Chicago's Brooklyn

Order the single if you are on your own, the double if you are very hungry or sharing. The acid from the pickles and jalapeños keeps the Wagyu richness in check and the balance is genuinely good. The twice-fried tallow fries with chipotle peppered ketchup are the best thing on the menu. The brown butter chocolate chip cookie is fine and nothing more. Counter ordering, communal tables, graffiti walls. Fast food energy done better.

Get the home fries. They do one side properly crispy and it is the best thing on the plate. The pancake stacks are the signature and run overly sweet, the sauces taste more similar than they look, and the execution is flatter than the reputation promises. The savory breakfast dishes are solid and reliable, especially if you need something substantial after a big night. Large portions, cavernous space, long weekend lines.

Start with the papaya salad and get sticky rice alongside it. The som tam uses anchovy and fish sauce with the full fermented funk the dish requires. The broader menu here includes a well-executed khao soi and a larger seafood selection alongside the Isan core. plaa rad prik is crispy and exactly right. Pad thai, kra pow, and moo krob are all among the best in the city. Mango sticky rice when mangoes are in season. Kanom tuay when they are not. Easier to get into than the Lakeview original. Equally worth it.

Order the asada. It is the strongest taco on the menu and the clearest signal of what the kitchen can do. The rest of the menu — nachos, elote, the other taco options — is serviceable and honest about it. House-made tortillas throughout. The patio is the reason to come when the weather cooperates. Bar staff pick the vinyl; the soundtrack runs country and classic rock and earns its reputation. Bourbon list is extensive and worth exploring. NA beers and basic mocktails available.

Order the burger. It looks like a mess and hits harder than it has any right to. Caramelized onions and house-made butter pickles are the reason. The fries hold up. Pimento cheese is deep, a little spicy, and the right call. Deviled eggs fit the vibe exactly. Masa pancakes are worth trying with calibrated expectations — interesting concept, not a fluffy stack. Everything else on the menu runs above average. Come hungry, plan for a slow afternoon after. Come hungry, plan for a slow afternoon after. The bar program is tequila and mezcal forward with solid NA spirit substitutions available across the cocktail menu and athletic beer on the list.

Wicker Park coffee roaster stuffed with Star Wars toys, working vintage Macs, a tube CRT with old Nintendo games, and a full DeLorean with a flux capacitor. The coffee is excellent and holds up even when the line is out the door. Donuts with personality, patio out front, communal tables always full. An anchor of independent Wicker Park that the neighborhood needs more than it probably knows.

Five locations around Chicago. The cappuccino is oversized, the milk runs too hot, and the espresso is over-extracted. When a barista asks what size you want for a cappuccino, that tells you what you need to know. The baristas are trying. The training isn't there. A local Starbucks, for better or worse. Spend your money somewhere else if you have the option.

Wicker Park ramen spot built on an 18-hour pork broth and house-made noodles from a $65,000 Japanese machine. The foundation is traditional, the flavor profile is global and modern. Steam buns are excellent, the fusion toppings are more successful than they sound, and gluten-free and vegan options are genuinely available. Dark, minimal room right off Milwaukee. A neighborhood staple for good reason.

Vietnamese street food done slow and precise, packaged for grab-and-go in Wicker Park. The bodega concept is clever and the execution actually holds up. Get the Hainanese chicken and rice with fried chicken, try the Viet Dip if you want to see the Italian beef influence done right, and don't leave without checking the snack wall. Fast, friendly, and constantly busy for good reason.

Small Cheval is the focused, casual offshoot of Au Cheval, and the burger might be better. Double patty, medium rare, house pickles, sauce, and a perfect bun. Order at the window, grab a patio seat, eat it immediately. The custard concretes are not optional. Oreo or peanut butter cup is a decision you'll need to make on your own.