Authentic flavor and low prices make Bun Mi’s bahn mi’s our sandwich of choice for this weekend. more ›

For any sandwich freak, Sacco Bruno is most definitely a place you can get your freak on. If you seek a classic Italian sub, but don't have the good fortune to live anywhere near Little Italy, it's ideal. more ›

With winter chills expected just around the corner, now is the perfect time to visit Humboldt Park for one of the best kept secrets in this city: Chicago’s only pozoleria. more ›

Discover your pizza persona! Or just grab some tasty pies. more ›

Vinnie's classic Italian sub, loaded with capocollo, genoa salami, mortadella and provolone, satisfies our sandwich cravings. more ›

Vegetarian fast food. It may not be an oxymoron, but it is also not a phrase that usually elicits excitement - especially among vegetarians. For us, "grab and go" usually means a handfull of celery or carrot sticks. For those with a little more time, you might be able to get a salad made to order. Then again, it is probably going to be the same salad you ordered last time. Truth be told, though, things are better than they have been in the past. Thanks to greater acceptance of the meat-free diet, most places now have some kind of vegetarian offering on the menu. Then there's Hannah's Bretzel. These little shops have eight! more ›

Under a decaying wooden sign, bright yellow letters on a window front call out to passing pedestrians proclaiming “homemade Polish food.” Andrzej Grill is a true hole-in-the-wall “find,”. This tiny space serves big bold dishes of popular Polish items alongside some lesser known homemade Polish favorites. more ›

Vegetarian food is not exactly hard to come by in Mexican restaurants. It does not take a whole lot of effort to throw some standard non-meat ingredients on a tortilla or taco shell and label it vegetariano. It takes more talent and a better understanding of the veggie palate, however, to serve up meatless meals with real south of the border flare and authentic Mexican taste. The folks at Los Portales in Rogers Park possess that skill. more ›

If you're like us, lunch hour is an endless ground war against monotony first and excessive expense a close second. You've tried everything within the circle around your office, and you're bored. In an attempt to shake up that routine, we've been seeking out tasty lunch spots that won't set you back more than around 15 bucks for you and a buddy. Artisan Cellar, somewhat hidden in plain sight on the first floor of the Merchandise Mart, fits that perfectly. more ›

The downtown lunch scene seems to present almost endless possibilities. There as so many different styles of cuisines from which to choose and at a rather wide range of prices. Sit down, take out, pre-made, made to order - you can find it all in the Loop. What really sets a lunch spot apart from the rest these days, however, is a combination of good food, great prices, and how full you are going to get for your money. There is, after all, one hell of a recession on. Few places get us as close to a vegetarian food coma for our hard-earned bucks as Benjyehuda. more ›

We’ve been dying to try Logan Square’s Brand BBQ Market, and we finally made it in for lunch. Brand has a current lunch special of a chopped pork sandwich, a soda, and fries for $6.95. That’s for dine-in only and does not include tax or gratuity, but what a deal! We couldn’t pass it up so we stopped in to see what Brand could do with their pigmeats, and find out what else they have to offer. more ›

Falafill is getting good at making our snowy days a bit warmer. Just as they did during the Great Blizzard of 2011, Falafill will be offering free soup all day in honor of the weather. Just purchase any sandwich or salad bowl, and you can get a warm, steaming bowl of tasty lentil soup. The only thing better than hot soup during a snowstorm? Free hot soup during a snowstorm. more ›

It appears that Soupbox may have raised their prices since the last time we checked, but even still, you can do lunch for two for under $15 at this media darling of a soup joint. We visited the newest Soupbox spot, the Gold Coast location on Chicago Avenue. Unlike the Broadway Street location in Lakeview, the Gold Coast store does not deliver, so you're going to have to go pick it up yourself. We've got the goods and the bads on this hot spot. more ›

Canal Street's White Palace Grill gets a lot of publicity. Why? Because it’s open 24 hours a day? Because it has a rich history? Because it was on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives? Or perhaps because it bites its thumb at “foodie-food” like so many of late? From the White Palace Grill website, “If you need a break from "caramelized onions", "infused" sauces and names of food you can't pronounce then come over anytime 24 hours a day 365 days a year, we will be there to serve you comfort food.” Message received. more ›

On weekday nights, you’ll find swarms of students and packs of police filling in the seats of newly opened Sabor Express in University Village. A one-of-its-kind Brazillian fast-food hub, Sabor Express offers a fork-free and filling menu, costing on average under $10. more ›

After some heavy-duty, overindulgent holiday meals, some of are worried about fitting into those flashy NYE threads. For the foodies in all of us, detox diets simply won’t do and compromising on bland tastes are out of the question. Find a better solution with delicious Loving Hut, which offers a wide variety of tasty Asian dishes that are both organic and vegan friendly. more ›

Somehow, someone, somewhere has convinced you that Black Friday Shopping on Michigan Ave. is a good idea. Now it’s 7:30 a.m., you’ve been waiting for the stores to open and there’s no way you’re leaving the horrendous line you’re in to go wait in a worse one at Starbucks. Have no fear, L’Appetito is here! more ›

