Amaru stays late working at the office after everyone else goes home, and color codes PowerPoint presentations to make them just a little better. In other words, this small Latin American restaurant in Wicker Park is doing more than it needs to. Amaru is a small spot that’s surrounded by big, loud restaurants like Etta, Piece, and Paradise Park. It’s the type of place that’s fun, but also casual and low-key enough to wander into any night of the week. But after eating some fantastic food that’s way more affordable than it has any right to be, you’ll realize that sometimes staying late and color coding is worth it to be half this good.

You’ll realize as soon as you walk in that instead of being the annoying kiss-ass you described above, this place is like the coworker you actually want to hang out with on the weekend. Kennebec fries. Plus, it has flaming drinks, which is definitely more exciting than the box of wine in your fridge you’ve been rushing out of work to get to. The short menu is mostly made up of Latin American small plates, which all have something extra happening that you might not expect - like when you find out about a coworker’s surprisingly funny podcast. In the case of the chicken skewers with huancaina, it’s the acidic cucumber salad and chewy kernels of choclo.

Location: 1904 W North Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, USA

Tel: 773-687-9790

Website: https://www.amaruchicago.com/

Hours: 17:00 PM - 21:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.8/5

Lost Larson is a bakery and café originating in the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago with a second location in Wicker Park. Inspired by the neighborhood and his heritage, Lost Larson takes its name from owner Bobby Schaffer’s ‘Lost’ last name – Larson. This story encompasses so much more though – looking at traditional craftsmanship and honoring the craft of baking. It’s an exploration of ingredients. Flour – freshly milled from whole grains on a traditional stone mill and made with the lost ways of long fermentation to develop the flavor and nutrition. Seasonally inspired pastries utilizing fruits at the peak of ripeness. Hand-rolled cinnamon rolls. These are just some of the items you’ll find at Lost Larson.

Lost Larson pays a lot of attention to detail when it comes to their food, which shouldn’t surprise you considering it’s the kind of place that mills its own flour. So although the menu seems simple, the carefully prepared dishes taste surprisingly complex - like a small plate of roasted sweet potatoes and farro balanced out with a bright and flavorful broth of lemon and ginger tea. Or branzino, typically a mellow fish, served with a spicy asparagus puree that ends up being the perfect complement. And the Swedish meatballs are a must-order, mainly because they’re served on an incredibly rich and slightly sweet cauliflower gravy that seems to have been made with about 6,732 spices, and they come with a fantastic potato bread that has pieces of baked potato inside that you can actually taste.

Location: 5318 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640, USA

Tel: 773-944-0587

Website: https://www.lostlarson.com/

Hours: 07:00 AM - 15:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.7/5

Kite String Cantina is one of the best restaurants for delivery and takeout in Chicago. Getting to sip top tipples doesn’t preclude having a gastronomic experience — at least not at the country’s top 40 bars for food lovers. These bars, pubs, lounges, and speakeasies could have phoned it in when it came to the food menu, but instead, they sought top talents to produce dishes that go far beyond cheese and charcuterie or a gourmet burger. Think sardines a la plancha, eye-catching okonomiyaki, and seafood towers overflowing with the ocean’s bounty. These watering holes are known first and foremost for their drinks, but maybe they shouldn’t be. Leave those basic burgers and no-frills fries behind at these watering holes where you can slake your thirst without sacrificing your appetite.

This spot on a quiet block in Kite String Cantina is exactly where you want to unwind after work. There are weekday Happy Hour specials on their cocktails from 3-6 pm (served out of cafeteria-style bubblers), and for $20 you can get everything on their limited menu: chips with three types of dip and a basket of four taquitos in various (and tasty) flavors. Sit inside or outside, play a game of Ms. Pac-Man, and watch reruns of old game shows above the bar. It’s like kicking back at home, except you get to say that you actually went out.

Location: 1851 W Addison St, Chicago, IL 60613, USA

Tel: 773-666-5221

Website: https://www.kitestringcantina.com/

Hours: 12:00 PM - 23:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.7/5

Boka Restaurant Group was founded by Rob Katz and Kevin Boehm in 2002 and has become one of the premier chef-driven restaurant groups in the country. With a firm belief that genuine hospitality makes the world a more human place, you strive beyond convention to support each other and the communities. For a resto that’s tucked in a small street near Chicago, Boka Restaurant sure has hundreds of hungry customers flocking to their doors! Their menu invites carnivores and vegetarians alike, with their unique blend of sauce elevating the flavor of meats, fish, and veggies!

Boka is a Chicago restaurant that has retained a one-star ranking from the Michelin Guide since 2010. Its name is a portmanteau of the surnames of its founders, Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz. This restaurant received 3 stars from the Chicago Tribune and Chicago Magazine. The executive chef is Lee Wolen. Boka won Chef of the Year for Lee Wolen in 2015 in the Chicago Tribune and Restaurant of the Year at the Jean Banchet Awards. Wolen was also awarded the Best Chef in America award from Highlights magazine. This is the kind of retreat where one can sink in and never leave. It exudes elegance with a bit of romance and quirk—thanks to walls covered with ornate escutcheons and whimsical paintings. Against these dark pebbled backgrounds, find plush oversized booths, banquettes, and mirrored light bulbs.

