Visiting Chicago with High School Students - Cheap Eats?

I've been browsing the board for ideas and thought I'd just start a thread. I'll be in Chicago in a couple of weeks, meeting my best friend who is bringing 10 students from Germany to the States. (They're spending two weeks at their sister high school near Louisville, then hanging out in Chicago for a week.)

We'll be staying at a youth hostel downtown (near the Arts Institute) and mostly visiting downtown attractions. We'll be going to the Indiana Dunes one day as well.

We're relying on feet and public transportation, so it would be nice if any places were either within walking distance of the hostel or easy to get to with public transportation.

My friend is worried about making sure the kids don't go hungry. She'd like cheap, lots of food, ethnic. It would be really helpful to have recommendations for places that won't be overwhelmed by the sudden arrival of 13 people. (Or smaller places near each other so that we could split up if people have different tastes.)

Thanks in advance for any recommendations!

GT

Lao Sze Chuan or Penang in Chinatown get my vote. They're both short train rides away from downtown (Red Line - Cermak stop).

Read more about LSC here and Penang here.

Both are cheap, tasty and nobody will be phased if you walk in unannounced with a large party.

Lao Sze Chuan
2172 S. Archer Ave.
312-326-5040

Penang
2201 S. Wentworth Ave.
312-326-6888

Hi,

You need to follow the footsteps of joby who has done very well planning her cheap eats with us:

1 week stay in Chicago

Suggestions for a girl's weekend

Travel hints

Wherever you can add to the body of information is appreciated.

Regards,

I had a list of places within six blocks of the Palmer House that I sent my cousin who was attending a meeting at the Palmer House in September.

My recommendations starting from 800 S. Wabash (across from the Chicago Hilton) and heading north on Wabash include:

Harold's Chicken - an inexpensive chicken place that serves some very good chicken, nothing fancy.

Thai Spoons - A pretty basic Thai place that generally does a nice job with the food, It is a favorite with the DePaul Theatre and Roosevelt University students. Very informal.

Exchequer - They serve some good pub food and some excellent pizza. Again, normal basic food, served well and extremely friendly service. Again, nothing fancy.

Miller's Pub - A Chicago institution with very good pub style food. Nothing fancy but very consistent.

Do realize that the Chicago Dunes is on one of the train lines and is walkable from the train station. However, I do NOT remember seeing any food places within the walking distance. It would be a good place to take box lunches.

Wow, thanks for all the suggestions! The links to joby's threads look really helpful. I'll take a closer look at everything on the weekend and be back with questions.

GT

When visitors come from out of town, try the old standbys that Chicago is known for. Many will argue that one place is better than another, but I still think it's worth trying the classics.

So that means for

Pizza: Gino's East and/or Lou Malnati's (I think that these have surpassed Uno's, though Uno's was the first, its rarely recommended)

Hot Dogs. Can go just about anywhere.

Italian Beef: Al's No. 1 is good, but again there are lots of other good places.

Greektown has some relatively inexpensive, but nicer places.

Coffee: Intelligenstia

"Breaded Steak Sandwich": Ricobene's

Chinatown has lots of good, inexpensive places

Manny's for a real Deli

There are some Polish buffets on Milwaukee Ave. (though I haven't been very impressed with them)

Not a cheap outing, but hot dogs and a baseball game (I'm not getting into Sox or Cubs, you decide.)

If you travel north, Devon Ave has some nice and inexpensive Indian restaurants, and a good Israeli restaurant.

Chicken Planet - right by the Art Institute.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/jE5xRrysiZwF7xPUiu95qQ

I agree that it makes sense to hit some of the classics while in town, and Chinatown as well as Greektown also are convenient and offer inexpensive choices.

As for pizza, I'd definitely recommend Lou Malnati's, as well as Pizzerias Uno and Due. We've taken out-of-towners to Due, and they loved it. I'm not sure that Pizzeria Uno is rarely recommended -- Uno's Chicago Grill (spin-off franchise in the suburbs and some other cities), rather than the original Pizzerias Uno and Due, is often cited as an establishment to avoid.

