If you’re living in or planning on visiting the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, you will not have a problem finding popular restaurants. Uptown truly has the most variety when it comes to different kinds of cuisines. From American to Chinese to Nigerian, the neighborhood boasts a wide variety of dishes. So depending on your mood, you definitely can find something here. Let’s look at 12 of the best restaurants in Uptown that you must try if you’re in that area.
Tiztal Cafe
4631 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60640
There are other things on the menu at Tiztal, but you’re really there for their delicious chilaquiles, made with fresh chips, chihuahua cheese, and a delicious green salsa. They come with eggs and your choice of meat, and you should definitely choose chorizo.
Kal’ish
1313 W Wilson Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
Kal’ish is a restaurant in Uptown of Chicago that offers vegan comfort food such as burgers, pulled pork sandwiches made with jackfruit, and (seitan) chicken and waffles. Overall it’s a reminder that vegan food doesn’t need to be healthy, which is just fine by us.
Immm Rice & Beyond
4949 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
Immm Rice & Beyond is a casual restaurant serving delicious Thai street food – you’ll find a long menu of curries, noodle dishes, grilled meats, and six different papaya salads. They clearly understand that when everything is good, it’s hard to choose what to order, so there’s even a section called “Thai Dinner Table” where you can order tasting portions of different dishes, along with rice (or noodles for curries).
Ba Le
5014 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
Ba Le Sandwiches is perfect for a quick bahn mi pick me up. There are 16 different sandwiches on the menu, including vegan and vegetarian options. You can eat your way through the entire menu at this restaurant in Uptown of Chicago and count on your bahn mi being fantastic – served on crusty french bread, and paired with crisp pickled daikon, carrot, onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. Plus, they have deli cases full of buns, sausages, meats, and pastries so you can grab pre-packaged food to take home.
Kie Gol Lanee
5004 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60640
This Mexican restaurant specializes in Oaxacan cuisine, a.k.a. the region of Mexico that brought us some of our favorite moles (like the rojo and negro) and antojitos. Everything on the menu is delicious, but while you’re here be sure to order one of their specialties: tlayudas, ceviches, birria, and chilacayota – a squash aguas frescas.
Demera
4801 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
Demera has some of the best messobs and injera in the city, and luckily, this Ethiopian spot also serves them to-go. This means you can order the messob dinner for four, and make it a dinner for one. Take it home, lay it out, and enjoy your giant meal all by yourself.
Golden House Restaurant & Pancake House
4744 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
Something about Golden House feels super familiar. This place is actually Patsy’s Pies from Shameless. So come here for the pancakes, but stay for the Gallagher flashbacks. Plus the friendly staff is awesome, and will instantly make you feel like a regular.
Tweet
5020 N Sheridan Rd, Chicago, IL 60640
Want something delicious for breakfast that also makes you feel like a responsible citizen of the earth? Try Tweet. Almost everything here (from benedicts to pancakes to breakfast burritos) is deep inhale hormone-free, antibiotic-free and organic.
Lucy’s Uptown
4570 N Broadway Ave, Chicago, IL 60640
Lucy’s Uptown is new to the corner of Wilson and Broadway, but trust me you can’t miss it. This diner is painted with colorful rainbows, peace signs, and a redheaded logo that might remind you of Wendy. If you’re looking for the best restaurants in Uptown of Chicago, the menu at this establishment features seasoned fried chicken sandwiches, burgers, fries, and milkshakes.
Tank Noodle
4953-55 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
Tank Noodle is a favorite for Vietnamese food in Uptown. There’s an extensive menu that will make you want to order a lot, and it’s all good. Get everything from pho bowls, congee, and rice dishes to banh mi.
Iyanze Bar And Cafe
4623 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
You can mix and match a wide variety of Nigerian stews, starches, meats, fish, and mollusks at Iyanze – a staple of Uptown’s West African food scene. The food at this restaurant in Uptown is prepared from scratch daily and served cafeteria-style. Get whatever looks good to you that day, and a couple of extra scoops in case you can’t make a decision.
Sun Wah
5039 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60640
The expertly prepared Beijing roast duck dinner from Sun Wah includes a whole duck with perfectly crispy skin, sliced and served with steamed bao buns, pickled daikon, and hoisin sauce. The rest of the bird is used to make duck fried rice or duck noodles. Finally, the bones are rendered into a duck broth soup with winter melon, cilantro, and eggs as the finishing course. In other words, it will put your dry Thanksgiving turkey to shame.
Restaurants Uptown Featured Image Credit: Lucy’s Uptown on Yelp