Location: 1729 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614, USA

Tel: 312-337-6070

Website: https://www.bokachicago.com/

Hours: 17:00 PM - 21:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.7/5

Named after a character in a Nelson Algren novel, Start making your way over to Dove’s Luncheonette in Wicker Park before you finish reading this, because it’s probably already packed. And this Mexican-inspired breakfast and lunch spot is busy for a good reason—the food is fantastic. Start your morning with the smoky burnt ends hash or the tlayuda, a giant, crispy corn tortilla topped with spicy salsa, refried beans, eggs, and an ocean of melted Monterey Jack cheese. But our favorite dish is their upgraded version of a diner classic: chicken fried chicken. It comes smothered in rich chorizo gravy that’s nicely balanced with sweetness from a gratuitous topping of peas and pearl onions.

Set to the sounds of 1960s and 70s Chicago soul and blues, Dove’s Luncheonette offers counter service morning, noon, and night in the heart of Chicago’s Wicker Park. Dove’s inviting menu delivers Southern-inspired Mexican cuisine, alongside tequila and mezcal-focused bar program, with the spirit of genuine hospitality. The 41-stool luncheonette takes its name from Nelson Algren’s A Walk on the Wild Side, and draws inspiration from bygone diners and watering holes to create a place where people from all walks of life can converge over a cup of coffee, cocktail, and a great meal. Dove’s Luncheonette may look like a greasy spoon from the 70s but the comparison stops there: With vibrant Southern-Mexican plates and mezcal poured all day, this Wicker Park spot does old-school diners justice. This place isn’t ideal for large groups since it's primarily just counter seating but it’s always full of couples, small groups, and solo diners.

Location: 1545 N Damen Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, USA

Tel: 773-645-4060

Website: http://www.doveschicago.com/

Hours: 09:00 AM - 15:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.7/5

Little Bad Wolf ranks 5th on the list of best restaurants for delivery and takeout in Chicago. The cool setup and unique food make this a spot that works for all weather situations. “Upscale bar food” is that it’s Mexican or Asian, with a few solid American classics (like burgers) thrown in. To be clear, the food here isn’t “fusion.” Unless you consider eating bao and tacos in a Chicago bar is by its very nature fusion, which is a totally valid argument you can save for a later date. The food is meant to be shared, and is designated as either “pinch,” “fold,” “grab,” or “stab.” If you can ignore the fact that the menu demands you “pinch” your charcuterie and “stab” your salad, it’s easy to have a spread on the table that’s more interesting than typical bar food.

The lumpia are small fried spring rolls filled with pork and, unsurprisingly, make an excellent bar snack. The sweet and sour dipping sauce has a spicy kick and the fried spring roll wrapper is surprisingly light, so you won’t feel like you ate a deep-fried pillow. These steamed bun sandwiches are great. They are fluffy and fun and how you should be ruining your appetite. It comes with a gingery barbecue sauce and pickled carrots and daikon. And if you do happen to end up here when it’s below freezing outside, the classic pub food holds its own with a burger and mac and cheese that do will a fair job of helping you forget you’re traveling with flare guns and a snow shovel in the trunk of your car. As for the space, it’s small with chill music, and there are cool drawings of the wolf from Little Red Riding Hood, which is less weird than it sounds. There’s an industrial-chic decor thing happening, and it’s the kind of place you’ll want to post up in for a while.

Location: 1541 W Bryn Mawr Ave, Chicago, IL 60660, USA
Tel: 773-942-6399
Website: https://www.littlebadwolfchicago.com/
Hours: 11:00 AM - 00:00 AM
Google Rating: 4.6/5

In 2010, Alinea was awarded three stars in the Michelin Guide. As of April 2021, Alinea is the only Chicago restaurant to retain a three-star status, Michelin's highest accolade. The restaurant opened on May 4, 2005, and takes its name from the symbol Alinea, which is featured as a logo. Co-owner Nick Kokonas wrote, of the restaurant's name, "If you're wondering about the name, Alinea literally means "off the line." The restaurant's symbol, more commonly known as the pilcrow, indicates the beginning of a new train of thought, or literally a new paragraph.

Alinea is always searching for passionate and dedicated members to join your team for front-of-house and back-of-house. There are three dinner options - the Salon, the Gallery, and the Kitchen Table - at different price points that fluctuate, but generally range from $205-$395. That’s a lot of money, but if you’re looking to go all-out on dinner, this is where to do it. The entire experience is whimsical, and parts of it are intentionally absurd. The servers and cooks are in on it - whether they’re slapping a fire out with juniper branches, capering around a fog machine, or explaining how to avoid getting that edible balloon stuck in your hair. Plus, they’re genuinely funny - as in cracking jokes while presenting you with one of the fanciest things you’ve likely ever eaten. So if spending a potential car payment on a dinner that could be characterized as kind of silly bothers you, this place is not a smart choice for your money.

