Top Lunch Places in the Loop

I love working in Chicago, and especially in the Loop. My favorite activity is lunch. My friends and I work very hard to find the best lunch places.

Note: I am not including any place that is out of my daily lunch budget, so The Rivers and Lloyds, though excellent restaurants, get excluded because they are too pricey for me to go to without a special occasion. I also don't include any carry-out only places. We go to these sometimes too, but I prefer a sit down lunch, (SRO is my only exception to this rule).

My favorites list is made up of sit-down places I can go to with my friends, any day of the week. Here are my favorites:

1. Heaven on 7 (original) Rating: **** Cuisine: New Orleans Location: 7th floor of the Garland Building - 111 N Wabash Ave (Wabash & Washington) Specialty: Gumbo Known for: New Orleans style atmosphere and food.

My Notes: Heaven on 7 is located on the 7th floor of the office building near the corner of Wabash and Washington. Get there by 11:30 if you don't want to wait in line. The atmosphere is great, the service is good and the food is consistent and delicious. Downside: I've been told that if I ever go to New Orleans, I won't like this restaurant anymore. The facts are that I've never been to New Orleans, and I love the food and atmosphere at this favorite.

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2. Poag Mahones Rating: *** Cuisine: Bar food Location: 333 S Wells Specialty: Hamburgers Known for: Good food and great service
My notes: Great atmosphere, friendly wait staff and really good food. The Garbage Salad and Cheeseburger are my favorites. The Catfish Po' Boy is good too. Downside: This place fills up fast. Get there by 11:30, or you might have to wait for a table.

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3. Franklin Tap Rating: *** Cuisine: Bar food Location: 325 S Franklin (just South of the Sears Tower) Specialty: Iced Tea, Sweet Potato Fries Known for: Good food, best Iced Tea in the loop and attractive waitresses
My Notes: This place has the best Iced Tea in the loop. They have very good service. This is a great place to meet friends and hang out. Downside: A little pricey for what it is.

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4. Amarit Rating: **** Location: 600 South Dearborn Cuisine: Thai Specialty: Thai Cuisine Known for: Quiet, relaxed atmosphere, best Thai food in the loop and good service.

My Notes: This is a great place to bring friends if you want to relax and talk. It's relatively quiet and is relaxing and comfortable. My favorites are Tom Yum Soup and Yum Tah Lai (Seafood Salad) Downside: This place is a bit of a hike - it's South of Congress on Dearborn, so you might even say it's not even in the loop, but it's close enough and the food is worth the walk if you like Thai and catch a nice day.

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5. SRO (Standing Room Only) Rating: *** Cuisine: Sandwiches Location: 610 S Dearborn St Specialty: Chicken Sandwich Known for: Chicken Sandwich
My Notes: The owners of this place are great guys - they've been at this location for over 10 years now. They do a great job. Downside: Unless it's a nice day, the seating is extremely limited. It's a great carry out place, or if it's a nice day, you can sit near the sidewalk. Otherwise, forget it - too crowded to eat in there comfortably.

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6. Boni Vino Rating: *** Cuisine: Italian Specialty: Meatball Sandwich Known for: Friendly wait staff and location
My Notes: The owners of this place is friendly and greets us at the door on the way in and thanks us on the way out. For some reason, we always get the same waitress. We either tip her too much or she likes us. Downside: Boni Vino is great for lunch, but the atmosphere is nothing fancy.. It's a greasy spoon, family run Italian place.

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7. Monk's Pub Rating: *** Location: 205 W Lake St Cuisine: Bar food Specialty: Hamburgers Known for: Atmosphere and hamburgers
My Notes: This place is great, but it gets crowded, so get there early. Downside: If you're not there by 11:30, be prepared to wait - this place fills up fast.

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8. Venice Cafe Rating: ** Cuisine: Italian Location: 233 South Wacker Specialty: Calzone Known for: Red sauce - as good as you will find anywhere.

My Notes: The calzones are fantastic - that is the only thing I've ever had there. The way they do the soda there is really annoying. It's serve-yourself fountain and they charge way too much for it, making what was a good deal an average deal at best. Downside: This place used to be located across the street from the Sears (Willis) Tower, which was a great location. It's now located in the basement of the Sears (Willis) Tower and the atmosphere is average at best.

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9. Boston Blackies Rating: *** Cuisine: Bar food Location: 120 S Riverside Plz Specialty: Hamburgers, home-made chips Known for: Nice, friendly atmosphere, large proportions.
My Notes: Very large portions. If you're hungry, this is the place to go. Every time I go there, I leave feeling like I need a nap. Downside: This place is very popular, so get there by 11:30 or you will have to wait.

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10. Marquette Inn Rating: ** Cuisine: Comfort food Location: 135 West Madison Specialty: Gyros Known for: 1970s decor, friendly wait staff
My Notes: This place is a classic. There used to be locations all over the loop. Several have closed, but there are still a few around. Downside: There is nothing fancy about this place. It is what it is - a greasy spoon diner. If you want a classic, dependable place with good comofort food, Marquette Inn is for you.