Famous Chicago Food Specialties

What food is Chicago known for? Deep dish pizza, Chicago-style hot dogs, and Italian beef sandwiches top most lists, but the city’s food scene runs far deeper, from Garrett Popcorn to Puerto Rican jibaritos. Few cities can boast a single signature dish, much less an entire menu’s worth of them. As any local will tell you, Chicago deep-dish or Chicago-style hot dogs simply don’t taste right anyplace else.

Check out these famous Chicago food specialties from the Skydeck team, including a few you can try without ever leaving Willis Tower.

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1. Pizza al estilo de Chicago

Deep dish pizza, often called Chicago-style pizza, is the city’s most famous food. Baked in a deep pan, the crust has a distinctive high edge that surrounds generous amounts of cheese and chunky tomato sauce. It traces back to Pizzeria Uno, which opened in 1943. Food historians still debate exactly who in the kitchen came up with the recipe, but the result stuck, and deep dish has been a Chicago signature ever since.

Where to try it: So, where’s the best place to get authentic Chicago-style deep dish? If you’re looking for classic Chicago foods, go to Giordano’s Pizza, just a couple of blocks from Willis Tower on Jackson Boulevard. Additionally, you can enjoy it at Skydeck Chicago, located 99 floors above. Now, that’s a unique Chicago food experience at Skydeck!

2. Chicago Tavern-Style Pizza

Most people know about Chicago-style deep dish. But ask a local which pizza they order on a regular Friday night, and many will say tavern-style: a thin, cracker-crisp crust cut into squares instead of slices. As Chicago has the third-largest Italian population in the US, it’s no surprise that many of the city’s most popular dishes trace back to Italian immigrant kitchens.

Where to try it: Visit Macello Cucina di Puglia in the West Loop for pizza inspired by the Puglia region of Southern Italy, straight from a wood-burning oven.

3. Sándwich italiano de ternera

Not to be missed among famous Chicago food specialties is the Italian beef sandwich. The sandwich isn’t Italian, but its name pays tribute to the Italian-style roll and sweet green pepper garnish. The beef is thin-cut sirloin, roasted in broth and spices to create that famous “jus,” or gravy. The true origin of the Italian beef sandwich is a topic of hot debate, tied to the same wave of Italian immigration that brought Chicago its pizza tradition. Many restaurants claim to be the first.

Where to try it: If you want to taste famous Chicago foods near attractions, try Chatel Farm’s Italian Beef. You can get it at Kindling Chicago, located on the ground floor of Willis Tower. It’s helmed by James Beard Award-winning Chef Jonathon Sawyer.

4. Chicago-Style Hot Dog

A Chicago Hot Dog is a popular Chicago dish in its own right, absolutely distinct from a mere “hot dog.” You need a Vienna Beef hot dog cooked in water. Grab a poppy seed bun, then add mustard, sweet green relish, and chopped onions. Also, include hot peppers, tomato slices, dill pickles, and a pinch of celery salt. There’s no need for ketchup. Vienna Beef itself dates back to the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, where two Austrian-Hungarian immigrants, Emil Reichel and Samuel Ladany, first sold their sausages before staying in Chicago to build the company that still supplies the city’s hot dogs today.

Where to try it: Hot dog stands, baseball games, and fancy restaurants in the Loop all serve them. You’ll easily find Chicago hot dogs near tourist attractions.

5. Tortazo

Chicago’s food scene isn’t only pizza and beef. The city has one of the largest Mexican communities in the country, and that’s reflected in dishes like tortas, tacos, and quesadillas served across town, including right inside Willis Tower.

Where to try it: Tortazo, Chef Rick Bayless’s modern take on Mexican cuisine, is located inside Catalog at Willis Tower. It’s known for its flavor-packed tortas, tacos, quesadillas, and house-made churros, an easy stop whether you’re heading up to Skydeck or grabbing a quick lunch downtown.

6. Garrett Popcorn

No list of famous Chicago foods is complete without popcorn. Garrett Popcorn Shops opened its first store in 1949 on Madison Street, just blocks from where Willis Tower stands today, and its secret family recipes are still handcrafted in copper kettles. The signature Garrett Mix, a blend of CaramelCrisp and CheeseCorn, is the closest thing Chicago has to an official snack.

Where to try it: Garrett Popcorn has multiple shops throughout downtown Chicago, including locations in the Loop and on Michigan Avenue, making it an easy stop before or after a Skydeck visit.

