Before or after a game the neighborhood around Wrigley Field – commonly known as Wrigleyville – is buzzing with Cubs fans shopping, drinking, and of course eating. While there is a wide range of restaurants, from fast food places to sports pubs to fine dining, a select few stand above them all, offering the very best food.
Sola
3868 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
Sometimes the term “American” is a bit of a cop out when describing a restaurant. America is, after all, a melting pot, so what exactly is “American” food? Sola offers American food that has opened my eyes to what that term is all about. Located about a ten to fifteen minute walk from Wrigley Field, or a three to five minute cab ride, Sola gets its fair share of Cubs fans. But this place is so good that it would thrive almost anywhere.
There is a definite Hawaiian accent to the food preparation as a generous use of seaweed in many of its offerings is well done. The entrees here are well beyond typical ballpark fare in price, preparation and taste. The duck is delicious, the wagyu rib-eye unique but somehow classic, and the short ribs are as authentic and well prepared as any you’ll find (even in non-trendy restaurants).
This is a fun place that steps up to the line of being trendy, without becoming obnoxiously so. It isn’t cheap; entrees can range from the mid $20s to well into the $30s, but it earns every dime (unlike some of the Cubs’ payroll in recent years).
Do me a favor and have the crab risotto on my behalf.
P.S. Bangkok
3345 North Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois
While Thai food is not normally associated with baseball, P.S. Bangkok has developed quite a following among Cubs fans and area residents. It certainly has passed the test of time and has been serving Chicago residents now for over two decades.
They don’t really cater to Cubs fans in any obvious fashion, but its general proximity to Wrigley and its bold and authentic Thai food has made P.S. Bangkok a very popular pre and post game destination. The prices are very reasonable and the menu as large as you would expect, with all of the standard Thai fare (without the grease so often associated with mediocre Thai food).
Deleece
4004 North Southport
Chicago, Illinois
About a ten minute walk from Wrigley Field, Deleece is a bit small to accommodate throngs of fans, and there is sometimes a wait, but the food is delicious, the service charming and the outdoor seating an added bonus during the spring and summer months. The food here, as with Sola, is best termed as “new American,” but Deleece is a bit more conventional with emphasis on beef and more traditional seafood offerings.
The prices are a bit lower as well, with entrees ranging from the mid $10s to low $20s. Deleece has a neighborhood feel to it and is an affordable place with above average food. Try the pan roasted salmon, it is one of the highlights.
Wishbone Restaurant
3300 North Lincoln Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
Wishbone is hardly the fanciest place in Wrigleyville (in fact it’s very kid friendly). It’s certainly not the most expensive (in fact the values here, it could be argued, are the best of any restaurant within walking distance of Wrigley Field). And Wishbone does not come with any snob appeal (to the contrary, it probably resents how unintentionally hip it’s become).
What Wishbone does offer is great Southern (yes, you read that right, Southern) food in the middle of Wrigleyville, Chicago.
This is a very fun place and pound for pound one of my favorite restaurants in all of Chicago, and certainly in Wrigleyville. The craw fish sandwich, the shrimp and grits, and of course the imaginative wine and cocktail list complements the spicy, heavy and incredibly flavorful food. The brunch here is outstanding, maybe TOO outstanding if you’re trying to do anything else that day, and the strong aromas pumping from the kitchen combine with a southern sensibility to make this one of the most memorable experiences in Wrigleyville (at least until the Cubs finally win the World Series).
Andalous
3307 North Clark Street
Chicago, Illinois
I’ll confess to not knowing much about Moroccan food until I ate at Analous. Well, I’ll actually confess that I STILL don’t know that much about it, except that I love it. Andalous is a great introduction to Moroccan food; or at least I think it is…perhaps all Moroccan food is really this good?
Analous is an authentic (so they say) yet accessible and affordable Moroccan restaurant just a few minutes walk from Wrigley Field. The entrees are game oriented, with lots of chicken, beef and lamb. The couscous is Andalous’ calling card and signature dish. I didn’t think couscous could ever be this outstanding, but here it is with a delicious and spicy lamb stew dripping all over it. This is a BYOB establishment and the prices are very reasonable, with entrees topping off around $20.
