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The third largest city in the U.S., Chicago is everything you imagine and more. Briming with awe-inspiring architectural marvels, the Windy City rises majestically from the calm waters of chilly Lake Michigan. With leading museums to cover all interests, landscaped lakeside parks and designer boutique after designer boutique, Chicago is city break heaven.
If you get a moment’s reprise from learning about mob rule, snapping Instagram-worthy pictures at every turn and coming face-to-face with your favorite movie locations, you’ll probably be thinking about food. After all, traveling is hungry work.
Chicago’s food scene is nothing if not diverse. A culinary journey across continents, like the city itself, Chicago’s cuisine is a tale of migration. From the far corners of Eastern Europe to the shores of the Caribbean, the best Chicago snacks have a long history. And it’s safe to say, a few of them will probably surprise you.
The Best Savory Chicago Snacks
1. Deep Dish Pizza
As famous as Chicago itself, if there’s only one dish we all associate with the Windy City, it’s deep dish pizza. Invented right here in River North back in 1943, this Chicago snack is at the top of our list for a reason.
Born at Pizzeria Uno, as chefs came and went, the recipe was refined over the years. Whilst Richard Riccardo, Uno’s founder, is generally regarded as the man behind the most famous Chicago snack, others have also claimed the title.
Rudy Malnati, Uno’s original pizza chef, is the main contender. His sons, Lou and Rudy Jr. also worked in the kitchen and both went on to open their own restaurants. Lou Malnati’s, the better known of the two, also claim the original deep dish recipe.
Baked in a deep-based pan, deep dish stands out for its sweet, buttery crust. Topped with a thick wedge of cheese, a chunky tomato sauce and the toppings are added on top before the pie is sprinkled with another light dusting of cheese. Sausage is the traditional topping, though modern variants include pepperoni, meatballs, peppers and even eggplant.
Where to try Chicago Deep Dish
Wherever you are in Chicago, you won’t be far from a great deep dish pizza. To keep with tradition, Pizzeria Uno on East Ohio is the place to go. Alternatively, head to one of Lou Malnati’s five city center locations. Their Michigan Avenue spot is the most central, just off the Magnificent Mile, at the side of the Wrigley Building, it’s ideal for a break from sightseeing. Of course, if you have more than one day in Chicago, you could always try both.
2. Tavern-style Pizza
Continuing the doughy theme, it would be amiss to try deep dish without sampling a slice of Chicago’s other pie. And just like deep dish, there’s plenty of debate over where tavern-style pizza originated. The upshot of it is, this famous Chicago snack might not come from Chicago at all.
Whilst residents of the Windy City like to take credit for it, the residents of nearby Milwaukee aren’t too keen on that suggestion. In our book, that’s the perfect excuse for a side trip along the shore of Lake Michigan to grab a slice in Wisconsin too.
Notable for its ultra-thin crust, Tavern-style pizza was originally served free to patrons in taverns in the years following prohibition to entice drinkers. Because taverns often didn’t have plates, the pizzas were cut into squares and the slices served on napkins.
Where to try Tavern-style Pizza
Like deep dish, you’ll never struggle to find a good tavern-style pizza in Chicago. In fact, these tasty thin crust pies are statistically Chicago-locals’ pizza of choice. Our top pick is Robert’s Pizza and Dough Company. Just across Lake Shore Drive from Navy Pier, the pizzas are great, but the views of the spot the Chicago River meets Lake Michigan are better still.
3. Italian Roast Beef Sandwiches
You’d be right in thinking that roast beef sandwiches don’t hail from Chicago. If you want to find the original, you’ll need to head down to Denver. Italian roast beef sandwiches, on the other hand, come from neither Denver nor Rome, but Chicago’s Little Italy.
Thinly sliced beef, generously layered on top of a crusty Italian roll, the sandwiches are traditionally finished off with sweet peppers or giardiniera. Originally served at weddings as a way of cutting the cost of catering at the close of the First World War, the sandwich rose to fame in 1938.
Where to try an Italian Roast Beef Sandwich
To sample this iconic Chicago snack in its true home, head to Al’s Beef on West Taylor in the heart of Little Italy. It was Al’s father, Anthony, who came up with the idea of serving the sandwiches at weddings.
4. Chicago Dogs
As American as apple pie, hot dogs have long been a staple of U.S. cuisine. Apple pie, of course, is not American at all and was invented in England in the 14th century. If ever we needed proof that the best Chicago snacks were an embodiment of its rich cultural heritage, this is it.
Hot dogs, as much as symbol of U.S. food, are in fact German. The sausage element of Chicago Dogs, though, traces its origins back to Vienna, whilst the bun was invented by a Polish baker.
