What should I do in Chicago?

Originally Posted by globetrotter

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lincoln, do they do the same in Brookfield?

I have memories of it from my childhood. I imagine they still do it.

Originally Posted by Mauby

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-1 on Hopleaf. Had terrible, terrible service when I was there with friends. Was my first visit...and last.

The service there is bad. Don't go for the service.

Originally Posted by briancl

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The service there is bad. Don't go for the service.

Go right by Hopleaf and keep going north on Clark to Simon's and Edgewater Lounge.

Originally Posted by Meis

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Go right by Hopleaf and keep going north on Clark to Simon's and Edgewater Lounge.

Don't miss Konak...unless it's not around anymore.

What do the locals think of Portillo's for hot dogs? I had a list of joints when I last visited (sadly, 2 years ago) but wound up confined to downtown. I came across the W. Ontario location and actually wound up going twice in three days.

Originally Posted by Spatlese

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What do the locals think of Portillo's for hot dogs? I had a list of joints when I last visited (sadly, 2 years ago) but wound up confined to downtown. I came across the W. Ontario location and actually wound up going twice in three days.

The hot dogs are pretty decent, but the Italian Beef is excellent...dipped with sweet and hot peppers.

I love it. That location is a bit touristy, but I used to go at least once a week for lunch when I worked in the neighborhood.

+1, one of those great authentic Chicago places that has blown up without forgetting what made them successful in the first place. I also agree that the location is pretty obnoxious, but quite amazing considering they started in a shed on a trailer with no running water.

Originally Posted by Meis

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Go right by Hopleaf and keep going north on Clark to Simon's and Edgewater Lounge.

I was once at Simon's when an old guy was in back massacring Roy Orbison tunes. Depressing.

Originally Posted by h4zin

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http://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Ma...-Steak-Houses/

Nice link to top 20 steakhouses in Chicago

Also, to the guy in the first few posts who suggested "Chicken Shack" in Evanston... im seriously cracking up. i go to school in evanston and while chicken shack is a fantastic place for college students to get their dose of fried chicken, it wouldnt exactly be the first place id suggest to a visitor to chicago. Evanston is like 30min from downtown so theres no reason for a visitor to really venture into those territories. check out the chicken shack website for more info hahaha: www.evanstonchickenshack.com

At least this reviewer (shockingly) admits what any regular Chicagoian knows: Gibson's sucks for steaks relative to the competition. When someone says go to Gibson for the best steak; these are the same people who would tell you to go to Excalibur to go clubbing or some other over-marketed hype joint. Reviewers don't want to bad mouth Gibson's too much as it's like badmouthing a landmark. They do mashed and sliders well though.

Joe's does the Prime bone-in filet, it's the best. Burke's kicks ass also. Saloon Steakhouse is very close (also very under-rated). Alinea is all that and does live up to the hype in my book. Heat had the best sushi hands down til they closed. They were the only place to get real, high end multi-course sushi.

Meh.... This guy's a bit of a tool. First of all... half the places on there are not steakhouses. Which is fine, but there are other restaurants that serve great steak that aren't on the list. And where are sullivan's, Flemings, and kinzie

Gibson's steaks are okay. Not my favorite by any means, but better than many others on the list. I detest Chicago Chop House. I also think he overrates the beef at S&W.

I do, however, second his assertion that the original Morton's is far and away the best, and David Burke's is a close second. One interesting thing is that he is so obsessed with dry aging that he never bothered to mention that Cap Grille uses choice beef (although it tastes so good you would probably never know).

Originally Posted by ChicagoRon

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Meh.... This guy's a bit of a tool. First of all... half the places on there are not steakhouses. Which is fine, but there are other restaurants that serve great steak that aren't on the list. And where are sullivan's, Flemings, and kinzie

Gibson's steaks are okay. Not my favorite by any means, but better than many others on the list. I detest Chicago Chop House. I also think he overrates the beef at S&W.

I do, however, second his assertion that the original Morton's is far and away the best, and David Burke's is a close second. One interesting thing is that he is so obsessed with dry aging that he never bothered to mention that Cap Grille uses choice beef (although it tastes so good you would probably never know).

Yes, too bad Morton's is such a chain, it kind of loses a bit of that exclusive luster. Capital Grille is great also (huge chain), you can't really go wrong there either. Both are light years ahead of Gibson's and I don't even consider Chop House as dismal is an understatement for multiple reasons.