Can't-Miss Restaurant Week Destinations

Picture this: it’s Chicago Restaurant Week, and anybody who’s anybody in Chicago is dining out at the city’s best restaurants, enjoying tasting menus crafted to delight and sipping on drinks designed to woo. As the lights of Broadway twinkle in the distance, diners revel in the best food the city has to offer. “WAIT, did you just say Broadway? As in Broadway in Lakeview East?,” you ask. You heard me. Chicago Restaurant Week isn’t just for Downtown — in fact, Lakeview East has some of the best menus and deals in Chicago. Yeah, I went there.

Look, it’s the middle of winter and the layer of ice on my windshield has guaranteed that I’m not hopping in the car anytime soon to explore too far beyond my neighborhood. Instead, this restaurant week, I’m going to be dining at these seven places, all mere steps (STEPS!) from the warmth of my apartment. All of the excitement and deliciousness, none of the outrageous Uber tabs. Win-win-win!

1. BITES asian kitchen + bar

After joining the Lakeview Supper Club here a couple of months ago, I’ve been obsessed with BITES. Their menu is delish, of course, and their cocktails are insane (sealed the deal), but their gorgeously decorated interior is exactly what those cold Chicago winters call for. Sign. me. Up. Check out their Restaurant Week menu here.

2. Drew’s on Halsted

Featuring a bar that would make any interior designer weep tears of envy, Drew’s is a favorite place when you’re craving the familiar done well. Take advantage of their Chicago Restaurant Week dinner specials, which feature their butternut squash ravioli and homemade bread pudding. Insert drool emoji here. Check out their Restaurant Week menu here.

3. Mordecai Whiskey & Grill

You know the place. The one you walk by when you’re at a Cubs game and think “someday, I’ll be classy enough to go there.” Today is that day, my friend. Book your table fast, because Mordecai’s Chicago Restaurant Week menu features a dessert that comes with a pour of whiskey. Hello beautiful. Check out their Restaurant Week menu here.

4. Select Cut Steakhouse

Eat at a steakhouse on a regular old night? Yeah, we said it. This is you in 2020 — paying beyond reasonable prices for a stellar steakhouse dinner. Welcome to the new decade. It tastes like 14 oz of New York strip, cooked to perfection. Check out their Restaurant Week menu here.

5. Tanuki Sushi Bar

Steps from the Wellington stop — hello dinner on the way home from work! — Tanuki is the cutest little sushi bar on the block. Even though the fan-favorite patio is out of commission for the winter (RIP), the sushi here is too delicious and gorgeously plated to pass up. Check out their Restaurant Week menu here.

6. Yoshi’s Cafe

Knock a Lakeview favorite off your list during restaurant week with a stop at Yoshi’s Cafe. Featuring a breathtaking, colorful menu of French-Japanese fusion food, Yoshi’s has been a destination for years, and their Restaurant Week offerings will prove it to you. Check out their Restaurant Week menu here.

7. El Mariachi Restaurant

Feeling like you need some authentic Mexican food? Stop by El Mariachi for lunch, dinner, or brunch during restaurant week! This family-owned, legendary restaurant will be slinging fan favorites like tacos, enchiladas, and carne asada, along with an unlimited mimosa brunch. We’re so there. Check out their Restaurant Week menu here.

8. lowcountry

When’s the last time you hung out at a seafood boil? I can say with almost certainty it’s been a minute (you live in Chicago, bro). Lucky for you, our friends at Lowcountry Lakeview are participating in Chicago Restaurant Week, and they’re offering crazy amounts of delicious seafood for insane prices. Check out their Restaurant Week menu here.

9. mfk.

Mfk has been on my radar forever because it has so many awards that there are almost too many to list (okay, fine, though, Michelin Gourmand, Jean Banchet Awards, Chicago Tribune Dining Award, just to name a few). Spanish-style seafood in a basement nook in Lakeview? YEP. Check out their Restaurant Week menu here.

10. Barcocina

I can’t rave enough about Barcocina. It’s been there for me, with outdoor seating no matter the weather, since the very week I moved to Chicago. Their Restaurant Week menu features FOUR courses (including their life-changing guacamole, tacos, and Brussels sprouts) for just $36. I mean…*tears up a little bit*…you guys. Check out their Restaurant Week menu here.

11. Matisse Tavern and Grill

With an emphasis on local ingredients, simple classics done well, and some of the best cocktails around, Matisse Tavern and Grill is the Restaurant Week choice you didn’t know you needed. You can go for the surf ‘n turf or the NY strip, but I’ll be there for the appropriately named Chocolate Obsession Cake. I’m, um, obsessed. Check out their Restaurant Week menu here.