Musicians from around the world travel to Chicago during the summer to play Lollapalooza, Riot Fest and North Coast, and between sets, sound checks and after-parties, they find some time to enjoy some great meals. We asked a mix of breakout acts and headliners what places they have to hit when they’re in town and found they have strong opinions about Chicago-style pizza and food they’re so addicted to they need it waiting as soon as they get off the plane. From competing to devour the most Chicago dogs to seeking out some locally roasted coffee to keep them awake as they drive to the next city, touring artists take advantage of everything the Windy City has to offer. Here’s where you’ll find them on stage and fueling up between shows.
Marlon Funaki
Playing: 9 p.m. July 29 at the Lollapalooza aftershow at Schubas Tavern (sold out) and 1:50 p.m. July 30 at Lollapalooza
Where he’s eating: “As a touring musician, traveling costs and meals can sometimes feel heavy. However, that wasn’t the case when I visited Chicago’s Dog House. When trying to eat on a budget, it can be hard to find food that’s healthy, nutritional and able to keep me energetic enough to meet the demands of a long tour. We had a sold-out show at Lincoln Hall that day. We’d been driving for what felt like sunrise to a little past noon that morning, so we had gotten there close to soundcheck. We needed something quick and easy so we could make the venue on time. I figured fast food was the only option. I came across a small hole in the wall called Chicago’s Dog House. It had great reviews and even better prices. The boys and I made a stop. I had the privilege of trying their in-house wings, as well as a hot dog, of course, and when I tell you this was one of the crunchiest, steamiest, freshest wings I had ever ordered, I wouldn’t be lying. Hands down one of the best spots for traveling bands who want fresh food at a great price.”
Chicago’s Dog House, 816 W. Fullerton Ave., 773-248-3647, originalchicagosdoghouse.com
Claire Rosinkranz
Playing: 9 p.m. July 29 at the Lollapalooza aftershow at Garcia’s and 1:40 p.m. July 31 at Lollapalooza
Where she’s eating: “Avec is one of my favorite spots in Chicago. I love the cozy atmosphere and the small plates are amazing! It’s always one of the first places I want to go when I’m back in town.
I love the vibe of Big Star. The tacos, margaritas and outdoor patio make it such a fun Chicago spot, especially after a long festival weekend.
Gibsons is a Chicago classic. The way they present the steaks while you order, it’s just so unique. A nice steak and seafood dinner is the best way to start a festival weekend!”
Avec, 615 W. Randolph St., 312-377-2002 and 141 W. Erie St., 877-298-0592, avecrestaurant.com
Big Star, 1531 N. Damen Ave., 877-298-0617 and 3640 N. Clark St., 877-416-6932, bigstarchicago.com
Gibsons, 1028 N. Rush St., 312-266-8999, gibsonssteakhouse.com
Martin MacNamara of High Vis
Playing: 10 p.m. July 30 at the Lollapalooza aftershow at Cobra Lounge (sold out) and 1 p.m. July 31 at Lollapalooza
Where he’s eating: Carnicería Maribel was the first place we ever got food in Chicago. We ate there as soon as we got to the city on our way to our first Chicago gig at Cobra Lounge, starving and with help from our tour manager Juan Carlos to make sure we were extremely well fed.
I was lucky enough to find time to get breakfast at Kasama here when we were in Chicago for Riot Fest in 2023. I had the pork adobo sandwich and have been thinking about it ever since, so I’m determined to make time to revisit when we’re in the city for Lollapalooza.
Carnicería Maribel, 1801 W. Cermank Road, 773-254-6446
Kasama, 1001 N. Winchester Ave., kasamachicago.com
Whitney Whitney
Playing: Noon July 31 at Lollapalooza
Where she’s eating: “I’ve lived most of my life in Manhattan, so I’m very picky when it comes to pizza. And sorry, but I don’t like deep dish. I know it’s a crime. But I wanted to try pizza in Chicago anyway, so I went to Pizz’amici, which served me a lovely non-deep-dish pie.”
Pizz’amici, 1215 W. Grand Ave., 312-285-2382, pizz-amici.com
Cameron Whitcomb
Playing: 11 p.m. July 31 at the Lollapalooza aftershow at Bottom Lounge (sold out) and 7:45 p.m. Aug. 1 at Lollapalooza
Where he’s eating: “Giordano’s stuffed pizza is unreal. There’s a whole extra layer of crust over the cheese with the sauce sitting on top of that — it’s a completely different thing than regular deep dish. Everything on the menu is solid, but the stuffed is the whole point.”
Tortello is my spot. They’re making the pasta right there in the window, so you already know. Anything on that menu is gonna hit, but the handmade stuff is why you go — it’s just simple and perfect.”
