Geraldine&#x27;s

Manny's Deli today was an absolute gem…read more The funny part is, I had no intention of going there today. Manny's has always been on my list, but this morning I was actually heading to Lou Mitchell's. I got there, saw the line, and immediately decided I didn't have that kind of patience in me . So I changed plans, headed over to Manny's, and somehow the place I wasn't even planning on visiting ended up being exactly where I was supposed to be. I walked in having absolutely no idea what I was doing, and there was a woman standing there looking just as confused as I was. She looked at me and said, "This is my first time." I laughed and said, "Mine too. Let's do it together." And just like that, we were off. I decided I wanted breakfast, so one of the guys pointed me back toward the first counter and told me, "He'll take care of your breakfast. If you want anything else, come back and see me." Perfect. I ordered scrambled eggs with corned beef hash, hash browns and toast, then worked my way down to the hot bar where I added some macaroni and cheese and a knish. And THAT was the move. Everything was really good, but the mac and cheese and the knish were the stars of the entire meal. Manny's is famous for the gigantic deli sandwiches, but after today, I'm convinced the real adventure is working your way through that hot bar. The sides are where it's at. While I was waiting in line, one of the guys behind the counter noticed my Dave Matthews Band shirt and started talking music with me. He told me he liked Dave and that he was a huge Phil Collins fan. I told him I'm a Phil Collins guy too, and we ended up having this completely random, genuine little conversation about music in the middle of a busy Chicago deli. Before I left, I told him I was glad he shared that with me and hoped he had a great day. We laughed, said goodbye, and went about our lives. And honestly, that little interaction was almost as good as the food. That's what I loved about Manny's. It didn't feel polished or manufactured. It felt like Chicago. Great food. People actually talking to each other. A little confusion when you first walk in. A stranger becoming your temporary partner because neither of you knows what the hell you're doing. A random conversation about Dave Matthews and Phil Collins. And somehow, by the time you leave, you feel like you were part of the place for an hour. I went looking for Lou Mitchell's today. Instead, I accidentally found Manny's. And I'm really glad I did. Manny's, I'll be back. Next time, though, I know exactly what I'm doing.

I was in Chicago for a wedding and had a few moments to myself. I arranged my other stops so that I…read morewould be at Manny's for lunch. I heard it was the Katz's Deli of Chicago. With a recommendation like that, I was ready to try anything. Parking can be a challenge in Chicago, but they had a lot in the rear of the restaurant, which was nearly empty. I strolled around to the front and walked in. I wasn't ready for it to be a cafeteria-style eatery, but it really didn't matter. The ambience was kind of cute. Lots of black and white tiles for a retro feel and some historical pictures of the founder. I ordered the 1/2 sandwich and cup of soup lunch special. Matzah ball was my choice of soup and my half sandwich looked huge. I was ready. I tasted the soup first. The broth was clear, and the matzah ball was large. I like hard matzah balls and soft, so it didn't matter to me which it was. What surprised me was the lack of chicken soup flavor. The matzah ball was spongy and not particularly tasty. On to the sandwich. The first thing I noticed was that the carver didn't pull a chunk out of a steam cabinet. They had a slicing machine running constantly forming a mound from which the carver grabbed a handful of corned beef, then a handful of pastrami, which had already been sliced and griddled to add to the corned beef. I asked about the smallest size side of chopped liver they could offer and he gave me a tiny chilled dose sized cup of liver pulled out of the fridge. So far I wasn't impressed. The chopped liver tasted very good but it was hand chopped and in large pieces with very little schmaltz. The sandwhich wasn't anything special. Not hot, not piled and the pickle was a kosher dill, not a half sour. I left half of my half sandwich, the pickle (except for the one bite), and even some chopped liver. For the cost of this average lunch , I would have rather eaten at my favorite deli in Atlanta and had tongue which wasn't even on the menu at Manny's.

7.4 mi•University Village

Inside

The Big Breakfast Sandwich

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Dining room

Lotus Banh Mi

4.5(609 reviews)

Food-10/10 Ambiance 11/10…read moreService 8/10, limited interaction order from a kiosk One of the top ten Beef Pho Soups around only surpassed by the Dino Rib beef Soup in San Jose , CA. The portions are a good size and can stand on their own.

Ambiance - neighborhood gem, casual, offers small dine in area…read more Service - order at kiosk upon arrival, self serve, pick up food at counter Food - pho broth was aromatic, sliced beef was slightly different than what I'm used to (it was marinated, not the typical rare un-marinated sliced beef)

Inside

Pork House Salad

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Honey pork Bahn mi with side of jalapeno peppers.

