With the first pope ever hailing from Chicago, the Vatican might need to clear room for giardiniera and cheese fries.
The Windy City doesn’t just know how to pray—it knows how to eat. From neighborhoods that smell like grilled onions to sweet shops that feel like Sunday school, Chicago food is always bold, blessed, and never boring.
1. Deep Dish Pizza From Lou Malnati’s
More than a pie, it’s a pan of molten cheese glory layered with chunky tomato sauce and a golden, buttery crust. Fork-and-knife required, reverence encouraged.
Lou’s signature crust holds up like a cathedral foundation, rich with heritage and cheese that stretches like stained glass. It’s pizza as sacrament.
2. Chicago-Style Hot Dog (No Ketchup, Obviously)
A steamed all-beef dog buried under yellow mustard, neon relish, onion, tomato wedges, sport peppers, a pickle spear, and a dash of celery salt. It’s served on a poppy seed bun with rules stricter than scripture.
Each topping sings a note in a symphony of salty, sweet, tangy crunch. Break the ketchup rule and risk excommunication.
3. Italian Beef Sandwich (Dipped, Sweet Or Hot)
Thin-sliced beef piled into a crusty roll, soaked in au jus until your hands need a napkin halo. Add sweet bell peppers or spicy giardiniera for maximum salvation.
The beef is fall-apart tender, and the bread’s just tough enough to hold the faith. One bite and you understand why it’s dipped in glory.
4. Maxwell Street Polish Sausage
A smoky, snappy Polish link grilled and topped with mustard, grilled onions, and sport peppers, usually eaten curbside after midnight. The scent alone could convert a sinner.
This street food has grit, soul, and fire. It’s messy, magical, and as much a part of the city as the skyline.
5. Jibarito Sandwich
Plantains stand in for bread, hugging garlic-laced steak, lettuce, tomato, and mayo. Crispy on the outside, juicy in the middle, and born right on Chicago’s West Side.
It’s Puerto Rican pride sandwiched into something unforgettable. Fried plantains never tasted more like destiny.
6. Malört
A bitter, wormwood-based liquor that tastes like regret and rubber bands. Locals swear it’s a rite of passage—or a test of soul.
The first sip is punishment, the second is penance. If the pope can take a shot of Malört, he can handle anything the papacy throws at him.
7. Rainbow Cone
Sliced—not scooped—layers of chocolate, strawberry, Palmer House, pistachio, and orange sherbet form a rainbow on a cone. Every bite is a sweet, sticky tribute to summer on the South Side.
It’s childhood and nostalgia stacked like a blessing. Unusual? Yes. Holy? Also yes.
8. Garrett Popcorn’s Chicago Mix
A scandalous marriage of caramel and cheddar popcorn, sticky-sweet and salty-sharp. It’s wildly addictive and leaves neon fingerprints on your soul.
This mix doesn’t make sense until you try it—and then nothing else will do. Crunchy proof that opposites attract and miracles exist.
9. Chicken Vesuvio
A garlicky roast chicken dish cooked with white wine, peas, and potato wedges so crisp they border on divine. It simmers in a pan like something slow-cooked by angels.
Vesuvio isn’t flashy—it’s soulful, old-school, and rich with garlic and golden drippings. The comfort level? Heavenly.
10. Breaded Steak Sandwich From Ricobene’s
A beef cutlet is pounded thin, breaded, fried, and buried in red sauce and melted mozzarella, all tucked into a roll that can barely contain it. It’s a sandwich the size of your head and twice as powerful.
There’s crunch, sauce, and molten cheese in every jaw-stretching bite. Wear a bib and bring your sins.
11. Old-Fashioned Buttermilk Donuts From Old-Fashioned Donuts
These aren’t your average donuts—they’re dense, craggy rings glazed in sweet sugar, warm with nutmeg and rich buttermilk flavor. Bite in and get transported.
You don’t rush through one of these. It’s a spiritual experience best enjoyed with coffee and silence.
12. Tamales In A Bag
Found in corner stores and served still wrapped in their corn husks, two tamales get stuffed into a bag of hot chips and slathered in nacho cheese. Street food never felt this chaotic—or right.
It’s pure Chicago chaos: spicy, salty, cheesy, and best eaten while standing. Saints would approve.
13. Corned Beef From Manny’s Deli
Stacked high between rye with mustard, it’s as much about the meat as the history. Every sandwich is a story told in tender slices.
It drips with tradition and mustard tang. Eat it fast before the rye gives out or the line grows longer.
14. Fried Shrimp From Calumet Fisheries
Lightly breaded and flash-fried, these shrimp taste best eaten by the river with a paper bag in hand. The scent of smoked fish wafts from the little shack behind you.
It’s seafood without pretense, served with hush puppies and hot sauce. Salty air included.
15. Saganaki (Flaming Cheese) From Greektown
A thick slab of cheese, lit on fire tableside with a squeeze of lemon and a shout of “Opa!” It’s dinner theater with a salty, creamy reward.
Crisp on the outside, gooey inside, it turns every table into a celebration. Greek drama never tasted so good.
16. Tacos De Carne Asada From Pilsen
Juicy grilled steak tucked into a soft corn tortilla, finished with onions, cilantro, and a squeeze of lime. No frills, just flavor.
These tacos taste like backyard cookouts and bustling taquerias. Two bites in, and you’re praising the grill gods.
17. Pierogi From Avondale
Polish dumplings stuffed with cheese, potato, or meat, boiled and then pan-fried until golden. Served with sour cream and onions, they’re little pockets of joy.
They may be humble, but they’re hearty, warm, and impossible to eat just one of. Grandma-approved and divine by default.
18. Cinnamon Rolls From Ann Sather
Soft rolls as big as a plate, slathered with icing and warm enough to steam when torn open. It’s brunch with a halo.
More dessert than breakfast, they stick to your fingers and make you forget whatever diet you thought you were following.
19. Polish Paczki (Especially Pre-Lent)
These filled doughnuts arrive fat and sweet before fasting begins. Coated in sugar and bursting with jelly or custard, they demand indulgence.
Eating one is a ritual; eating three is tradition. If you’re going to confess something, let it be your second helping.
20. Cheeseburger From Au Cheval
Thick, seared patties layered with sharp cheese, pickles, dijonnaise, and a toasted bun—simple, but perfectly executed. Add a fried egg and you’re in burger heaven.
No lettuce. No tomato. Just meat, cheese, and soul. It’s not just a burger—it’s a revelation.