The 38 best restaurants for delivery and takeout in Chicago

MCCB—short for Modern Chinese Cook Book—specializes in Sichuan- and Canton-style cuisines, which translates to flavor-packed dishes that don't shy away from mixing unexpected ingredients. Choose from menu items like lychee-apple grilled whole fish, Dan Dan-style pork fried rice and dessert soup made with papaya and wood ear mushroom.

Chef Bill Kim keeps our bellies happy with his playful menu of Asian staples, like addictive dumplings in flavors like pork and cilantro and chicken red curry. You'll want to save room for hearty entrees like ramen with braised pork belly, creamy coconut curry pho, fried rice bowls and Thai fried chicken. The little ones won't feel left out: The kids' menu offers fan-favorites like fried katsu chicken over jasmine rice and ramen noodle soup.

Developed by Dan Snowden—the former executive chef of Bad Hunter—and Heisler Hospitality's Matt Eisler and Kevin Heisner, Pizza Lobo features grab-and-go 'za, delectable sides and a lengthy booze menu. The trio honed the concept for Pizza Lobo over the course of several years in the kitchen of Bad Hunter's sister bar, Lone Wolf, playing with different ideas revolving around a classic New York-style crust. Now, the stand-alone concept is taking on an identity of its own, thanks to a roster of top-notch pies garnished with everything from grapes and broccoli rabe to hot honey and 'nduja.

For Chicagoans, there are few greater joys in this world than a pristine Chicago-style hot dog or a decadently messy Italian beef. Portillo's has both—and then some. No order is complete without some crinkle-cut fries and an order of chocolate cake (bonus points if you opt to get the latter blended up into a shake).

If you're looking for big flavor for just a little bit of cash, this tiny Cambodian fusion restaurant will fill your belly without emptying your wallet. Just around the corner from Googoo's Table in the neighborhood from which the small restaurant takes its name, Hermosa's signature dish is the Cambodian fried chicken sandwich, which takes a crispy chicken thigh marinated in spices and garnishes it with pickled papayas and long beans. You'll also find a few Thai dishes on the menu (owner Ethan Lim was born in Thailand), including takes on nom tak and chicken congee that are all six dollars or less.

Did you know that the jibarito was created in Chicago? In our minds, the ingenious Puerto Rican sandwich is as iconic as the Chicago-style hot dog or the Italian beef. You'll find a stellar example of the sandwich at this no-frills restaurant in Back of the Yards, where the jibaritos are accessorized with melted cheese, tomato, grilled onions and lettuce. But the star of the show is the garlicky plantain “bun,” which is expertly seasoned and fried to crispy-chewy perfection.

Chicago's carnitas king is still slinging slow-roasted pork by the half-pound. Each serving is accompanied by a stack of tender tortillas, lime, onion, cilantro and your choice of side (you can't go wrong with the jalapeño-tomato salsa). Both locations—Pilsen and Gage Park—are open for pickup and delivery.

What makes Art Shabez's slices stand out in a bona fide pizza town like Chicago? Sure, the gooey mozzarella, fennel-flecked Italian sausage and market-fresh veggies are all stellar, but the real star of the show is the fan-favorite red sauce, which bursts with vine-ripened tomatoes, fresh oregano and basil, and a faint hint of red pepper. Luckily for us, we can get our hands on these loaded slices whenever a craving hits, thanks to easy-peasy delivery and takeout service.

What we love about this colorful and bustling storefront is that it keeps our interest with new concoctions every couple of weeks (listed under "specials" when you order online). Of course, the tried-and-true favorites keep us coming back, like the gang hung lay (pork in sweet, garlicky, ginger-laden curry) and the kua kae, a stir-fry of chicken, baby corn, eggplant, shredded lime leaves and roasted rice powder that has a gingery citrus tang.

Whether you like to keep it traditional or break the rules, this new-wave taqueria has something for everyone. Served on handmade tortillas, the tacos here vary from beautifully simple grilled steak to funky sweet and spicy chicken. An order a guac and a margarita cocktail kit are musts. Antique Taco is currently offering delivery and curbside pickup from its Wicker Park and Bridgeport locations.

Chefs Shin Thompson (Furious Spoon) and Liga Sigal pay homage to Japanese curry and katsu with this delivery and pick-up concept, operating out of a shared kitchen in Avondale. Bokuchan's curry is faithful to the variety that's popular in Japan, using a slightly sweet sauce that's thicker and less spicy than the curry found in Indian dishes. The menu includes curries topped with fried chicken breast and Berkshire pork cutlets, a vegan variant made with king oyster mushrooms and an extremely spicy bowl featuring a habanero-Cayenne chili blend. Make sure to leave room in your order for the nori flake-covered curry fries and the chewy matcha chocolate chip cookies.

