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Hanno

OBS Chief
Joined
Sep 19, 2008
Messages
584
Location
South Central PA
We will be traveling to Glacier Park later this month and we have a layover in Chicago. We are scheduled to arrive at 8:45 AM and will be departing again at 2:15 PM.

Where would be a good place to have lunch in the vicinity of the station?

Thanks for your assistance!
 
We like to eat at Potbelly's Grill across the river from Union Station. Just cross the Adams St bridge and it is on the north side. If weather is nice we sit out on their deck and watch the boats on the river. Sandwiches are good and reasonably priced and service is quick.
 
If the day is nice, we usually find a sandwich shop, order to go then eat and relax by the river. Last trip, time was short so we tried a new shop actually located in the Union Station Food Court, "PRET A MANGER". Their selection was good and everything is freshly made each day, Nothing is carried over from day to day. This is a London based chain.
 
Funny, There is one (Pret) on the corner of Church and Park Place in downtown NYC I used to go to that one fairly often when I ran some courses on Park Place. Good selection of fresh sandwiches, and soups. End of day leftovers donated to shelters so stuff was always fresh. On some other threads people have mentioned Revival Hall in Chicago, but that is weekdays only.
 
If the day is nice, we usually find a sandwich shop, order to go then eat and relax by the river. Last trip, time was short so we tried a new shop actually located in the Union Station Food Court, "PRET A MANGER". Their selection was good and everything is freshly made each day, Nothing is carried over from day to day. This is a London based chain.
I have generally found Pret A Manger to be very good, including the original one in London.
 
If you cross the River from Union Station there used to be a very nice Food Court in the Willis( Sears) Tower that had better selections and a more pleasant atmosphere than the Upstairs Food Court @ Union Station.Unfortunately it has Now Closed!

In The other Direction (in close walking distance) there is Lou Mitchells, a Chicago Institution, Al's Italian Beef, (get the Peppers on your Sandwich) and Greek Town is located a little bit to the West with several excellent places to enjoy lunch.

Updated thanks to info from Windy City residents!
 
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Al's Italian Beef, a block west of the station at the corner of W. Adams and Jefferson. I don't think I've ever seen Chicago's "wet" Italian beef sandwiches anywhere outside the Chicago area, and they're great.

There's also Chicago-style hot dogs at Gold Coast Dogs in the station itself.
 
The French Market is just a few blocks away and definitely worth a stroll.
 
If "vicinity of the station" is limited to two blocks from the station, Trip Advisor's map feature... https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurants-g35805-Chicago_Illinois.html#MAPVIEW ...shows about 65 places to eat in that area as well as their location. Clicking on an icon will reveal hours, phone number and often a link to the menu as well as customer reviews and a ranking compared to all other places in Chicago.
 
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Pret A Manger is probably my favorite location in Washington Union Station; I find their Chicago locations to be a bit lacking, and I can't quite put my finger on it as to why. But one can't really beat the quality of the food; I picked up a couple sandwiches a day or two prior to my departure from CHI last month and had one leftover I took on the train. It came in quite handy as a mid-afternoon lunch as I departed Union Station.

As for nearby dining spots near CUS, if you're in the mood for a burger, I like Epic Burger, with a location about two blocks from CUS [i believe it's the West Loop location at 550 West Adams], and eight locations in Chicagoland. Similar to Smashburger in the western US, though with a focus on high quality and minimally-processed ingredients. (Not often do I get a choice of Havarti on a quick service hamburger.)

A scenic walk along with food can be had by heading to the Merchandise Mart across the river. Along with a very decent Potbelly's location, there's the requisite Starbucks and a few other dining opportunities (some in a food court, some not), all catering to the daytime office crowd. Unlike many Loop lunch-type spots, many of the Mart restaurants are open past 5 PM and a couple open as late as 8 PM.
 
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I recommend Mughal India, 560 W. Van Buren, for the lunch buffet M-F. Weekends you can order off the regular menu.

New to the neighborhood is The Ruin Daily, a cool lunch spot with a full bar, 328 S. Jefferson.
 
Pret A Manger is probably my favorite location in Washington Union Station; I find their Chicago locations to be a bit lacking, and I can't quite put my finger on it as to why. But one can't really beat the quality of the food; I picked up a couple sandwiches a day or two prior to my departure from CHI last month and had one leftover I took on the train. It came in quite handy as a mid-afternoon lunch as I departed Union Station.

As for nearby dining spots near CUS, if you're in the mood for a burger, I like Epic Burger, with a location about two blocks from CUS [i believe it's the West Loop location at 550 West Adams], and eight locations in Chicagoland. Similar to Smashburger in the western US, though with a focus on high quality and minimally-processed ingredients. (Not often do I get a choice of Havarti on a quick service hamburger.)

