River North serves up excellent seafood at Joe’s Stone Crab, ribs at Carson’s, old-school steaks at Gene & Georgetti, and Asian Fusion at Sunda, among countless others. After work and on weekends, Chicagoans from all over the city flood the neighborhood to take advantage of the best concentration of nightlife and dining in downtown. Tourists flock to Chicago staples, such as Portillo’s and Gino’s East for dogs and deep dish, while locals can find everything from an iconic McDonald’s to a 6-course meal prepared by Top Chef Masters’ winner Rick Bayless. If you want more variety, lunchtime in River North will fill your rumbling belly.
If weekend brunch sounds more like your scene, River North has you covered with local favorites like GT Fish & Oyster. If you’re an early riser, a stop at the famed Doughnut Vault is a neighborhood rite of passage.