The culinary geniuses behind beloved Chicago restaurant Giant offer hot takes on sweet and sour chicken, mongolian beef, walnut shrimp and other crave-worthy Chinese-American takeout classics at Chef's Special Cocktail Bar in Bucktown. Wash it down with a selection from the to-go cocktail menu, which includes refreshing sippers that showcase ingredients like green tea gin, orange blossom syrup and fresh lime leaf. No order is complete without a trio of warm almond cookies.

Owners Madieye and Awa Gueye bring a taste of Senegal to the South Side with their 16-year-old restaurant, which showcases slow cooking and delicious West African flavors. Signature entrées include maffe, a thick stew of lamb with ground peanuts and habanero peppers, and the succulent chicken yassa, grilled chicken that’s marinated in mustard powder, vinegar and lemon juice. But we’d move mountains for the dakhine, seared lamb shank with onions, tomato paste and peanut butter.

In Thai, Immm means "I'm stuffed," which is an appropriate name for this Uptown restaurant that has a mile-long menu of traditional delicacies. Get your household to buy in to ensure that you're able to try a bit of everything—from the refreshing green papaya salad that's studded with peanuts and dried shrimp to gaeng tae poe, a rich tamarind red curry with pork belly and spinach. Flank your meal with an order of fried shrimp wontons to start and mango sticky rice for dessert.

Believe it or not, chef Erick Williams' award-winning Hyde Park restaurant offers takeout, so that guests can enjoy Day One favorites from home. The blackened catfish is always superb, and the thick, chicken- and andouille-studded gumbo is unforgettable. The desserts, too, are always on-point—especially Millie's banana pudding with hunks of nilla wafers embedded within.

Both the Wicker Park and Wrigleyville locations of Big Star are open for pickup and delivery, making it easier than ever to get your hands on crispy fish tacos, creamy guacamole and tequila-spiked margaritas. Now, if only we could order a side of patio vibes.

No one does Korean fusion quite like Del Seoul, with its sesame-chili shrimp tacos, bulgogi banh mi and kimchi fries. Lucky for us, the full menu is available for pickup and delivery. Upgrade your order with a boozy beverage—cans of spiked seltzer and beer are available to go.

In normal times, you'd have to wait hours for your table at Au Cheval, the wildly popular West Loop burger joint from Hogsalt Hospitality that doesn't accept reservations. But these aren't normal times. For the first time in its eight-year history, Au Cheval is offering delivery and takeout, offering its fan-favorite patty, jumbo honey wings, a stacked fried bologna sandwich and more.

When sushi cravings hit, you better have an emergency contact on speed dial. The good folks at Sushi-san are happy to deliver your fix, with a menu of maki, nigiri, tempura and more. But perhaps the smartest way to order is to first select a San-Set, like the Mega, with eight pieces of nigiri, 12 bites of sashimi and two rolls. Toss in anything else you might need (edamame, Kirin light) and let the sushi experts do the rest.

The spacious patio at Frontier offers plenty of room to social distance, but if you prefer to dine at home, chef Brian Jupiter is happy to pack up your feast to go. The meaty menu is made for carnivores, with mammoth wagyu ribs, smoke-kissed brisket and blackened salmon on offer. Prefer your meat from the sea? Char-grilled oysters an ahi tuna sandwich are great picks.

Thick handmade tortillas, salsas made to order, cinnamon-laced coffee. You can get all of that here. Their only purpose, however, is to accompany this restaurant’s signature platters of chopped goat meat. As opposed to other birrierias, this goat doesn’t touch a consommé until it’s plated, when some of the tomato-based broth is spooned over it. At that point, a good dousing of the restaurant’s intricate hot sauce, and maybe a squeeze of lime and some onions, is all you need for one of the city’s best goat tacos.

Named for a mythical weapon used by the Hindu God of Thunder, Vajra illuminates the diminutive yet diverse country of Nepal through adaptations of the dishes co-owner Dipesh Kakshapaty grew up eating in bustling Butwal, from tandoori-roasted game to soothing root-veg curries. Executive chef Min Thapa’s lovely renditions of traditional Nepali dishes join a small handful of Indian staples like biryani, vindaalu and naan. Don't plan on dining in just yet—everything is available to go, including a range of delicious cocktails.

Trying to pull off date night at home? This sweet Avondale eatery from husband-and-wife team Beverly Kim and John Clark has you covered with its Korean-leaning prix fixe menu. Your spread includes a smorgasbord of starters and your choice of main, plus the option to toss in dessert (duh) and wine (double duh).