Chicago Dogs are always all-beef and are set apart by the myriad of toppings that come as standard. To make an authentic Chicago Dog, you’ll need at least seven. A boiled sausage on a poppy seed bun topped with yellow mustard, white onion, sweet pickle relish, a dill pickle, tomato and sport peppers, finished off with a light sprinkling of celery salt is what sets a Chicago Dog apart from the crowd.
Where to try a Chicago Dog
A cornerstone of local cuisine, this Chicago snack is always on offer. There’s no need to wait for a big game or a carnival. Our favorite place to grab one is Portillo’s in River North.
Born in the Windy City in 1963, so popular are their dogs, they now have 50 locations dotted across the U.S. Whereas many chains lose their authenticity as they grow, Portillo’s are still true to their values. Wherever you choose to sample this iconic Chicago snack, never, ever ask for ketchup.
5. Pierogis
Another Chicago snack which sounds decidedly un-American, Poland’s national dish is very much at home in the Windy City. With around 800,000 Poles living here, Chicago claims the title of the most Polish city outside of Poland.
Made with unleavened dough and boiled to perfection, pierogi are typically served with a side of sour cream. The most traditional fillings are potato and cheese, sauerkraut, mushrooms and ground meat. Sweet versions filled with fruit, often blueberries, are also popular.
Where to try Pierogi
For the best pierogi in town, head to Kasia’s Deli in the Ukrainian Village. They’ve been cooking up this delicious Chicago snack for over 40 years and have awards coming out of their ears. If you’re visiting in December, grab a portion from Chicago’s fantastic European Christmas market.
6. Jibarito
If you thought a sandwich was a sandwich, think again. Jibarito have all the fillings of a sandwich, but none of the bread. In its place: deep fried plantain. Created by Puerto Rican-born Chicago restauranteur Juan Figueroa in 1996, despite being the newest Chicago snack on our list, it’s a sure favorite.
Inspired by a similar sandwich, invented just five years earlier in Puerto Rico, traditional jibarito are filled with thickly sliced steak, American cheese, garlic mayo, lettuce and tomato.
Where to try Jibarito
Although their rapidly gaining popularity has made jibarito available at many Chicago Latin American spots and sandwich shops, there’s a lot to be said for trying the original. Head to Borinquen on North Western Avenue.
Unmissable Sweet Chicago Snacks
1. Chicago-Style Popcorn
When you think of popcorn, salted, sweet and caramel tend to be the flavors that come to mind. Even in these days of artisan popcorn, there are few places where cheese would be a considered a normal variety of popcorn. In Chicago, though, it’s a different story.
Dubbed the Chicago mix, the brainchild of Garrett Popcorn Shops, the Windy City’s most popular popcorn is a mix of cheese and caramel. When the owners realized that this was the most frequent combination requested by customers, they didn’t miss a beat and the mix was born.
Where to try Chicago-Style Popcorn
Although Garrett’s now sell to retailers across the U.S., don’t miss the chance to visit one of their own stores whilst in Chicago. They have locations across the city, including on the Magnificent Mile, Downtown and on Navy Pier. If the mix isn’t to your taste, they have nutty, buttery and plain options too.
2. Chocolate Brownies
Popular the world over, the humble chocolate brownie is not only a top Chicago snack but a delicious treat no matter where you are. What’s special about the brownies in Chicago though, is that this is where they were invented.
When the World’s Fair went to Chicago in 1893, the pastry chef at the Palmer House Hotel was asked to create a dessert which would fit nicely in a lunchbox. The rest, as they say, is history.
Where to try a Chocolate Brownie
These days, you can get a brownie at almost every coffee shop in every city and Chicago is no exception. In truth, there are so many amazing chocolate brownies in the Windy City we’d need a whole other article just to scratch the surface.
Our absolute favorite (and it’s a tough call), is Sweet Mandy B’s on East Ontario, just one block from the Magnificent Mile.
3. The Rainbow Cone
The perfect Chicago snack for summer, the Rainbow Cone is an ice cream with a twist. Five twists to be precise. Created by Joe and Katherine Sapp in 1926, the cone is an explosion of color.
Featuring chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House (vanilla with candied fruit, another of the Palmer House Hotel’s creations), pistachio and orange, it’s an explosion of flavor too.
Where to try a Rainbow Cone
Almost 100 years on, Joe and Katherine’s ice cream parlour is still going strong. So strong, The Original Rainbow Cone now has 28 locations across the U.S. Their first store in Beverly is a place of pilgrimage for devoted ice cream lovers, although their Navy Pier location is far more convenient.
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