Best Family Restaurants in Merrionette Park

"Steaming bowls of noodles have been a fixture of chef Bill Kim’s menus ever since he opened his first restaurant, and diners have always been eager to slurp his latest creations. Originally launched as a delivery-only concept, Bill Kim Ramen Bar specializes in broths that draw on Korean, Vietnamese and Mexican flavors, garnished with a creative array of toppings. Whether you’re looking for a conventional bowl or ramen or something a bit more adventurous, Kim has something you can enjoy by the spoonful."

"Located in Avondale (and hence, a bit out of the way for those traveling without a car), Urban Belly offers a small number of seats in a surprisingly chic space. The most expensive noodle dishes – ramen with pork belly and udon with shrimp – are $13. Dumpling and rice plates like lamb and brandy or short rib and scallion are $7-8 each."

"Find your way to this cute cafe and you’ll be forced to leave all your cravings at bay. Order their Concord grape and salty brown butter walnut tarts, honey pie, coffee cake, almond croissant, or even pecan roll, and you’ll find your senses thanking you for such a lovely reward. The cafe is well lit, and the environment is clean and chic, service too, is friendly and quick."

"Probably the most modernized bakery on this list, Floriole quickly rose to the top after its inception. This Lincoln Park bakery in Chicago is beautifully designed and even features a relatively large cafe area where you can sit and enjoy your pastry. The bakery is specifically European-style, featuring wines and beers to accompany your sweets, and plenty of coffee."

"Floriole is home to some of the best desserts in Chicago, and they always aim to go organic and local with their ingredients where possible. What we love about this spot, is that their menu is constantly changing according to the availability of produce. While this vibe may not be for everyone, there’s something exciting about this potluck experience."

"Demera Ethiopian Restaurant brings a touch of Africa to Chicago with authentic Ethiopian cuisine. Located on the corner of Broadway Street and St Lawrence, Demera serves traditional dishes such as sambussa, messob, and Doro Wat, and they also have an excellent selection of cocktails, wine, and hot drinks. Chef Tigist creates an array of dishes that will take you on a culinary journey into the heart of Ethiopia, with tender meat and vegetable combinations soaked in spicy sauces that guests are encouraged to eat by hand."

"At Demera, no one will scold you for eating with your hands. That’s because Ethiopian cuisine is typically eaten by using your hands to scoop up vegetables and lentils with a spongy and porous flatbread called injera. Get a sampling of the bright, colorful dishes, which include split red lentils, slow-cooked collard greens, split yellow peas and sautéed garden beets."

"Though Demera offers traditional meat dishes, they have a dedicated vegan menu that includes authentic Ethiopian fare. Family-style combo platters are available for diverse sampling from one of the best restaurants in Chicago. Demera Ethiopian | 4801 N."

"Here since the 1970s and continuing to sustain their vintage vibes, this American restaurant in Chicago has a long history of dishing out the best diner eats, for a pretty awesome price. Juicy burgers, shakes, famous wings, great appetizers, and a large salad bar that actually makes eating salad sound fun. This is one of the best affordable restaurants in Chicago because of the large selection of food to choose from."

"Restaurants American Lincoln Park. Located across from the Lincoln Park Zoo, this Lettuce Entertain You original is almost too convenient. Park your stroller near the front of the restaurant and sit the kids down with crayons and animal crackers."

"RJ Grunt’s is the original Lettuce Entertain You entry, and its longevity means you might wait in long lines for its extensive weekend brunch buffet."

"Strollers are aplenty along Southport Avenue so it's no surprise that Crosby's Kitchen is a haven for tikes in this Lakeview neighborhood brimming with young families. The best part is that it's not just friendly for the young ones, it's also great for older kids and adults dining sans kids, complete with a wine menu. Order yourself a Bloody Mary and the table some monkey bread to start and choose from a kid's menu or the regular menu for brunch, lunch or dinner."

"This kid- and pup-friendly patio is an ideal spot for people-watching and sipping lemonade with rotating flavors like hibiscus and mango. Popular plates at this Southport spot include lobster deviled eggs, iron-skillet cornbread, and avocado toast studded with lump crab. (And speaking of kid-friendliness, here’s a hot tip: children eat for free from 4 to 6 p.m.)"

"This family-friendly diner offers Midwestern-inspired comfort food that’s sure to please. The staff are very accommodating to children and work hard to make sure they have a good time. You can’t go wrong with their dinner menu, and definitely give brunch a try—no one can get enough of their signature monkey bread!"

"Flub A Dub Chub's Hotdog Emporium is a small, family-owned, good ol' Chicago dog shop. Customers can get fries or tots with their Flubby (100 percent Vienna Beef) or Chubby (quarter-pound grilled Vienna Beef) dog. Not much beats the perfect simplicity of this hole-in-the-wall spot."

"Most Popular: The Flub BLT ($7) or Chicago’s Best BBQ Pulled Pork Hot Dog ($9). Here’s a confession. Flub’s is probably the most overlooked, best-kept secret in all of Chicago."

"Proclaiming her product to be the “best ever grilled cheese” is a bold move but Gayle Voss backs it up. The sandwich maker was a longtime fixture at local farmers markets before turning her business into a full-scale operation inside Block 37 a few years ago. The menu always features the “Classic” (Prairie Pure butterkase, Bennison’s Bakery sourdough, Nordic Creamery butter), as well as seasonal creations like “Abreo” (cheddar, Honeycrisp apple, bacon-onion jam) and “Sebastian,” a lobster grilled cheese that’s only sold on Fridays."

"Gayle's has been a fixture for years in Chicago farmers markets, where you could grab a crispy grilled cheese sandwich made with white sourdough from Bennison's Bakery in Evanston, Prairie Pure Butterkase cheese from Belvidere and butter from Nordic Creamery in Westby, Wis. These exceptional ingredients fuse to make one gooey, irresistible sandwich. I especially love the Southport ($8), which adds a sweet smoked onion marmalade to the classic grilled cheese."