Giordano’s, multiple locations, giordanos.com
Tortello, 1746 W. Division St., 773-360-1293, tortellopasta.com
Beabadoobee
Playing: 11 p.m. July 31 at the Lollapalooza aftershow at the Salt Shed (sold out) and 6:45 p.m. Aug. 2 at Lollapalooza
Where she’s eating: “When we’re in Chicago, we like to go to Sushi-san on Grand Avenue. I’m veggie-centric, and they have a lot of great veggie options. I’m really into their eggplant tempura and cashew and crispy rice salad. They have amazing dumplings too. It’s a menu where you can order anything and it’s delicious, and good vegetarian is hard to come by. Sushi-san is a cool spot!”
Sushi-san, 63 W. Grand Ave., 312-828-0575, sushisanrestaurant.com/river-north
Leon Thomas
Playing: 4:30 p.m. Aug. 1 at Lollapalooza
Where he’s eating: “A go-to spot of mine is Uncle Remus. It’s some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had in Chicago.”
Uncle Remus Saucy Fried Chicken, multiple locations, uncleremususa.com
Next of Kin
Playing: 2:10 p.m. Aug. 1 at Lollapalooza
Where they’re eating: “Pizza Lobo (Logan Square) has great pizza and is kind of like an unofficial lesbian bar, so naturally we are obsessed with her. Also love Lou Mitchell’s for a good no-frills diner.”
Pizza Lobo, 3000 W. Fullerton Ave., 312-265-1745, pizzalobo.com
Lou Mitchell’s, 565 W. Jackson Blvd., 312-939-3111, loumitchells.com
Ben Stocker of SNACKTIME
Playing: 1 p.m. Aug. 2 at Lollapalooza
Where he’s eating: “As much as I believe Philadelphia is one of the best food cities in the country, Chicago truly does give it a run for its money. Our first stop has to be Three Dots and a Dash because who can turn down a delicious mai tai? Lucky for us, we have seven thirsty participants — just enough to order the giant Sippopotamus as well as the literal cocktail-filled Treasure Chest. Close by is a classy joint called Gus’ Sip & Dip. Here you can pair ice-cold shrimp cocktail with an extremely wide variety of $12 cocktails. My pick was the Grasshopper — creme de menthe and cacao with green chartreuse.
For the real meal, we head to Bungalow by Middle Brow. A beautiful stacked salad with homemade bread followed by the best Chicago tavern-style pizza I’ve ever had because, let’s be real, no one has time for deep dish. Do not miss the soft-serve machine on the way out. Charred vanilla affogato is absolutely the move. After a night of eating and drinking, we have to stroll through the Logan Square Farmers Market. After working up an appetite, we head to Lula Cafe for a perfect French omelette and delicious pastries.
Three Dots and a Dash, 435 N. Clark St., 312-610-4220, threedotschicago.com
Gus’ Sip & Dip, 51 W. Hubbard St., 312-736-0163, gussipanddip.com
Bungalow by Middle Brow, 2840 W. Armitage Ave., 773-318-0452, middlebrowbeer.com
Logan Square Farmers Market, 2620 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-489-3222, logansquarefarmersmarket.org
Lula Cafe, 2537 N. Kedzie Blvd., 773-489-9554, lulacafe.com
Nathaniel Motte of 3OH!3
Playing: Sept. 18 at Riot Fest
Where he’s eating: “I am a sicko and I like to order Tortas Frontera right when I land at O’Hare. Rick Bayless is my king. I get to have that delicious torta waiting for me to slam it down while waiting for my flight.”
Tortas Frontera, 10000 W. O’Hare Ave., tortasfrontera.com
Will Gorin of Slothrust
Playing: Sept. 18 at Riot Fest
Where he’s eating: “On tour, there’s usually limited time to go out and enjoy a proper meal, and this restricts us to what’s in the immediate vicinity of our venue. We’ve played Lincoln Hall a lot, and when we’re there I always swing by a place right around the corner called Chicago’s Dog House. It has a small but lively vibe, and while they do a great job providing classic dogs, they also feature a few creative specials for the more adventurous carnivores. Think smoked alligator or rattlesnake and rabbit sausage with some surprising toppings. When I go, I make sure to get one safe classic dog and one of the specials — and then I immediately regret not getting two of the specials. The fries are also always on point.
One of my favorite pastimes in the van is scouring Yelp and Google Maps and saving food spots to try when the stars align and we pass by. A restaurant on my list is Armitage Alehouse. It’s an elevated take on British pub food, and their monstrous pot pies are what caught my attention. With a classic, old-timey British feel straight out of Sweeney Todd (let’s hope he’s not in the kitchen), their dishes look like they take all the UK classics and give them a little extra love to make sure they each stand out as something unique. I’m sure the Riot Fest catering will be tasty, but if we have time, we’re gonna try to grab a table for a pot pie and some celebratory pints.
