These 8 on the map
The 8 restaurants on this page, pinned where they actually are. Tap a marker to see which one it is — all 20 are on the map in the Whosly app.
Chicago American
Randolph Street in the West Loop has the big names. For Southern cooking, go to Hyde Park; for rotisserie duck by the river, Bridgeport.
8 of the 20
Alinea
Lincoln ParkNew American restaurant$$$$Grant Achatz's modernist tasting menu in Lincoln Park, served three ways each night: Kitchen Table, Gallery and Salon. Expect theater, from scents at the table to the famous edible balloon; Michelin moved it from three stars to two in 2025.
Girl & the Goat
West LoopNew American restaurant$$$Stephanie Izard's 2010 original: shareable plates from a wood-fired kitchen, with her sautéed green beans a fixture.
Au Cheval
West LoopAmerican restaurant$$Hogsalt's diner-bar on Randolph, famous for the cheeseburger (the 'single' has two patties), which Time Out named the best burger in America in 2026; bone marrow and chopped liver round out the menu. It runs late.
The Duck Inn
BridgeportNew American restaurant$$$A Bridgeport gastro-tavern by the river, known for its whole rotisserie duck. At the bar, the Duck Inn Dog, a beef-and-duck-fat frank dressed Chicago-style, keeps landing on best-hot-dog lists, and weekends bring brunch.
Honey Butter Fried Chicken
AvondaleAmerican restaurant$$Crisp fried chicken with a scoop of whipped honey butter to spread on everything, the pairing the place is named for. Order at the Avondale counter; eat in or take a box home.
Virtue
Hyde ParkNew American restaurant$$$Erick Williams won the 2022 James Beard award for Best Chef: Great Lakes here, and chef de cuisine Damarr Brown won Emerging Chef in 2023. Southern cooking in Hyde Park: gumbo, collards stewed with smoked turkey, and fried green tomatoes topped with Gulf shrimp. Tables get a 90-minute seating.
Smyth
West LoopNew American restaurant$$$$John Shields and Karen Urie Shields's three-Michelin-star tasting menu in the West Loop, built on farmers and fishers they buy from directly. The Loyalist downstairs is the casual way in.
The Publican
West LoopNew American restaurant$$$Paul Kahan's Fulton Market beer hall: oysters, pork and charcuterie at long shared tables, with a deep beer list.
The other 12
The 20 are spread across 9 neighborhoods. West Loop (7), Lincoln Park (3), Logan Square (3) and Avondale (2) have the most; Andersonville, Bridgeport, Hyde Park, River North and Wicker Park have one each.
+12 more in the app
A Michelin-starred room in an old print shop, a tasting menu built on its own farmers, a heavy-metal burger bar, dinner beside the Lincoln Park pond, and more.
Add all 20 to your Whosly mapEvery one lands on your own map in a tap — save them, rate them, plan around them. City Packs are included with Planner Pro.
Or search “Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs” on the App Store
Common questions
What is the best restaurant in Chicago for a special occasion?
Where is the best burger in Chicago?
Which Chicago neighborhood is best for American restaurants?
What are the best American restaurants in downtown Chicago?
Where can I see all 20?
All 20, on your own map
This page is 8 of them. The Chicago American pack in Whosly has all 20 — add it and every one drops onto your map, ready to save, rate and turn into a plan your friends RSVP to from a text, no app needed to answer. The pack is included with Planner Pro.
Get Whosly — free on iPhoneOr search “Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs” on the App Store
“Whosly: Plans, Places & RSVPs”.
More Chicago lists
Keep reading
The 100 best cocktail bars in Chicago
The 100 best cocktail bars in Chicago by neighborhood, from River North and the Loop to the West Loop and Logan Square, with 25 of them here. All 100 in Whosly.
Read the guide →The best new restaurants in Chicago this fall (2026)
Chicago's most exciting new restaurants and bars for fall 2026 — Hooligan, Black Briar, Gilda, Noema, Arla and more — with what to order and how to get in.
Read the guide →The best new restaurants in Chicago from summer 2026
The best Chicago openings of summer 2026 — Crying Tiger, All Well, Creepies, Bar Tutto, Cerdito Muerto and more — still new, still worth booking.
Read the guide →