Chicago has at least 3 foods that exist nowhere else quite like this. Deep-dish pizza is so thick it's closer to a pie, and you eat it with a knife and fork. The Chicago-style hot dog comes with a strict rule that bans yellow mustard's rival entirely, and Italian beef is something locals will eat from breakfast onward. All of it grew out of a history of laborers and immigrants who shaped this city's character over more than a hundred years.
#1 Chicago Deep-Dish Pizza
The pizza that put Chicago on the world's food map, and it's nothing like a regular pizza. The dough is baked in a deep, high-walled steel pan, the cheese goes on the bottom, the filling goes on top of that, and it's finished with a layer of fresh, coarsely crushed tomato sauce on the very top. It needs more than 30-45 minutes in the oven, and you eat it with a knife and fork because it's far too thick to pick up. One slice can fill you for the whole day. Lou Malnati's has been open since 1971, and Giordano's is known for cheese that pulls into long strings.
- Order 30-45 minutes ahead because the bake takes a while. Tell the restaurant your size when you arrive and wait for a table, or order online and book a time.
- A small 6-inch pizza runs about 18-25 dollars; a large 14-inch is around 35-45 dollars and feeds 2-3 people sharing.
- If you'd rather not wait, try Lou Malnati's near River North, which opens at 11:00 — get there before noon and the line is shorter.
#2 Chicago-Style Hot Dog
The hot dog with the world's strictest rules. A pork-and-beef sausage, boiled or grilled, sits on a steamed bun dusted with poppy seeds, and the toppings have to be exactly 7: yellow mustard, chopped onion, sliced fresh tomato, a pickle spear, pickle relish, pickled sport peppers, and celery salt. The most sacred prohibition for Chicagoans is no ketchup, ever — ask for it and you might be told to leave.
- Don't ask for ketchup at a real Chicago hot dog stand; the old-school owners won't give it to you and may give you a hard time.
- Portillo's in River North is a good pick for visitors — 5-7 dollars per dog, a big place with a fun atmosphere.
- Try the char dog, grilled over charcoal, at The Wiener's Circle, open late until 4-5am on Fridays and Saturdays; the staff are famous for talking straight.
#3 Italian Beef Sandwich
A dish that came out of Chicago's Italian immigrant neighborhoods in the early 1930s. Spice-rubbed beef is slow-roasted, then sliced very thin and layered into Italian bread. The trick is the gravy — a rich, fragrant beef jus that's spooned over the bread or soaks the whole loaf. Chicagoans order it dipped or wet, meaning the entire roll goes into the hot gravy, so the bread comes out soaked through and drinks in all the flavor. Add giardiniera, the spicy pickled peppers, as much as you like.
- Order it dipped or wet for the original experience; the bread soaks up the gravy without falling apart. Eat it right away — don't let it sit.
- Al's Beef's first location on Taylor Street has been open since 1938 and is the most original, even though there are many branches now.
- Giardiniera, the spicy pickled peppers, is the topping you can't leave off. Ask for mild if you can't take the heat, or hot if you love it.
#4 Chicago Mix Popcorn
One of the most iconic Chicago souvenirs and snacks there is. Garrett Popcorn, open since 1949, invented the Chicago Mix — caramel popcorn that's sweet and crisp tossed together with salty cheddar-cheese popcorn in one bag, a sweet-and-salty combination you can't stop eating. The line outside the Magnificent Mile branch is often long, especially on holidays, but the wait is worth it.
- Buy the Large size or a Chicago Tin gift can — it keeps for a long time and is a popular souvenir to take home.
- The original Chicago Mix is the best, but if you want to try something special, the Macadamia Caramel and the Cheddar on their own are also very good.
- The line is long from 12-14:00 and on weekends; go in the morning around 10-11:00 or in the evening around 16-17:00 to wait less.
#5 Jibarito Sandwich
A sandwich invented in Chicago at a Puerto Rican restaurant in the Humboldt Park neighborhood in 1996. Instead of bread, it uses two flattened, crisp-fried plantain slices holding steak, chicken, or pork, along with caramelized onion, tomato, cheese, and garlic mayo. The sweet, rich crunch of the fried plantain plays against the salt of the meat and cheese. You won't find it in other cities — it's a signature of Chicago's Latino community.
- Borinquen Restaurant on N California Ave is the original spot that invented the jibarito, open since 1996.
- The fried plantain is crispest piping hot, so eat it right after you get it; leave it 20 minutes and it starts to soften and the taste changes.
- Humboldt Park is about 30 minutes from downtown — a good plan for a day you want to get off the tourist track.
#6 Eli's Cheesecake
Eli's Cheesecake first launched at the 1977 Taste of Chicago and became a city dessert that several U.S. presidents have ordered to the White House. Chicago-style cheesecake is a little denser than the New York style, with thick cream cheese that isn't too sweet and a buttery, crisp sugar-cookie base. There are signature and seasonal flavors to choose from, and you can buy a box to take home or eat it in the café next to the shop.
- The Original Plain is the best place to start — a clean taste that shows off the quality of the cream cheese clearly.
- The factory on W Touhy Ave runs free factory tours on some days and has a café selling freshly cut cheesecake cheaper than in town.
- Cheesecake freezes well and keeps a long time, which makes it good to take home, but pack it in a cooler bag while you travel.
Where to stay in Chicago for this trip
A well-located hotel means less commuting and more sightseeing. Here are real, top-rated stays in Chicago — compare Agoda · Booking · Trip.com in one click.
The Peninsula Chicago
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Details
The Langham, Chicago
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Details
Four Seasons Hotel Chicago
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Details
Park Hyatt Chicago
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Details
Tours, tickets & activities in Chicago
Day tours, attraction tickets and travel essentials for Chicago — book ahead on Klook with mobile e-tickets.
Affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Before You Pack
Chicago food isn't refined or fine dining, but it's honestly delicious and genuinely filling. The best spots tend to be old places that have handed their recipes down for generations. Chicagoans are very proud of their hometown food and always happy to tell you which place is best — just ask and you'll get an answer.