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Where to eat in Chicago: a 3-day food itinerary

Three days of breakfast, lunch and dinner in Chicago, IL, at about $120 a person a day. FoodTrip built it from its 160 picks in the city, of which 47 hold a MICHELIN Guide distinction and 11 carry a James Beard Foundation honor.

Plan Chicago for your dates and budget

Day 1: about $91 a person

9:00 AM · Breakfast

Justice of the Pies

Bakery & Sweets · $ · about $14 a person · Avalon Park · 1500-1502 E 87 St

James Beard finalist

Outstanding Baker finalist 2022 (Maya-Camille Broussard)

12:30 PM · Lunch

Lem's Bar-B-Q

BBQ · $$ · about $32 a person · Greater Grand Crossing · 311 E 75th St

James Beard America's Classic

Founded by the Lemons brothers on 59th St in the 1950s and on 75th St since the late 1960s, its aquarium-style smoker and rib tips define South Side Chicago barbecue.

7:00 PM · Dinner

Virtue

Soul & Southern · $$ · about $45 a person · Hyde Park · 1460-1466 E 53rd St

Bib Gourmand

Chef Erick Williams' nationally acclaimed Southern restaurant, flagship of Virtue Hospitality Group.

Day 2: about $120 a person

9:00 AM · Breakfast

Publican Quality Bread

Bakery & Sweets · $ · about $14 a person · West Town · 1755 - 1759 W Grand Ave

James Beard winner

Outstanding Baker 2019 winner (Greg Wade); Outstanding Baker finalist 2017 (Greg Wade); Outstanding Baker finalist 2018 (Greg Wade)

12:30 PM · Lunch

Taqueria Chingon

Mexican · $ · about $16 a person · Near West Side · 817 W Fulton Market

Bib Gourmand

7:00 PM · Dinner

Girl & the Goat

American & Other · $$$ · about $90 a person · Near West Side · 809-813 W Randolph St

Bib Gourmand

Stephanie Izard's flagship that anchored the Randolph Restaurant Row boom.

Day 3: about $103 a person

9:00 AM · Breakfast

Mott Street

Breakfast & Diner · $$ · about $26 a person · West Town · 1401 N Ashland Ave

Bib Gourmand

Edward Kim's Asian-American small-plates spot.

12:30 PM · Lunch

Sifr

Mediterranean & Middle Eastern · $$ · about $32 a person · Near North Side · 660 N Orleans St

Bib Gourmand

7:00 PM · Dinner

Kumiko

Bar & Pub · $$ · about $45 a person · Near West Side · 630 W Lake St

James Beard winner

Outstanding Bar 2025 winner

About $314 a person for the three days. Prices are estimates for food, tax and tip, without drinks. Times are suggestions: check each restaurant's hours and book ahead.

40 more places to eat in Chicago

The planner swaps any stop for one of these, and uses them when your dates, meals or budget are different.

How this plan was made

Every place on this page holds a MICHELIN Guide distinction or a James Beard Foundation honor, or was checked by hand for Eats Ranked. Chains are left out and no restaurant pays to be listed. For each day FoodTrip picks dinner first, then lunch and breakfast, keeps to the budget, uses a different cuisine each meal and keeps the day's stops close together. No place appears twice.

This is one plan out of many. Open it in the planner to set your own dates, meals a day, budget and party size, swap any stop, reserve a table and add the meals to your calendar. See every city FoodTrip covers.