Follow the Blue Line northwest from downtown and you'll hit three of the city's best neighborhoods for eating: Wicker Park, Bucktown and Logan Square. This stretch has more spots in our directory than almost anywhere else.
Logan Square
Logan Square is the heavyweight.
- Lula Cafe: the restaurant that made Logan Square a food neighborhood, and still the brunch locals recommend.
- Akahoshi Ramen: Sapporo-style miso ramen that's widely called the best bowl in Chicago. Book ahead. Nearby, Ramen Wasabi and Monster Ramen round out the city's best ramen row.
- Jibaritos: Jibaritos y Más and Omarcito's both serve Chicago's plantain sandwich. What's a jibarito? →
- Tacotlán: helped start the city's birria craze.
- Red Hot Ranch: one of the best cheap double cheeseburgers in town.
- Parson's Chicken & Fish: fried chicken and a Negroni slushy on a great patio.
- Middle Brow Bungalow: a brewery-café with sourdough tavern-style pizza.
- Pretty Cool Ice Cream: hand-dipped ice cream bars from a pastry chef.
- Cocktails: Best Intentions, a neighborhood dive with world-class drinks, and Meadowlark, a cozy speakeasy-style bar.
Wicker Park
- Mindy's Bakery: bagels from a James Beard-winning pastry chef. Get the giardiniera cream cheese.
- Big Star: a honky-tonk taco bar with a huge patio.
- Mott St: an Asian-inflected burger that's on every serious list.
- Phodega: half pho counter, half corner store.
Bucktown
- Margie's Candies: Chicago's old-school soda fountain, making homemade hot fudge since 1921. Order the sundae with the fudge on the side.
Thinking about living along the Blue Line? Browse apartment buildings in Wicker Park, Bucktown and Logan Square →