The Best Option Near Wrigley Field Has a Low Bar to Clear. Big Star Clears It.
Two floors, a crowd shaped by Cubs games and concerts, and the same house-made tortillas as the original. Manage the expectations and it delivers.
Wrigleyville is one of the harder neighborhoods in Chicago to eat well in. The area around the ballpark has historically optimized for volume over quality, which is understandable given the economics and also not particularly useful if you are hungry and want something good. Big Star opened its second Chicago location here in 2018 and immediately became the most interesting food option within immediate walking distance of Wrigley Field, which is a distinction that requires some context but is also genuinely true.
This is not the same experience as the Wicker Park original. It is larger, louder, and shaped in significant part by the rhythms of game days and concerts. Two floors, event space, a crowd that skews toward people who are here because they are already in the neighborhood rather than people who came specifically for the food. The energy is high and the turnover reflects it.
What carries over from Wicker Park is the kitchen. House-made tortillas, the same menu framework, the same vinyl-driven soundtrack selected by bar staff running through country and classic rock. The asada is still the taco to order. The rest of the menu — nachos, elote, the supporting cast — is honest, serviceable pub food that does its job without asking you to be impressed by it.
The cocktail program is built for people who want to have fun with a drink in hand before or after a game, which describes most of the clientele on any given night. The bourbon and tequila lists are extensive. For non-drinkers, a couple of NA beers and basic mocktails are available — not a destination for that, but enough to not leave anyone without an option.
The honest framing for this location: if you are going to a Cubs game or a concert and want something better than ballpark food in the immediate area, Big Star is the answer. If you are making a specific trip for tacos, the Wicker Park location has more character and a patio that makes the visit worth it in a way the Wrigleyville version does not quite match. Both of those things can be true without one canceling the other out.
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