While a number of the fillings here are worth your attention, the ravenous crowds are (virtually) beating down the door for the carne asada. Instead of mangy bits of chopped beef, L’Patron serves up sizable hunks of extra-tender steak. Oh, and don’t forget to ask for the flavorful, thick housemade tortillas.

One of the city's all-time best pizzerias is firing up its ovens in anticipation of your delivery or takeout order. We're big fans of the Honey Butter Fried Chicken collaboration pie with crispy poultry, blue cheese, scallions, buffalo sauce and crunchies.

Allow us to count the reasons why we love this burger. There's the pillowy bun and the gooey American cheese, the tangy hoisin aioli and those crunchy sweet potato frizzles. And dare we forget about the sweet and spicy pickled jalapeños! This burger is pure perfection, and luckily, you can get it ferried straight to your front door whenever you need it.

If you feel like jazzing up your delivery order this weekend, bust out your placemats, set the table and call in an order to Community Tavern, a Pan-Asian–inspired New American restaurant in Portage Park. The burger is one of the best in Chicago, but we're also addicted to the short rib dumplings and the crispy rice noodles with lemongrass chicken and crunchy bok choy.

You don’t have to claim a bunk at the adjacent Hostel International to get your hands on one of this café’s ridiculously good Cuban sandwiches. Sure, sides of roasted eggplant, cannellini bean salad and briny artichokes are flavorful, but there’s no confusion over the star of the show: The Cubano’s crusty bread is toasted just right, its roast pork juicy, its pickles thick, and its mustard and gooey cheese plentiful.

Channeling old-school burger joints in Northwest Indiana, the Region is known for its smash burger, with an iconic, lacey-edged patty that extends well past the bun. Every inch of crispy beef is dressed with American cheese, mayo-based Region sauce, bright green relish and onion. It's the only burger that's ever made us want to travel to Indiana. Lucky for you, you don't even have to walk outside to enjoy it if you don't want to.

There's something incredibly comforting about warm pockets of baked dough stuffed with meats, veggies and cheeses. The empanada experts at 5411 specialize in non-traditional flavor combinations, like mushroom, thyme and blue cheese; bacon, date and goat cheese; and sweet corn, béchamel sauce and mozzarella. Three or four empanadas feed a hungry adult, but that shouldn't stop you from adding in one last handheld for dessert—a banana-Nutella empanada.

Transporting diners to the streets of Chengdu, Da Mao Jia (formerly known as A Place by Damao) deals in heat and flavor. Set your taste buds ablaze with spicy braised duck wings, spicy Chengdu fries and supple handmade dumplings. Almost everything here comes rubbed or topped with mouth-tingling szechuan pepper, so pad your order with the warm water jelly cake with black sugar for relief at the end of the meal.

Ramen? For delivery? Just go with us on this one. The folks at Furious Spoon package their famously toothsome noodles on the side so that nothing gets soggy in your driver's car. The namesake Furious bowl boasts a spicy miso pork broth with house-made chashu, tender dumplings, crispy shallots, marinated 'shrooms and a perfectly poached egg. Add beer, draft sake or wine to your order if you please.

Most of MingHin's expansive menu is available at your fingertips, with shrimp dumplings, BBQ spare ribs and mango pudding just a click away. You can even order a whole BBQ duck or special cage-free chicken for delivery—the ultimate party move in our opinion. All of MingHin's locations offer carryout and delivery, so make sure you find the nearest outpost before calling in your order.

Up until recently, all attempts to bring Nashville-style hot chicken to Chicago have been hampered by unfortunate missteps, from texturally weird breading to too-viscous, barbecue sauce-like cayenne paste to wimpy spicing. Enter the Budlong, a snug spot frying up hot chicken that hits all the right notes. That is to say, the chicken is briny, the breading is shatteringly crisp, and the cayenne paste that coats it gets you sweating and stains your fingers just the right shade of atomic red.

If you're looking for variety, this West Loop sushi haven delivers a laundry list of nigiri, sashimi, maki rolls, small plates and desserts. The chef-dressed tuna truffle nigiri bites are a fan favorite, with tender big eye tuna dripping in savory truffle sauce and served with slices of chilled avocado. Diners can expect more creative rolls here, like the vegetarian panko onion with garlic mayo, onion, avocado, red onions and greens.

Seafood and fast food don't typically go hand in hand, but the folks at Brown Bag are trying to change that. The quick-service restaurant has locations all over Chicago—from the Loop to Roscoe Village. Simply pick your protein (salmon, crispy cod, curry fish cakes, seared tuna, etc.) and a base (veggies, grains, salad, tacos, etc.), and you'll be on your way in no time. The fish here is deliciously fresh, whether you go with the daily catch or the grilled shrimp. And you can't beat the price: Most meals are well under $15.