thick crust holds a special place in Chicagoans' hearts. The "Malnati Chicago Classic" improves upon the classic recipe with a layer of lean sausage patty alongside an oh-so-good buttercrust. Place online orders here.
6649 N Lincoln Ave
Lincolnwood, IL 60712
- Open in Google Maps
2. Great Sea Restaurant
Lollipop Chicken Wings: This storied Chinese Korean restaurant provides one of the best examples of a Chicago invention: the Asian-style lollipop chicken wing. The sauce is sweet and spicy, and the wings a specially hacked, based on a classic Korean-Chinese dish. These wings were created in Albany Park in the 1980s and demonstrate immigrant ingenuity. Place online orders here.
3253 W Lawrence Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
- Open in Google Maps
3. Gene & Jude's
Depression Dog: The classic Chicago-style hot dog — a Vienna Beef frankfurter on a poppy seed bun topped with mustard, onions, relish, tomatoes, sport peppers, pickle spear, and celery salt — is among the most revered foods in the Windy City. Legendary suburban stand Gene & Jude's offers a variant, the "Depression Dog," that withholds some traditional ingredients but tosses a heap of fries on top of the whole thing. Many critics and fans have hailed it as the finest of its kind.
2720 N River Rd
River Grove, IL 60171
- Open in Google Maps
- Foursquare
4. Jibaritos y Mas
Jibarito: The jibarito is a Puerto Rican sandwich first created at Borinquen Restaurant in 1996. Jibaritos y Mas offers a textbook version of the original recipe — sliced steak, lettuce, tomato, and cheese are stacked between two pieces of fried plantain. Two additional outposts are located in Lincoln Park and Dunning. Place online orders here.
3400 W Fullerton Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
- Open in Google Maps
5. Johnnie's Beef
Italian beef: There's much debate over the best way to eat an Italian beef. Hot or sweet peppers? Dry or au jus? Johnnie's two locations boast a small menu but everything is executed to perfection. For an even meatier option, try the combo — an Italian sausage topped with shredded beef.
7500 W North Ave
Elmwood Park, IL 60707
- Open in Google Maps
6. Bangers & Lace Wicker Park
Tamales: Claudio Velez has endeared himself to Chicagoans for the past decade. The city has many tamale vendors and restaurants that serve a wide variety of the item, including ones with Mexican, South American, and Mississippi Delta roots. Velez, affectionately known as "the Tamale Guy," peddled his pork, chicken, and cheese varieties at bars across the city before the pandemic. They were transported around in a plastic cooler and would emerge as hot sustenance for hungry drinkers. Velez recently found a new home and is operating out of Bangers & Lace in Wicker Park. Online orders can be placed here.
1670 W Division St
Chicago, IL 60622
- Open in Google Maps
7. Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House
Shrimp DeJonghe: Shrimp DeJonghe was invented in Chicago near the turn of the 20th century. It's a simple casserole of shrimp, garlic, breadcrumbs, and either wine or sherry. Many Italian and seafood restaurants in the area offer it but Hugo's Frog Bar & Fish House's version is one of the best.
1024 N Rush St
Chicago, IL 60611
- Open in Google Maps
8. Harry Caray's Italian Steakhouse
Chicken Vesuvio: The origins of the dish remain murky, but most agree it's a Chicago creation. The recipe features chicken, potato wedges, and peas sautéed in white wine sauce, and Harry Caray's version is a solid introduction for both locals and tourists alike. Online ordering is available here.
33 W Kinzie St
Chicago, IL 60654
- Open in Google Maps
- OpenTable
- Foursquare
9. avec
Chorizo-stuffed Medjool dates wrapped in bacon: It's nearly impossible to resist ordering the dates at One Off Hospitality's Mediterranean-inspired hotspot. Bathing in a bright red picquillo pepper sauce, four Medjool dates are stuffed to the brim with smoky chorizo sausage and held together with bacon. The prized appetizer is a perfect blend of savory and sweet. A second avec outpost is located in River North. Order online here.
615 W Randolph St
Chicago, IL 60661
- Open in Google Maps
10. Greek Islands
Saganaki: Flaming saganaki originated in Chicago, dating back to the late '60s at the now-shuttered Parthenon. The dish is a spectacle that involves servers bringing out a platter of white cheese (sheep's milk cheese is commonly used), setting it on fire at the tableside, and yelling "opa!"
200 S Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60661
- Open in Google Maps
- Foursquare
11. Jim's Original
Maxwell Street Polish: While hot dogs get all the glory, the Maxwell Street Polish — a kielbasa sausage topped with mustard, grilled onions, and sport peppers — is a low-key favorite that was first sold at Chicago's old Maxwell Street Market.
