Recommendation List

Chicago’s cab drivers are an awesome source of restaurant recommendations.

If you live in any big city that requires you to take cabs on a regular basis, you’ve likely noticed that most of your cab drivers are immigrants from another country. Chicago is certainly no exception. As someone who will eat just about anything and loves trying new and different ethnic cuisines, I realized that these gentlemen are a potential goldmine of information on the restaurants that specialize in food from their homelands. With that in mind, I began asking every cab driver I encounter where he’s from and what restaurant is the best representation of that country’s cuisine in the Chicago area. Below, you will find the results of my inquiries. Click on a restaurant’s name to check out its Yelp page:

(Key – BOLD: Multiple recommendations, ITALICS: Five or more recommendations, UNDERLINED: 10 or more recommendations)

African:

• Algerian – Tassili – 4342 N Elston – Irving Park (I’ve been told they now have a Moroccan chef)
• Algerian – Icosium Kafe - 5200 N Clark St – Andersonville
• Cameroon – NONE
• Eritrean - Den Den Restaurant - 6635 N Clark – Rogers Park
• Ethiopian – Ethiopian Diamond Restaurant – 6120 N Broadway St – Edgewater (also called closest to Sudanese food)
• Ethiopian – Demera Ethiopian Restaurant - 4801 N Broadway St – Uptown
• Ethiopian – Ras Dashen Ethiopian Restaurant – 5846 N Broadway St – Edgewater
• Ghanaian – Grace’s African Restaurant – 4409 N Broadway Street – Uptown
  
• Ghanaian - Palace Gate Restaurant – 4548 N Magnolia Ave – Uptown
• Guinean – NONE
• Kenyan - East African Restaurant - 5959 N Broadway – Edgewater
• Nigerian – Vee Vee African Restaurant – 6232 N Broadway Street – Edgewater
• Nigerian – Mama Osas African Restaurant – 1027 W Wilson Ave – Uptown
• Nigerian - Nigerian Kitchen – 1363 W Wilson Avenue – Uptown
• Nigerian – TBS African Restaurant – 4507 N Sheridan Rd – Uptown
• Nigerian – Bolat African Cuisine – 3346 N Clark St – Lakeview
• Nigerian – B&Q Afro Root Cuisine – 4701 N Kenmore Ave. – Uptown
• Nigerian – The African Truck – S Columbus Ave & E Randolph St – The Loop
• Nigerian – Caato Restaurant – 7118 N Clark St – Rogers Park
• Nigerian – Iyanze Restaurant - 4623 N Broadway – Uptown
• Senegalese - Sunugal African Restaurant - 2051 E 79th St – South Chicago
• Senegalese – Yassa African Restaurant – 716 E 79th St – Chatham
• Somali – Banadir Restaurant – 6221 N Clark St – Edgewater
• Somali – Mogadishu Restaurant – 931 N Orleans – Near North Side
• Somali – Daavat Restaurant - 211 W Walton St – Near North Side
• Somali – Barwaqo Kabob - 6130 North Ravenswood Avenue – West Rogers Park
• Sudanese – NONE

American (by region, for cab drivers from the U.S.):

• Chicago Pizza – Father & Son Pizza – 2475 N Milwaukee Ave – Logan Square

Caribbean:

• Haitian - Chez Violette - 2311 W Howard St – West Rogers Park
• Haitian - Sweet Nick’s Caribbean - 741 W Howard St – Rogers Park
• Jamaican - Caribbean American Bakery - 1539 W Howard St – Rogers Park
• Jamaican – Jamaica Jerk – 1631 W Howard Street – Rogers Park
• Jamaican – Tropic Island Jerk Chicken & Seafood - 1922 E 79th Street – South Chicago

East Asian:

• Chinese - Phoenix Restaurant - 2131 S Archer Ave – Chinatown
• Korean – San Soo Gab San – 5247 N Western Ave – Lincoln Square
• Korean – Jin Ju – 5203 N Clark St – Edgewater

Eastern European / Central Asian:

• Bosnian – Kiko’s Market & Restaurant – 5077 N Lincoln Ave – Lincoln Square
• Bulgarian – Serdika Cafe – 9439 W Irving Park Rd – Schiller Park
• Bulgarian – Restaurant Mehanata – 1141 Lee St – Des Plaines
• Georgian – None (Perhaps he didn’t know of Argo Georgian Bakery, or didn’t find it authentic enough)
• Macedonian – NONE
• Kyrgyz – Jibek Jolu - 5047 N Lincoln Ave – Lincoln Square
• Kyrgyz - Chill  Cafe - 2949 W Belmont – Avondale
• Mongolian – Bai Cafe – 3406 N Ashland Ave – Lakeview
• Polish – Old Warsaw Buffet – 4750 N Harlem Ave – Harwood Heights
• Polish – Red Apple – 3123 N Milwaukee Ave – Avondale
• Polish – Big Fish Restaurant – 7117 W Addison St – Dunning
• Romanian – Little Bucharest Bistro – 3661 N Elston Ave – Irving Park
• Romanian – Nelly’s Saloon – 3256 N Elston Ave – Avondale
• Romanian – Restaurant Perla – 5522 W Belmont Ave
• Russian – Rasputin – California at Golf (Can’t find it, any ideas?)
• Serbian – Beograd Cafe – 2933 W Irving Park Rd – Irving Park
• Serbian - Coffee Slasticarna Drina - 2501 W Lawrence Ave – Lincoln Square / Ravenswood

