The Time Out Chicago blog team

Chicago Restaurant Week is back and bigger than ever. From January 23, 2026 through February 8, 2026, more than 500 restaurants will offer specially-curated prix fixe menus, giving you an excellent reason to come out of hibernation and enjoy amazing food that spans the globe. This year marks the 19th edition of the event and, according to Choose Chicago, this will be the largest lineup yet with a record number of participants in 33 neighborhoods and 61 suburbs. Longtime favorites and up-and-comers will be participating, each one offering approachable price points—$30 for brunch or lunch and $45 or $60 for dinner. What that means is that you can finally check out those restaurants you've been meaning to try over the past few months. A slew of eateries are making their Restaurant Week debut, 76 to be exact. Lula Cafe, a Logan Square essential known for its creative, unfussy plates, is joining the party. Truth Be Told in Hyde Park brings polished pub fare to the table. Lincoln Park’s Café Yaya arrives with bright Mediterranean flavors. As first-timers, their menus will surely be designed to impress. Plenty of returning favorites are also on the list. Gene & Georgetti, one of the city’s oldest steakhouses, will tempt traditionalists. You can dive in to coastal Southern cooking at Big Jones in Andersonville. Dove’s Luncheonette in Wicker Park has been a reliable stop for Tex-Mex, so now's the time to check it out. These restaurants know how to do Restaurant Week right,...

The biggest night of the year is just around the corner and Molson Coors wants to make sure you're focused on having fun without having to worry about how to safely get home. Once again, the company is teaming up with CTA to offer free rides on New Year's Eve. Riders will get to enjoy a no-cost trip on CTA from 10pm on December 31 through 4m on January 1, 2026. Whether you’re celebrating with midnight fireworks at Navy Pier or heading out to a party, bar or restaurant across the city, every bus and train ride during those hours is on the house. Just hop on and go. The Free Rides program has been around since 1988 and it’s grown into a major New Year’s tradition in cities across the country. With nearly 10 million complimentary rides provided nationwide, it’s one of Molson Coors' longest-standing efforts tied to responsible drinking. Last year alone, over 440,000 people used the service, the biggest turnout the program has seen. "At Molson Coors, our brands have always been part of the special moments that bring people together, and the Free Rides program reflects our commitment to celebrating responsibly," said Alison Hanrahan, community affairs manager at Molson Coors, in an official statement. "CTA is an integral part of how Chicago stays connected, and we’re proud to partner with them once again to help people get home safely this New Year’s Eve." The partnership between the CTA and Miller High Life highlights a simple idea: if you’re going out, you should have an easy...

Drag Race: The Experience has sashayed into Chicago for a one-month stint. But does it bring the requisite charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent? Well… yes and no. The RuPaul's Drag Race-themed attraction opened in Logan Square—inside a massive warehouse off Logan Boulevard and Western Avenue—on November 30 to mixed reactions. Some fans were thrilled to fling themselves into the world of glamazons and queens; others eyed it the way one eyes a suspiciously expensive cocktail—pretty, yes, but why does it cost that much? As for me, a lapsed fan longing to relive the glory days of seasons five and six (the Alyssa-Coco feud! Laganja Estranja’s “let’s get sickening”!!), I landed squarely in the realm of lukewarm. Produced by World of Wonder—the company behind Drag Race and the global DragCon conventions—the attraction casts visitors as the main character inside some of the show’s most iconic spaces. You can strut the Main Stage, snap a selfie in the Werk Room, film a confessional and flip through racks of costumes pulled straight from the runway. There’s never-before-seen footage playing across a glowing wall of retro TV screens, an abundance of photo ops and QR-guided prompts that politely boss you from room to room. Photograph: Shannon Shreibak To my surprise, the press tour I attended was nearly empty, which took some of the sparkle out of things; drag-themed activations, like queens themselves, are best appreciated with an audience. I checked in at a magenta desk...