I recommend Star of Siam at 11 E. Illinois. It's on the Grand red line stop and has inexpensive, quality Thai cuisine.

http://www.starofsiamchicago.com/index.html

'd go Lou Malnati's if you have to stay downtown for pizza, and avoid Uno's. Also good is Pizano's on Madison.

I prefer Malnati's too, Pizano's more so for this kind of pizza; however, the franchised places' pie bears little resemblance to the original Uno. Pizzaria Uno remains a solid, if secondary, choice for deep dish. The franchised places should be avoided at all cost. Applebee's might be less vile, though I'm ashamed of the personal admission that thought conveys. NY let one open in Times Square to fool people into thinking that's what deep dish is. Very clever, those guys.

There are so many great options that I'd like to emphasize one in particular. I suggest that they really go out of their way to try some of the Mexican places here in Chicago, since it is the one thing they won't have had much access to in Germany.

Just eating tacos at the Maxwell Street Market would probably be pretty entertaining for a group of high school kids (and think of all the great cheap junk they could buy as a "souvenir of Chicago"!).

Thanks again for all the recommendations.

Any specific recommendations for Italian Beef, cheap Chinese or Mexican places?

I'm definitely pushing for Maxwell Street Market on Sunday. Does anyone have any tips on what to eat and what to avoid? (My Mom is Mexican; I know the rules for markets in Mexico, but not for Mexican markets in the States...)

Also, slightly unrelated, but thought someone here might know. Does anyone have any experience with the GoChicago Card? Seems like it would be worth it, but I haven't read anything about it except what's on their Web site.

Your suggestions have been great. (I love reading this board, even without getting to visit Chicago very often...)

GT

gardentraveler wrote:I'm definitely pushing for Maxwell Street Market on Sunday. Does anyone have any tips on what to eat and what to avoid?

What to eat: Oaxaca tamales, Rubi's tacos, fresh churros

What to avoid: flat screen monitors, $50 Rolex watches, dental tools...and those horrific Mexican clowns

As you can see from my username I obviously have a vested interest (actually not, I have no money involved), pizano's is near the art institute and some high school students could easily get in and out for around $10/person. A party of 13 unexpected wouldn't make us flinch also, unless it was a friday at noon. Even then it wouldn't be longer then a 30 minute wait.

ah wrote:Pizza: Gino's East and/or Lou Malnati's (I think that these have surpassed Uno's, though Uno's was the first, its rarely recommended)

I'd say Uno's and Due's are quite rightly still recommended. That or Malnati's would be my downtown choice. I'm not a fan of Gino's, personally.

my vote goes to malnati's, then again i consider myself a malnati's fanboy

David Hammond wrote:What to eat: Oaxaca tamales, Rubi's tacos, fresh churros

What to avoid: flat screen monitors, $50 Rolex watches, dental tools...and those horrific Mexican clowns

So you're saying some of it will look like the market near my mom's house?

I love the variety at Mexican markets - everything from really good food to really cheap junk.

Oh - and what clowns? (I'm not sure I want to know.)

Thanks for all the tips. We'll definitely do some kind of Italian, too. Chicago-style pizza is much different from what you can get in Germany.

But I'll want to eat lots of good Mexican food. (I'm in Columbus, OH and there's not nearly the variety here that you can get in Chicagoland.)

GT

Probably some controversy on these choices, but they are cheap and within walking distance of the Art Institute.

Potbellys
55 E Jackson
P 312-427-9347
Unique sandwich shop that started in Chicago and is now a small chain.
http://www.potbelly.com/story1.0.html

Tokyo Lunch Box across the street from Potbellys, udon noodle soup, sushi

oasis cafe
17 S. Wabash
http://www.oasiscafe1.com/

Cafe Bacci
20 N. Michigan
http://www.caffebaci.com/

Fontano's Subs
20 E Jackson
authentic italian subs

Panda Express
77 E Adams
It is what it is, cheap chinese

Ada's Famous Deli
14 S Wabash
A sit down deli, tons of choices

Went to school near the hostel. Here are some tried and true:

Hackneys on Printer's Row(American pub grub and great patio)
Orange on Harrison(great bruncha dn fresh juice)
Tast of Siam(thai)
Ada's (great deli)

You might want to take them to Wicker Park. Have a friend who is housing a German exchange student and she always wants to go the six points area when she comes to town (Damen Blue line stop) Tons of coffe bars, shopping and good eats.

if you can down to Pilsen to visit the Mexican Fine Arts Museum (although I believe they changed their name again) it's a great little museum and it's free.

