Too many food guides stop at Roosevelt Road. The South Side is where Chicago's barbecue style was born, and where you'll find the city's most famous ice cream cone, its benchmark tavern-style pizza, and some of its most beloved neighborhood institutions. Here's where to start.
Bronzeville
- Honey 1 BBQ: wood-fired rib tips and hot links, with no shortcuts. Chicago barbecue, explained →
- Shawn Michelle's Homemade Ice Cream: homemade ice cream with soul-food flavors. Get the peach cobbler.
Hyde Park
- Roux: New Orleans-style Southern brunch near the University of Chicago.
- Daisy's Po' Boy and Tavern: excellent fried chicken with biscuits.
- Jimmy's Woodlawn Tap: the university's storied dive since 1948, full of students, professors and regulars.
Chatham and Greater Grand Crossing
- Lem's Bar-B-Q: the benchmark for Chicago-style rib tips and hot links since 1954, and a James Beard "America's Classic." Get the tip and link combo.
- Dat Donut: a South Side landmark known for glazed donuts the size of a dinner plate.
- Southtown Sub: Italian beef overflowing with giardiniera.
Beverly and the Far South Side
- The Original Rainbow Cone: a 100-year summer ritual in a pink building. It's seasonal, so check before you go in winter.
- Top-Notch Beefburgers: a 1942 diner that grinds its own beef. A real time capsule.
- Sanders BBQ Supply Co.: buttery rib tips plus excellent brisket.
- Afro Joe's Coffee & Tea: a Black-owned roaster-café and community hub.
- Let's Get Poppin': a South Side take on Chicago mix popcorn.
- Lexington Betty Smokehouse in historic Pullman and Old Fashioned Donuts in Roseland are both worth the drive.
The Southwest Side
- Vito & Nick's: the cracker-thin, party-cut pizza every other tavern pie is measured against. Deep dish vs. tavern-style →
- Tony's Italian Beef: a beef critics rank among the city's best.
- Fat Johnnie's Famous Red Hots: home of the Mother-in-Law, a tamale in a hot dog bun topped with chili.
Closer to downtown, see our South Loop & Chinatown guide and Little Italy, Pilsen & Near West Side guide.
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