844 W. Randolph St., West Town
Inside this rustic buger bar, look for farm-friendly touches like 10-foot exterior barn doors, antique furniture and wallpaper, an exposed pie-making kitchen and family-style dining tables.The burger menu is fairly streamlined, focusing on what they do best grass-fed, hormone- and antibiotic-free beef, with options for turkey or vegetarian lentil patties as well. Served on a poppy seed bun with all the fixings, these burgers pair up with sides such as rainbow dark potato chips with French onion dip, German bacon potato salad, garlicky mac and cheese and cucumber potato salad. If you're not in the mood for a burger, go for the Farmer's Wife salad with romaine lettuce, avocado, red pepper, carrot, watermelon, corn and lemon dressing. Look for daily specials such as a Great Lakes yellow walleye fish fry on Friday nights or grass-fed ground beef chili on Thursdays. Fun cocktails and canned beer round out the drink offerings. And after you're good and full, order homemade ice cream with flavors such as pecan crisp, vanilla, chocolate and burnt sugar, served in a cup or cone. READ MORE
939 N. Western Ave., Ukrainian Village
This European cafe in Ukrainian Village draws a mixed crowd of neighborhood old timers (you'll often hear Polish and Ukrainian spoken) and hipsters with a conversation-friendly atmosphere and a light, affordable menu. Order your traditional Turkish coffee (made on a hot plate inside a mound of sand and served with ice water and a piece of dark chocolate) at the counter, then settle in for free WiFi in the homey dining room, outfitted with lace curtains, a cushy couch and sturdy marble tables. READ MORE
6262 N. Harlem Ave., Norwood Park
This old fashioned Edison Park fast food joint features hand-flipped burgers, Chicago-style hot dogs and warm, drippy gyros. Eight flavors of ice cream may be eaten from a cone or sipped from a straw. READ MORE
