Winter in Chicago is no joke. Even though we have had approximately one cold day and have the entire autumn season stretching ahead of us, I’m already mentally preparing myself for a Chicago winter of avoiding leaving the house at all possible costs.
That means Brad and I will order a lot of takeout/delivery food.
The food delivery in Chicago is a pretty sweet thing: the options are endless. Thanks to apps like Caviar, DoorDash and GrubHub (these are referral links which means if you click and sign-up, I get all the free foods), we can order from almost any restaurant in Chicago, even those that aren’t traditionally “take-out” restaurants.
Several years ago, my friend Kit blogged about where she and her husband like to order food delivery from in Chicago. I check back on that post frequently whenever Brad and I find ourselves in a delivery rut.
Since Kit’s post has been so helpful to us (actually, she posted a follow-up, too with additional faves), I thought I would share a few of our own favorite takeout options here, too.
5411 Empanadas
Why we love it: I ordered these on a whim the first night that Brad and I moved in together and were too tired to deal with any food that required a fork or knife. It’s been a regular in the rotation ever since. They’re perfect for a snack or meal and they’re baked, not fried so they aren’t too heavy.
I love: Bacon Date & Goat Cheese, BBQ Chicken, Macaroni & Cheese (yes this is a thing and it’s everything).
Brad loves: Ham & Cheese, Beef. Oh, and here’s a fun fact: he unintentionally found out how many empanadas is too many empanadas to eat in one sitting: 9.
We order it from: Grubhub.
Honey Butter Fried Chicken
We call this one the fat kid special, because you practically have to order a honey butter fried chicken sandwich and the basket of fried chicken strips. And no, sharing is not an option. Each order of chicken is served with a side of house made honey butter that is so good you might want to bathe in it.
I love: The “OG” fried chicken sandwich, fried chicken strips with honey butter, mashed potatoes with chicken fat gravy.
Brad loves: The honey butter fried chicken sandwich, buffalo mac and cheese.
We order it from: Caviar.
Pizzeria Bebu
Living in deep dish pizza land is not always easy for this girl from New York. I like plain cheese slices that you can fold in half — not this fancy knife-and-fork nonsense. I like pizza from Piece, but since that is too East coast for my Midwestern man friend, we compromise with the thin-crush from Pizzeria Bebu.
I love: Margherita, Taleggio with pistachio and Calabrian honey.
Brad loves: Bebu meatball, Pepperoni.
We order it from: Caviar.
Joy’s Noodles & Rice
When I lived in Lakeview, my apartment was within a block of three amazing takeout restaurants: Wakamono for sushi, PingPong for Chinese food and Joy’s Noodles & Rice for the best pad thai in the city. The only one that delivers to our current address in Wicker Park is Joy’s and we take full advantage of that.
I love: Crab rangoon, pad thai with tofu or chicken.
Brad loves: I’ll be honest, Thai food is not Brad’s favorite. But he’s been known to take down the occasional beef and broccoli or chicken with fresh garlic sauce like the team player he is.
We order it from: Grubhub.
MAK Restaurant
Chinese food is a major weakness for me and has been for pretty much my entire life. For a few years of fleeting intelligence, I pretended I didn’t like it to keep people from suggesting we get it because I legit cannot control myself around a plate of fried rice.
MAK – Modern Asian Kitchen – has Chinese food that is tasty and moderately healthy. You won’t find crab rangoon on the menu but you will find fried rice and it’s oh so delicious. It isn’t the greasy Chinese takeout that we get when we really want to go HAM, but it’s an indulgence that I don’t feel guilty about.
I love: MAK Fried Rice with Chicken (if I’m indulging) MAK ABC (if I’m eating healthy).
Brad loves: the MAK Gogi Bowl, MAK ABC (Awesome Broccoli Chicken) extra-spicy.
We order from: Grubhub or Caviar.
Coast Sushi
When I want to eat healthier, sushi is one of my favorite go-to delivery options. It’s naturally low-carb and I love fresh sashimi with tons of ginger and a little soy sauce.
It’s fun to go to Coast too since it’s BYOB and close to all of the action in Wicker Park/Bucktown, but it turns out the sushi is just as good when consumed on the couch, wine optional.
I love: Tuna tartare, assorted sashimi, Firecracker maki, Sunrise maki, Tuna on Top maki, Super White Ginger maki.
Brad loves: Spicy tuna maki, Chirashi bowl, assorted sashimi.
We order from: Grubhub.
Irazu
I can’t believe I’m admitting that we order delivery from Irazu, because the Costa Rican restaurant is barely a block from our apartment. Irazu is a good cheap date night because it’s BYOB, especially in the summer when you can sit at the counter next to the open windows along Milwaukee Avenue.
It’s also good for delivery because it’s cheap, delivery is usually very fast, and the food is great.
I love: Chicken tacos, tilapia tacos or the shrimp and veggie platter.
Brad loves: the whitefish ceviche, El Tico with Skirt Steak.
We order from: Grubhub or DoorDash.
Leghorn Chicken
Here’s a bonus fat kid special, because that is how much we like fried chicken here. Leghorn lets you customize your chicken sandwich the way you want it: choose hot or not, breast or thigh, and the sauce/accouterments.
I love: Chicken breast, not spicy on a bun with honey mustard, spicy mayo, lettuce and tomato. And of course, french fries.
Brad loves: Chicken thigh, hot, on a bun with spicy mayo, hot popcorn chicken.
We order it from: Grubhub
Small Cheval
We live right across the street from the miniature outpost of the beloved Au Cheval diner downtown. Small Cheval has cheeseburgers, hamburgers, fries and milkshakes. They do each exceptionally well.
Occasionally in the summer we’ll sit outside and have a beer too, but I will pick a milkshake over a beer in nearly any situation.
I love: Cheeseburger and french fries. Chocolate milkshake optional.
Brad loves: Cheeseburger and as many of my french fries as he can manage.
We order it from: We can literally see it from our kitchen window, so we pick it up. But you can get it on Caviar.
2 Comments
Asian-Style Capellini Pasta with Ginger and Vegetables
November 6, 2018 at 4:34 pm[…] any motivation that I have to get to the gym regularly, cook more at home instead of resorting to ordering food delivery every other night and eating foods that make me feel good instead of foods that make me say “why did I eat […]
Sarah Walker Caron
October 9, 2018 at 9:06 pmThis makes me want to come to Chicago just to order takeout.