A scenic walk along with food can be had by heading to the Merchandise Mart across the river. Along with a very decent Potbelly's location, there's the requisite Starbucks and a few other dining opportunities (some in a food court, some not), all catering to the daytime office crowd. Unlike many Loop lunch-type spots, many of the Mart restaurants are open past 5 PM and a couple open as late as 8 PM.
My favorite restaurant in the Chicago area is Lou Malnati's. Although it was the first place to serve deep-dish pizza, they seem to have perfected it. There are multiple locations throughout the area; the one I usually go to is one block north of the Merchandise Mart CTA station. If you don't want to walk the whole way both ways, you could take the CTA there. The closest station to Union Station is Quincy, which is about a five minute walk east across the river. Because of the Loop's set-up, it is 7 stops when on the Brown Line when going to Merchandise Mart but only 2 stops on the way back to Union Station. If the Purple Line is running (weekday rush-hours only), it runs the opposite way around the Loop so it would get you there in only 2 stops; however it would still be faster to take the Brown Line back. If time is not an issue, I would recommend taking the Brown Line both ways to simplify your plans and so you can experience the entire Loop. Fares for the CTA are $2.25 each way. If you choose this option, look for the scenic Chicago River Bridge just after leaving the Loop and before arriving Merchandise Mart.
 
Thank you all for the variety of suggestions. I'm sure we will find something great from all these recommendations!

You're the greatest!
 
Late to the question, but we always eat at White Palace Grill when near Union Station. It is the epitome of the 50's dinner. It is about 3/4 of a mile down canal street. All of there food is good, but breakfast is very good. On a Saturday morning they will be hoping. As an added bonus, you are right next to the Metra and Amtrak yards south of Union Station.

http://www.whitepalacegrill.com/

Another place that is closer is Luke Italian Beef, which also has pizza along with Italian beef, sandwiches, hot dogs, etc. It is just a couple blocks East on Jackson Street, just past the entrance to the Wills (Sears) tower observation deck and Giordano's Pizza. I like Luke's slightly better than the aforementioned Al's, they are both great.

http://www.lukesitalianbeefchicago.com/
 
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While I wouldn't call it in very close proximity of the station, when I have visitors coming into town, and the weather is nice, which in late August should be quite nice, I like to take them down to the recently completed riverwalk, along the south bank of the Chicago River. Between State and Dearborn along the riverwalk is City Winery. The menu is fairly simple: sandwiches, salads, and charcuterie plates, along with plenty of wine and mixed drinks. Get a table and watch the world go by. Very relaxing. Can't beat the view.

The riverwalk stretches from Michigan Ave. to Lake Street, close to Ogilvie Station. So, incorporating another suggestion here, grab something at the French Market to go and take it over to the riverwalk and enjoy it there.
 
While I wouldn't call it in very close proximity of the station, when I have visitors coming into town, and the weather is nice, which in late August should be quite nice, I like to take them down to the recently completed riverwalk, along the south bank of the Chicago River. Between State and Dearborn along the riverwalk is City Winery. The menu is fairly simple: sandwiches, salads, and charcuterie plates, along with plenty of wine and mixed drinks. Get a table and watch the world go by. Very relaxing. Can't beat the view.

The riverwalk stretches from Michigan Ave. to Lake Street, close to Ogilvie Station. So, incorporating another suggestion here, grab something at the French Market to go and take it over to the riverwalk and enjoy it there.
I'll second the Riverwalk as a delightful spot to spend some time; I visited it for the first time on my trip to CHI in June and loved it so much I went back a second time. Unfortunately both times were late in the evening and the food/beverage hangout spots were about to close, but there are still opportunities independent of the operating hours of the businesses there to BYO food/dessert item and hang out in the public areas. The only caveat is that it is somewhat weather-dependent as to the suitability for visitation. I would hate to be caught in a downpour without an umbrella as there are limited opportunities for shelter (and the nearest exit from the Riverwalk could be a block or two away, depending on one's location).
 
What day of the week? There is a nearby food hall that people on this board have talked about, but it is a weekday only location.
It will be a Saturday. But I'll keep this in mind for future trips. Thanks!
Yep, Revival Food Hall would be a good one to keep in mind for future trips when you're here on a weekday. All the food stands inside there(correct me if any are different) seem to all be open till at least 7pm, there.

Chicago French Market would be a fair substitute for Saturday, but keep in mind many of the stands inside there close by 4pm. When I skimmed through their website, I only saw one that was open till 5pm. My favorite places inside there were Frietkoken, and Fumare Meats. But there are others, that also are decent too(i.e. Saigon Sisters).

If you're arriving from a train from the east into Chicago at 8:45am(forget if that scheduled time is the Cap Limited or the Lake Shore Limited, and eventually riding the Empire Builder going west that day), I don't think you'll have any problems doing the walk north to Chicago French Market.
 
Vanille Patisserie is my favorite place in the French Market, if only for browsing their beautiful petit fours and pastries. I spent about 15 minutes trying to pick one last time.** They're a little spendy, given the serving size, but it's so worth it.

http://www.vanillepatisserie.com/Petit-Fours/

They also have a huge selection of macarons.

** I was out of the way and not holding up the line. ;)
 
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As you can tell... Lots and lots of options exist.

If you like old diners at all.. Lou Mitchels is really fun. They bake their own bread, have fresh orange and grapefruit juice, and they are just the definition of a quirky old diner. I always enjoy a meal there and it's a super easy walk from the station.

Giordonos is the closest chicago pizza place. They are no match for Genos East or Lou's in my book but hey... It's still deep dish. Ha.
 
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