What are some cheap, quality restaurants in Chicago?

Hi! I'm going to Chicago for a nice, relaxing vacation next month. =)



The main areas I'll be are Lincoln Park, The Magnificent Mile, The Loop (and the general Downtown area) and Hyde Park.



I was wondering what you recommend for a good meal, on a budget.



I'm kind of hoping to limit it to about 15 dollars a person (after drinks, etc. Pre-tip though) I'm fine with fast food (although of course I prefer a real meal!) but I dislike Hamburgers.



That said, where should I go "nom"?What are some cheap, quality restaurants in Chicago?
There are so many options to choose from in The Magnificent Mile district, where to begin?? A few of my favorites:



For a casual lunch...

Lavazza Cafe: Located on Ohio Street (just east of Michigan Avenue) and in the John Hancock Observatory (875 N. Michigan Avenue). Not only do they have the best coffee (in my opinion!), but their bakery items are divine (try the nutella croissant) and they have really good sandwiches/salads, too. Plus, if you visit the John Hancock Observatory (which is a "must" in Chicago), you'll get to enjoy your meal 1,000 feet in the air. Not every day you do that :)



Lunch or Dinner:

Foodlife: I can't believe I've lived in Chicago 6+ years and didn't discover this place until just a couple months ago! It is in the Water Tower Place shopping center (835 N. Michigan Avenue), but I would NOT call it a food court. EVERY station is ran by LEYE (Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, famous for their fabulous restaurants) and has options for everyone: sushi, mexican, soup, sandwiches, "comfort food", chinese, wine, beer, desserts...the list goes on and on. And it's GOOD, too! Try the Salmon, sushi or the cornbread that comes with the soup...three of my favorites!



Mia Francescas: Fab little Italian restaurant (new to the neighborhood, but not new to Chicago) just a couple blocks of The Mag Mile at 200 E. Chestnut Street. Pizzas start at $8.99, pasta at $12.99.



Pizanos: Owned by the brother of Lou Malnati's, this is my favorite pizza in the entire city (Lou Malnati's is definitely a strong 2nd!) Get their thin crust and order the Rudy's Special. The crust of both pizza places just melts in your mouth. Pizanos is at 864 N. State Street.



Quartinos: As they say, "Where the wine is cheaper than the water." Small plates Italian joint with tons of wine options. Since it's small plates, you can order a few different things and stay w/in your budget. 626 N. State Street.



HUB 51: Another LEYE restaurant with a very cool vibe. Popular after dinner spot and on weekends. Salads/Sandwiches begin at $10. There's also sushi at $8+ and an entree or two at $14+. Great for brunch, too. 51 W. Hubbard Street.



I could keep going, but I think these are some good ones to get you started :) Here's a Dining/Nightlife map to give you a sense of where these places are located in The Magnificent Mile neighborhood. http://www.themagnificentmile.com/images/uploads/magmile-dining-2010.pdf. Also, there is a whole Dining/Nightlife section on www.themagnificentmile.com that has easy click throughs to the websites so you can check out menus, etc. Have fun!!
For $15 a person, you're not going to get fine cuisine, but you can get a full belly. Given your budget, I recommend the following:



Hyde Park:

The Sit Down Cafe and Sushi Bar (Italian %26amp; Japanese - best place in Hyde Park)

The Medici (Italian - popular with UChicago students)

Rajun Cajun (Indian and Soul Food - a hidden gem)



The Loop/Downtown area:

Sayat Nova (Armenian romantic place)

Su Casa (Mexican - very colorful and fun decor)

Eat and Drink (Chinese - literally just a shack but it has DELICIOUS food)



The Magnificent Mile:

In your budget, stick to the fast food. If you want to splurge, check out NoMI in the Park Hyatt.



Lincoln Park:

Nan's (Sushi)What are some cheap, quality restaurants in Chicago?
Cheap and Quality don't necessarily go together but here are a few suggestions for you.

These are some quintessential Chicago places you should try.

Try Lou Malnatti's for a Chicago Deep Dish Pizza. Not real cheap but it will fill you up and for the money a good bargain.



Portillo's for an Italian Beef. You need to order it "wet" with giardianre, a spicy "veggie" mix that contains peppers, celery, oil, among other tasty elements.



Now as you are walking along Michigan Ave, right around 935 North Michigan Ave there is the Tribune Tower, WGN radio broadcasts out of a studio there. If there is anyone left stop and wave HI. Take a look at the building, embedded in the building are stones and bricks from all over the world, sort of interesting. Now cross the street and you will see a stairway leading down under the sidewalk. Don't be nervous, go on down. You will see a sign for The Billy Goat Tavern. Go in and order a cheeseburger, chips, no fries. If you wan to see what it is like before you go do a search and bring up the "Old" Saturday Night Live skit with Jim Belushi and Dan Akroyd.



There you go three inexpensive places to go for a meal that you will not find anyplace else.
While in Hyde Park check out Calypso Cafe. They have some of the best Peach Glazed Wings, Fried Green Tomato's, Jerk Wings, Catfish, prepared different ways and they are affordable. Lots of food for under fifteen dollars. Alice BBQ on 43 and Wabash is delicious order some hotlinks or Rib tips, with Mild sauce, they are sooo delicious. Room 112 on Roosevelt and Wabash serves breakfast at a low price and you get a lot of food. Tempos is a 24 hour restaurant that serves everything all day and they are pretty reasonable. There are so many wonderful good eats in Chicago. I hope you enjoy yourself there.What are some cheap, quality restaurants in Chicago?
If you're looking for breakfast I would try Mellow Yellow and for lunch or dinner (it's not a sit down restaurant) but I would go to Harold's Chicken Shack and order a 5 or 6 wing dinner with mild sauce. Its unhealthy but its sooooo good trust me you won't go wrong, that's if you're into fried chicken. Both of these restaurant are on 53rd street in hyde park, very popular places.
Chicago has a Cheesecake Factory restaurant right near the Hancock Center. It has just about any food you'd want and it's not really pricey. Oh, and the cheesecake is awesome!



Also, several of the museums have their own cafes. Not super-cheap, but you can get away with spending less than $15.
I'd suggest Maggiano's on North Clark St. It's an italian restaurant and has great food. The dishes start at around $8-$10. It's worth it. I'd also recommend Connie's Pizza on Archery Ave. The restaurant is in an old warehouse. Very neat and you can split up the cost of the pizza. You'd enjoy it.
Denny's has a wonderful biscuit and gravy meal for 2 dollars. Leave a dollar tip and your set for the day. Hope this helps.
Portillos!!!! Awesome hotdogs, beefs, salads, and sandwiches.........Any mexican taco place is good too
If you can get away from the Mag Mile and all the touristy spots and hit the real neighborhoods you'd have an array of food options at your disposal. If you like Italian go to Taylor Street, If you prefer Puerto Rican head to Humboldt Park and get the rice and steak at Boriquen(cheap and deelish), If you want cheap sushi head to State Street along where Columbia College is for a lot of cheap, student deals. The South Loop Club, which is a cheap, diner style, student orientated bar is in this area. There are a lot of options, but you kind of have to get off the beaten path, and do your research. Check out Metromix's website for all your needs. And CLTV, one of our local news stations, look for restaurants. Google "Check Please", a great show that allows Chicagoans to rate local fare, and the restaurants are within budget. Try Al's beef while your here, or Portillos, try Chen's for potstickers, George's or Kenny's ribs for great cheap ribs and chicken(all bbq'd items actually) I hear Superdawg and Wiener Circle are big in Chicago, as far as being world renounced as they both appeared on the Food Network. I am going to try Wiener Circle, just for the rants..lol!!