When visiting the fun and interesting city of Chicago in the state of Illinois, many visitors want to try their many famous foods. Chicago is a melting pot of cultures, and with that comes many different food items from all different countries and cultures. This makes Chicago a great place to visit if you are a “foodie,” as the number of food options truly seems endless.
Most people want to try a new city’s famous food items. Whenever you travel to a new place, you usually want to try what food items that they are famous for, correct? I am definitely this way, as when a place is famous for something, they are probably the best. And I want the best food!
The three main food choices for Chicago visitors that I have noticed include Italian beef sandwiches, Chicago-style hot dogs, and the different Chicago-style pizzas. There are of course many other famous food items that are from Chicago, but these are the top three that most people “demand” when they visit this great city.
When I visited Chicago a few months ago, I had both the Chicago-style hotdogs and the deep-dish pizza, and they were both delicious. These are both food items that I could honestly never get sick of.
Italian Beef Sandwich
The Italian Beef Sandwich is a famous Chicago-style sandwich that is created with very thin strips of roast beef and spicy vegetables on Italian bread.
Al’s Beef (as stated again below) first sold the Italian Beef sandwich in the year 1938 with its first restaurant stand. So, if you want to try this sandwich at the restaurant that started it all, definitely stop into Al’s Beef and buy an Italian Beef Sandwich from here.
Here are some places where you can buy Italian beef sandwiches:
- Al’s Beef (this is the “creator” of the Italian Beef sandwich).
- Portillo’s (mentioned below as well, so you can knock off two Chicago food items on your list at the same time if you want).
- Johnnie’s Beef
- Beef
Chicago Style Hotdogs
One of my favorites is the Chicago-style hotdogs. These are delicious and I try to get one as often as I can. These hotdogs are created with beef, relish a pickle spear, peppers, onions, mustard, and all on a poppy seed hot dog bun. They are stuffed to the max and are possibly the best hot dogs out there in the world. And, yes, I truly mean that.
A little history on the Chicago-style hot dog: It was said to be created in 1929. There are many hot dog restaurants in the Chicago area, so you will have no problem finding a restaurant that serves it. I have heard that there are more hot dog stands and restaurants than there are Mcdonald’s or other national fast-food chains.
Here are some places to find their famous hot dogs:
- Portillo’s
- Gene and Jude’s
- Hot Doug’s
- Redhot Ranch
Chicago Style Pizza
If you have ever thought about going to Chicago, most people will bring up their famous deep-dish pizza. These are delicious and almost always call for a fork, considering how thick these pizzas are.
Since most people’s must-see list when visiting Chicago includes Pizza, here are some places that you should check out if you want pizza while you are in Chicago:
- Giordano’s
- Burt’s Place
- Gino’s
