10 Best Bars with Food in Chicago
[Photograph: Josh Conley]
The Winners!
#1: Hopleaf
5148 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60640 (map); 773-334-9851; hopleaf.com
#2: 3 Floyds
9750 Indiana Parkway, Munster, IN 46321 (map); 219-922-4425; 3floyds.com
#3: Owen & Engine
2700 North Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60647 (map); 773-235-2930; owenandengine.com
Editor's Note: Before Josh packs his bags for Portland, I pleaded for one last post for the site. (I don't want him to leave!) Anyway, he's been dutifully documenting bar food for some time now, so I asked him to pick out his ten favorite bars with great food in Chicago. Take it away, Josh!
Making top ten lists is never easy, especially when food is involved. I found this out when I tried to make a must-eat list for Chicago before leaving, and could only shave it down to 27, including everything from La Casa del Pueblo to Bale to Scooter's.
The bars I frequented in Chicago ranged from hip brewpubs to German joints serving comfort food. How do you compare awesome tater tots to a pig ear salad? Authentic Cajun cuisine to New Haven style pizza? And what about the beer? The atmosphere? It's all a delicate balance, plugged into a very unofficial, highly subjective formula. I never was very good at math.
So I based this list on the same criterion I based my "best place you've traveled" answer, and it comes down to this: Where would I go back first? And before you say 'WHERE'S KUMA'S?!?' I've also decided to narrow it to only places that I reviewed for Bar Eats. So, of course it's still hypothetical at this time, but when I return to Chicago, if I were to go back to ten of these bars, I'd go in this order...
- Hopleaf
- 3 Floyds
- Owen & Engine
- The Publican
- Piece Brewery and Pizzeria
- Revolution Brewing
- Chief O'Neill's
- Maple Tree Inn
- Twisted Spoke
- Laschet's Inn
Check them all out by clicking on the slideshow.
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