Around the Office: River North Eats & Drinks
PUBLISHED Jun 8, 2015
Chicago, IL
River North is one of Chicago's most exciting neighborhoods, with so many restaurants you're guaranteed to never run out of places to try! That's one of the many reasons why I love working here. Check out my favorite places to grab a lunch or hit up for happy hour.
1. Leghorn Chicken
Visitors to the Ukrainian Village rejoiced when Leghorn Chicken decided to open a second location in River North last November, on the heels of the massive Shake Shack opening. It's not hard to see why: Leghorn's specialty is its massive chicken sandwiches, fried to perfection and topped with a variety interesting and tasty sauces and toppings, like kewpie mayo, kimchi barbecue, and blue cheese caramel butter, all atop a buttered biscuit bun. Take note, however: the joint is small and accepts cash only, so get there early or fall mercy to the line of hungry regulars!
2. Shake Shack
If you've never heard of Shake Shack before (originally an NYC spot), you probably weren't aware of the massive hype surrounding the burger joint's November 2014 opening. As someone who personally waited in line for an hour and a half to try it, I can vouch that the food really is that delicious! The ShackSauce is the secret that makes people line up for more, but you can't forget the shakes either, made from real, custard-y goodness.
3. Farmhouse
When caught up in the hustle and bustle of the beautiful city that is Chicago, sometimes it's nice to have an occasion to slow down and savor. With a warm and welcoming rustic decor to lure you in, Farmhouse specializes in wholesome and seasonal farm-to-table food, with ingredients sourced locally from area farms. While their menu changes regularly, some delicious staples thankfully stick around all year, such as the Beer Battered Cheese Curds with spicy curd sauce. They're so delicious they've been known to be ordered by the carton here around the office.
5. Mixed Greens
Located in a funky, industrial refurbished basement, Mixed Greens churns out salads, sandwiches, and personal pizzas in rapid fashion to the massive lunch crowd. The secret lies in the freshness of their ingredients, the rapid assembly line of salad-makers, and the endless options of toppings (the complimentary naan-style bread doesn't hurt either!). It's simple, quick, and delicious, perfect for someone on the go who doesn't want to sacrifice quality or flavor.
6. Tallboy Taco
Like many delicious things in life, you have to do a little searching before you can find the famed Tallboy Taco. Nestled inside of Nacional 27, Tallboy serves up a modest menu that packs a serious punch of flavor. In addition to their famous tacos (let me recommend the Cowboy 12-Hour Smoked Brisket taco...that 12 hours isn't for nothing!), they also have a variety of delicious sides like Guacamole and Corn Fundido, as well as the office favorite around here, the Taco Salad (with a mysteriously addicting dressing!).
8. Club Lago
Despite being surrounded by River North office buildings, when you step into Club Lago, it feels like you're stepping into your friendly neighborhood Italian place that's been around all your life. The portions are generous, and they serve everything from paninis to baked pastas. My personal favorite? The baked mostaccioli.
13. Headquarters Beercade
"Don't grow up it's a trap" is the big neon sign that welcomes you to Headquarters' newest location in River North (the original being in Lakeview). Headquarters is a beercade, which means it's stocked with nostalgic arcade games like pinball machines, racing games, and shooter games, all free to play! They also sport an impressive craft beer list that keeps gamers coming back. The atmosphere is lively and fun, and the perfect place to unwind after a hard day of doing way too many adult things.
15. Karyn's Cooked
That delicious-looking sloppy joe...would you believe me if I told you it didn't contain even a trace of meat? You probably still wouldn't after you tasted it! Karyn Calabrese has a lifetime of experience cooking delicious raw and vegan dishes, and owns several restaurants around the city. All of the dishes here are deliciously convincing and surprisingly moderately priced for the flavor and good-for-you ingredients. Be sure to check out the sweets case at the front as well. Her delicious and natural cupcakes are so good you won't be able to just have one.
17. Farmer's Fridge
Salad in a jar? In a vending machine? It's true, and delicious! While Farmer's Fridge has a number of kiosks around the city already, I prefer going to this location because due to heavy demand in the area (probably from me), there are now two machines at this location. The concept is simple: the chefs at Farmer's Fridge prepare the salads in the morning with fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, deliver the salads to the machine around 10 AM (so get there around 10:30 for best pick!), and at the end of the day, unsold salads are donated to a local food pantry. Add ons like lemon-pepper chicken and marinated tofu enhance the experience along with healthy snacks like hummus and veggies and cauliflower fried rice. It's fast food that's legitimately healthy!
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1
Leghorn Chicken
600 N LaSalle St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA -
2
Shake Shack
66 E Ohio St, Chicago, IL 60611, USA -
3
Farmhouse
228 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60654, USA -
4
Galleria Market
340 W Superior St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA -
5
Mixed Greens
308 W Erie St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA -
6
Tallboy Taco
325 W Huron St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA -
7
Green Door Tavern
678 N Orleans St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA -
8
Club Lago
331 W Superior St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA -
9
Brunch
644 N Orleans St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA -
10
Tippling Hall
646 N Franklin St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA -
11
Citizen
364 W Erie St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA -
12
Brehon Pub
731 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA -
13
Headquarters Beercade
213 W Institute Pl, Chicago, IL 60610, USA -
14
Howells & Hood
435 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60611, USA -
15
Karyn's Cooked
738 N Wells St, Chicago, IL 60654, USA -
16
Big & Little's
860 N Orleans St, Chicago, IL 60610, USA -
17
Farmer's Fridge
600 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60654, USA
