These Wicker Park restaurants are my absolute favorite! Let me tell you if I had the funds I would be eating out at one of these spots every day. Scroll through and enjoy!! These are in no particular order, each place on here holds a special memory and place in my heart <3
1. Alléz Cafe
2239 N Western Ave
Ok, so we are starting off strong with the new kid on the block here, Alléz Cafe. This place does NOT disappoint. It has easily become one of bucktowns favorite stops for the weekend. Alléz is the food baby of former Michelin chef Jason Melamed’s catering company Ambrosia Foods. Jasons attention to detail and flavor profiles do not fall short in any aspect of this establishment.
When you walk in the door you are greeted with the beautiful pink tile, blaring hip-hop, and open pasty case that is filled with new sweet and savory bites to try every week. I mean this place truly marries everything that GenZ is all about. It doesn’t disappoint in serving up something new to try whenever you go. From the interior decoration to the quality of the food and drink this place is a top choice to impress your friends and grab a top tier breakfast.
The fan favorite item on their menu has to be the “Breakfast Sando”. This thing is absolutely PACKED with flavor and deserves a Michelin star all on its own. This absolute banger of a sandwich comes on a toasted potato roll, with a silky smooth custard egg, crispy hash brown fried to perfection, Neuske’s bacon, the perfectly sweet and spicy jalapeño jam, and finished with a wild ramp aioli that gives the sandwich the perfect saucy bite. I mean this sandwich is really something special to get your hands on.
Highly recommend stopping into this place. The kitchen is truly packed with people who go above and beyond. They know how to cook damn well! The baristas are also incredible and serve up some of the smoothest latte’s in the area in my opinion.
Because of its location it can’t really be considered one of the Wicker Park restaurants. BUT, you can easily get to Alléz by taking the 49 bus up Western Ave. You can also hop off of the blue line at the Western stop and take about a 15 minute stroll North on Western!
2. Paulie Gee’s
1566 N Damen Ave
Do I even really have to say much here???? Paulie Gee’s is an absolute staple for Wicker Park restaurants. The location on Logan Square is their flagship full size dine in pizzeria. Still, their slice shop in Wicker Park serves it up just as good. Paulie Gee’s is always doing something fun like trivia and game nights. Making the slice shop a cool place to stop in for a drink and a damn good piece of pizza.
For the longest time I a avoided Paulie Gee’s when I would be shopping around in Wicker only because I thought it was just another run of the mill pizza joint that wasn’t really serving up anything special. That all changed when i was craving pizza so bad one night that I ordered their massive 20″ Logan Zaddy off of Uber Eats and nearly passed away from how good that pizza was.
Not only is the pizza beautifully sauced and drizzled with hot honey, it is PACKED with the most pepperoni possible. The pepperoni was so crispy and made the perfect pair to the soft globs of ricotta cheese all over this thing. To top all of this off their RANCH is the best ranch that I have had in so long they should seriously sell that stuff bottled because they don’t nearly give you enough. I would have that ranch stocked in my fridge 24/7.
There was a time in my life where i ordered this pizza once a week and I am not proud of it but it is literally just that damn good that I was craving it every Friday night. Paulie Gee’s is a big win in my book!
3. Margie’s
1960 N Western Ave
Now we all have to know this gem by now because of “The Bear”, but let me tell you there’s a reason for it! I have been going here way before The Bear got a hold of it and the line STILL was out the door. This place is truly just that iconic.
You really can’t get the ambiance of Margies anywhere else. It’s such a cool time capsule from the 1920’s. It’s the perfect spot for first dates or for a weekend bite. They have really yummy sandwiches that feel like eating at grandmas house on the weekend. Their ice cream is top tier, and they have a menu bigger than my brain can handle. Instead of spending more at the expensive Wicker Park restaurants, just grab a quick bite and a sweet treat at Margie’s !! Any sundae you order from will be a hit. They are all served with a little wafer cookie which is just a classic and timeless touch. All of their sundaes are served in these cool clam shell like bowls on silver platters. Even if you don’t order the 21 scoop “World’s Largest Sundae” you will still be leaving Margie’s with a happily full belly.