Shang Noodle - Chicago

4.3(513 reviews)

6.3 mi•Near North Side

Unbelievable food! Will be trying more items. For now I can recommend the honey sesame chicken.read more

We were in Chicago for a really quick trip and passed this restaurant as we walked downtown. We…read morethought it looked interesting, so we popped in. It was a very quaint but contemporarily designed space with neutral tones. The staff was very friendly, and we were seated immediately having beat the work crowd. For drinks, I had the Take It Easy, and my friend had the Purple Paradise. I usually go straight for wine but opted for a mixed drink this time. Both of our drinks were great choices. For dinner, we each tried something different and opted for the spring rolls appetizer, the King Mushroom Chicken, Singapore Vermicelli Noodle and Spicy Chili Shrimp with a side of fried rice. Everyone loved their meals. They were absolutely delicious! I had the vermicelli dish, and I couldn't have asked for a better mix of ingredients. It was a little spicy but not too much. The service was great, and our server made solid recommendations across the board. There were many dishes to try, and if I lived in Chicago, this is definitely a place I'd return again.

6.6 mi•Greektown, West Loop, Near West Side

Interior

King Mushroom Chicken

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Purple Paradise

Xi’an Cuisine

4.4(187 reviews)

Came here for dinner as my daughter was craving some liangpi. Nice place and not busy on a Friday…read morenight. Service was very quick & friendly and place was clean and great Asian ambiance. We ordered - liangpi noodle - cold noodle and very refreshing - Biang biang noodles - perfect blend of flavors - Cumin beef - so good, crispy sandwich - Shredded pork with garlic - never had this before and now a favorite, just great flavors - Stir fried lotus root with garlic - such a good mix with crunchy lotus root and fresh garlic flavor - Mapo tofu - we were so full and had to take most of this home - it was spicier at first but really mellowed a bit the next day and got even better

My go-to spot for pickup!! They are so fast with their service time. Don't skip some appetizers, I…read morelove the shrimp dumplings. The beef lo mien noodles were good but not as flavorful as I was hoping today for takeout

Inside

Marinated Tofu Skin with Hot Oil

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Biang Biang Noodle 裤带面 ($15) - with egg and tomato, pork, bok choy. Requested without beef.

Yummy Yummy Noodles

4.4(386 reviews)

8.6 mi•Chinatown

Snuck in for lunch and had 2 different variations of the won ton noodles:beef brisket and beef…read moretenderloin, snow tea tops, egg tofu with mushrooms, bbq pork fried rice and chicken chow mein. All were tasty and seasoned just right. Food came quickly. Staff was friendly They advised us on the best dishes. They even chatted with us about our schedule. A great place for a casual meal

Food is reasonably priced, came out fast, and the portion size was huge. Orange chicken entrée was…read moredelicious and could feed two people (unless you're starving). We were seated quickly, staff was very nice Giving four stars however because I got the beef brisket with curry, and while the food was good, there seemed to not be too much meat and the beef brisket and rather cartilage etc. There is no parking at the restaurant, I do not recommend parking on the street because you could get towed and need a permit but there is a parking lot for three dollars within the vicinity

Pea tips with garlic

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Eppel's Restaurant

4.1(178 reviews)

7.3 mi

Amazing food and service! Will be back!…read more Had the Irish Benedict and the taste of Greece skillet. Yum!

Very good "diner" feel restaurant! Pancakes are fluffy and really good! We good so much food and it…read morewasn't expensive at all! One of the best breakfast sandwiches I've had in a while! Very large menu to choose from. A lot of space and very friendly staff! I feel like it's easy to miss if you're not looking for it, but it's such a find!!!

6.6 mi•West Loop, Near West Side

The back half of the dining area

Waffle

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Chopped Steak w/Eggs & Coffe 22.13 $Total @ Eppel's Restaurant 554 W Roosevelt Rd, Chicago, IL Breakfast Lunch & Brunch . Cool.

SGD Dubu So Gong Dong Tofu & Korean BBQ

3.9(78 reviews)

This place always hits the spot if your craving Korean food. They have the basic popular dishes…read morelike kimchi soup, Mandu(Korean dumplings),ramen,bibimbap and the pancakes. Opted to try the ramen today and it was good portion and pretty tasty. Don't skip the banchan ..love the corn here. Definitely try if you're in the west loop/greek town area.

