Chicago’s late-night dining scene is back. Here are eight great spots to try.
Here’s where to have a quality meal after 10 p.m. in the city, whether you’re gearing up or winding down.
Chicago’s late-night dining scene is back. Here are eight great spots to try.
Here’s where to have a quality meal after 10 p.m. in the city, whether you’re gearing up or winding down.
By Maggie HennessyWith the culture scene’s spring kickoff in March, Chicago all but overflows with live music and performance events ranging in size and vibes. But in the post-COVID era, finding a spot to dine post-show has until now presented a challenge.
Fortunately, the city’s post-pandemic rumspringa is delivering some newcomers that keep their ranges lit into the wee hours. A few even debuted late-night menus within the past month — just in time for show season. A handful of longer-lived icons round out a list to suit a range of tastes: from sceney haunts to snack, to see-and-be-seen destinations to low-lit joints slinging bold comfort food to soothe us after 90 minutes of cathartic weeping at the theater. (Yes, I saw Illinoise; no, I’m not still crying.)
Plus, keeping a few late-night dinner options in the hopper averts the dreaded, all-too-familiar scene: a group huddled on the street outside the venue scrolling on their phones for ideas, their collective hanger rising with each moment. Here are eight recommendations on the finer dining side, plus three bonus ideas if you’re sticking to a budget.
Cariño
4662 N. Broadway; Uptown
Taco omakase starts at 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday
Because nothing quite surpasses the satisfaction of late-night tacos, why not multiply that by eight and add a couple drinks? In January, fine-dining newcomer Cariño debuted taco omakase Wednesday through Saturday nights at 10 p.m.
Chef Norman Fenton’s masa-centric menu features four or five tacos each night, including wagyu and fish tacos, plus clever surprises like lamb tartare tostadas. Fenton created the menu in part to minimize the waste that comes with manipulating premium ingredients into little cubes and quenelles for Cariño’s nightly tasting menus. Reserve your seat on Tock; each $125 ticket includes two beverages, tax and gratuity.
Chef’s Special Cocktail Bar
2165 N. Western Ave.; Logan Square
Kitchen open until 11 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 p.m. on Sunday
Good spirits abound at this vibey American-Chinese restaurant from the team behind Giant, accented with Caribbean blues and dusty pinks. The menu packs saucy Chinese American favorites, like toothy, oil-bathed potstickers with cabbage and pork, wok-tossed dry chili chicken with numbing Sichuan peppercorns and magnetic rolled noodles with poppable rock shrimp, scallions and chili crisp.
Managing partner/beverage director Chase Bracamontes says waits typically drop off by 9:30 or 10 p.m., so you shouldn’t have trouble walking in. (The dining room also takes reservations until 10:30 p.m.). After hours, Bracamontes recommends nabbing one of 21 available stools at the gently curved bar “because you can see the whole space and get the best feel for the ambiance of the room,” she said. In case there’s a wait and you didn’t book a spot, prop an elbow on the rail by the front entrance, where you can order drinks (and food, if you don’t mind standing).
John’s Food and Wine
2114 N. Halsted St.; Lincoln Park
Happy hour menu available 9 to 11 p.m.
First-come, first-served bistro John’s Food and Wine flipped the script on happy hour in February, debuting a separate 9 p.m.-to-11 p.m. menu of small bites aimed squarely at the post-event crowd.
It’s savvy given the restaurant’s location in the former Nookies space just up the road from the Steppenwolf and iO theaters. The French-inspired food is as timeless as the inviting space, dressed in cream, wood and whitewashed brick. Grab a spot at the long marble bar if you see one open and order from the bartender. Otherwise, line up at the front counter to order, after which you’ll be led to your table (snap a QR Code to place your drink order on Toast).
Happy hour shareables include hamachi tartare with olive tapenade and merguez sausage with walnut mustard, but the real headliner is the $20 Chicago Happy Meal, starring John’s shatteringly crisp beef fat fries with melted leek aioli and an ice cold martini prepared to your liking. Staff tell me waits have so far been minimal post-9 p.m. on weekends.
Lilac Tiger
1742 W. Division St.; Wicker Park
Kitchen open until 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 12 a.m. Friday and Saturday
If you’re riding high after seeing your favorite band or a comedy show, keep the energy aloft at this lively 26-seater in the heart of Wicker Park. Lilac Tiger serves a delectable mix of handhelds and bold South Asian-inspired small and large plates, including sweet, sautéed tiger prawns with housemade achar and juicy fried chicken morsels spiced with tandoori seasoning and doused in sticky-tangy honey sauce.
