Everyone knows the feeling, whether it sneaks up in the middle of a day’s shopping or burns at the end of an afternoon softball game: you’re hungry and you have to eat NOW! But there is a problem. Perhaps the previous night’s revelry depleted the dough, or cash has to be saved for a cab. Don’t panic. Even if there are only five bucks crumpled in your pocket, that sneaky need for food can be filled.
Chi-town is a chow town, which means a little local restaurant is always serving made-to-order specialties at surprisingly affordable prices. And while burgers and hot dogs, the workhorses of corner-counter cuisine, are everywhere, there is also no shortage of international offerings.
From gyros to gosh vindaloo, from tamales to pad Thai, a feast is at hand for a fiver. These spots are a just a representation of some favorites that can weigh down the digestive tract without lightening the wallet.
Savies Grille 2
4811 N. Lincoln Ave.
773-878-5001
Savies Grill 2 is the Mecca of good, cheap chow. Its multi-cultural menu has selections representing the Middle East and the Mediterranean aresa as well as a full roster of American grilled and fried classics. Hot dogs and hamburgers share the page with falafel and babaganouj. The most expensive sandwich is the Italian beef and sausage combo, at $4.50. For a dollar less, try the hummus plate, which includes tomatoes, cucumbers and a pair of pita loves. Savies has close to 90 different items on its menu, and 75 percent of those selections are under $5. They deliver practically citywide, and are open at amazing hours: 10 a.m.-2 a.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m.-3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m.-midnight Sunday.
Jon-Jon’s
925 W. Randolph St.
312-829-6850
Here’s a quintessential burger and breakfast place. At best, Jon-Jon’s takes up 400 square feet of space at the corner of Randolph and Sangamon, so don’t look for much seating. Do expect, however, great breakfast specials. Eggs, corn-beef hash, pancakes and French toast are all griddle-fresh each order. Three-egg omelets can be made with cheese, bacon, ham, sausage and (by special request) gyros. Cost: $3.35 with hash browns, toast and jelly. The super special — two eggs, two bacon strips, two pancakes and two sausages — hardly breaks the bank at $2.75. At lunch, Jon-Jon’s serves classic Chicago sandwiches like Italian beef, meatballs and gyros, as well as hot dogs and burgers. Everything is made fresh, and nothing costs more than $4.25, with fries.
Super Combo
1904 W. Chicago Ave.
773-276-8092
Super Combo is one sandwich shop and grill where the name really says it all. The menu is organized by combo meals, which far outdistance anything served up by better-known fast-food emporiums. Gyros, Polish sausage, double-cheeseburgers and Italian beefs are staples here, all in the $3.50-$3.80 range with fries and a drink. There is also a selection of Mexican entrees, the giant burritos taking center stage. Order one, filled with ground beef or chicken, with a side of tortilla chips, and a drink; hand over a 5-dollar bill, and get back 70 cents in change.
Lazo Tacos
2009 N. Western Ave.
773-486-3303
Lazo Tacos is one restaurant where it may be better not to order the combination plates. This isn’t because the rice, beans and chips that accompany the tacos are lousy. Rather, it’s because they take up valuable stomach room better suited to eating two or three more of Lazo Tacos’ tacos! The cost per-taco is $1.40, and that brings a double-tortilla filled with lettuce, tomato and the filling of choice. And Lazo Taco has a provocative range of fillings with which to fill those tacos. Sure there’s steak, picadillo (ground beef), chicken, grilled shrimp, veggies, frijoles or pork. But why not try lengua (beef tongue) or tripa (pig intestine)? Don’t be afraid. The tripe tacos really are a treat, deep-fried ringlets of intestine with a crispy-chewy consistency like calamari.
Standard India Restaurant
917 W. Belmont Ave.
773-929-1123
Standard India is the 95-cent stretch to the $5 limit, but what you get for that extra 95 cents is an all-you-can-eat buffet of home-made Indian food. Standard India’s lunch buffet has 12-15 items, with big-ticket favorites like mutar paneer and lamb vindaloo along side staples like nan bread and Tandoori chicken. The BYOB policy lets diners save on libation as well, and tables-full of friends regularly dine with a 6-pack or bottle of wine.
The Dao Thai
230 E. Ohio St.
312-337-0000
Eating in at this elegant Thai restaurant just off the Mag Mile will certainly not cost under $5, but for carry-out fans, The Dao is an incredible value. The food is kitchen-fresh and full of flavor, and two-thirds of the entrees and appetizers are under $5. Sure, some of the heartier dishes like bamee and barbecue pork or garlic shrimp approach $7, but the crazy noodles, pad Thai and curry chicken are all $4.95 on the nose. Phone ahead, and it will be ready in about 10 minutes.
Benedict’s Italian Deli
2501 S. Archer Ave.
312-225-1122
The Italian sausage sandwich available at Bridgeport’s gateway (the intersection of Halsted and Archer) might be the best, most-fulfilling food experience in the city. It’s an 8-inch link, plump, juicy, oozing spice and grease, that comes on a fresh-baked roll more like a mini-loaf of Italian bread. This is one sandwich that, itself, can really tackle an appetite. The cost is $2.75, with or without red sauce. Anyone who can scrape up another quarter can top the Italian sausage sandwich with hot peppers or cheese. For people who consider themselves “hearty” (but not necessarily heart-wise) eaters, two of these sandwiches will make a feast short on expense, and long on heartburn potential.
JB’s/JB Alberto’s Pizza
1326 W. Morse Ave.
773-973-1700
Chicago’s best-kept pizza secret is in a nondescript brick building near the CTA Morse Avenue Red Line elevated stop. A humble fluorescent sign reads “Pizza” above a caricature slice — the only tip to what is available within this Rogers Park treasure. Folks who have some extra cash and access to a phone will want to order a complete pie. JB’s deep-dish uses an amazing amount of rich sauce, and a quantity of cheese that might violate international edicts. There’s no on-site dining at JB’s, but a front counter does sell pizza by the slice for those who want a sample or snack. A slice of cheese deep dish is $1.50; for sausage or pepperoni, when available, add another 50 cents. Get two big cheese pieces, with a liter-bottle of soda, and the total will come in at just a shade over $4.50.
