Iconic Foods Tour

Chicago’s specialty food scene goes well beyond the usual trio of Italian beef, pizza, and hot dogs, built instead around a deep mix of immigrant influences, working-class deli culture, and neighborhood food traditions. Deli-style and sub sandwiches show up in everything from classic cold-cut subs layered with Italian meats and provolone to Chicago’s distinctive “gym shoe” sandwich, a hefty deli creation that mixes meats like roast beef, salami, and turkey with lettuce, tomato, and dressing. Club sandwiches and grilled melts are also staples in diners and corner lunch spots, often stacked high and served warm with toasted bread and melted cheese. The “mother-in-law” sandwich adds another uniquely Chicago twist, typically a tamale served on a hot dog bun and smothered in chili, reflecting the city’s long-standing tradition of repurposing street food into hearty, portable meals.

On the hot sandwich side, Chicago has several defining staples like the breaded steak sandwich, where a thin, breaded cutlet is tucked into a roll and often topped with marinara and peppers, and the fried chicken sandwich, which has become a modern classic in both fast-casual spots and long-established fried chicken joints. The Chicago-style gyro, brought through Greek-American restaurant culture, is another cornerstone, typically loaded with seasoned meat, onions, tomato, and tzatziki on pita. Maxwell Street Polish is one of the city’s most iconic street foods, a grilled Polish sausage topped with grilled onions, mustard, and sometimes sport peppers, rooted in the historic Maxwell Street market tradition. Other deeply rooted dishes include chicken vesuvio, a Chicago-Italian-American roast chicken and potato dish flavored with garlic, wine, and herbs, and shrimp de Jonghe, a baked shrimp casserole rich with garlic, butter, and breadcrumbs that reflects the city’s old-school hotel and restaurant cuisine. Fried chicken itself remains a foundational Chicago comfort food, with countless soul food and neighborhood spots carrying long family traditions. Smoked fish from Calumet Fisheries represents another layer of the city’s food identity, especially its oak-smoked shrimp and salmon prepared in a century-old riverside shack.

Chicago’s sweeter and snack-based specialties are just as iconic and reflect the city’s strong bakery and confectionery heritage. Garrett Popcorn Shops is famous for its Chicago Mix of caramel and cheese popcorn, a signature sweet-and-savory combination that has become internationally recognized. Eli’s Cheesecake helped define Chicago-style cheesecake with dense, rich, New York–influenced recipes that became a city export. The Original Rainbow Cone is another landmark, known for its stacked slices of ice cream in flavors like chocolate, strawberry, and pistachio served in a cone or cup. Bakeries like Ann Sather (commonly known as Ann Sather Restaurant) carry on the city’s Swedish-influenced cinnamon roll and breakfast traditions, while neighborhood bakeries and delis keep alive staples like brownies, Polish paczki filled with jam or cream, and Eastern European pierogi stuffed with potato, cheese, or meat. Together, these foods reflect Chicago’s identity as a city shaped by immigration, neighborhood institutions, and a strong culture of hearty, accessible comfort food.

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3 Little Pigs (3LP)
Augustinos
Fontano’s Subs
Jibaritos Y Mas
Jim’s Original
Mr. Submarine
Ricobene’s
Sunny’s Sunmarine