The Best Places To Eat In Chicago When Good Is Good Enough
By Staff in Food on Aug 22, 2014 7:00PM
Strange as it may seem, food writers can’t always prioritize deliciousness when choosing sustenance. Some of us actually have to go other places besides world-renowned restaurants and top notch coffee shops. This list is dedicated to when OK is just good enough, because there is somewhere you need to be and you are hungry or thirsty. We aren't going to go out of our way to go to these places, but we are glad they are there.
Naansense
171 N. Wells St.
Because it’s Indian cuisine without silverware.
Generally I stay out of the Loop (in more sense than one), but when I do have to wend my way downtown, I make a point of circling around to Naansense. This is the Chipotle of Indian food and equally worth franchising. The line often snakes out the door for good reason. The bespoke roti rolls rival any burrito made in similar assembly line style. Yes, the warm sauces and cold chutneys pay paltry lip service to genuine Indian food, but they’ll do the trick. And when rushed for a loop lunch, a little spice is all you need to put some mild variety in your day. —Melissa Wiley
Rebecca Port Center Cafe at University Hall
601 S. Morgan St
Because it’s near work.
University Hall was designed by architect Walter Netsch and looks like a giant brutalist cyberpunk monstrosity out of a movie like Dredd. It’s actually kind of appealing in a way. And in its bowels is a coffee shop that, while not a destination for coffee lovers across the city, is pretty darn good. It’s not some fancy pour-over, but Metropolis coffee served up warm is exactly what you need right before class or a meeting. —Melissa McEwen
Calo Ristorante
5343 N. Clark St.
Because they deliver to me through Grub Hub.
If you’re looking for perfectly OK red sauce Italian food try Calo. I’m a sucker for their OK veal parmigiana with pasta that over cooks to a level of OK mushiness during delivery that even your toothless great grandmother would love gumming.. It’s cheap and pretty tasty. If you dine in you can sit at the bar. No fancy craft cocktails here but OK renditions of a martini.(Gin of course. What kind of savage orders a Vodka martini?) Also try the so so OK fried calamari. —John Lenart
Kramer's Health Food and Supplements
230 S. Wabash Ave.
Because it’s near some computers I used to need to fix for a customer.
If I’m going to eat something that’s OK, it might as well be kind of healthy. Kramer’s is a haven for petite bourgeois like me to get their fix of things that at least seem healthy like pretty juices and raw vegan truffles. I like to pretend this is an appropriate lunch as I’m debugging system errors. The best part about fresh juice is I don’t have to waste time with stuff like chewing. The cafe has a rotating menu that includes lots of gluten-free and vegan options, but who has time for that when there are computers to fix? —Melissa McEwen
5411 Empanadas
2850 N. Clark St.
Because it’s within walking distance of my home office and fairly cheap.
An empanada is never going to knock my socks off, and I like going sockless when I can. But this is a sock-filled world and these empanadas are better than most. The fact that they’re baked, not fried, actually enhances their flavor quotient, and 5411 provides more than nominal vegetarian options as well. I’m completely happy to make a meal of the mushroom and blue cheese, sweet corn and creamed spinach and a banana nutella for dessert - because I need a lunch dessert, people - and these guys are small, on par with their price point. —Melissa Wiley
Garcia’s
4760 N. Lincoln Ave.
Because it’s near me and serves margaritas.
As a resident of Lincoln Square for 20 years this staple has always been the go-to place for inexpensive Mexican food. There are plenty of good taquerias in town but here you can sit back and order a totally OK Mexican meal and you can add an awesomely OK margarita with mix poured out of a windshield wiper fluid-like container. If the line at the Lincoln location is too long go to the also OK Lawrence location at 1758 W. Lawrence. When trying to soak up multiple beers, order up a margarita and a chimichanga. It’s perfectly OK. —John Lenart
The Gage
24 S. Michigan Ave.
Because it’s near museums, the hotel your cousin is staying at, a concert, a business meeting, etc.
The Gage really doesn’t belong on this list because it’s more than OK- it’s very good. But it’s not often a destination on its own. I go there quite a bit because it’s really close to places that are a destination, from The Art Institute to that business meeting you need to go to. It has menu options that will make food-lovers happy, as well as plenty of chicken and salads for your your relatives who think sushi is one of the most dangerous things they’ve ever heard of. I’m pretty happy I can get a good drink and a well-executed meal before heading off to my ultimate destination, even if it is a bit pricey. —Melissa McEwen
Bad Dog Tavern
4535 N.. Lincoln Ave.
Because it’s near the Old Town School of Folk Music.
Lincoln Square offers lots of good dinner options at reasonable prices. But when you’re there often enough, twiddling your thumbs or toes with an hour to kill before an Old Town class or deciding on a place to go after with friends, your choices can suddenly seem to shrink as you grow pickier about what to pay and what to eat. This is when quantity beats quality. By virtue of its menu’s sheer length and ample patio, Bad Dog comes out a winner more often than not. Burgers, pizza and tater tots are there if you want them, but so are goat cheese wontons, nicoise salad, ahi tacos and a pretty impressive craft beer list. —Melissa Wiley
So those are our picks, what are you favorite places to go when you have places to be and you need a OK bite to eat or something to drink?