Chicago St. Patrick’s Day Parade 2024 guide, including time and route

Dumpling fiends know that Qing Xiang Yuan in Chinatown serves some of the tastiest dumplings in town. The family-owned restaurant, which traces its humble roots to a basement food court, has a second, quick-service location in the Loop. At JIAO, guests can expect shorter wait times and a grab-and-go experience that's built for lunchtime noshing. Choose from pillow pockets filled with everything from truffle and beef to pork and cabbage.

Straight from the ’burbs and into the corporate confines of Prudential Plaza comes this cheery pancake house, where Millennium Park tourists mingle with Edelman execs having breakfast meetings. Aside from the assiduously refilled coffee, these folks are starting their day with unnaturally large omelettes, giant breakfast sandwiches overwrought with cheese, and dense, custard-filled pancake stacks drizzled in berry puree. How do places like this manage to make pancakes that fill you up in only two bites? Ask the servers here—if our experience was any indication, they’ll answer with speed and a smile.

Owner Billy Lawless nailed the gastropub with this Mag Mile hit. The whiskey list is lengthy, beer options reach beyond the basics, and wines are accompanied by clever, straightforward descriptions. The food is rich and aggressively flavorful, from the perfect-for-snacking Scotch egg to the Gage venison burger, served a juicy medium-rare and dripping with caramelized onions and brie.

Tucked behind the Game Room in the Chicago Athletic Association, Cherry Circle Room used to be where club members refueled. Now that it’s open to everyone, the talented kitchen turns out gorgeous dishes like shrimp cocktail with a delightful Bloody Mary-spiced cocktail sauce and beef tartare mixed with quail egg. A roving cocktail cart serves drinks tableside, and the old fashioneds selection is unmatched.

Whether you're looking for a pre-theater snack at the bar or a weekend brunch option, The Dearborn has you covered with its versatile menus and sprawling dining room. Go casual with a burger and fries or turn things up with rich options like beef short rib, porcini-crusted ribeye or house-made Parmesan gnocchi. Just be sure to save room for dessert—the chocolate Basque cake is divine.

The popular chain will keep you fueled up with burgers in pillowy-soft buns, crispy crinkle-cut fries and some of the richest frozen custard we've ever had. 

Whenever we want to impress our out-of-towner visitors, we book a table at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel’s rooftop bar, from which vistas of Millennium Park, Lake Michigan and the city skyline are on full display. The drink lineup compliments the main attraction, with easy-sipping selections best enjoyed in the sun. As an added bonus, the spirit-free menu rocks, offering bold, never watered-down selections.

For more than 50 years, this cavernous Loop tavern has cornered the market on medieval dives. Beyond the heavy doors that seem to hide a monastery, you’ll find an after-work crowd of mostly suits and occasional skirts downing beer.

True to form, Brando’s Speakeasy is anything but what it seems. It’s a lounge, but conversation flows more like a neighborhood haunt. The decor and vintage posters throw it back eras, but the karaoke and late-night dance music add modern flair. While it’s not Don Vito Corleone meets Al Capone as the name might imply, Brando’s is definitely a mash-up.

Follow up an afternoon of bagpipes and drums with some blues music at this popular South Loop club, named for one of the city's most legendary performers. And if you like Louisiana cuisine, the kitchen has just what you need.

Located in the Chicago Athletic Association, this sprawling bar has pool tables, foosball, chess boards and shuffleboard, so there’s plenty to entertain you between rounds of drinks. Snacks are simple and include warm chocolate chip cookies and fried Wisconsin cheese curds served with ranch and marinara.