Chicago, Illinois, is one of the most lively street food scenes in the nation. From street food staples to exciting and innovative street food offerings, everyone can find something they like. Here are some of our recommendations.
Deep-Dish Pizza
You can’t say you have been in Chicago if you haven’t had a deep-dish pizza. While usually served in sit-down restaurants, this filling cheesy goodness can also be found in slice versions that you can pick up and eat on the go. Just make sure not to ruin your shirt with the dripping tomato sauce.
Chicago-Style Hot Dog
Many will say that Chicago has the best hot dogs in the country, and they might be right. You can get these on almost every corner in the city, and it is quite hard to stop at only one. The proper Chicago-style hot dog has a beef frankfurter sausage nestled in a poppy-seed bun and topped with yellow mustard, green sweet pickle relish, chopped white onion, tomato slices, a dill pickle, and celery salt.
Italian Beef Sandwich
If you watched Hulu’s hit show The Bear, then you know all about Italian beef sandwiches and their place in Chicago’s food culture. The sandwich is quite simple, consisting of thinly sliced roast beef packed in an Italian bread roll and topped with roasted green bell peppers.
Paczki
In case you are craving something sweet, then you should go for Paczki. Brought to Chicago by Polish immigrants, paczki are similar to filled donuts but come with more intriguing fillings. They are especially popular during Fat Tuesday.