High Taste, Deep Roots – Chicago’s 6 Culinary Icons to Try!

In a country with an abundance of foodie cities–New Orleans, Austin, New York, Nashville, the list is lengthy and incredibly delicious–Chicago stands out as one of the best of the best, with some of the most renowned luxury restaurants in the world calling it home.

Here, in the city’s more than 7,300 restaurants, you’ll find a multitude of cuisines from Filipino to Mexican to Chinese to French to German and more, so much global variety you could go around the world twice in Chicago alone!

But even in a city with this much culinary diversity, there are going to be certain dishes that are true stand-outs, the cream of the crop, the ones that Chicago has either made a name for itself by originating them or by simply doing them better than anyone else. These are the dishes people come to Chicago specifically to try, that they plan vacation itineraries around.

If dining on the best of the Windy City’s best is what’s on your Chicago food bucket list, then great news! Only particular spots serve the most iconic signature dishes, and we’ll tell you which restaurant does each one best so you know exactly what to eat in Chicago.

Things to Know About Foodie Chicago

• Chicago is home to over 70 Michelin-starred or James Beard-awarded restaurants–but sometimes the best place to eat one of Chicago’s signature dishes is going to be a humble suburban stand.
• It really is a very diverse city both culturally and culinarily! Ethnic food in Chicago is all over the map, everything from noodles to nachos is on offer.
• Sometimes you have to travel a little to get the best nosh–not everything is going to be downtown! You’ll find some surprising treasures if you venture out.
• Surprisingly, there’s no signature breakfast dish, alas–but Chicago is full of excellent breakfast spots; just don’t get so full on pancakes and paczki that you don’t save room for dinner, because that’s where Chicago has made their name in iconic foods.

What to Eat In Chicago – List of Top 6 Items Windy City is Famous for!

1. Deep Dish Pizza

Nothing is as definitively, ironically Chicagoan as deep dish pizza, which may well be Illinois’ top-selling food. Delicious, yet controversial–it is often hotly debated whether it should be called pizza at all–this hearty pie originates from the legendary pizza chain Pizzeria Uno, dating back to 1943.

A deep dough shell filled with flavorful meat, rich sauce, and piles of molten cheese just waiting to be pulled… it’s on a whole new level of its own in the pizza pantheon.

Many pizzerias offer deep dish in Chicago, of course, and the competition to be named the very best is cutthroat. We couldn’t choose just one: Giordano’s is a classic pick, with an old-school Italian pizzeria aesthetic and a deep dish so full of cheese, the pull goes on for days.

For meat lovers, Lou Malnati’s sausage deep dish comes with a full disc-like layer of delectable sausage between the cheese and the sauce. Prices range from about $20-$45, and both chains have locations all over Chicago.

2. Chicago-style Hot Dogs

Watch a show set in Chicago, and it’s inevitable that a character will buy themselves a hot dog lunch; it’s one of Chicago’s most famous foods.

While hot dogs are about as all-American as it gets, with origins in 1880’s New York City, Chicago has their own very particular twist on our favorite ballpark treat.

The bun must be poppyseed; the toppings are white onion, fresh tomato, pickled sport peppers, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle spear, celery salt, and never, ever ketchup; perhaps most importantly, the dog itself has to be all-beef, preferably from Chicago’s own Vienna Beef.

Gene & Jude’s is widely regarded to be the best, most legendary purveyor of the classic all-beef Chicago-style hot dog. And the only place you can get it is at their location in River Grove, about a 30-minute drive outside of downtown Chicago.

The menu is simple, the atmosphere retro cool, and at about $7 for a double dog with fries and all the fixings, the price is unbeatable.

3. Italian Beef Sandwich

There are many American contenders for the Best Beef Sandwich crown, and Chicago’s Italian Beef is often king of the hill. Piles of tender, slow-roasted, thinly-sliced beef are heaped onto a fresh Italian roll with hot giardiniera peppers and then, if you want the full Chicago-style flavor experience, you’ll request the whole thing be dipped in the flavorful jus it was roasted in and served “wet.”

No debates on who is Chicago’s number one here–it’s Al’s #1 Beef on suburban West Taylor Street that tops all the lists, and they wear their crown with extremely justified pride.

A regular Italian Beef here will set you back about $12, and you’ll get a hefty, flavor-filled sandwich that’s a real Chicago icon.

4. Brownies

While beignets are New Orleans’ signature sweetie, did you know that the classic American sweet treat, the brownie, was invented in Chicago?

A Mrs. Bertha Palmer worked with her pastry chef Joseph Sehl to come up with the chocolatey confection, which was meant to be delectable and easy to transport.

The now-legendary delicacy debuted at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 and has become a genuine American dessert phenomenon worldwide in the century-plus since.

You can still get Bertha’s brownie for $13 at the Palmer House Hotel, where the decadently fudgy treat comes topped with walnuts and a sweet apricot glaze that takes it to the next level in luxurious flavor heaven.

5. Tavern Style Pizza

So you know that deep dish is the Chicago pizza, but did you know the hefty pie has a thinner, crunchier cousin that’s one of Chicago’s most famous snack foods?

Pizza fans who grew up in the 90’s might remember that back then, Pizza Hut rolled out a pizza called The Edge, which was a super thin, extremely crispy of crust pizza that was cut rather unusually–into small squares, and the toppings were spread out all the way to the pizza’s edge.

The razor-thin pie was obviously inspired by Chicago’s tavern pizzas, which have a history dating back to the late 1940’s as the perfect bar snack, small enough to handle in one hand while clutching your big frosty mug of beer with the other.

Vito & Nick’s claims to be the originator of the tavern style pizza, and they still serve a tasty, family recipe pie today.

However, it’s relative newcomer Flo & Santos in the South Loop who’s been impressing the pizza aficionados lately. Their pizzas have outer edge slices with a cracker-crisp snap, while the middle section crust has a little more give because it collects plenty of flavor from your chosen toppings.

The tavern pies here range from classics like Margherita and Hawaiian to special Chicago delights such as the Italian Beef and Flo’s Polish Kielbasa pies. You’re looking at a price range of $18-$33, depending on your size and toppings.

6. Flaming Saganaki

Greek food-loving Americans who travel abroad often are surprised when they order the deliciously salty saganaki Greek cheese dish and it isn’t brought out with a great deal of exuberant fanfare and set on fire!

This is because saganaki as American diners know it is actually Flaming Saganaki, and it’s a Chicago innovation.

Chris Liakouras of the now-defunct Parthenon Restaurant in Chicago’s Greektown has laid claim to inventing the dish way back in 1968, based on the suggestion of a female diner.

It’s fairly simple to make, but it makes a big impact: lightly flour a thick plank of a Greek cheese, shallow-fry it in olive oil until a lovely golden brown, then spritz a little ouzo or metaxa onto the dish and ignite–carefully!–with a lighter that has a long reach. Don;t forget to shout Opa!

While Parthenon is sadly gone, flaming saganaki can still be enjoyed at a number of Greek restaurants in Chicago. Greek Islands in Greektown is an excellent sit-down dining experience in Chicago, and makes a big show of their flaming saganaki, available on their appetizer menu for $9.95.

Chicago: A City of Flavor

There’s no denying that Chicago is a city bursting with delicious flavors in all of its many excellent cuisines, from seafood and pasta to burgers and steaks and more.

You could enjoy an excellent weekend trip just focusing on getting your hands on the best tastes the Windy City has to offer! Make sure when you plan your trip that you include at least one of these signature foods to try for an unforgettable, deeply Chicago culinary experience–and bon appetit!