The Windy City is home to a plethora of amazing places to eat. While it is responsible for many epic chain eateries, Chicago is also home to a wealth of wonderful mom & pop restaurants. Scattered throughout the city, you’ll always find a good meal at one of these 10 locally-owned hot spots.
Get a home-cooked meal better than Momma used to make at any one of these delicious diners. Keep scrolling for all the details.
- Twin Anchors (1655 N Sedgwick Street)
Facebook/Twin Anchors Ribs
Facebook/Twin Anchors Ribs Set in a historic building that dates back to 1881, this classic eatery has been locally-owned and operated since 1932. It serves salads, sandwiches, ribs, chicken, seafood, burgers, and more for dinner on weekdays and for both lunch and dinner on weekends.
- Giant (3209 W Armitage Avenue)
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Facebook/Giant Open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., this unique eatery offers fresh takes on your favorite meals in addition to a wine pairing with each entree. Many menu items are vegetable-based dishes but there are also steak and ribs.
- Seafood on the tables (2965 N Lincoln Avenue)
Facebook/Seafood on the tables
Facebook/Seafood on the tables This beautiful little place is one of Chicago’s best mom & pop restaurants. It offers Thai-inspired flavors and dishes as well as fish boils dumped right onto your table. It is open daily from noon until late.
- nana (3267 S Halsted Street)
Facebook/nana
Facebook/nana This fantastic eatery is known for sourcing ingredients from local farmers including organic wines, beer, and spirits. It is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner serving sandwiches, pasta, burgers, and much more including appetizers and desserts.
- Home Team Pizza (1363 W Ohio Street)
Facebook/Home Team Pizza
Facebook/Home Team Pizza This family-owned restaurant has been around since 1975, but its owners have been in the area since the 1950s. The restaurant offers pizza by the slice, sandwiches, salads, and desserts daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Windy City Cafe (1062 W Chicago Avenue)
Facebook/Windy City Cafe
Facebook/Windy City Cafe Focusing on fresh ingredients and healthier fare, this restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch daily. It serves sandwiches and salads, plus all your breakfast favorites like omelets, pancakes, and home fries.
- Hagen’s Fish Market (5635 W Montrose Avenue)
Facebook/Hagen’s Fish Market
Facebook/Hagen’s Fish Market This unique market lets you order fresh fish by the pound to take home and prepare yourself or have fried up on the spot. It also sells a wide variety of smoked fish and is open daily, usually between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.
- Parachute Restaurant (3500 N Elston Avenue)
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Facebook/Parachute Restaurant Open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner, this secret gem serves upscale comfort food. Menu items include oysters, duck hearts, pork belly, as well as vegetarian dishes and an extensive offering of wine, beer, and cocktails.
- Martino’s Italian Cuisine & Pizzeria (3431 W Peterson Avenue)
Facebook/Martino’s Italian Cuisine & Pizzeria
Facebook/Martino’s Italian Cuisine & Pizzeria This family-friendly eatery is open daily from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. or midnight. It serves up appetizers, soups, salads, pizzas, as well as authentic steak, seafood, and chicken entrees.
- Presidio (1749 N Damen Avenue)
Facebook/Presidio
Facebook/Presidio In operation since 2014, this is one of Chicago’s newest mom & pop restaurants. It is open daily for dinner and late-night cocktails and serves chicken, ribs, steak, pasta, cheese plates and other snacks, as well as a few desserts.
For another classic eatery you must try, check out the food at one of Chicago’s oldest restaurants.
Facebook/Twin Anchors Ribs
Set in a historic building that dates back to 1881, this classic eatery has been locally-owned and operated since 1932. It serves salads, sandwiches, ribs, chicken, seafood, burgers, and more for dinner on weekdays and for both lunch and dinner on weekends.
Facebook/Giant
Open Tuesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 10:30 p.m., this unique eatery offers fresh takes on your favorite meals in addition to a wine pairing with each entree. Many menu items are vegetable-based dishes but there are also steak and ribs.
Facebook/Seafood on the tables
This beautiful little place is one of Chicago’s best mom & pop restaurants. It offers Thai-inspired flavors and dishes as well as fish boils dumped right onto your table. It is open daily from noon until late.
Facebook/nana
This fantastic eatery is known for sourcing ingredients from local farmers including organic wines, beer, and spirits. It is open daily for breakfast, lunch, and dinner serving sandwiches, pasta, burgers, and much more including appetizers and desserts.
Facebook/Home Team Pizza
This family-owned restaurant has been around since 1975, but its owners have been in the area since the 1950s. The restaurant offers pizza by the slice, sandwiches, salads, and desserts daily from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Facebook/Windy City Cafe
Focusing on fresh ingredients and healthier fare, this restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch daily. It serves sandwiches and salads, plus all your breakfast favorites like omelets, pancakes, and home fries.
Facebook/Hagen’s Fish Market
This unique market lets you order fresh fish by the pound to take home and prepare yourself or have fried up on the spot. It also sells a wide variety of smoked fish and is open daily, usually between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m.
Facebook/Parachute Restaurant
Open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner, this secret gem serves upscale comfort food. Menu items include oysters, duck hearts, pork belly, as well as vegetarian dishes and an extensive offering of wine, beer, and cocktails.
Facebook/Martino’s Italian Cuisine & Pizzeria
This family-friendly eatery is open daily from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. or midnight. It serves up appetizers, soups, salads, pizzas, as well as authentic steak, seafood, and chicken entrees.
Facebook/Presidio
In operation since 2014, this is one of Chicago’s newest mom & pop restaurants. It is open daily for dinner and late-night cocktails and serves chicken, ribs, steak, pasta, cheese plates and other snacks, as well as a few desserts.
What other mom & pop restaurants do you enjoy in the city? Share your favorites with us!
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