7. The Jibarito

Chicago is home to the second-largest Puerto Rican population in the US, and the jibarito is its most famous culinary contribution. Instead of bread, this sandwich is built on two flattened, fried plantains, filled with steak or another protein, cheese, lettuce, tomato, and garlic mayonnaise. It was invented in 1996 by Juan “Pete” Figueroa at his restaurant in the Humboldt Park neighborhood, and it’s since become a symbol of the city’s Puerto Rican community.

Where to try it: Head to Borinquen Lounge in the North Center neighborhood, still run by the Figueroa family, for the sandwich that started it all.

8. Palmer House Brownie

Long before “fudgy versus cakey” was a debate, Chicago settled it. The brownie was invented at the Palmer House Hotel in 1893, created for boxed lunches served to guests attending that year’s World’s Columbian Exposition, the same fair that introduced Chicago’s Vienna Beef hot dog to the world. It’s one of the most enduring desserts to come out of the city.

Where to try it: The Palmer House Hotel still serves a version of the original recipe at its Lockwood restaurant, walnuts included.

9. Original Rainbow Cone

Si aún le queda sitio para el postre, no se pierda esta pintoresca delicia de Chicago. Disfrute de este cono de gofre después de un largo paseo por el centro. Tiene cinco sabrosas capas: chocolate, fresa, Palmer House (vainilla con cerezas y nueces), pistacho y sorbete de naranja.

Where to try it: You can enjoy the original Rainbow Cone in Beverly. This iconic treat is also available at various ice cream shops across the city.

Malört: la firma de Chicago

Ya sabes por qué comida es conocida Chicago, pero ¿con qué deberías maridarla? Muchos habitantes de Chicago responderán a esa pregunta con "Malört". Es un aguardiente de estilo sueco destilado con sabor a ajenjo. Puede que no suene muy apetecible, pero hay una buena razón por la que el Malört lleva en el mercado desde los años treinta. Malört solo se vendió en la zona de Chicago hasta 2013. Disfrutar de su amargo sabor es un rito de iniciación en Chicago. Solo para lenguas afiladas.

Dónde probarlo: Se puede encontrar en muchos bares y tabernas de Chicago. Es una tradición local compartir esta experiencia única de Chicago con los visitantes.

Try Several of These Without Leaving Willis Tower

Here’s something most “famous Chicago foods” lists can’t tell you: a handful of the dishes on this page are available without leaving Willis Tower. Tortazo serves Chicago’s Mexican flavors right in the building’s Catalog dining area. Kindling, on the ground floor, is where to find the Italian beef sandwich, from a James Beard Award-winning chef. And Catalog’s Van Leeuwen Ice Cream is an easy dessert stop. Combined with Skydeck’s views, The Ledge, and the Chicago Museum, it’s possible to eat your way through a real piece of Chicago’s food history as part of the same three-in-one visit without ever stepping outside.

Preguntas frecuentes

What food is Chicago known for?
Chicago is best known for deep dish pizza, Italian beef sandwiches, and Chicago-style hot dogs, along with tavern-style pizza, Garrett Popcorn, and the Puerto Rican jibarito.

What food is Chicago famous for besides pizza?
Beyond deep dish, Chicago is known for Italian beef sandwiches, Chicago-style hot dogs, the jibarito, Garrett Popcorn, and the Palmer House brownie.

What is a Chicago-style hot dog?
A Vienna Beef hot dog on a poppy seed bun with mustard, relish, onions, hot peppers, tomato, pickle, and celery salt, no ketchup.

What should I eat near Willis Tower?
Willis Tower’s Catalog dining area includes Tortazo for Mexican food and Kindling for Italian beef, both without leaving the building.

What dessert was invented in Chicago?
The brownie was invented at the Palmer House Hotel in 1893 for the World’s Columbian Exposition.

¡Explora lo mejor de Chicago con Skydeck!

Elevate your Chicago food experience by dining on The Ledge at Skydeck Chicago. And eat like a local near the top Chicago sights. Skydeck is the perfect start or grand finale to your city adventure.

Planifique su visita a Skydeck Chicago. Es el lugar perfecto para los amantes de la comida y de las vistas. Deguste los platos más famosos de la ciudad, contemple el horizonte y haga que su viaje sea realmente inolvidable.