Chicago’s Dog House, 816 W. Fullerton Ave., 773-248-3647,originalchicagosdoghouse.com
Armitage Alehouse, 1000 W. Armitage Ave., armitagealehouse.com
Dan Hodsdon of The Callous Daoboys
Playing: Sept. 18 at Riot Fest
Where he’s eating: “On top of Chicago being one of our favorite cities to play, it’s also one of our favorites to explore. I drove six hours through the night once just so we could have a full day off here. I’ve been to Handlebar with a couple of lifting buddies, and I was floored at how delicious it was. If you’re looking for a good veg spot, you cannot go wrong with Handlebar. The Nashville Hot fried chicken sandwich was insane.
On our 2025 fall headliner, I had the pleasure of meeting AJ at Dark Matter Coffee. He brought us everything from canned coffee to bagged beans, and it saved my ass on some of the big overnight drives on that tour. My favorite brew was easily the Unicorn Blood.”
Handlebar, 2311 W. North Ave., 773-384-9546, handlebarchicago.com
Dark Matter Coffee, multiple locations, darkmattercoffee.com
Austin Tackett of Chat Pile
Playing: Sept. 19 at Riot Fest
Where he’s eating: “This might be a groan-worthy cliche pick to any native Chicagoans reading this article, but the most fun dining experience Chat Pile has ever had on the road was at Pequod’s the last time we were in town. Deep-dish pizza is a fairly exotic concept for those of us who grew up in the Plains, and I think we were expecting it to be kind of a novelty dare food. To our surprise, the pizza was delicious and seemingly made with love — the constant flowing pitchers of beer and cozy brick-wall atmosphere were also a big plus. A few members of the band have turned vegan since our last visit, which means I may be sneaking there by myself next time we’re in town!”
Pequod’s, 2207 N. Clybourn Ave., 773-327-1512, pequodspizza.com
Alexia Roditis of Destroy Boys
Playing: Sept. 19 at Riot Fest
Where they’re eating: A few years ago, we played at the Aragon Ballroom. I was on the hunt for pozole, and Lindo Guadalajara delivered. Huge portion, (expletive) fantastic. That was like two years ago, and I still remember it. It’s also next to a cemetery, which I visited afterward.
My friend Jess Price, multitalented Chicago-based artist and musician extraordinaire, took the band and me to EaThai last time we were there, and I would 100% go again. I’m a slut for a Thai curry.
Lindo Guadalajara, 4761 N. Clark St., 773-961-7621
EaThai, 2901 N. Kedzie Ave., 773-961-7612, eathaichicago.com
Brian Murphy of Kiwi Jr.
Playing: Sept. 19 at Riot Fest
Where he’s eating: “My favorite neighbourhood in Chicago is Pilsen. I’ve been lucky enough to play Thalia Hall a couple of times and it’s definitely up there for my favourite venue in the States, maybe even the world! When I’m there, I love to go to one of the legion bars. They always have cool old wood paneling and the cheapest and coldest beer you can find. The bartender is always super nice unless you forget to take off your hat, in which case things can get uncomfortable!
For food, I pretty much always go Mexican — the States have such good Mexican food, something that’s lacking in Canada. Nothing beats sitting down and immediately getting a big bowl of homemade tortilla chips and salsa on the house. In Toronto, they would charge you at least $30 for that. Mexican food doesn’t typically take long, which is a huge bonus when you’re trying to eat in that tight time period between sound check and the show. It’s usually a stressful time, but those cozy Mexican restaurants like La Luna make things so much easier for me.”
La Luna, 1726 S. Racine Ave., 312-248-8957, lalunachicago.com
Pierce Callaghan of Gurriers
Playing: Sept. 19 at Riot Fest
Where he’s eating: “Pizano’s Pizza & Pasta is not exactly a hidden gem, but sometimes you just cannot beat the classics. Always a family favourite, and hands down the best deep dish in town. I had the pleasure of bringing the guys from the band here back in March, and it felt like letting them in on a really badly kept secret. Also all of their locations have amazing Chicago sports memorabilia on the walls, which is just the cherry on top for me.”
Pizano’s Pizza & Pasta, multiple locations, pizanoschicago.com
Rob Felicetti of Bowling For Soup
Playing: Sept. 20 at Riot Fest
Where he’s eating: “I will admit I do get into tourist mode for some of those deep-dish pizza chains. I know there are people that say Lou Malnati’s is better or Giordano’s is better, but I’ve had both probably the exact same amount of times, and they are both equally awesome to me! I am going to give an honorable mention to a place called The Art Of Pizza, but I haven’t been there in like 15 years.”