In the predominantly Puerto Rican neighborhood of Humboldt Park, you’ll find a neighborhood staple and a unique Mexican favorite at Cemitas Puebla. Well known but still unassuming, the humble storefront of Cemitas Puebla offers bold, flavorful and unique cemitas that keeps dedicated followers coming back for more. more ›

Lake Claremont Press, the publisher of Dennis Foley's The Streets & San Man's Guide to Chicago Eats, is set to come out with another guide to the best of the city's cheap eats. David Haynes, a sargeant with the Chicago Police Department, has penned "The Beat Cop's Guide to Chicago Eats," a guidebook detailing the special spots where Haynes and his colleagues get their grub. Haynes, asked why his book was better than the previous guide, responded "We're funnier, better-looking, and have the street smarts, girth, and weaponry to meet [Foley] in any alley, taqueria, or rib joint." more ›

Nestled in the crook of Western, Diversey and Elston in Logan Square is the Cornerstone Café. While out of the way for many Chicagoans, the Cornerstone impressed us as worth the trip with its unassuming food, friendly atmosphere, and reasonable prices. With a cozy interior populated with booths, wooden tables, and an old-fashioned lunch counter that mimics the shape of the intersection, the Cornerstone is frequented largely by Logan Square and Bucktown locals. Upon entry, we were greeted by a few older fellows who appeared to have set up shop for the entire morning with endless cups of coffee and newspapers spread across the countertop. In a local cafe, that’s a good sign. more ›

Some of the best Thai food in Chicago can be found in a pocket of Lakeview just north of Wrigleyville bordering Buena Park. There you’ll find this tasty Thai treasure, Tac Quick. Unlike most dilapidated Thai restaurants, Tac Quick (Tac is an acronym for “Thai Authentic Cuisine”) is sleek and modern inside, with dark reds and blacks adorning the walls and dim lighting throughout. Don’t let this slick interior deceive you, as it still charges low prices for large portions. more ›

As fall’s final days roll around, now is the best time to take advantage of every opportunity to enjoy the art of outdoor feasting. To master the art of eating street food while squatting on a curb, there’s no better place for novices and experts alike than at the Maxwell Street Market. Re-relocated from the former Canal St. location to their new spot on Roosevelt and Des Plaines, this landmark market is open every Sunday, rain or shine, welcoming thrift-seeking shoppers amongst hungry hoards of families. more ›

In Illinois, more than 1.5 million people live on food stamps - a total daily food allotment of $4.50. [Ed's Note: A report released today by the U.S. Census Bureau claims the poverty level in America is the highest it's been since the 1960s. - M.G.] If you're not one of those people, do you think you could make it? No cheating, now - and remember, all that nice stuff you have in your fridge would be gone in a couple of weeks. No morning coffee from Starbucks. No steak, no Whole Foods, no bottled water. Many people spend more than that on lunch every day. more ›

Bon Appétit sure has been on a Chicago kick lately. The Purple Pig made its list of best new restaurants in the country earlier. Now the magazine deems Chicago as the best city for cheap eats in America. Can't disagree, but the Chicagoist staff pleads bias here. more ›

It's hard to screw up a chicken wing, yet there are places across the city that manage to do so. On a tip from Michael Nagrant, who's worked his way through his share of good and bad wings, we headed to Chinese Yum Yum, a newish Greektown spot with a name that demands to be immortalized on Engrish.com, for their honey glazed chicken wings. Nagrant called these wings a "combination between Harold's and Crisp." more ›

The holidays tapping out your entertainment budget? Check out some of our favorite spots for where you can pick up a meal for two for $20 bucks. more ›

There have been a lot of things said on this site about Taste of Chicago over the years. There are over 750,000 people who head downtown every year to sun, frolic and get their fill of giant turkey legs and corn on sticks. 'Course, that isn't all Taste of Chicago has to offer; even with Chicago Gourmet set to launch in September, Taste is still the food event for the everyman. more ›

The Sun-Times, probably regretting that they're still on the hook for Conrad Black's attorney fees and Jay Mariotti's salary during a recession, has been on a frugal kick this week. Every day they've run a story on families saving money on groceries, usually involving shopping at Aldi's, cutting coupons, or selling the extra car and biking. more ›

The Super Bowl is coming on Sunday, like it or not, and with it comes analysis of the action on the field, the commercials, and what's sitting on the plate in front of you. You could go the classy route and cook up a feast for your football-watching friends. Or you could join your fellow Americans in helping to make Feb. 3 the most popular pizza ordering day of the year. more ›

To say that it isn't hard to stumble into a taqueria in Pilsen is an understatement. Focus on the Blue Island corridor, however. and the question becomes trying to avoid one. We took advantage of yesterday's thaw to walk around, enjoy the weather buy some pirated movies (you should see our copy of "Untraceable"). Then, after we worked up an appetite, we headed into the first taqueria we saw for a quick bite, which wound up being an old favorite. more ›