Finally made a stop in the Hmart food court and it didn't disappoint. Food was pricier than…read moreexpected. My boyfriend and I split the beef short ribs bento box, Soondubu Kalguksu, and a spicy tuna samgak-gimbap. The samgak-gimbap had a good amount of tuna and the spice hits in the aftertaste. Soondubu Kalguksu: the noodles were so good. We ordered the pork and regular spicy. The broth was spicy (for me) but needed for a cold day. They were generous with their tofu! Short ribs bento box: I liked the variety of side dishes. I recommend this bento box with another dish to get a satisfying fullness With the food court being close to the exit, be sure to bundle up because it can get cold. You order at the register and they will call your order number when ready. You return your tray to the restaurant you ordered from.

6.1 mi•West Loop, Near West Side

Restaurant seating

Sides (included in your meal)

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Soybean stew w/ pork

High Five Ramen

4.0(1.1k reviews)

Visited Friday night and had an amazing experience. Food was great and Logan is the best server!read more

I never leave negative reviews, but this experience was unacceptable. On 7/18/2026 at approximately…read more9:30pm-9-45pm My friend and I were waiting for our ramen, we watched one of the kitchen staff check the noodles by reaching into the bowl with his bare fingers, pulling out some noodles, and putting them directly into his mouth to taste them. Then wiped his fingers on a dirty rag and proceeded to finish making the bowls. A short time later, we were served that same bowl of ramen. Watching an employee use their bare hands and mouth on food that was then served to a customer was extremely concerning and completely unacceptable from a food safety and hygiene standpoint. It ruined the experience and made us lose confidence in the restaurant's food handling practices. I hope management takes this seriously, retrains their staff on proper food safety procedures, and ensures this doesn't happen to anyone else.

7.4 mi•University Village

Entrance into the restaurant, located in the basement

Ramen

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Orange slush

The Momo World

4.5(152 reviews)

I was so excited to try this place, but didn't find it to be what I expected. We tried the tandoori…read morechicken momo, veggie jhol momo, and the veggie biryani. The tandoori chicken momo was the tastiest, by far. But all, seemed to be a bit bland? Even the biryani, which I usually find bursting with flavor, was a let down. Staff was friendly and quick! The ambiance was relaxed. We sat outside on a nice day, and they had nice seating that allowed our dog.

Based on the name, momos are clearly the go-to order from here. I usually order takeout from Momo…read moreWorld, which does affect the quality a little I think. Dumplings are always going to taste better fresh versus 30 minutes later after delivery. While I think the other menu items taste fine, the momos are in a league of their own. There are spots with better briyani and curries you can order from, but nobody does momos does as well as they do in Chicago.

7.2 mi•Printer's Row, South Loop

Tandoori momo chicken

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Half Sour

4.1(409 reviews)

Great food!! We stopped in for a late lunch the other day and we were very satisfied with our meal!…read moreI ordered the turkey bacon club it was very good! My bf had the bagels and lox and was very happy too!!

Is this place affiliated with a wonderful place that used to be hidden close to MacCormivk Place…read morenamed Sours? It had these wonderful formal waiters?!

French Toast

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Cheeseburger & Hero Cold Brew Coffee

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Janet V.

1 month ago

They have the best tasting pastries I've ever had in a long time! Great and courteous service. I didn't have time to eat there, but they have a really nice place to eat there too. read more

Stefan M.

6 years ago

Homemade pastries, cakes and cupcakes! Freshly brewed Metropolis coffee. As of February 2021 operating as a takeout only. read more

Kevin M.

1 year ago

Great coffee and really good pastries. Not too long especially g of a wait and good service.

Geraldine's - coffee - Updated September 2026

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Stopped in to meet a friend. The interior is fine. Nothing crazy to write home about. The food was…read moregood. I got a ham and cream cheese turnover that was very flaky. I took home a cinnamon roll that ended up being amazing. I also took home a chocolate croissant that my husband raved about. My iced honey latte was okay. I actually really wanted a matcha, but the nice worker confirmed that they use a matcha powder mix that has sugar in it. I'm very thankful to this worker for his honesty bc that's not something I'd ever want. With how popular matcha's gotten, they really need to do actual real, good matcha powder for matcha lattes if they want to sell matcha. That was disappointing. There easy pay to park right out front.

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Coffee was perfect. Food was perfect, and I mean every component on both plates we had was…read moredelicious. Hospitality unmatched in the area imho. Portion size/price/value - all perfect. Vibe was inviting, seating was comfy, and all the little details are clearly well thought out.

Came here just for a specialty coffee and was impressed by the staff's friendliness and warm…read morehospitality. The coffee was delicious and I will def be coming back soon.

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