Guidebook for Chicago
Food Scene
This local French pastry shop offers handmade croissants, European-style breads, quiche, and more. Seating is limited, but it’s a great spot to grab breakfast, or coffee.
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Beurrage
1248 W 18th StThis local French pastry shop offers handmade croissants, European-style breads, quiche, and more. Seating is limited, but it’s a great spot to grab breakfast, or coffee.
Coffee, bagels, pastries and other typical coffeehouse fare in a chill environment featuring local art & music. Catrina’s is a great spot to study or read for an afternoon.
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La Catrina Cafe
1011 W 18th StCoffee, bagels, pastries and other typical coffeehouse fare in a chill environment featuring local art & music. Catrina’s is a great spot to study or read for an afternoon.
Bow Truss is one of Chicago’s most successful coffee roasters. Stop by their Pilsen shop just a few blocks from the el. Heads up—there’s no bathroom!
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Bow Truss Coffee Roasters
1641 West 18th StreetBow Truss is one of Chicago’s most successful coffee roasters. Stop by their Pilsen shop just a few blocks from the el. Heads up—there’s no bathroom!
A Pilsen original, Café Jumping Bean has been in the neighborhood for more than 20 years. Similar to Catrina’s with less seating and more food!
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Cafe Jumping Bean
1439 W 18th StA Pilsen original, Café Jumping Bean has been in the neighborhood for more than 20 years. Similar to Catrina’s with less seating and more food!
Dusek’s is perfect for a more upscale night out or grabbing a beer with a friend, and serves amazing brunch on the weekends. The menu was designed by Michelin-starred chef Jared Wentworth.
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Dusek's Board & Beer
1227 W 18th StDusek’s is perfect for a more upscale night out or grabbing a beer with a friend, and serves amazing brunch on the weekends. The menu was designed by Michelin-starred chef Jared Wentworth.
Honky Tonk offers southern favorites like pulled pork, ribs, baked beans, mac & cheese, and cornbread. Live music fans love it: jazz, blues and country acts take the stage every night but Tuesday.
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Honky Tonk BBQ
1213 W 18th StHonky Tonk offers southern favorites like pulled pork, ribs, baked beans, mac & cheese, and cornbread. Live music fans love it: jazz, blues and country acts take the stage every night but Tuesday.
This Mexican hole-in-the-wall has been around for 50 years and is regarded by most as the best Mexican restaurant in Pilsen. Plates start around $5.
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Nuevo Leon Restaurant
1515 West 18th StreetThis Mexican hole-in-the-wall has been around for 50 years and is regarded by most as the best Mexican restaurant in Pilsen. Plates start around $5.
At Belli’s you’ll find great snacks like natural popcorn, kale chips, granolas, and local honey. They offer fresh juices, seasonal soups and salads as well as (my personal favorite) kombucha on tap.
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Belli's
1850 W 18th StAt Belli’s you’ll find great snacks like natural popcorn, kale chips, granolas, and local honey. They offer fresh juices, seasonal soups and salads as well as (my personal favorite) kombucha on tap.
Drinks & Nightlife
Good for beer, bad for cocktails. Simone's is futuristic and unique. Their environmentally friendly operation includes a rooftop herb garden and banks of solar panels.
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Simone's
960 W 18th StGood for beer, bad for cocktails. Simone's is futuristic and unique. Their environmentally friendly operation includes a rooftop herb garden and banks of solar panels.
This 70s-inspired basement bar makes the BEST cocktails in all of Pilsen! Sip on a glass of punch ($8), opt for a carafe ($32) or go all in with the eight-drink punch bowl ($59).
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Punch House
1227 W 18th StThis 70s-inspired basement bar makes the BEST cocktails in all of Pilsen! Sip on a glass of punch ($8), opt for a carafe ($32) or go all in with the eight-drink punch bowl ($59).
Grab a drink inside this 19th century piano bar and enjoy a live performance Thursday-Saturday (they’re not open other nights). Bar bites include beef-fat fries and chili spiked churros.