1250 S Union Ave
Chicago, IL 60607
- Open in Google Maps
- Foursquare
12. Birrieria Zaragoza
Birria: Long before quesabirria tacos swept the nation, this beloved mom-and-pop operation was introducing Chicago to traditional Jalisco-style birria. The fragrant, mouth-watering stew is made with organic goat meat that's been steam-cooked for hours, marinated in an ancho-based mole, and then finished in the oven. It arrives to the table accompanied by corn tortillas, cilantro, onions, fire-roasted salsa, and a side of consommé so that diners can assemble what are arguably the most exceptional tacos in town. Online ordering is available here.
4852 S Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL 60632
- Open in Google Maps
- Foursquare
13. Harold's Chicken Shack
Fried chicken with mild sauce: A favorite among locals and celebrities, Harold's dishes out what many consider to be the best fried chicken in the city. The chicken's distinctive flavor is a result of being cooked to order in vegetable oil and beef tallow. Mild sauce is also a condiment of utmost importance, a sweet and tangy liquid that locals abide by. Even though quality can vary from restaurant to restaurant, a Harold's half chicken dinner covered in mild sauce is a quintessential Chicago meal. The popular chain oversees dozens of locations in the area, with a majority on the South Side.
1208 E 53rd St
Chicago, IL 60615
- Open in Google Maps
14. Weber's Bakery
Atomic Cake: Born on the city's South Side, this lesser-known dessert is an indulgent combination of banana, yellow, and chocolate cake. The three layers are separated by glazed strawberries and sliced bananas with Bavarian custard, and topped with rich fudge and whipped cream frosting. Long-standing Weber's Bakery calls its version a "Banana Split Torte."
7055 W Archer Ave
Chicago, IL 60638
- Open in Google Maps
- Foursquare
15. Lem's BBQ House
Rib tips: Rib tips are an often overlooked barbecue specialty but they're the main attraction at this old-school joint. The tender, flavorful cuts are cooked in a customized aquarium smoker — the largest in the city — and slathered in a sweet sauce so expect to get a little messy. While pork is what Lem's is famous for, turkey tips have risen in popularity in recent years at other places.
311 E 75th St
Chicago, IL 60619
- Open in Google Maps
Related Maps
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16. Stony Sub
Gym Shoe: It's unclear where the sandwich was created but this South Side shop is one of its most well-known purveyors. Despite the odd name, the gym shoe is a tasty trifecta of roast beef, gyro meat, and corned beef. That's not all, though, as the meat is mixed with giardiniera, sweet peppers, onions, tzatziki sauce, tomatoes, mayo, and Swiss cheese.
8440 S Stony Island Ave
Chicago, IL 60617
- Open in Google Maps
17. Vito & Nick's
Tavern-style pizza: Deep dish is what outsiders associate with Chicago pizza but tavern-style is just as, if not more, important to the city's culinary identity. This essential pizzeria makes arguably the finest thin crust in town, topping the crispy dough with ingredients like sausage, sliced beef, shrimp, and giardiniera. And in true Chicago fashion, the pies are best enjoyed with a cold pint of Old Style.
8433 S Pulaski Rd
Chicago, IL 60652
- Open in Google Maps
- Foursquare
18. Rainbow Cone
Rainbow Cone: Why settle for one flavor when there are several to try? This South Side institution has been scooping colorful frozen treats for over nine decades. The namesake dessert is a combination of orange sherbet with chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House (vanilla with cherries and walnuts), and pistachio ice cream that both adults and children love.
9233 S Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60643
- Open in Google Maps
19. Calabria Imports
The Freddy: Italian sausage is king in Chicago but this South Side sandwich showcases it differently. Instead of being encased, the meat is formed into an oblong patty, tucked in a long roll, and topped with sweet peppers, melted mozzarella, and housemade tomato sauce. Though many pizzerias on the South Side offer it, a standout version can be found at Italian restaurant and deli Calabria Imports in Beverly. Online ordering is available here.
1905 W 103rd St
Chicago, IL 60643
- Open in Google Maps
20. Home of the Hoagy
Sweet steak: Chicago's counterpart to the Philly cheesesteak is a sweet variant from the South Side. While it's not as widely known as Italian beef, this hoagie — featuring coarsely-chopped rib eye, tomatoes, bell peppers, and a signature sweet sauce — has earned loyal fans in Morgan Park.
1316 W 111th St
Chicago, IL 60643
- Open in Google Maps
- Foursquare
Related Maps
- Where to Drink Outdoors in the West Loop and Fulton Market
- Where to Drink Along Ravenswood's Malt Row
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Source: https://chicago.eater.com/maps/iconic-food-chicago-list-classic
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