Though Lilac Tiger doesn’t take reservations, customers can almost always nab a table by 9:30 p.m. on Thursday nights. Beverage director David Mor says you may encounter waits of up to 25 minutes around that time on Fridays and Saturdays. “We move through our waitlist quickly and ensure everyone gets sat,” he added. Plus, the counter and bar usually have seating at that time, both of which offer full service for food and drinks.
626 N. State St.; River North
Kitchen open until 11 p.m.
This bustling downtown standby has offered something for everyone for so long, it bears repeating what an affable, affordable option it is for when you need it. Centrally located and capacious, Quartino has churned out likable Italian shared plates since long before the category was a thing.
Pass around salumi platters, veal meatball sliders and slices of Neapolitan-style pizzas; or hefty pastas and the plethora of vegetarian-friendly dishes (including a solid iteration of eggplant parm). Easy-drinking wines run the length and breadth of Italy and are offered by the quarter, half and full liter. As the weather warms, Quartino’s comfortable patio offers great views of the night lifers prowling the scene. Online reservations are available as late as 10:45 p.m.
Ramova Grill
3250 S. Halsted St.; Bridgeport
Kitchen open until 10 p.m. on Thursday and midnight on Friday and Saturday
A dozen years after the Ramova Grill closed its doors, the restaurant has been resurrected once more, adjacent to the renovated Ramova Theater and now featuring an onsite brewery. Seating is first come, first served. Though Ramova doesn’t have much data to go off of yet, Sarah Loberg, director of food and beverage, says the taproom saw a “pop of people” following Chance the Rapper’s Feb. 16 set. Fortunately, there’s standing room for larger groups and in the bar, where customers can order food without a seat.
Kevin Hickey, the chef behind the James Beard-nominated Duck Inn who grew up in the neighborhood, developed Ramova’s quirky American menu that nods to its beloved greasy spoon predecessor, now in decidedly modernized digs. Stick-to-the-ribs snacks and plates include salisbury steak sliders, rotating “greenplate” specials like bone-in pork chop suey, plus Hickey’s sorta traditional nod to Ramova’s famous beef chili — thin, fiery, heaped with cheddar, sour cream and scallions. (Note: There’s a vegan kidney bean and mushroom chili now, too.)
Scofflaw
3201 W. Armitage Ave.; Logan Square
Late-night happy hour from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Speaking of late-night happy hours, this stalwart, gin-focused cocktail bar and restaurant keeps its kitchen open later than most with a trimmed-down happy hour menu starting at 11 p.m. and going until 1 a.m.
The offering thankfully includes chef Fred Chung’s standout double burger, with griddled onions and oozing American cheese on a buttery brioche bun (add fries and a happy hour cocktail for $26). Vegetarians will delight equally in the Forager, a mushroom and braised kale melt with Swiss cheese on toasted sourdough (also $26 with happy hour cocktail). Owner Danny Shapiro says it’s generally not hard to nab a table after 11 p.m., though Friday and Saturday nights get a bit busy. Just in case, reservations are available through 12:30 a.m.
Warlord
3198 N. Milwaukee Ave.; Avondale
Kitchen open until 1 a.m. Friday through Monday
If you’re still hankering for live theater even after a show, this 10-month-old critic’s darling packs suspense and live-fire drama set to a booming, high-energy soundtrack. How long will it take to get a table? No one knows for sure. (Requests for guidance went unanswered.) Message boards tell me tables often turn over around 9:30 or 10 p.m., but suffice it to say, line up, put your name in and wait.
The food — elemental and thrilling, centered on dry-aged, fire-cooked proteins and lightly preserved seasonal veg — is well worth it. Dinner changes nightly save for an exceptional staple burger that’s seared and reddish, dressed minimally in charred onions and mayo. You can also usually expect a handmade pasta of the day, which recently featured angel hair with parmesan, uni and king crab.
Three quick late-night bites on a budget
For those seeking no-nonsense, stick-to-the-ribs sustenance on a budget, the city boasts plenty of standout 24-hour diners and late-night hot dog stands. A few favorites:
Diner Grill (1635 Irving Park Rd.; Ravenswood, open 24 hours) for scratch-made Americana breakfast, from fluffy pancakes to baked ham and eggs, in a cozy space that looks like a diner out of a movie set.
Jim’s Original (1250 S. Union Ave.; University Village, open until 1 a.m.) for smoky Polish sausage cradled in a hot dog bun with sweet grilled onions, sport peppers and yellow mustard — a reliably satisfying end to any night for almost 85 years … and counting.
The Wieners Circle (2622 N. Clark St.; Lincoln Park, open nightly until 4 a.m.) for snappy Chicago-style char dogs served with a side of cheddar fries and bracing dose of cheek.
Maggie Hennessy is a Chicago-based food and drink writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, Bon Appetit and Food & Wine. Follow her on Instagram.