Tack Room
1807 S Allport StGrab a drink inside this 19th century piano bar and enjoy a live performance Thursday-Saturday (they’re not open other nights). Bar bites include beef-fat fries and chili spiked churros.
The dive bar of dive bars. From the outside, it looks like an old-man bar that's been prepped for use as a bunker, but on the inside you'll find cheap beer, pinball, and DELICIOUS tater tots.
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Skylark
2149 S Halsted StThe dive bar of dive bars. From the outside, it looks like an old-man bar that's been prepped for use as a bunker, but on the inside you'll find cheap beer, pinball, and DELICIOUS tater tots.
Shopping
This is so much more than a used bookstore. Open Books is a nonprofit social venture that provides literacy experiences for tens of thousands of readers each year.
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Open Books Pilsen
905 W 19th StThis is so much more than a used bookstore. Open Books is a nonprofit social venture that provides literacy experiences for tens of thousands of readers each year.
This furniture, housewares, and gift store joins a slew of new shops along 18th Street. Find 1950s sofas, 1960s credenzas, and midcentury Danish lounge chairs alongside small Chicago-themed gifts.
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Modern Cooperative, LLC
1215 West 18th StreetThis furniture, housewares, and gift store joins a slew of new shops along 18th Street. Find 1950s sofas, 1960s credenzas, and midcentury Danish lounge chairs alongside small Chicago-themed gifts.
Market Supply Co. buys and sells vintage clothing. Merchandise is neatly displayed and every item is gem and in great condition. There’s also a barbershop in the back offering old school haircuts!
Market Supply Co. Vintage
1147 West 18th StreetMarket Supply Co. buys and sells vintage clothing. Merchandise is neatly displayed and every item is gem and in great condition. There’s also a barbershop in the back offering old school haircuts!
The absolute sweetest little bookshop - right on our block!
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Pilsen Community Books
1102 W 18th StThe absolute sweetest little bookshop - right on our block!
Arts & Culture
A lovely, small gallery full of vibrant colors and well-curated installations focused on understanding Mexican as well as Mexican-American history and culture through art. It's free!
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Mużew Nazzjonali tal-Arti Messikan
1852 W 19th StA lovely, small gallery full of vibrant colors and well-curated installations focused on understanding Mexican as well as Mexican-American history and culture through art. It's free!
Essentials
This 52-year-old family-owned grocery store offers an impressive range of spices, seasonings, and hot sauce, plus surprising novelties such as organic soaps, artisanal sodas, and locally made piñatas.
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La Casa Del Pueblo Inc.
1810 S Blue Island AveThis 52-year-old family-owned grocery store offers an impressive range of spices, seasonings, and hot sauce, plus surprising novelties such as organic soaps, artisanal sodas, and locally made piñatas.
Enjoy a glass of wine or fresh gelato as you roam the aisles of this upscale Chicago chain grocery store. They have every grocery item you could need and more. Accessible via the 8 Halsted bus.
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Mariano's
2021 W Chicago AveEnjoy a glass of wine or fresh gelato as you roam the aisles of this upscale Chicago chain grocery store. They have every grocery item you could need and more. Accessible via the 8 Halsted bus.
Trader Joe's
1528 E 55th StAccessible via the 18 16th/18th bus.
Target isn’t super easy to get to on public transit, but if you walk west to the corner of Loomis & Blue Island, the 60 bus will take you most of the way there. Get off at Racine & Harrison.
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Target
4433 S Pulaski RdTarget isn’t super easy to get to on public transit, but if you walk west to the corner of Loomis & Blue Island, the 60 bus will take you most of the way there. Get off at Racine & Harrison.
Specializes in natural and organic products. Accessible via the 8 Halsted bus (get on at 18th & Halsted).
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Whole Foods Market
3640 N Halsted StSpecializes in natural and organic products. Accessible via the 8 Halsted bus (get on at 18th & Halsted).