Clare, IL Food & Drink and More

This Old-School Illinois Butcher Shop Still Cuts From Hanging Cattle And Makes Over 80 Sausages

A carved wooden pig head hands out your number at the door. That’s how your visit starts at one of the most beloved butcher counters in Illinois. The kitchen behind the counter turns out more than 80 kinds of sausages and brats. A smokehouse adds more than 10 kinds of homemade bacon to the lineup.

partner publisher · 37.9K followers

Herald-Tribune

Chick-fil-A ending Chicken & Waffles, except in this Florida city

Tampa, FL · 16h

wheninyourstate.com

Restaurant closures hit popular Chicago hot dog chain known for its longtime local following

Chicago favorite Portillo’s plans to close several underperforming restaurants outside the Chicagoland area as it changes its approach to national expansion. The company announced the decision on November 5, 2026, following a review of its restaurant performance. Portillo’s expects to close approximately 5 to 9 locations, with most shutdowns...

takemetotn.com

publisher · 127.4K followers

This Humble South Side Chicago Shrimp Spot Serves Up Fried Seafood Worth The Trip

One little counter in Illinois has built its whole name on bags of fried Gulf shrimp. The breading stays light, and the seasoning leans proudly toward Louisiana. Order a shrimp dinner, and coleslaw comes along with your choice of fries or spaghetti. Yes, spaghetti, sitting right next to fried seafood, and it’s one of the most talked-about things on the menu.

Chicago, IL · 1d

NBC Chicago

Portillo's to close up to 9 ‘underperforming restaurants,' company announces

Iconic Chicago hot dog and Italian beef chain Portillo's will close a "select group of underperforming locations," the company announced during a third-quarter earnings call Thursday. The update came as the company said its results were "ahead" of expectations. “Our strategy is centered on running great restaurants, leveraging integrated marketing...

familydestinationsguide.com

This Illinois Seafood Restaurant Is Known Far And Wide For Its Incredibly Fresh Fried Fish

Some restaurants earn their reputation quietly, one perfectly fried piece of fish at a time, and The Fish Keg in Chicago has been doing exactly that for longer than most food trends have existed. If you haven’t heard of The Fish Keg yet, that’s about to change. The...

takingthekids.com

We Ranked The Best Barbecue In Illinois And These 7 Smokehouses Made The Cut

Two of the best barbecue joints in Illinois sit inside old train depots. I love that. Brisket and railroad history might be the most Midwestern pairing ever invented. The surprises keep stacking up from there. One Chicago spot has been a South Side standard for over 70 years. A small...

Illinois · 17h

everafterinthewoods.com

This Family-Run Illinois Italian Market Still Bakes Its Bread Fresh And Piles Subs High For Under $10

A 9-inch Italian beef from this deli can show up looking more like a 12-inch one. That’s the kind of generous surprise that gets an old-school Illinois sandwich counter talked about across the city. The beef comes from a family recipe, and it can arrive fully dipped and dripping....

Chicago, IL · 6d

gotodestinations.com

Why Locals ADORE This Hot Dog Drive-In That’s Older Than McDonald’s in Chicago, Illinois

Open Sun–Thu, 11 AM–1 AM; Fri–Sat, 11 AM–2 AM. In May 1948, two newlyweds opened a summer hot dog drive-in in Chicago to help pay for college. 🌭. At Superdawg Drive-In, Chicago diners still pull into a carport, order through a speaker box and wait for a carhop’s tray on the car window.

partner publisher · 230.9K followers

CBS Chicago

NW Side café vandalized with racial slurs month after opening

Mi Gente Café on Harlem and Farragut opened its doors to the public a month ago.

Chicago, IL · 3d

unearththevoyage.com

This Tiny Illinois Bakery Serves Flaky Danish Pastries So Authentic You’ll Swear You’re In Copenhagen

Some of the best bites in Illinois hide in places you would drive right past without a second look. I walked into a small, quiet bakery expecting a quick donut and walked out with a box of buttery Danish treats and a new weekend habit. The kind of flaky layers...

Burr Ridge, IL · 3d

allamericanatlas.com

5 Best Italian Restaurants in Chicago, Illinois that Will Make You Feel Like You’re in Rome

Chicago is a city that sings in many tongues—where the L rumbles above streets lined with brick and glass, where the lake wind tangles with the scent of roasted garlic and sweet basil, and where every neighborhood is a patchwork of stories. Here, the skyline rises bold and blue, but it’s the warmth of the people—Polish, Mexican, Black, Irish, Italian, and every dreamer in between—that gives the city its pulse. This is a place where food is memory, migration, and celebration, and where the table is always set for one more.

partner publisher · 865.1K followers

Parade

In 1893, a Woman Born Into Slavery Made Pancakes at the World’s Fair and Became the Country’s First Living Brand Ambassador; She Was Buried in an Unmarked Grave

Born into slavery in Kentucky. Made pancakes at the 1893 World’s Fair for 27 million visitors. Became the country’s first ever living brand ambassador. Buried in an unmarked grave. The brand she made famous lasted 130 more years.

everafterinthewoods.com

Swedish Pancakes With Lingonberries Still Anchor Breakfast At This Andersonville Diner In Chicago, Illinois

A Viking breakfast in Illinois comes with falukorv sausage, eggs, potatoes, and thin Swedish pancakes topped with lingonberries. That combination alone made me sit up straight. The room matches the plate. Swedish folk art fills the walls, and whimsical tablecloths cover small tables in a cozy blue and yellow space.

publisher · 6.0K followers

WBEZ

From Irish pub to Chicago blues hub: What happened to Biddy Mulligan’s?

In Rogers Park, a block from the lake, weeds are growing in front of a shuttered Irish pub. A sign above the door reads Mulligan’s Cafe, but a marquee above that identifies this closed business by another name: Biddy Mulligan’s. This unassuming storefront was once a hot spot for blues fans on Chicago’s North Side in the 1970s and 1980s.

Chicago, IL · 1d

Yahoo!

2 IL pizzerias serve some of the best pies in US, report finds. Where to go

Two Illinois pizzerias earned spots on The Infatuation's recent analysis of the best pizza places in America. Both are in Chicago and serve distinctly different styles. FULL STORY: These 2 Illinois pizza shops serve some of the best pies in America, report says Here are key takeaways:. The Sept. 22...

Chicago, IL · 6d

takemetotn.com

This Old-School Illinois Steakhouse Serves Famous Baked French Onion Soup Worth The Drive

A bowl of French onion soup gets baked under a lid of cheese at one Illinois chophouse. The kitchen has been turning out that soup alongside steaks and ribs since 1969. That is a long run for any restaurant. It’s even longer when the menu still leans on prime rib, twice-baked potatoes, and Shrimp De Jonghe.

Forest Park, IL · 2d

fastfoodclub.com

Seven Illinois Pizza Taverns Have Been Cutting Squares For Regulars Since The 7s

Ask anyone who grew up around Chicago how pizza should be sliced, and there is a good chance they will say squares, not triangles. Tavern-style pizza, with its cracker-thin crust and party-cut pieces, has been a neighborhood staple across Illinois for generations, and a handful of family-run spots have been serving it to the same loyal crowds for decades.

Chicago, IL · 1d

everafterinthewoods.com

This Illinois Restaurant Serves Holiday Meals Beneath A Giant Christmas Tree

A Christmas tree stands right in the middle of a department store dining room, rising so high it nearly brushes the ceiling. People book tables months ahead just to eat lunch under it. The room itself dates back to 1907. The walls are covered in walnut paneling, and crystal chandeliers...

Chicago, IL · 3d

fastfoodclub.com