In the lead up to my most recent visit to Chicago, the hidden food court in Richland Center popped…read moreup in my algorithm... and as someone who loves "hole in the wall"-type places, as well as checking out various neighborhoods, their shops, and restaurants, I was super excited to check it out.
The problem is that once you actually GET to Richland Center, especially to try out the food court, you realize it's dingy and unwelcoming. There's 0 charm, half the stalls are either closed OR the folks working in them are either rude or paying no attention (seriously, I want to be a paying customer!), and it's just generally disappointing. It didn't really matter which stall I visited or what selection(s) I was trying to make (while wanting to be mindful of cultural norms, expectations, etc).
Also, I don't know who decided to pitch the food court as some hidden gem... first of all, it's literally inside the main doors from the sidewalk and then down a (filthy) set of stairs, but secondly, there doesn't seem to be any attention paid to... well... anything. I get that the mall itself is pretty abandoned... like, I anticipated that (and, unfortunately, it seems to be par for the course in many places these days). I understand the nature of dining at food stalls too... I've frequented many in my travels and I honestly love them and have had some of my best meals, and best interactions, from them...
... but this? This wasn't it. This was not a positive experience.
Maybe it's different if you live in the neighborhood, I don't know. But I've never had this kind of experience before. I wouldn't recommend going to Richland Center either, whether it be trying to dine in the food court or anything else.