"We all need a little grilled cheese in our lives; we might as well get the best Chicago has to offer. Call 312-285-2202 for pickup orders and enter using the Pedway, use the Gayle V’s Best Ever Grilled Cheese or What's Good app, or find them on Grubhub and Ritual. They will also deliver with an order of 10 or more sandwiches."

"Huck Finn Restaurant serves up hearty American meals all day, but regulars swear by their donuts.|© Salim Virji / Flickr. Huck Finn Restaurant serves up hearty home cooking all day long in three Chicagoland locations. While best known—or perhaps most appreciated—for its donuts, the diner has excellent breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, too."

"This diner mini-chain has three locations on the South Side that provide patrons with a satisfyingly sweet finish to every meal. Chow on golden brown pancakes, club sandwiches, and burgers but make sure to save some room for a donut delight. The signature treat features one of Huck’s donuts topped with choice of ice cream and whipped cream."

"We really use to enjoy coming here and would recommend it to friends or family. However, it has changed drastically."

"Sweet Shot Cookies specializes in infused cookies and cookie cakes. Their homemade gooey infused cookies can be filled with anything from marshmallow fluff to dark chocolate ganache—you name it, they infuse it. They can be ordered pre-filled or if you're a DIY'er, they can be delivered with a syringe of flavor so you can inject it yourself with as much filling as you'd like."

"A post shared by Insomnia Cookies (@insomniacookies) on Jul 17, 2019 at 12:04pm PDT. If even picking up cookies is low on your to-do list, Insomnia Cookies comes to the rescue. This chain specializes in late-night cookie delivery (yes, you read that right), including sugar cookies, double chocolate mint cookies and drool-worthy smores cookies."

"Insomnia cookies are next on this list of the best desserts in Chicago. Cookies are the perfect addition to any day, so why not stop by Insomnia Cookies for an ice cream sandwich fix?. Unlike some other joints that offer ice cream sandwiches, Insomnia Cookies lets you customize your treat every step of the way!"

"6 locations in and near the city; Online: insomniacookies.com. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by Defloured Bakery (@deflouredbakery) on Aug 4, 2019 at 8:26am PDT"

"It doesn’t get any more old school than Chicago’s oldest family-owned bakery, which has been servicing Humboldt Park sweet tooths since 1911. As a specialty, Roeser’s offers low-glycemic options for birthday boys and girls who could benefit from reduced sugar, carbs and calories. Follow the bakery’s iconic neon sign to find cakes baked using recipes perfected over 4 generations with culinary skills to decorate to any theme you could possibly imagine, including a wide variety of licensed character cakes."

"Restaurants Bakeries Humboldt Park. One of Chicago’s oldest family-run businesses has operated out of the same storefront, distinguished today by its vertical neon sign and quaint painted lady facade, since its establishment in 1911. Today it’s a good all-arounder, with doughnuts and danish for breakfast, and a wide selection of cake slices and cookies (many in Chicago sports team motifs) for dessert."

"Roeser’s Bakery is the ancient family-owned bakery still in the same location in Chicago. They are now in their fourth generation, with John C. Roeser IV leading the way. They are truly passionate about what they do, you can see it in the wide variety of products they offer."

"Restaurants Bakeries Armour Square. Dim sum fans are accustomed to cart service and ordering cards, but the majority of the small dishes traditionally served originated in tea houses and bakeries in southern China. Chinese bakery Chi Quon has been making these delectable items for decades, attracting locals and visitors from around the city with dishes like fresh BBQ pork buns, sesame balls filled with bean paste and decorative mango mousse cake."

"Chinatown’s Chiu Quon Bakery & Dim Sum hits the spot with their BBQ pork buns and, more importantly, cakes: cream cake, chocolate cake, tiramisu, chestnut cake and more. That said, their mixed fruit cake is a fan-favorite. This cash-only bakery has a counter and some tables off to the side, but otherwise isn’t adorned or decorated in any specific style."

"The oldest bakery in Chinatown has been at it for more than three decades. Peruse the cases to discover rows and rows of Chinese pastries that include barbecue pork buns, egg custard tarts, and butterfly cookies. The affordable price points — most items are a dollar or less — mean folks are able to fill up a whole box with goodies for just a few bucks."

"Decisions can be difficult when constructing your perfect ice cream cake. Choose from 10 different ice cream flavors, all made with organic milk and cream, and decide if you prefer crumbled brownies, blondies, or cookies as a base. Rachel Kamins launched Bartleby’s in 2018 after working for Ben & Jerry’s and Zingerman’s Bakehouse and calls herself the “caker, baker, and ice cream maker.” Fittingly, she makes everything, from the ice cream to the crushed cookies and brownies to all her sauces, from scratch."

"If you’re looking for the perfect wedding cake, consider Alliance Bakery & Cafe in Chicago. Their team will work with you to select the ideal combination of fillings, flavors, and designs to suit your specific wedding vision. In addition to (or in lieu of) a wedding cake, they offer a variety of mini desserts, French and American, to create a mouthwatering sweet table."

"Alliance Bakery is a French-inspired bakery served with a modern twist. The chef, Peter Rios, has extensive experience working as a pastry chef at the Fairmont Hotel Chicago and Sofitel Hotel Chicago. He has won numerous awards in cake competitions around the country."

"Wicker Park hot spot Alliance Bakery is a French-style patisserie that makes exquisite layer cakes for all occasions. They also make 3-D cakes, hand-painted cakes, adorable kids birthday cakes, as well as colorful custom cakes. If you can imagine it, they can make it."