The Best Places To Eat In IL For 2025: The Ultimate List

Every Illinois resident has a favorite go-to restaurant, and food critics, food magazines and networks, and other groups agree, including some of them in 2025 “best of” lists and awards.

One measure of the quality of restaurants and eateries in Illinois is the number of James Beard nominees and winners in 2025. In Illinois, Kumiko in Chicago received the outstanding bar honor and chef Noah Sandoval at Oriole in Chicago was recognized as the best chef in the Great Lakes region.

Read more: These IL Restaurants, Chefs Earn Honors At James Beard Awards Ceremony

A number of Illinois eateries were featured prominently in other lists, including the following:

Earlier this month, Esquire released its list of the best new restaurants, and Illinois had two representatives. Chicago Indian and Mexican fusion restaurant Mirra (1954 W. Armitage Ave.) marries the two cuisines of the two cultures so that one bite spans the globe, Esquire wrote. Pizz'Amici (1215 W. Grand Ave.) was named the "true champion" of tavern style pizza, one of Chicago's well known styles.

In November, 16 restaurants in Illinois earned bragging rights as among the best in America, according to a new ranking from the reservation platform OpenTable. The Illinois restaurants named were: Akahoshi Ramen (2340 N California Ave, Chicago), Alla Vita (564 West Randolph St., Chicago), Daisies Chicago (2375 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago), Elina's (1202 W Grand Ave, Chicago), Gibsons Italia (233 N Canal St, Chicago), Joe's Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab (60 East Grand Ave., Chicago), Le Colonial - Chicago (57 East Oak Street, Chicago), Mon Ami Gabi (2300 N. Lincoln Park West, Chicago), NORIKO (401 N Milwaukee Ave., Chicago), North Pond (2610 North Cannon Drive, Chicago), PIZZ'AMICI (1215 W Grand Ave, Chicago), Pizzeria Portofino (317 N. Clark St., Chicago), RL Restaurant (115 E Chicago Ave, Chicago), Rose Mary (932 W Fulton St, Chicago), Topo Gigio (1516 N Wells St, Chicago), and Valhalla (2020 West Division Street, Chicago).

In September, Yelp ranked Afro Joe's Coffee and Tea, located at 1818 W. 99th St. in Chicago, 30th on its Top 100 Coffee Shops of 2025 list. It’s known for "Quality service. Quality coffee. On the Southside," serving coffee, tea, sandwiches, as well as bourbon, beer and cigars.

Also in September, four Illinois restaurants were named to "The Resy's 100," including Lula Cafe (2537 N Kedzie Boulevard in Chicago), The Duck Inn (2701 South Eleanor Street in Chicago), Chef's Special Cafe Bar (2165 N. Western Ave. in Chicago), and Cafe Yaya (2431 N Lincoln Ave. in Chicago).

Pie-Eyed Pizzeria (1111 W. Chicago Ave., Chicago) has the best pizza in Illinois, according to Food Network’s 50 Best Pizza Slices By State 2025, released in September.

In July, three Illinois sandwich shops were ranked among the 100 best in America by Yelp, including Omarcitos Latin Cafe, Chicago, 11 Degrees North, Chicago, and Finuccio and Sons Italian Deli and Catering, Schaumburg.

According to the 50 Top Pizza Guide, released in July, two Chicago restaurants made the list —Robert's Pizza and Dough Company and Coda di Volpe.

Also in July, Chicago's Allez Cafe, home of the "breakfast sando," was rated as the best breakfast sandwich in Illinois by food website Chowhound.

In June, Tasting Table, a food and drink news site, published a list of where to find the "absolute best burger" in each state. JT's Genuine Sandwich Shop, located in Chicago, was named the winner.

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