Location: 1723 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614, USA

Website: https://www.alinearestaurant.com/

Hours: 17:00 AM - 22:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.6/5

In Southport Grocery and Cafe, you always start your search right in your own kitchen. Come in and check all of the hose-made preserves, pickles & mustard. There has been a groundswell of artisan foodstuffs being created in the windy city – you love this. Supporting the local foodies, bridging the gap between them and their customers, all the while presenting their product on the blog, and on Facebook & Twitter. You can provide a space where customers can feel comfortable window-shop and ask questions. Stop in, you promise you’ll find something to take home with you.

Everything on the menu tastes phenomenal, from the seemingly simple breakfast sandwich to the gluten-free cupcake pancakes, and you might as well throw a grown-up pop tart in the mix just to be safe. It’s not a very big place, with maybe 15 tables at most, and the small patio with some additional seating out front won’t do you any good most of the year. It’s also called Southport Grocery and Cafe for a reason. Don’t overlook the various hot sauces, syrups, jams, coffees, spices, and other fun stuff on the shelves before you walk out. Weekend waits should be expected, but the stretch of businesses along Southport just south of Addison will help you kill some time. Staring at the menu in Southport Grocery and Cafe, you will not help kill time, but you’ll enjoy it anyway.

Location: 3552 N Southport Ave, Chicago, IL 60657, USA

Tel: 773-665-0100

Website: https://southportgrocery.com/

Hours: 08:00 AM - 15:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.6/5

Galit is a Middle Eastern Restaurant in the Lincoln Park neighborhood in Chicago, owned and operated by Andrés Clavero and James Beard Award-winning chef Zachary Engel. The restaurant is a space for community: hospitality professionals, guests, and suppliers will come together and celebrate food and drink in a respectful, friendly, and caring manner. The menu focuses on a seasonal and localized approach to dishes of the Middle East and Israel’s immigrant cuisines, alongside a unique and forward-thinking beverage program. The dishes at Galit aren’t memorable because they’re gimmicky - there’s no bee pollen falafel or frozen hummus sorbet. Instead, they’re just so good that they become the standard by which all future versions of that dish will be judged. From perfectly roasted carrots topped with feta and a sweet hazelnut dukkah to airy falafel served with a bit of preserved mango, everything has an extra touch that sets it apart, and nothing on the plate feels unnecessary.

There’s a rich and spicy shakshuka that will make you retroactively angry at the last perfectly fine-at-the-time version you ate somewhere else. And the Tunisian-style fried fish comes with three dipping sauces that are each delicious enough to warrant ordering the whole dish just for them. Because along with everything else on the menu, even the condiments and sauces are standouts at Galit, and the best thing that showcases this is the salatim, a shareable assortment of spreads and dips served alongside some of the fantastic pitas. Like most restaurants in Lincoln Park, Galit’s large, bright space can get very, very busy, and reserving a table might take planning ahead. But don’t let that deter you from walking in and trying to get seated that way.

Location: 2429 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL 60614, USA

Tel: 773-360-8755

Website: https://www.galitrestaurant.com/

Hours: 17:00 PM - 21:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.6/5

It truly is summer every day at Summer House, a tall order in a city where snow has been recorded eight out of the last twelve months. The space is bright, dotted with dozens of twinkly glass lights, and covered by a beautiful retractable glass roof that lets in more light than is legally allowed in a restaurant. Side of California grapefruit with your brunch? Yep. Plus, the menu also has a nice smattering of seafood, pasta, pizzas, and proteins. It’s a little bit unfocused, but overall, the food is good. Summer House is a good option if you’re looking to soak in some Vitamin D and catch up with friends. Before you head over, keep in mind that this place gets busy, and you’ll probably want to make a reservation. But whatever you do, make sure you get some oversized chewy chocolate chip sea salt cookies from the bakery case.

Located in Chicago’s Lincoln Park neighborhood, Summer House Santa Monica is the place for sunshine all year round. Warm, laid-back West Coast vibes fill the restaurant making it a top Instagrammable destination, complete with beach house décor, a beautiful retractable glass ceiling, and an all-seasons courtyard patio. The California-inspired menu from Chef Ben Goodnick highlights seasonal specialties made from scratch with locally sourced produce and fresh ingredients, along with market-driven pasta, artisan pizzas, and antipasti. Although the menu changes often with seasonal items, vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options are always provided. At the Bakery counter, enjoy an irresistible selection of house-baked pastries, sourdough English muffins and signature oversized cookies, and more.

Location: 1954 N Halsted St, Chicago, IL 60614, USA

Tel: 773-634-4100

Website: https://www.summerhouserestaurants.com/lincoln-park/

Hours: 11:00 AM - 22:00 PM

Google Rating: 4.4/5