Chicago is a city for people who love great food. It’s home to 26 Michelin-starred restaurants, 40 James Beard Award–winning restaurants, and 54 Bib Gourmand winners—not to mention one of the most famous tasting menus in the world. But the dining scene here isn’t all white tablecloths and fancy cocktails: a trip to Chicago without a slice of deep dish or a $5 Chicago-style hot dog is hardly a trip at all.
This is a city with real range, and I’ve been eating my way across it for years. Along the way, I’ve learned how to pivot when I can’t get the month-out reservation I want at a top-tier steakhouse or don’t have the patience to wait in line for a much-hyped-about burger. Because in a city with more than 7,300 restaurants, there’s always another (equally delicious) option.
So the next time you can’t get into that buzzy spot you’ve been reading about, don’t panic; below are seven terrific options that should hardly qualify as second fiddle.
Instead of Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf, try Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse
Chicago is a town with no shortage of excellent steakhouses. And while you could fight for a res at a spot like Bavette’s Bar & Boeuf, which opens its books 21 days in advance, a better move is to opt for an equally delicious steak dinner—albeit with a different vibe—at Harry Caray’s Italian Steakhouse three blocks away.
While Bavette’s feels like a cozy speakeasy, Harry Caray’s is a well-lit, bustling restaurant. There’s no candlelight and velvet, just a top-notch menu, high-quality steaks, and lots of sports memorabilia. You’re obviously there for the filet mignon, but the pork chops and tiramisu also get high marks from Tripadvisor travelers. Best of all, you don’t need an Olympian’s stamina to nab a reservation—and besides, if even if that effort fails, Harry Caray’s also accepts walk-ins.
And if you’re still looking for a taste of Bavette’s ambiance before or after dinner, head down the street to the moody Gilt Bar near the Merchandise Mart.
Instead of Au Cheval, try Small Cheval
Since it opened in 2012, the upscale diner Au Cheval has turned out a cheeseburger has risen to global fame—and drawn the crowds to match.
Fear not: There’s another way to get get your burger fill from the same team. Just head to one of the handful of Chicago locations of Small Cheval, a spinoff burger shack that opened in 2015. You won’t find Au Cheval’s signature thick-cut, maple-glazed bacon, but you’re in for a legitimately great substitute. Best of all, you can walk straight in to Small Cheval’s West Loop location and order without, say, waiting in an hours-long line.
Travelers say: “Tried to get into Au Cheval on a Monday night and was told the wait was two hours minimum, so Small Cheval it is. No regrets. I got the cheeseburger with lettuce and tomatoes and was happy with my choice. The meat was tender, cooked just right, and had a lot of flavor.”
Instead of Topolobampo, try Xoco
Michelin-starred Topolobampo may be one of celebrity chef Rick Bayless’s best-known Mexican restaurants, but it’s far from his only spot in Chicago. For a more casual Mexican meal, head to Xoco, Bayless’s counter-service River North restaurant, which doesn’t require—or even accept—reservations.
Xoco puts a contemporary spin on Mexican street-food classics, and you’ll want to save room for dessert: Mexican hot chocolate is not to be missed, nor are the fresh churros, described by one (justifiably impassioned) Tripadvisor reviewer as “sheer perfection.”
Instead of Girl & the Goat, Try Cabra
Girl & The Goat—from the Top Chef– and James Beard Award–winning chef Stephanie Izard—is one of Chicago’s most flocked-to restaurants. Izard super-fans from all over the world descend on the place for roasted pig face, sticky glazed pork shanks, and goat empanadas. But eating dinner before 9 p.m. means book at least a month in advance.
An easier way to try Izard’s legendary cooking? Cabra, which is inspired by her travels in Peru and features GaTG’s famed goat empanadas—plus much more, including vegetarian dishes like mushroom ceviche and spinach-and-kale empanadas. If you’re going to the rooftop River West restaurant for brunch, don’t skip the quinoa French toast.
Although Cabra accepts walk-ins, it’s still worth making a reservation a few days early if you plan to eat there on the weekend.
Travelers say: “The atmosphere of Cabra feels like a vacation in the middle of the city! The wait staff were knowledgeable and attentive, and provided excellent recommendations for the menu selections as well as the quantity of food for our table to order and share together.”
Instead of Alinea, try Goosefoot
If you want to get into Alinea—at this point, more a world-famous fine-dining destination than a restaurant—you’ll have to work for it. Reservations are released two months in advance, and you’ll need to prepay for your meal ($305 to $375) to secure your spot. Walk-ins aren’t a thing at Alinea, so if you can’t click fast enough, you’re out of luck.
For another, just-as-delicious tasting-menu experience, head to Goosefoot in the Lincoln Square neighborhood, which serves up a fanciful 12-course menu on weekends and a more manageable five-course menu during the week. The Michelin-star restaurant balances its fancy side—fine dining with a surprise menu—with a down-to-earth BYOB drinks policy. It may not have Alinea’s iconic balloon dessert, but its plating is stylish and creative. And you won’t need to make a reservation more than a couple of days in advance.
Of course, if you’re dead-set on Alinea-style extravagance but miss out on a res, try The Aviary, a sexy cocktail bar and restaurant—also from Grant Achatz and the Alinea Group—where you can fairly easily land a late-night reservation a few days in advance. The Aviary offers a five-course cocktail tasting menu and food pairing; prices start at $145 a person.
Instead of Le Colonial, try HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen
You’ll need to book weeks in advance for a weekend dinner at Le Colonial, the grand dame of French-Vietnamese fine dining in Chicago, but the Gold Coast row house isn’t the only option in the city for an unforgettable Vietnamese meal.
HaiSous Vietnamese Kitchen in Pilsen is a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant that serves up a family-style tasting menu. Tripadvisor reviewers can’t get enough of what’s widely considered to be one of the most affordable tasting menus in Chicago: seven dishes (including a smoked ribeye salad that’s a Tripadvisor favorite) served over three courses for $68 per person.
Travelers say: “The ribeye was probably the star of the evening, served with a piece of kaffir lime, which we squeezed into some spices to make a dipping sauce. …HaiSous [is] good value for the money. …If you are at all adventurous, I’m sure you will find something you like.”