The best of Chicago BYOB

Image by paulaloe

Chicago is famous for food – its restaurants, foodies, local celebrity chefs, anything recommended by Oprah, and of course, deep-dish pizza and Chicago-style hot dogs. Many of the restaurants reflect Chicago’s rich, mixed history of working class and international roots, with each neighborhood representing a different ethnic pocket and culinary background. You can eat well in Chicago in luxury and you can eat well in tiny, hole-in-the-wall spots for a few dollars.

Chicago is also known for its lively drinking scene, and these two tenets of wining and dining come together in the hundreds of terrific BYOB (bring your own booze) restaurants throughout the city. The city’s plethora of BYOB options was a surprise to me when I moved to Chicago as an East Coast transplant, where you’re hard pressed to find such a staggering number of restaurants that welcome, nay, encourage diners to bring their own wine, beer or liquor (every restaurant is different – some don’t allow hard alcohol or only permit wine, so check first). The abundance of the bring your own options seems to be a direct result of that famous drinking scene – with different neighborhoods reaching their limit in liquor licenses, many restaurants went the BYOB route.

Overall, Chicago’s vast BYOB scene offers both an incredible way to save money on overpriced cocktails as well as an opportunity to try some lesser-known, more eclectic haunts. Most of the ritziest restaurants downtown aren’t going to be pleased if you whip out a six-pack over seared scallops or what have you. But you’ll be safe in many restaurants to the north, west and south of the Loop, where you can try Ethiopian, Greek, Asian, Polish, South American and a variety of foods on the cheap.

A word to the wise: some BYOB restaurants do have a “corkage” fee that can really add up – I’ve seen restaurants where the corkage fee is as much as $5 per customer. While I tend to steer clear of such fees and restaurants altogether, you technically have the option of bringing a screw top (no cork required!) or removing the cork in advance.

Entire books are devoted to the Chicago BYOB scene, but here a few of my personal favorites – a little tour around Chicago and the world, all without corkage fees.

Tango Sur (Southport Corridor). Due to its no reservation policy, Tango Sur tends to be overrun by crowds on the weekend. However, the food at this Argentinian steak house is worth the wait, and there are plenty of nearby pubs to help pass the time. Better yet, go during the week or make like the elderly and arrive soon after opening. The staple chimichurri sauce is the stand out feature on this tasty, meat-heavy menu but there are plenty of options for vegetarians as well. The ambiance is terrific, the staff friendly, and the appetizers to die for. A bottle of red will serve your meal well.

Thai Classic (Wrigleyville). There’s no shortage of BYOB Thai food in Chicago but the food at Thai Classic sets it above and beyond the rest. Don’t be deterred by its surroundings, with the Clark Street bar scene in full swing and Wrigley Field waiting just a few blocks north. There’s rarely a wait at Thai Classic, and the restaurant is perfect for big groups with the restaurants low tables in the back, where diners are asked to remove their shoes and lounge on pillows. The food is cheap and delicious, from the curries to the superb pad see ew.

New Tokyo (Lakeview). New Toyko is small, inviting and blessed with better sushi than the simple façade suggests (it’s also convenientlylocated across the street from a liquor store for diners who forgot to make a Trader Joes run that day). The restaurant has its share of more neutral, diner-friendly rolls, as well as more adventurous ones – the Blue Dragon is a stand-out – some of which aren’t always listed on the menu but are almost always available.

Turkish Cuisine (Andersonville). Turkish Cuisine is a classic example of a restaurant you might never visit without a personal recommendation. Many Andersonville residents have likely walked by the nondescript building without notice, or better yet, walked by on a Saturday evening and wondered what the strange, enormous, often near-empty restaurant was doing with a belly dancer dancing amongst its diners. But it’s a terrific surprise, both in terms of food and ambiance. Amenable to meat eaters, vegans and vegetarians alike, the menu is expansive, interesting and affordable. Try the mucver, delectable zucchini pancakes. Another great option for large groups.

Los Nopales (Lincoln Square). Mexican food doesn’t always seem like the perfect option for BYOB, given most restaurants’ penchants for delicious but pricey margaritas and the like. But Los Nopales encourages any type of accompanying drink, whether it’s wine, Negro Modelos or tequila, all of which are perfectly paired with the restaurant’s terrific food. Lincoln Square is also an interesting but less crowded neighborhood, with cute restaurants, bars, shops and a great movie house for the post-dinner crowd.

Photo taken from flickr Creative Commons, by paulaloe, and Julia Hawes.