While we absolutely love to eat, sleep, and dream everything pizza, we know Chicago is home to several other amazing and mouthwatering restaurants. When you’re visiting Millennium Park and need to stop for a bite to eat, consider dropping by any of these delectable restaurants for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Whether you are looking for premium steaks, flavorful burgers, Chinese dumplings, or Japanese pancakes, you will be absolutely delighted you chose to dine at one of these local Chicago eateries.
The Gage
“city skyline during night time” used with permission via Unsplash by Blake Griffin
The Gage is known as one of Chicago’s best-run bars and eateries and is located right across from Millennium Park. As an upscale Irish pub and restaurant, The Gage features a menu filled with savory starters, refreshing salads, original entrees, flavorful steaks, and satisfying burgers. This restaurant also has a full bar menu with signature drinks, such as The Gage Old-Fashioned or the Habanero Margarita, and unique cocktails, draft beers, and fine wines. Whether you want a quick lunch with friends or an exquisite locale for date night, The Gage won’t disappoint.
This Chicago favorite has an interesting history in the Windy City. Its name comes from the architecturally significant Gage Group of buildings constructed in the late 1800s. Now a historical landmark, the buildings were home to three milliners, including Gage Brothers & Co. This retailer supplied fashionable hats to ladies throughout the United States and overseas. You can still find early 20th century advertisements for Gage hats in this fine restaurant.
As one of Chicago’s most booked restaurants, The Gage blends European influence with American style. It serves refined yet farm-fresh cuisine in a lively and vibrant atmosphere. You’ll enjoy dining at this respected and innovative restaurant.
JIAO by Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings
From the same team that gave Chicago Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings, JIAO has become one of the most popular Chinese restaurants near Millennium Park. JIAO specializes in authentic Chinese soup dumplings and is a great place to stop for a quick bite to eat. It’s also quite affordable. Since 2019, JIAO has been serving a small but flavorful menu of dumplings, Chinese-style appetizers, and CHA Skyline, a top brand of tea made with cream cold foam.
When you walk into JIAO, you’ll set your eyes upon traditional Chinese landscape elements mixed with modern Western designs. Within its tranquil and natural environment, customers can enjoy Chinese stuffed dumplings made with healthy ingredients such as 100% Angus beef, grass-fed chicken, Pacific King shrimp, crab roe, premium truffle, and organic vegetables.
The team at JIAO has developed a proprietary ordering system to speed up kitchen flow and get dumplings to their customers within five minutes of ordering. The staff is known for its professional and considerate service. Plan to add JIAO to your agenda the next time your travels bring you near Millennium Park.
Hanabusa Cafe
Directly from Toronto, Ontario, Hanabusa Cafe has expanded its delicious Japanese pancake souffle restaurant to the Chicago area. Hanabusa means “the floral house” in Japanese, and that is exactly what this cafe is — a local hometown eatery that creates fragrant and exquisite pancake entrees for its customers. When Hanabusa was open in Toronto, long lines were normal for this popular breakfast cafe. Now, residents and visitors to the Chicago area can experience these fluffy souffle cakes for themselves.
This specialty breakfast bistro features an array of toppings for its fluffy souffles, including custard, matcha, chocolate hazelnut sauce, and a variety of fresh fruits. Along with the delicious pancakes, Hanabusa Cafe has a food menu full of Japanese and Korean offerings. Try the bulgogi, a savory beef seasoned in a tasty Korean marinade with kimchi and rice, or gyoza, a pan-fried Japanese dumpling served with dipping sauce.
Hanabusa also serves light refreshments in the form of espresso or Hana tea. Choose from favorites such as the macchiato, Americano, or mocha. You might also wish to experience something new from the tea menu, such as Key Lime Four Season fresh fruit tea, Mango Cheese fruit tea, or one of the handcrafted yogurt drinks made with Yakult yogurt.
Pequod’s Pizza
Last but definitely not least is Pequod’s Pizza. Since 1970 locals have enjoyed Pequod’s Pizza for its hometown atmosphere, deep-dish pizzas, caramelized crusts, and much more. In 1986, the pizzeria changed owners and new leadership expanded the menu, adding a savory thin-crust pizza to its already popular pizza choices. Word of mouth has helped Pequod’s grow its faithful customer base for years. You will not be disappointed when you visit us for our world-class deep-dish pie.
You might wonder what’s so amazing about our caramelized crust. We add an abundance of shredded mozzarella cheese on top of the crust before baking it in one of our cast-iron pans. When we combine this unique crust with our quality meats, fresh vegetables, and premium cheeses, you’re in for a tasty meal you won’t soon forget. Along with our popular pizzas, we have a full-service menu complete with appetizers, soups and salads, sandwiches, pasta, and desserts.
Pequod’s is one of Chicago’s most awarded and renowned pizza restaurants. We have been recognized as one of the Top 5 pizza places in the country and have earned many local and national “Best Pizza” honors. We also have award-winning service alongside our award-winning pizzas. When you stop into Pequod’s, you’ll be met with Midwestern hospitality and a cold beer or two. We want nothing more than to give you a memorable experience you can share with family and friends.
Now that you know more about the amazing restaurants near Millennium Park, which one will you choose to visit next? Is there a favorite diner or cafe in this locale that we didn’t mention? If so, we’d love to hear about it. Contact us today to let us know where you like to dine. We’re always looking for nearby venues to recommend to our customers.
If you’re in the mood for pizza, stop by Pequod’s. We look forward to serving you our delicious deep-dish pies.