Chicago's Best Restaurants Restaurants near National Archives at Chicago

Vito & Nick's Pizzeria

Founder Vito Barraco opened Vito's Tavern at 80th and Halsted in 1932. Known today for the cracker-crust pizzas they have been making since 1949,

Nicky's – The Real McCoy - Chicago

Specialties of this fast-food operation include flame-broiled chicken, gyros and the signature "big baby" double cheeseburger. Although there are scores of unaffiliated "Nicky's" around the Chicago area, this one is the oldest. Originally Nicky's Drive In, it dates back to 1969.

Reilly's Daughter

Easygoing Irish watering hole with a neighborhood feel inside Chicago Midway International Airport.

Palermo's of 63rd Street - Chicago

Established in 1961 by Antonino and Carmela (Tirrito) Caldarone and their children Benedetto (Ben), Giuseppe (Joe), Ignazio (Frank), and Maria (Lia) shortly after the family emigrated from Italy, Palermo's began as a small, mainly take-out restaurant at 63rd Street and Maplewood. This larger facility opened in 1975. The restaurant continues to serve their acclaimed pizza with its signature sweet sauce, a treasured recipe of the Tirrito family, which boasts among its ancestors the 18th-century painter-poet, Fr. Fedele Tirrito-Palermo. Pizzas come in thin, paper-thin, thick, deep-dish and stuffed versions. They also serve sandwiches, chicken and ribs, pastas and Italian entrees.

Fox's Restaurant and Pub - Oak Lawn

Fox’s restaurants are family run, full-service restaurants on the South Side, known for pizza and a full menu of steaks, chicken, pastas and other Italian-American food.

Lindy's Chili & Gertie's Ice Cream - Ashburn

Long-standing diner-style chain with casual ambiance, dishing up typical comfort food & ices.

Giordano's (S. Pulaski Rd.)

Karolinka Club

Always fun, just Happy Place

Birrieria Zaragoza

Family-run Mexican joint offering comfort food made with goat meat in a cozy, counter-serve setup.

Fat Johnnie's Red Hots

Founded in 1972, this classic Chicago walk-up stand serves hot dogs, chili and the mother-in-law,

IHOP - Ford City

Breakfast served all day includes hearty omelets, french toast, waffles, crepes and pancakes, but this national chain also offers soups, salads, burgers, and a variety of entrees. This location stays open till midnight.

El Solazo

El Solazo, a family-owned Mexican restaurant in Archer Heights, is the sister restaurant to La Josie on Randolph Restaurant Row in the West Loop.

Gold Coast Dogs - Midway

Harry Caray's Seventh Inning Stretch

The largest full-service restaurant and bar at Chicago's Midway Airport, this eatery named for the late, renowned baseball announcer, premiered in 2001.

Mariscos El Veneno - Marquette Park

Big, sharable platters of seafood in the style of Nayarit on Mexico's west coast.

Birrieria de la Torre

There are a few counter stools in this tiny spot serving ribsticking birria (goat stew), posole, menudo and carne en su jugo, a rich bowl of beans, bacon and skirt steak, as well as tacos and tortas.

Nicky's

Specialties of this fast-food operation include flame-broiled chicken, gyros and the signature "big baby" double cheeseburger. Although there are scores of unaffiliated "Nicky's" around the Chicago area, this one is the oldest. Originally Nicky's Drive In, it dates back to 1969