Best Takeout Food Restaurants in Cook County

"A Chicago list of restaurants would not be complete without that classic Chicago favorite – pizza!. Lou Malnati’s is considered the oldest family name in Chicago pizza, with plenty of restaurants throughout Chicagoland. Lou’s offers both thin and deep crust pizzas (including gluten-free options!), as well as pastas and salads for any non-pizza lovers in the family."

"Sit down for dinner at one of Chicago’s popular deep dish pizza restaurants (my favorite is Lou Malnati’s). The pizza takes at least 30 minutes to arrive at the table after ordering, so make sure to get a salad or appetizer if you’re hungry."

"Native Foods Café is a fast-casual vegan restaurant chain that operates around the country and serves a menu of hearty meat-free fare. Set in various locations around Chicago and open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Native Foods Café features a menu with a variety of options for every taste, from award-winning Ensalada Azteca and bold and tasty Buddha Bowls to Twister Wraps and Native Chicken Wings and Nachos. Sweet treats for dessert include Oatmeal Créme Pie, and Peanut Butter Parfait, along with freshly brewed Fair Trade coffee and a selection of organic beverages and other drinks."

"This popular restaurant chain runs several vegan restaurants in Chicago. This restaurant never disappoints!. If you are in the mood for nachos or burgers, or you want something simple like soup or chili, this restaurant has you covered."

"The torchbearer for a dying breed of Jewish delis and diners in Chicago, Manny’s has endured for more than a half-century in the South Loop thanks to massive and delicious pastrami sandwiches, an array of hot homestyle dishes on steam tables, and family service cultivated over generations in a cafeteria-style setting plastered with decades-old newspaper clippings and letters from Chicago luminaries. The space also now houses a new deli expansion for bagels, sweets, coffee, and food to go. A post shared by Manny's Deli (@mannysdeli)"

"Grab a tray, your silverware and do your best to make quick decisions as you make your way down the cafeteria line. If you’re heading there for breakfast, we suggest the eggs or French toast—mostly because either is served with Manny's famous corned beef, pastrami, salami or turkey. Oh, and ask for an extra latke."

"The Maxwell Street Market ain’t what, or where, it used to be, but Manny’s still has potato pancakes, Reubens, and diner faves galore.B, L & D Mon–Sat. Free parking (free valet at lunch), wheelchair accessible, child friendly."

"Everything from the spicy seitan to the hummus and vegan cheese is made in-house at Kitchen 17. Find the beloved seitan wrapped in fluffy Greek flatbread in the gyro or griddled with cheese and green peppers in the philly cheesesteak. The rest of the menu reads as vegetized versions of your favorite bar food, such as buffalo cauliflower wings, chili cheese fries, veggie burgers drenched in barbecue sauce and personal pan pizzas strewn with crumbles of soy sausage and vegan mozzarella."

"Fancy Plants Cafe was founded by Kevin Schuder, who started as Kitchen 17’s coffee-and-pastry barista. He found Fancy Plants Cafe, which offers coffee, tea, pastries, gluten-free pastries, sauces, greens, and a fancy five-course dinner option on weekends (Saturday and Sunday). Kitchen 17 is a BYOB eatery where guests can enjoy a vegetarian dessert of Middle Eastern and American dishes."

"If you’re looking for vegan deep dish in Chicago, look no further!. Kitchen 17 near Uptown has got to be one of my favorite vegan restaurants ever. It’s a casual atmosphere with board games galore."

"Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises has used the pandemic as an opportunity to resurrect virtual versions of some of its most popular past restaurants, including longtime favorite Vong’s Thai Kitchen. Chef Arnulfo Tellez of Shaw’s Crab House is putting out hits like VTK’s signature shrimp and crab pad thai and chicken garlic noodles."

"Restaurants Hamburgers River North. It's easy to please everyone and Shake Shack, especially now that the burger empire has three locations in Chicago. Kids can choose from hamburgers, a crispy chicken sandwich and flat-top dogs, all of which are crafted with premium ingredients."

"Working from home all day and eager to get out of the house?. Hop off the Brown Line at Armitage and post up at this tucked-away spot. You’ll forget your work blues quickly when you call your quarantine pod to share some pizza, beer and—most important—late-afternoon sunshine."

"Because Chicago has non-deep dish pizza too and it is just as heavenly. Their pizza selections are rivaled by none, so good luck choosing just one."