I really couldn’t pick a better local ice cream shop than Margie’s. It’s really just one of those businesses that I hope will be around forever. After hearing about the closing down and sale of “The Freeze” in Palmer Square, I feel like Margie’s is going to have an even more packed summer than they already do. This means you have to make sure you get there early enough to get a table and enjoy the full experience that Margie’s has to offer.
Treat tip: order a few pieces of their chocolate on the side. You won’t regret it (p.s. their turtles are my fav)
4. Mindy’s
1623 N Milwaukee Ave
I don’t think I will ever love a bakery more than I love Mindy’s. It’s not even because of the food. Don’t get me wrong though the pastries are to die for. They are all baked in house with a beautiful view into the back kitchen where you can see all of the chaos of the bakery. But what makes Mindy’s really special is the people that work there. The staff is some of the most kind and warming people I have met in truly a long time. Most of the staff have been there since Mindy’s opening and are still there. It’s easy to see why. You can tell that this place fosters an environment of family and community.
When I first started to go to Mindy’s me and my partner would stop by once every Saturday or Sunday on our way to work. The interactions with the staff are so brief because they pump you through the line to make sure people don’t have to wait so long. Trust me that line gets long. Regardless, very time we stopped by we were greeted with HUGE smiles and welcome backs. I really felt like I got to know the staff more and more each time I went.
As winter came, me and my partner both left tour jobs at the time, and hadn’t been going to Mindys as often. When we came back on a random weekend morning, the staff was ecstatic to see us return. They were sarcastically asking us where we have been all this time and why we haven’t been coming to see them. It made us feel so special and cared for. The magic of Mindys truly comes from the staffs ability to remember you, making you feel like family to them. I have a great time chatting with them every time I go in. It’s always a treat to be greeted with the same excitement from the staff.
While the service here is the star of the show, I could not get through this post without talking about how INCREDIBLE the pastries are. I mean wow. I truly have no words. They always have a few of their staple bialy’s and croissants in stock but otherwise the menu is switched up based on what they are making that day. I am just happy to see a small business establishment that hasn’t given in to conforming to a static menu to up the profits and sales. They really want to provide their customers with something new and diverse every time you go in. Out of all the Wicker Park restaurants and places to eat, Mindy’s takes the cake!
If you stop by make sure you check out their top secret candy drawer built into their pastry case!!!
5. Big Star
1531 N Damen Ave
Oh Big Star, oh Big Star, how I love thee Big Star.
These tacos are top tier guys. TOP tier. What I prefer to do when I go to Big Star is skip sitting at the restaurant and go to their walk up window. Here you can get tacos on the go. This is the best spot for when you need a lunch that you can move with! Even though they offer an insane patio dining setup that has incredible cocktails and service, I just love the luxury of having both a walk up window AND (on the weekends) their Taco Truck parked right out front. It really lets you get the whole wicker park experience of grabbing a bite and setting up a little picnic spot in the park literally two steps away from this place. Screw sitting down at Wicker Park restaurants and just grab a walking taco!
This was my summer spot last year!! It would be tacos from Big Star, adaptogen drinks from Foxtrot, and sitting at the park to dog watch and tan all day. That to me is the charm of Wicker. You are always seeing the same people and getting to watch people play kickball, basketball, and best of all play with their dogs.
But back on taco talk, Big Star’s fish tacos and their shrimp tacos are my favvvvvvvv. The sauce that they add onto the shrimp tacos is like a spicy mayo that is to dieee for. On the other hand the fish taco is met with a refreshing slaw on top. It really balances out the whole meal. I highly recommend their salsa verde (it is top tier). The salsa rojo is good as well but has a bit of a smokey flavor that pairs well better with the red meat taco options AND the walking taco. I just happen to be more of a light and refreshing taco person than the meaty and saucy tacos.
Don’t forget to grab a topo chico and their churro ice cream bars as well 🙂
..
..
..
There are so many amazing places to eat and shop in Wicker and I am excited to keep sharing my experiences and stories of them all! Wicker Park restraints come and go but I hope these stay for a long time!
-Brooke