Top Best American Restaurants in Grant Park

"Beatrix is a neighborhood coffeehouse, restaurant, and meeting place in Chicago’s River North, Streeterville, Fulton Market, and Oak Brook neighborhoods. The restaurant is the brainchild of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises’ Founder Rich Melman, Executive Partner, and Divisional President Marc Jacobs and Chef Partners John Chiakulas, Rita Dever, and Susan Weaver. The menu features healthy meets delicious options and is known for its iconic coffee and bakery counter, including signature cookies and in-house pastry favorites."

"Restaurants American River North. A healthy-fare-meets-comfort-food concept informs the menus at this cheerful River North restaurant and, to be sure, many of the dessert offerings—like the chia pudding with coconut milk and pomegranate—cleave to this ethos. And then there’s the Oh My!"

"Make one large or four minis from the cookie dough balls ($3 each) in chocolate chip, peanut butter or funfetti flavors. The Lettuce Entertain You beach house concept restaurant in Lincoln Park never seemed to make much sense to me as a former Southern California resident, but we can all use a virtual escape right now."

"With all the fantastic Chicago diners available in the Windy City sometimes it’s nice to change it up a bit. Lincoln Park’s Summer House Santa Monica will transport you to sunny California with its bright and breezy dining room. If you’re looking for an instant mood boost, this is it."

"Hipsters, global travelers, and suburbanites flock to Au Cheval for Chef-owner Brendan Sodikoff's burger, highly publicized as one of the country's best. A single cheeseburger actually comes with two prime beef patties, grilled to medium, topped with weepy, slowly melted cheddar, bright dijonnaise, and a housemade dill pickle. The soft, buttery bun is the perfect blank canvas for the intense beefy flavor."

"It’s debatable whether or not one can actually call this a diner, so I’ll leave the deciding up to you. If so, it’s definitely the most fancy diner I’ve ever seen. Au Cheval is another Randolph Street resident, that makes its mark as “a diner-style bar and restaurant with a passion for eggs”."

"Logan Square Founded as a brewpub in 2010 by former Goose Island employee and Handlebar founder Josh Deth, Revolution has helped lead the local craft beer revolution to become the largest independently owned brewer in Illinois. Picking up the mantle left by Goose Island following its sale to InBev, Rev’s massive 90,000-square-foot Kedzie facility houses a German beer-hall inspired taproom that starred in the 2013 film Drinking Buddies. Famous for its aggressive flavor profile and hop-heavy creations, Rev is known for year-round core ales like Anti-Hero and Fist City, but its popular seasonals and excellent deep wood series ales showcase its deep pool of talent.Must-try beer: For something a little different from Rev’s typical lineup, dig into their deep wood series to try the award-winning Deth’s Tar barrel-aged imperial oatmeal stout brewed with English specialty malts to create a rich, chocolaty profile with notes of vanilla, toasted coconut, and caramel candy."

"John Shields and Karen Urie Shields’s two-for-one special in the West Loop: a fine-dining destination upstairs and the city's best burger in the sultry basement. Why we love it: You can choose your own adventure at this double feature—and neither option will lead you astray. Cozy up on the couch with the Loyalist's famed Dirty Burger, a messy medley of cheesy, oniony goodness that's now available for takeout and delivery."

"Besides Oriole, Smyth is the other 2 Michelin star-rated restaurant in Chicago. Smyth can also be found in the West Loop. It’s New American food at its best with exceptional wine pairings and an incredible ambiance."

"Restaurants American Lake View. This ultra kid-friendly restaurant in the Southport Corridor caters to parents in every way possible with wide doors that fit your stroller, a stroller valet and step stools in the bathroom. Your little ones will undoubtedly want the ice cream-topped skillet cookie for dessert—so be a sport and help them indulge."

"This restaurant was designed with kids in mind, namely the daughter, Crosby, of one of the owners. Her influence served them well — extra-wide doors accommodate strollers, and there’s a sink in the dining room, so kids can wash up. The kids’ menu is pretty standard, but adds a few different dishes like the chicken leg that comes straight off their signature rotisserie."

"This kid- and pup-friendly patio is an ideal spot for people-watching and sipping lemonade with rotating flavors like hibiscus and mango. Popular plates at this Southport spot include lobster deviled eggs, iron-skillet cornbread, and avocado toast studded with lump crab. (And speaking of kid-friendliness, here’s a hot tip: children eat for free from 4 to 6 p.m.)"

"Restaurants American Loop. Trying to keep out of the sun when you dine riverside?. The contemporary American restaurant Rivers, located on the lobby level of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange building facing the Chicago River, features a large patio with a hanging roof ideal for those aiming to avoid freckling while they munch on grilled salmon salads and burgers."

"This local chain of Nashville-style fried chicken almost always has a long line at Revival Food Hall, and it's easy to see why. The exterior of the chicken is crackly and genuinely spicy, while the interior stays juicy. Even the sides are top quality, including the intricately flavored collard greens."

"A lil’ southern comfort from the comfort of your own home, nothing says takeout food quite like a giant batch of fried chicken. And let’s be honest, this spicy/sweet Nashville style bird is pretty impossible to eat politely in public anyway."

"The Budlong Hot Chicken Kitchen prides itself on serving always local, anti-biotic and hormone free meat. MAKE IT AT HOME: Nashville Hot Fried Chicken. Your slice of hot delight is served on top of classic Texas Toast."

"Blackbird was an excellent Michelin star rated restaurant in Chicago. It was another American restaurant set in an iconic modern space. In fact, the atmosphere won a James Beard Award for “Best Restaurant Design” in 2002."

"This longtime healthy Mexican spot has something for everyone. Sure, there’s carne asada and al pastor for meat eaters but vegetarians can dig into a veggie Cubana torta made with soy chicken, sausage, and bacon alongside chipotle sauce, an organic egg, and more."

"You get a good meal that will fill your appetite whether it be a burrito or gordita. Personally we got queso con ra..."

"Chicago’s Lakefront Trail I promised we’d do a lot of walking today, so next, head back towards Lake Michigan and enjoy the lakefront trail, a nearly 20-mile stretch of paved walkway that meanders down the city’s coastline. The views are spectacular and it’s a great way to see the city’s skyline from a distance. If you’d prefer to bike the trail (highly recommended!), check out the city’s bike-sharing system, Divvy, where you can grab a bike for a 24-hour rental period from one of the city’s many stations"

"BridgeportWhen you think of Bridgeport, the first thing that comes to mind usually isn’t nature. And this park (nicknamed “Mount Bridgeport” and formerly known as Stone Quarry) fits right in with a 27-acre site that has transformed itself from quarry to landfill to park. Cruise the crushed stone running path and peep the fishing pond and wetlands as you stroll the grass amidst preserved quarry walls at this neighborhood hidden gem."

"Opened on the site of an old limestone quarry, Palmisano Park unfurls an urban prairie landscape with great views of the Chicago skyline. Locals come here to fish for bluegill in the lagoon in summer and sled the hills in winter. The winding walkways, made of recycled construction debris, are great for a stroll anytime."

"27 acres of wetlands and urban fishing make Palmisano Park a fun place to visit. The park also offers a phenomenal view of Chicago. In winter, it’s a great place to go sledding."