There are way too many excellent and cheap Italian sandwich joints in Chicago to justify taking your students to PotBelly. There is a Fontano's on Jackson and that way they can have a proper sub. I once fed a large group of high schoolers on Bari subs (12 inch, Italian) and they were all so satisfied they actually stopped being cool and silent long enough to come up to me and ask me where I happened to get them.

enjoy the city!

bjt

Fontano's Subs
E Jackson Blvd
Chicago, IL
312-663-3061 20
http://www.fontanossubs.com/

Thanks again for the suggestions everyone. I'll be back to report on our adventures....

GT

I'm surprised that no one suggested 17 West at the Berghoff. The Berghoff used to be Chicago's classic downtown German restaurant, and there are still German dishes on the menu of 17 West (at 17 W. Adams Street). This might make a nice break for these students who might be interested in what Americans think about German food.

The better German restaurants are on Irving Park Road and near Lincoln Square, but 17 West might be worth a lunch or dinner.

If they feel like some shopping, Foodlife in Water Tower is always a nice stop because everyone can get what they want...if they want something different-

http://www.foodlifechicago.com/foodlifechicago.htm

Thanks for the additional suggestions. 17 West might be interesting - I don't know these kids at all, but they might be up for that. I had lunch at the Berghoff long ago; I was sad to read that it had closed.

foodlife sounds interesting too.

GT

I think the reason no one mentioned the berghoff is because it isn't cheap. Also, foodlife isn't walking distance from the Art Institute. If it's food courts within walking distance your looking for go to Macy's seventh floor, or Under 55 at 55 E Wabash, right around the corner from the Art Institute.

nicinchic wrote:I think the reason no one mentioned the berghoff is because it isn't cheap. Also, foodlife isn't walking distance from the Art Institute. If it's food courts within walking distance your looking for go to Macy's seventh floor, or Under 55 at 55 E Wabash, right around the corner from the Art Institute.

foodlife is about 1.2 miles north of the Art Institute which is easily walkable by a youth group. I DOUBT that they'll be able to stay in the Loop without heading up Michigan Ave. at some point during the trip.

Personally, I would avoid the Macy's food courts. The quality and selection has decreased considerably since the change in ownership. (And it used to be one of my favorites.)

jlawerence, I agree with Macy's downstairs. It's anemic down there after the board of health issues, but I will say it looks pristine. I am back to an occasional salad down there. The counter where they used to have all kinds of cold salads, is looking spartan. Seventh floor seems to be going strong.

irisarbor wrote:If they feel like some shopping, Foodlife in Water Tower is always a nice stop because everyone can get what they want...if they want something different-

http://www.foodlifechicago.com/foodlifechicago.htm

i agree,foodlife at water tower place was my first thought for pleasing different palates and pocketbooks.if it were me i would turn the kids loose at foodlife and i would eat at the mighty nice grill which is a full service restaurant that's adjacent to foodlife.

dug wrote: i agree,foodlife at water tower place was my first thought for pleasing different palates and pocketbooks.if it were me i would turn the kids loose at foodlife and i would eat at the mighty nice grill which is a full service restaurant that's adjacent to foodlife.

And there is something for EVERYBODY, even the picky eaters ... and the quality ranks from decent to truly outstanding.

I haven't put my official follow-up together yet, but I wanted to let everyone know that we had a MARVELOUS time.

We ate at several of the recommended establishments (btw: if you haven't had breakfast at Orange, you need to go there now! Well, tomorrow morning, anyway.)

I'll give you the complete rundown sometime tomorrow, but wanted to thank everyone again for the great suggestions. I have leftover recommendations for my next visit, which will be soon, I hope.

GT