Staropolska Restaurant in Chicago is the Avondale Polish dining room on Milwaukee Avenue, with handmade pierogi, kielbasa plates and hunter stew (bigos) since 1992.
Tip: Lunch is the cheaper visit; the daily $12 plate with pierogi, kielbasa and stew is the menu's value benchmark.
Address: 3030 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
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.
El Faro in Chicago is the Little Village family-run Mexican kitchen on 31st Street near Pulaski, with three-taco combo plates and a $9 lunch chilaquiles.
Try: Combo plates, taqueria classics
Tip: Cash only. The breakfast chilaquiles plate runs from 09:00; arrive 10:30 to land a table without waiting.
Papa's Cache Sabroso is the Humboldt Park Puerto Rican kitchen on Division Street that locals send first-time jibarito eaters to: BYOB, green chilli sauce, steak.
Try: Jibarito, lechon, pollo a la brasa
Tip: Order the jibarito de bistec with the homemade green chilli sauce on the side; ask for extra garlic. Cash and card both fine, but bring your own beer.
La Bomba is the Humboldt Park-to-Logan Square Puerto Rican counter on Armitage, jibaritos and a deep seafood list of camarones al ajillo, closed Tuesdays only.
Try: Jibarito, mofongo, Puerto Rican seafood
Tip: Steak jibarito first visit, camarones al ajillo over rice the second. Closed Tuesdays; weekend lunches are the calm window.
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.
Try: Rib tips, hot links
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.
