Hidden Gems
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Top 20 in Chicago, IL by local votes
The best independent restaurants, bars, cafes and shops in Chicago, Illinois, ranked by local votes. No chains or franchises.
- Green Mill Cocktail Lounge — Historic Uptown jazz club and cocktail lounge on North Broadway with live jazz.
- Kingston Mines — Lincoln Park blues club on North Halsted Street, open since 1968, with live bands on two stages.
- Buddy Guy's Legends — Blues club and restaurant on South Wabash Avenue in the South Loop.
- Delilah's — Neighborhood dive bar on North Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park.
- Old Town Ale House — Old Town dive bar on West North Avenue, a Chicago institution since 1958.
- The Berghoff — German restaurant and beer hall on West Adams Street in the Loop.
- Margie's Candies — Ice cream parlor and candy shop on North Western Avenue in Bucktown.
- Calumet Fisheries — Smokehouse and fish shack on East 95th Street.
- Manny's Cafeteria & Delicatessen — Cafeteria-style Jewish deli on South Jefferson Street known for its stacked sandwiches.
- Hopleaf Bar — Andersonville bar on North Clark Street pouring craft beer, wine and spirits since 1992, with a Belgian-inspired…
- Women & Children First — Independent bookstore on North Clark Street in Andersonville.
- Myopic Books — Used bookstore on North Milwaukee Avenue in Wicker Park.
- Quimby's Bookstore — Zine and independent bookstore on West North Avenue in Wicker Park.
- Dusty Groove — Wicker Park record store on North Ashland Avenue for jazz, soul, funk, hip hop, Latin, Brazilian and African vinyl…
- Bric-a-Brac Records — Avondale shop on North Milwaukee Avenue for punk and rock records, toys and vintage junk.
- City Lit Books — Independent bookstore on North Kedzie Boulevard in Logan Square.
- Unabridged Bookstore — Independent bookstore on North Broadway in Lakeview.
- Seminary Co-op Bookstore — Independent bookstore on South Woodlawn Avenue in Hyde Park.
- Powell's Books Chicago — Used bookstore on East 57th Street in Hyde Park.
- Valois Restaurant — Hyde Park cafeteria on East 53rd Street, one of the oldest cafeteria-style restaurants in the US, where you see your…