Frontera Grill is a regional mexican restaurant in River North, Chicago.
Frontera Grill in Chicago is Rick Bayless's 1987 Clark Street Mexican dining room beside Topolobampo, the kitchen that brought regional Mexican.
Editorially verified May 18, 2026 by Lewis Vaughan, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Carne asada, Cochinita pibil
Must order: Carne asada with handmade tortillas; the cochinita pibil if the Yucatan menu is running.
Tip: Walk in at 17:00 on a weekday for the bar; the booths fill by 18:30 most nights.
Address: 445 N Clark St, Chicago, IL 60654
Ramen-san in Chicago is Lettuce Entertain You's River North ramen room on Hubbard, with a tonkotsu base and a spicy garlic bowl that pulls the regulars back.
Signature: Spicy garlic ramen, Hong Kong beef noodle
Order: The spicy garlic ramen; the chashu pork bun on the side.
Tip: Lunch is faster than dinner. The 12:30 rush clears by 13:15.
Daisies in Chicago is Joe Frillman's Logan Square pasta-and-vegetable dining room on Milwaukee Avenue, with grain and produce sourced directly from Illinois.
Signature: Cavatelli with ragu, House-made focaccia
Order: Cavatelli with whatever ragu is current; the focaccia first, while you wait.
Tip: Brunch is the underrated meal here. The same pasta program with eggs and patio seating in summer.
Ramen-san in Chicago is Lettuce Entertain You's River North ramen room on Hubbard, with a tonkotsu base and a spicy garlic bowl that pulls the regulars back.
Signature: Spicy garlic ramen, Hong Kong beef noodle
Order: The spicy garlic ramen; the chashu pork bun on the side.
Tip: Lunch is faster than dinner. The 12:30 rush clears by 13:15.
Smoque BBQ in Chicago is the Irving Park no-frills counter on Pulaski Road since 2006, with brisket and St Louis ribs smoked over apple and hickory in-house.
Signature: Brisket, Pulled pork, St Louis ribs
Order: A sliced brisket plate with the St Louis ribs split. Half-rack rather than full.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Closes at 21:00 sharp and meat sells out from 19:30 on weekends.
Alinea in Chicago is Grant Achatz's three-Michelin-star tasting menu at 1723 N Halsted, the dining room that codified American modernist fine dining.
Signature: Edible balloon, Painted-tablecloth dessert
Order: Whichever course needs your two hands; the kitchen is unsentimental about it.
Tip: Book the Gallery flow if you want the full theatre; Salon is the quieter, three-course-less option.
Smyth in Chicago is John and Karen Shields's two-Michelin-star tasting menu on Ada Street, with produce from their own farm 90 minutes south of the city.
Signature: Egg yolk in sea-buckthorn, Smoked sturgeon and caviar
Order: The yolk in sea-buckthorn vinegar; it has been on the menu since 2016 for a reason.
Tip: The companion bar downstairs, The Loyalist, runs an excellent burger if you can't land the upstairs seats.
Oriole in Chicago is Noah Sandoval's two-Michelin-star room on Walnut Street in the West Loop, a quiet 28-seat tasting menu with a strong caviar service.
Signature: Hokkaido scallop with caviar, Quail with mole
Order: The opening caviar course; the kitchen treats it as the focal pivot, not a bookend.
Tip: The wine pairings are unusually well-judged at the German-and-Austrian end. Ask for them by region, not by tier.