Lou Malnati’s, multiple locations, loumalnatis.com
Giordano’s, multiple locations, giordanos.com
The Art Of Pizza, 3033 N. Ashland Ave., 773-327-5600, artofpizzachicago.com
Chris Cresswell of The Flatliners
Playing: Sept. 20 at Riot Fest
Where he’s eating: “No visit to Chicago feels complete to our band without a trip to the long-running and succinctly named The Chicago Diner. To us, its presence is simply synonymous with the city. To us, it’s the culinary version of the iconic ‘90s Bulls theme song. The breakfast hits the same way a deep summer Cubs win makes all the sitting and sweating feel so worth it. And the price for veggie and vegan food is hard to beat for a touring band, much like that of the train that connects its people in a way that makes it feel so much like a sister city to where we’re from in Toronto. The chilaquiles and country benedict are great ways to start your day. Toss an order of Thai chili wings in the mix and you’re definitely napping before soundcheck. But, hey, you’ve earned it.
It’s a time-honoured tradition to end our nights in town with a race to see who can take down the most Chicago dogs in record time. The peaceful morning meal at Chicago Diner is well in the rear view, and the banger of a gig has left us both ravenous to refuel and buzzed enough to think that more hot dogs than we can even count is an idea our road-tested digestive systems will thank us for. A stalwart of the city, Wrigleyville Dogs is best experienced late at night when the chaos of its community is in full swing, but the kitchen remains calm and doles out delicious dogs to drunks, drifters and debutantes alike. The current record is six dogs devoured in one sitting.”
The Chicago Diner, 3441 N. Halsted St., 773-935-6696, veggiediner.com
Wrigleyville Dogs, 3737 N. Clark St., 773-296-1500, wrigleyvilledogs.com
Macseal
Playing: Sept. 20 at Riot Fest
Where they’re eating: “We always try to go to Urban Vegan Thai Cuisine in Ravenswood when we’re in town. They have the best curry dumplings. Having a menu where you can order anything and it’s delicious and vegetarian is hard to come by.
We eat ice cream really often on tour. The last time we played Chicago, we went to Dairy Star in Lincolnwood and played mini golf down the street after. It’s very Americana and feels like a place you’ve been going to your whole life.”
Urban Vegan Thai Cuisine, 1601-1603 W. Montrose Ave., 773-404-1109, urbanveganthai.com
Dairy Star, 3472 W. Devon Ave., Lincolnwood, 847-679-3472, dairystaricecream.com
Pierce the Veil
Playing: Sept. 20 at Riot Fest
Where they’re eating: “A must-go for us when in Chicago for shows and festivals is RPM Steak in River North. The food, service and atmosphere are fantastic.”
RPM Steak, 66 W. Kinzie St., 312-284-4990, rpmrestaurants.com/rpm-steak-chicago
Wuki
Playing: Sept. 4 at North Coast
Where he’s eating: “Honestly whenever I go to Chicago, I only have two things on my mind: Italian beef from Mr. Beef or deep-dish pizza from Lou Malnati’s. Mr. Beef is right near a venue called Spybar, which I have played a bunch of times, and I think it might have been the first gig I ever played in Chicago!”
Lou Malnati’s, multiple locations, loumalnatis.com
Mr. Beef, 666 N. Orleans St., 312-337-8500
Levity
Playing: Sept. 4 at North Coast
Where they’re eating: “The Hat is the best late-night food spot in Chicago when you need something greasy. They’re open until 4 a.m., so we would always walk there after attending or playing shows, especially when we would need a food break working on music late at night.
Estelle’s is our favorite dive bar to hit after shows close to home, especially after we would DJ and attend shows at venues around Wicker Park! We usually don’t party super hard after shows and prefer to chill and drink some more while we catch up with friends, so it’s the perfect place for us because it’s dark, chill and has great food to go with your drinks, like mac and cheese bites and fries.
Gorilla Sushi is the best cheap sushi in Chicago. Our favorite food is sushi, so we would eat there pretty often. Is it the best sushi in Chicago? No. But when you know you only spent $16 to be full of sushi, it tastes pretty amazing. We would always get it to go, watch some TV while we eat and then get to work on music the rest of the night!”
The Hat, 1604 W. North Ave., 773-945-5079, thehatchicago.com
Estelle’s, 2013 W. North Ave., 773-782-0450, estelleschicago.com
Gorilla Sushi, multiple locations, gorillasushibaronclark.com
The music festivals
Lollapalooza is July 30 to Aug. 2 in Grant Park; tickets and more information at lollapalooza.com
Riot Fest is Sept. 18-20 in Douglass Park; tickets and more information at riotfest.org
North Coast is Sept. 4-6 on the SeatGeek Stadium campus in Bridgeview; tickets and more information at northcoastfestival.com.
Samantha Nelson is a freelance writer.