"American , Pizza"

"Two chefs used their life savings to start this gourmet fast-food restaurant, with beer-battered burgers, fish tacos and combinations like foie gras with fries. Po' Boys include medium-rare ahi tuna, soft-shell crab and shrimp banh mi, but the fried pork belly with maple mayo is Guy's pick, described as "chicharrones meets pulled pork.". Watch the Video: Fish and Chips"

"BIG & little’s has been on the national radar since Food Network host Guy Fieri featured it on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.” Fans come for its fish tacos and soft-shell crab po’ boys. While some items on the menu are a little pricier, quite a bit of the diner’s choices are $5 or less. Pro tip: Try the truffle fries!"

"A photo posted by Eater Chicago (@eater_chicago) on Jul 27, 2016 at 9:50am PDT. BIG & little's is Guy Fieri-approved, so you know it's good. Definitely go for one of their po' boy sandwiches (the softshell crab is EPIC) or any of the tacos, most of which range between $3-$5."

"Check out this delightful rooftop deck overlooking Evanston’s Central Street. Their Mexican cuisine-with-a-twist is something to be savored, from the Sweet Potato and Green Chili Latke with apple salsa and citrus crema to the Roasted Cauliflower Queso served with crisp tostones (fried plantains). I recommend a Mezcal Paloma to wash it all down under the twinkly lights."

"The Burnham Wildlife Corridor is a 100-acre area of urban wilderness running through Burnham Park. There is a bird sanctuary, a bioretention basin, nature paths, and a centennial prairie. Native prairie grasses, savanna, and woodland ecosystems create the largest natural area along the lakefront, according to the park district."

"It’s only fitting that the Charnley-Persky House is the home of the Society of Architectural Historians since it was designed by Louis Sullivan and his junior draftsman, Frank Lloyd Wright. Guided tours will resume August 7, 2021, and reservations are required. Learn the story of the Charnley-Persky house in Living Landmarks of Chicago"

"Description: Charnley-Persky House is one of the oldest houses of Chicago (with Glessner and Clarke Houses) and it is said to be the first modern house in Chicago. The red house next to it was built shortly before, and the differences are amazing. Tours are offered on Wednesday afternoons."

"Consider it the Art Institute’s brash, rebellious sibling, with especially strong minimalist, surrealist and conceptual photography collections, and permanent works by René Magritte, Cindy Sherman and Andy Warhol. Covering art from the 1920s onward, the MCA’s collection spans the gamut, with displays arranged to blur the boundaries between painting, sculpture, video and other media. Exhibits change regularly so you never know what you'll see, but count on it being offbeat and provocative. Illinois residents get free admission on Tuesday."

"Museum of Contemporary Art With an ever-changing set of temporary exhibitions, you never really know what you’re going to get at this museum. It’s good for modern art lovers but sometimes verges on just being weird."

"Forget a Tiffany necklace, this massive stained-glass masterpiece at the Chicago Cultural Center is thought to be the largest Tiffany dome in existence."

"Rainbow Beach is a 61-acre public beach and park within Chicago's South Chicago neighborhood, originally developed as two separate beaches in the early 20th century before being consolidated into a single beach when the area was acquired by the Chicago Park District in 1959. The beach is named in honor of the United States Army's World War I 42nd Rainbow Division and is located at the terminus of 75th Street at the Lake Michigan shoreline, one of 18 street-end municipal beaches located throughout the city. A field house at the beach, developed in 1999, offers a fitness center, gymnasium, handball courts, and multipurpose community rooms, while a nine-acre natural area preserves significant dune habitats."

"South ShoreLike many South Side beaches, Rainbow has a lovely view of the Downtown city skyline, as well as Wi-Fi, free parking, a playground, handball courts, and a nine-acre natural dune habitat. What more can you ask for?. What to know: With a gymnasium and fitness center, it’s Chicago’s version of Muscle Beach."

"Located in the South Chicago neighborhood, Rainbow Beach is also connected to the Rainbow Beach Park. Pack a picnic and escape the hot sun for a midday lunch in the shaded park!"

"Oakwood Beach, also known as 41st Street Beach, is Chicago's newest public beach, developed in the late 1990s by the Chicago Park District and officially opened to the public in 2010. The beach, which is located at the terminus of 41st Street at the Lake Michigan shoreline within Chicago's Oakland neighborhood, spans 1,300 acres and is open to the public for swimming between Memorial Day and Labor Day, with lifeguards staffed on duty between 11:00am and 7:00pm. Environmentally-sustainable beach features include a bio-retention area intended to treat storm sewer runoff and a LEED-certified beach house with rainwater-harvested toilets, which received the Chicago Greenworks Award in 2010."

"OaklandOpened to the public in 2010, Oakwood—also known as 41st Street Beach—is both relatively new and still somewhat of a hidden treasure. Although it’s small in size, it manages to pack in a great beach house, a nearby picnic area, and volleyball courts. And, of course, you can’t beat the view!"