Memorial Day 2017 Dining Guide

With Memorial Day, aka the unofficial start to summer, just around the corner, Chicagoans are eager to celebrate with a three-day long weekend and an abundance of festive eats. All over the city, restaurants, bars and steakhouses are commemorating Memorial Day weekend with specials, events and extra brunch. Here’s where to go in Chicago. 

 

Chicago q
Chicago q

Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba!: Chicago’s original tapas restaurant always knows how to throw a good party. In honor of Memorial Day, Cafe Ba-Ba-Reeba! is serving brunch on May 29 from 10:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., followed by dinner service until 10:00 p.m. So there’s plenty of opportunity to indulge on your day off. Dishes are perfectly snackable and comforting, like deviled eggs with bacon, pancakes, waffle-battered chicken sticks, omelets, various brunchy tapas and more. There’s also a build-your-own Bloody Mary bar and six flavors of sangria, which sounds like a surefire way to celebrate any holiday. 

 

The Kerryman: Rathan than confine the Memorial Day merriment to one day, The Kerryman is hosting a variety of events and specials all weekend long. Because the onset of summer in Chicago is a big deal. Brunchers can enjoy $5 mimosas and Bloody Marys from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. on May 27 and May 28. There will also be bonus brunch on the actual holiday, and on Sunday night, the bar is hosting its annual Memorial Day party with DJ Ruki from 10:00 p.m. until closing time. 

R.J. Grunts: There’s just something so apropos and comforting about visiting Chicago’s quintessential all-American family restaurant on a holiday. In Lincoln Park, longstanding R.J. Grunts will be serving Memorial Day brunch from 10:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., featuring an all-you-can-eat spread of hearty dishes like pecan bread pudding French toast, mini Belgian waffles, thick-cut bacon, eggs, yogurt and granola, and more. All for a mere $15.95 per person, and the famous salad bar is included in the cost.

Chicago q: Seeing as Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, a season synonymous with barbecue, it makes perfect sense to indulge at one of Chicago’s most iconic barbecue restaurants. Fittingly, Chicago q will be open and serving brunch on May 29, with the patio open to boot (weather permitting).  The menu features fixtures like smoked dry-rubbed wings, brisket, fried green tomatoes, hush puppies, smoked chicken eggs Benedict, chicken & waffles, sweet potato hash and loads more. 

Shaw's Crab House: It’s happy hour all day long at Shaw’s Crab House, where the seafood staple will be slinging half-priced fresh oysters, select cocktails, wine and draft beer in the boisterous oyster bar space on Memorial Day. 

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