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Food & Drink

unearththevoyage.com

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Monster Memorabilia Covers Every Wall Of This Quirky Chicago Café Serving Comfort Food

I only stopped because I needed coffee, and I figured any counter with a cup would do. Then I looked up and found a room packed with monsters, glowing posters, and retro toys staring back at me from every corner. Illinois hides plenty of surprises in plain sight, but few...

Chicago, IL · 1d
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hoodline.com

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Dialtone Cafe Plans a Loop Coffee Bar and River North Wine Spot

Dialtone Cafe is lining up two more Chicago rooms, a coffee bar in the Loop and a cafe and wine bar in River North. The addresses are public. The opening dates are not. What Now Chicago reported Thursday that the coffee bar is planned for 200 N. LaSalle Street and the cafe and wine bar for 369 W. Grand Avenue. Opening dates have not been announced. The additions would join two Dialtone locations already open in the city. Onni Group owns the cafe.

Chicago, IL · 23h
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fb101.com

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Michelin-Recommended Hattie B's Expands in Chicago and Sets Chattanooga Opening

Hot chicken isn't just a Nashville flex anymore — it's a growth strategy. And Hattie B's Hot Chicken, the family-owned fast-casual brand that helped turn Tennessee's spiciest export into a national obsession, is having a landmark month that proves the point. After earning its second consecutive nod in the...

Chicago, IL · 2d
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southportcorridorchicago.com

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Remembering Justin’s Bar & Grill: 31 Years of Southport Memories, Beer Garden Photos and the End of an Era

Before Southport Avenue became known for its newer restaurants and national retailers, Justin’s Bar & Grill was the kind of neighborhood place where an afternoon could turn into an entire evening. At 3358 N. Southport Avenue, its beer garden, sports-bar atmosphere and familiar faces made it a Lakeview fixture for more than three decades.

Chicago, IL · 6d
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wheninyourstate.com

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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...

Chicago, IL · 5d

gotodestinations.com

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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.

Chicago, IL · 5d

everafterinthewoods.com

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We Ranked The 10 Best Breakfast Restaurants In The Chicago Area And Here Is Who Made The Cut

Free donut holes. Tiny boxes of Milk Duds. One Chicago diner has handed both to breakfast guests since 1958, and I honestly can’t decide which part delights me more. That sweet little tradition sent me hunting for more great Illinois breakfast spots. One suburban kitchen serves its waffles as a flight, like a sampler at a fancy tasting.

Chicago, IL · 2d

allamericanatlas.com

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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.

Chicago, IL · 5d

nrn.com

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Trending this week: Portillo’s to shutter five to nine restaurants outside Chicago

This week on Nation's Restaurant News, the top story was “Portillo’s to shutter five to nine restaurants outside Chicago.” Portillo’s plans to close a "mid- to high-single digit" number of underperforming restaurants outside Chicago, mostly in the fourth quarter, as part of a turnaround plan. The company did not say which restaurants are scheduled to close or where specifically.

Chicago, IL · 4d

fastfoodclub.com

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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 · 4d

travelmag.com

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This Illinois Drive-In Is Topped With Giant Hot Dog Statues And Has Served Carhop Burgers And Dogs Since 1948

Two giant hot dogs are hanging out on an Illinois rooftop, and one is wearing a leopard-print leotard. The other rocks a blue skirt and a bow. Fashion week could never. Meet the rooftop duo named after the couple who started this quirky hot dog joint. And trust me, the experience only gets better at ground level.

Chicago, IL · 5d

BevNET.com

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Kava Haven Launches at Binny’s Beverage Depot

CHICAGO, IL — November 2026 — Kava Haven, the kava-infused non-alcoholic spirit redefining how people relax and socialize without alcohol, is now available at Binny’s Beverage Depot. The launch marks a meaningful milestone for the Chicago-based brand, expanding its Midwest presence through one of the region’s best-known...

Chicago, IL · 2d

unearththevoyage.com

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Illinois Families Fill Their Pantries At These 8 Old-School Meat Markets Making Their Own Smoked Sausage

Some of the best food in Illinois hides behind plain storefronts with hand-painted signs and a smoky smell drifting out the door. You walk in expecting a quick errand and walk out with a cooler full of brats, sausage sticks, and summer sausage you did not plan to buy. These...

Illinois · 4d

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Unassuming Illinois Spot Piles Pizzas High With Toppings And Serves Wings Worth Licking Your Fingers For

Sixteen first-place wins at Chicago’s WingFest is a lot of hardware for one modest neighborhood grill. Add four Best of Fest awards, and that shelf starts looking crowded. The place doesn’t stop at wings, either. Homemade tavern-style thin crust pizza comes out of the same kitchen, along with garlic buffalo wings that seem to have their own fan club.

Palatine, IL · 3d

familydestinationsguide.com

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The Illinois Buffet That Piles Your Plate High With Down-Home Southern Flavor

There’s a green awning on South Michigan Avenue in Chicago that makes a promise most restaurants would be too scared to make. That promise is “Down Home Southern Cooking,” and Pearl’s Place backs it up with every single plate that leaves the kitchen. You’ve probably driven...

Chicago, IL · 5d

NBC Chicago

publisher · 127.4K followers

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...

Chicago, IL · 5d

fox32chicago.com

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Free turkey giveaway begins at five Chicagoland McDonald's locations

CHICAGO - A holiday food giveaway is bringing support to families at five McDonald’s locations across the Chicago area this week. The Black McDonald’s Operators Association of Chicagoland and Northwest Indiana is holding its 26th annual Food for the Body & Spirit giveaway from Tuesday through Saturday. The...

Chicago, IL · 5d

takemetotn.com

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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 · 5d

Secret Chicago

publisher · 7.1K followers

Chicago’s crown jewel of pan pizza just earned another national nod—thanks to its legendary caramelized crust

Chicago hardly needs another reason to defend its pizza credentials. But we’ll happily take this one. Pequod’s Pizza—the local favorite known for that exquisite ring of caramelized cheese —has been named Illinois’ pick in Food & Wine’s “50 States of Award-Winning Pizza.” And while the national recognition is nice, the real draw is waiting around the edge of the pan. What makes Pequod’s crust so special? At Pequod’s, you don’t leave the crust behind. As Food & Wine explains, t he pizzeria places a ring of mozzarella around the inside edge of the pan. As the pizza bakes, that cheese caramelizes, creating the signature rim that sets these pies apart . A deeply browned cheese surrounds a generously topped Chicago-style pizza. The menu starts with a cheese pizza, with toppings available so you can build your own order. Sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, giardiniera, and more are among the options—but that caramelized edge is something you’ll be thinking about long after you’ve finished the meal. Why Food & Wine picked Pequod’s Food & Wine assembled its state-by-state guide using existing accolades, including international pizza competitions, restaurant rankings, local journalism, and readers’ choice awards. For Pequod’s, the magazine points to two major wins:

Chicago, IL · 8d