Lem's Bar-B-Q in Chicago is the Chatham South Side aquarium-smoker barbecue counter on 75th Street since 1954, with rib tips and hot links wrapped in butcher paper.
Tip: Cash and counter only; open until 02:00 most nights. The tip-and-link combo on white bread is the canonical Saturday-night order.
Address: 311 E 75th St, Chicago, IL 60619
Honey 1 BBQ in Chicago is the South Side aquarium-smoker BBQ counter on 43rd Street from the Henry family, with the rib-tip-and-link plate for under $12.
Try: Rib tips, smoked links
Tip: Closed Sundays. The brisket sandwich is the under-the-radar order; sliced thick and dressed with the sweet-vinegar sauce on the side.
Uncle John's BBQ in Chicago is the South Side aquarium-smoker BBQ counter on Cottage Grove, with the rib-tip plate locals send out-of-towners to first.
Try: Rib tips
Tip: Cash only and the wait is long; arrive 16:30 to beat the 18:00 rush. The link-and-tip combo is the all-the-way order.
Borinquen Lounge in Chicago is the North Center Puerto Rican kitchen on Western Avenue from the family that invented the jibarito in Humboldt Park.
Try: Jibarito, mofongo
Tip: Order the steak jibarito with garlic-mayo. The mofongo is the second visit; the jibarito is the first.
Staropolska Restaurant in Chicago is the Avondale Polish dining room on Milwaukee Avenue, with handmade pierogi, kielbasa plates and hunter stew (bigos) since 1992.
Try: Pierogi, kielbasa, Polish hunter stew
Tip: Lunch is the cheaper visit; the daily $12 plate with pierogi, kielbasa and stew is the menu's value benchmark.
Ghareeb Nawaz in Chicago is the West Ridge Pakistani halal counter on Devon Avenue, with the $7 chicken biryani that feeds two and runs from 11:00 until 02:00 daily.
Try: $7 chicken biryani special
Tip: Cash only and large portions. Bring a container for leftovers; the biryani plate is at least 2.5 portions for the price.
Irazu in Chicago is the long-running Bucktown Costa Rican BYOB on Milwaukee Avenue since 1990, with the casado plate (rice, beans, plantain, salad, protein) for $13.
Try: Costa Rican casado
Tip: Bring your own wine or beer; the casado is the under-$15 dinner. The horchata in oat-milk is the house drink.