Latin American:

• Ecuadorian – La Humita - 3466 N Pulaski Rd – Irving Park
• Ecuadorian – La Pena Restaurant – 4212 N Milwaukee Ave – Humboldt Park
• Mexican – La Pasadita Taqueria – 1141 N Ashland Ave – Ukrainian Village
• Mexican – Mi Tierra - 2528 S Kedzie Ave – Little Village
• Mexican – Tecalitlan Restaurant – 1814 W Chicago Ave – Ukrainian Village
• Mexican – El Concordia – 3801 W 26th St – Little Village
• Puerto Rican – La Bruquena – 2726 W Division Street – Humboldt Park
• Puerto Rican – Tumbao – 3213 W Armitage Ave – Logan Square

Middle Eastern:

• Egyptian – Queen Nefertiti - 3737 West Lawrence Avenue – Albany Park
• Iraqi – Venus Restaurant - 7156 N California Ave
• Jordanian – Reza’s Restaurant – 432 W Ontario St – River North
• Jordanian - Pita Alsharq - 7336 W Lawrence Ave – Harwood Heights
• Jordanian – Salam – 4636 N Kedzie Ave – Albany Park (Also, close to Sudanese)
• Jordanian – Noon O Kabab – 4661 N Kedzie Ave – Albany Park
• Lebanese – Pita Inn – 3910 Dempster St – Skokie
• Moroccan – Zad – 3112 N Broadway Ave – Lakeview
• Moroccan - Marrakesh - 941 W Randolph – West Loop
• Moroccan - Petite Pita - 3952 N Sheridan Ave – Lakeview
• Moroccan - Shokran Moroccan Restaurant - 4027 W Irving Park – Irving Park
• Moroccan - Andalous Moroccan Restaurant - 3307 N Clark St – Lakeview (Also said to be closest to Algerian)
• Palestinian – Al Bawadi Grill – 7216 W. 87th Street – Bridgeview
• Palestinian – The Nile Restaurant – 3259 W 63rd St – Marquette Park
• Palestinian – Al Basha – 7216 W College Dr – Palos Heights
• Saudi Arabian – Al-Khaymeih – 4748 N Kedzie Ave – Albany Park

South Asian:

• Afghan - Kabul House - 4949 Oakton St – Skokie
• Bangladeshi – NONE
• Indian - New Zaika Restaurant - 1316 N Clybourn Ave – Near North Side
• Indian - Flaming Wok N’ Grill – 903 N Halsted St – Goose Island (also Pakistani) – West Rogers Park
• Indian – Sheesh Mahal Dhaba Restaurant – 6355 N Maplewood Ave – West Rogers Park
• Indian – Chopal Kabab & Steak – 2240 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park
• Indian – Pakiza Restaurant – 1011 N Orleans St – Near North Side
• Indian – Gaylord India Restaurant – 100 E Walton St – Near North Side
• Indian – India House Restaurant - 59 W Grand Ave – Near North Side
• Indian – Hyderabad House Family Dining – 2226 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park
• Indian – Mysore Woodlands – 2548 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park
• Indian – Baba Palace – 334 W Chicago Ave – Near North Side
• Indian – Tiffin – 2536 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park
• Indian – Tahoora Sweets & Bakery – 2345 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park (Also, similar to Sri Lankan)
• Indian – Udupi Palace Restaurant – 2543 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park
• Indian – Naan on Devon - 2305 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park
• Indian – Pista House - 2501 W Devon – West Rogers Park
• Indian – Viceroy of India - 2520 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park
• Indian – Sukhadia’s - 2559 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park
• Indian - Biriyani’s - 2739 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park
• Nepalese - Chicago Curry House – 899 S Plymouth Ct – South Loop
• Nepalese – Himalayan Restaurant - 8265 W Golf Rd – Niles
• Pakistani – Anmol Barbecue Restaurant – 2858 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park
  
• Pakistani – Khan’s BBQ Restaurant - 2401 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park
  
• Pakistani – Usmania – 2244 W Devon Ave (also Indian & closest to Bangladeshi) – West Rogers Park
  
• Pakistani – Sabri Nihari Restaurant – 2502 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park
  
• Pakistani - Serena Restaurant - 2309-11 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park
• Pakistani - Shan Restaurant - 5060 N Sheridan Rd – Uptown
• Pakistani – Ghareeb Nawaz Restaurant – 2032 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park
• Pakistani – Tabaq – 1245 N Clybourn St – Near North Side
• Pakistani - Delhi Darbar Kebab House – 3010 W Devon Ave – West Rogers Park
• Pakistani – Bismillah Restaurant – 6301 N Ridge Ave – West Rogers Park
• Sri Lankan – NONE

The Chicago Cab Fare Map:

View Chicago Cab Fare Recommended Restaurants in a larger map

Map Key:

• Red = African
• Blue = South Asian
• Yellow = East Asian
• Teal = Eastern European
• Pink = Middle Eastern
• Green = Latin American
• Purple = Caribbean