Summery weather is here, offering plenty of opportunities for dining and drinking outside. Find some new favorite spots with a Malt Row stroll or Lincoln Park restaurant crawl, or enjoy some barbecue fare on the patio at Sportsman’s Club’s weekly series. Chicago hosts the James Beard Foundation awards this month, so chefs and bartenders from around the country will be popping up to show off their craft. You can also find ways to help feed others or learn more about what makes Chicago’s restaurant scene so special. Whatever you’re craving, check out these 10 dining events happening in June.
Sunday BBQ Series at Sportsman’s Club
Gather on the Ukrainian Village tavern’s spacious patio Sundays throughout the summer to enjoy barbecue fare from local restaurants, including Maxwell’s Trading (June 7), Creepies (June 21) and Boeufhaus (June 28). Get a taste of New Orleans on June 14 as Bacchanal and Nightbloom pop up for the James Beard Awards weekend.
4-7 p.m. Sundays through Sept. 27 at Sportsman’s Club, 948 N. Western Ave., drinkingandgathering.com
Thursday Night Beats & Bites
Grab dinner after work at the open air mall, which hosts four different food trucks each week including Wagyu House by The X Pot, Chkn Box and Polombia. The free series also features live music ranging from Motown to Brazilian jazz to party hits.
5-8 p.m. Thursdays through July at Roosevelt Collection, 150 W. Roosevelt Road, rooseveltcollectionshops.com/events
‘The Chicago Way’ Q&A and signing
Enjoy bites from chef Carrie Nahabedian and drinks from Sparrow beverage director Peter Vestinos while journalist Monica Eng hosts a Q&A with Michael Gebert, author of “The Chicago Way: An Oral History of Chicago Dining.” Eng and Nahabedian are among the nearly 200 chefs, restaurant staff, critics and diners featured in the book about how the city’s culinary scene has evolved over the past 50 years. An autographed copy is included.
1-4 p.m. June 8 at Brindille, 534 N. Clark St.; $50 tickets at eventbrite.com
Chicago Cocktail Classic
The second annual event brings together more than 30 bars from around the world including Bar Mauro (Mexico City), Superfine (Paris) and BKK Social Club (Bangkok) to serve mini cocktails alongside local spots like Meadowlark and Nine Bar. Tickets include 10 drink tokens.
6-10 p.m. June 14 at 167 Events, 167 Green St.; $100 tickets at chicagococktailclassic.com
Up South Pop-Up
Justice of the Pies chef and owner Maya-Camille Broussard started the Up South series in 2024 to highlight the South Side’s culinary excellence. The tradition continues with the James Beard Award-nominated baker serving smoked desserts alongside food from chef Dominique Leach of Lexington Betty Smokehouse.
11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 14 at Justice of the Pies, 8655 S. Blackstone Ave.; RSVP by June 12, more information at justiceofthepies.com
Sanders BBQ x Mahari
Get an early taste of Sanders BBQ Prime when chef James Sanders teams up with Mahari’s chef Rahim Muhammad to serve their signature brunch dishes. The event is BYOB.
11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 14 at Mahari, 1504 E. 55th St.; $75 tickets at exploretock.com/sanders-bbq-supply-co
Bario BBQ
Try dishes from Manchamanteles, Diego, Pizza Lobo and Santa Masa Tamaleria at the second annual celebration of Mexico’s grilling traditions, which benefits the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. Dishes served at the walk-around outdoor tasting include birria tacos with mole negro, pizza with carnitas, and cochinita pibil tamal.
4-7 p.m. June 14 at Manchamanteles, 2009 N. Western Ave.; $69 tickets at exploretock.com/manchamanteles
Cravings on Clark
More than a dozen Lincoln Park restaurants including The Fat Shallot, Tanaka Ramen and The Wiener’s Circle serve up signature bites during a restaurant crawl hosted by the Lincoln Park Chamber of Commerce.
6-9 p.m. June 24 starting at Briny Swine Smokehouse & Oyster Bar, 2577 N. Clark St.; $55-$65 tickets at lincolnparkchamber.com/cravings
Malt Row on Damen
Sip drinks from a dozen breweries and distilleries including Cultivate by Forbidden Root, Jeppson’s Malört and Gnome Brew during a stroll of the neighborhood, with stops including Amy’s Candy Bar and Falcon’s Handcrafted Sandwiches.
5:30-8:30 p.m. June 24 on Damen Avenue between Wilson Avenue and Argyle Street; $32 tickets at ravenswoodchicago.org
Chicago’s Taste of the Nation
More than 50 restaurants, including Obelix, Daisies, Avec and Girl & the Goat, offer bites paired with beer, wine and cocktails at this benefit for No Kid Hungry. The event includes cooking and mixology demonstrations, plus the chance to win a fully stocked wine cellar.
6-9 p.m. June 26 at Rockwell on the River, 3057 N. Rockwell St., $150 tickets at events.nokidhungry.org
Samantha Nelson is a freelance writer.
