The Yes/No List of Chicago Restaurants

Michael Nagrant / 05.21.19

In the age of YouTube, sometimes people don’t want to read. So for those folks, I’ve compiled a simple Yes/No list, as in yes, you should eat there, or, no you should not eat there, of all the places I’ve eaten at in the last three years, which are also still open.

I wanted to keep this very black and white, so some restaurants that were a “maybe”, didn’t make this list. For example, Kyoten showed a lot of promise, but so far, for me, it’s not a yes at the prices they’re charging, but also it’s not a no.

This is not a comprehensive Chicago list, just a snapshot of places I’ve eaten at in the last three years. Restaurants that I should have gotten around to eating at, but haven’t, like say Hai Sous or Parachute or Bar Biscay are not on this list, because I have no idea about them.

Acadia or Goosefoot or Alinea etc. would probably make this list also, but I haven’t eaten at any of these spots in the last three years.

Finally, it’s interesting how few definitive “NO” spots there are. Turns out there would have been a lot more “NO” spots on this list, but a lot of the places I didn’t like, closed. I didn’t, of course, have anything to do with that.

I am sure I forgot some place.

YESNO
AbaBudlong
Band of Bohemia
Bayan KoDutch and Docs
BellemoreEma
Billy SundayFree Rein
BLVDMini-Mott
BokaParson’s Chicken and Fish
BonchonPearl’s Southern Comfort
BonciPotter’s Chicago Burger bar
Brown Bag SeafoodPrime and Provisions
Bunny BakeryRPM Steak
Cabra
Café Cancale
Café Marie JeanneSTK
Cellar Door ProvisionsTied House
Chiya ChaiYugen
Coalfire
Daisie’s
Del Toro
Dmen Tavern
Duck Duck Goat
El Che Bar
Ella Elli
Elske
Entente
Etta
Funkenhausen
Galit
Giant
GT Prime
Hienie’s Shrimp House
Honey Butter Fried Chicken
Hoosier Mama Pie
Imperial Lamian
Ina Mae Tavern
Income Tax
Isla Pilipina
Jeong
Kimski
Kubo
Kumiko
La Josie
Lawry’s The Prime Rib
Lena Brava
Lola’s Coney Island
Lonesome Rose
Lost Lake
Lost Larson
Loyalist/Smyth
Maple and Ash
Monteverde
Naoki
Owen & Engine
Pacific Standard Time
Passerotto
Paulie Gee’s Logan Square
Petit Margeaux
Piggie Smalls
Proxi
Publican Quality Meats
Rainbow Thai
Rosie’s
Rubi’s at the Maxwell St. Market
S.K.Y.
Smoque
Somerset
Spacca Napoli
Spiaggia
Spinning J
Steingold’s
Tempesta Market
Texican
The Albert
The Corned Beef Factory Sandwich Shop
The Delta
The Gundis
The Jibarito Stop
The Stop Along
Tomatillo Tacoville
Triple Crown Seafood