Where to Order Takeout Food in Chicago During the COVID-19 Pandemic

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After nearly two years of trying to do business during a pandemic, Chicago chefs and restaurant owners haven’t quite accustomed themselves to the ever-changing regulations, supply shortages, and new virus variants, but they’ve learned to adapt. One of the greatest benefits for customers is that some of the city’s finest restaurants have stepped up their takeout game and it’s now possible for diners who are still wary of going out to eat to enjoy a first-class meal that is not fast food at their very own kitchen table on any random Thursday — and, in the process, support some of their favorite spots.

As of January 3, the city has mandated that those ages 5 and up be fully vaccinated and masked at public places indoors while not actively eating or drinking. For updated information on coronavirus cases, please visit the city of Chicago’s COVID-19 dashboard. Health experts consider dining out to be a high-risk activity for the unvaccinated; it may pose a risk for the vaccinated, especially in areas with substantial COVID transmission. The latest CDC guidance is here; find a COVID-19 vaccination site here.

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Note: Restaurants on this map are listed geographically.

The Honeybear, a family-owned diner in Rogers Park, opened just before the pandemic hit and has been adjusting ever since, converting its parking lot into a heated patio and offering everything on its enormous menu for delivery. Sure, it’s easy enough to scramble some eggs, but it’s nicer if someone brings you a full omelet stuffed with cheese and vegetables — and a side of bacon.

Hunker down with some French fare from Bistro Campagne. Choose between classic dishes like French onion soup, croque madame, steak frites, or cassoulet. Bottles of wine are available as well.

One of the city’s best Neapolitan pizza makers is still open for carryout service, now with the full menu, including antipasti and pies such as the classic margherita, Diavola (soppressata, basil), and Pistacchio (sausage, pistachio cream).

Neapolitan pizzas and housemade pastas are the main attractions at this Southport Corridor spot and folks will still be able to get them for curbside pickup. The menu changes daily so check the website for the latest info.

Let pitmaster Brian Bruns’s unique alpine smokehouse do all the heavy lifting for dinner. The restaurant’s $60 prix fixe package feeds two people and includes choice of starter and entree; add-ons like sourdough bread or a bottle of wine are available. There’s also an a la carte menu.

The Alinea Group has created to-go packages for two of its restaurants. Chicagoans can order beef short rib Wellington from Alinea or cocktails in large or small format from Roister, all available for pickup at Roister in the West Loop.

Pies make everything better so pick up some slices and other items like sandwiches, quiche, and strata, or grab some frozen take-and-bake pastry from this retro bakery and soda fountain. Pre-order for next-day pickup.

Chicago’s hottest dumpling maker is accepting curbside pickup orders. Savor Chinese specialties like beef noodle soup, pork and cabbage dumplings in spicy sour soup, and lamb and cumin bread.

Vajra, a refined Nepalese and Indian restaurant in West Town, is offering a large takeout menu that includes dinner packages for two or four, as well as small and large plates like juicy chicken momos and tangy goat steak.

Avli is offering takeout and delivery of its modern Greek food at all four locations (the Loop, Lincoln Park, River North, and suburban Winnetka), and those that spend more than $30 at downtown’s Avli on the Park will get a free bottle of (presumably Greek) olive oil.

Chicagoans can treat themselves to prime cuts of beef and fresh seafood with Steak 48’s delivery menu. The to-go selection features 50 of the restaurant’s favorites like Alaskan king crab legs, bone-in steaks, and lobster tails.

Leave all the hard work that comes with baking to Michelin-starred pastry chef Aya Fukai. Her popular West Town shop is selling a selection of frozen products that customers can bake at home. They include biscuits, mini croissants, cookie dough, and pizza dough. Order online or pick up items through the bakery’s drive thru, Aya Express, open 7 a.m. to noon daily.

West Loop’s glamorous restaurant is offering takeout and delivery with luxe options like bone-in filets, lobster thermidor, and dayboat scallops, alongside salads, starters, and upgrades like black truffles.

This 92-year-old Italian joint is still offering curbside pickup and delivery so at-home diners can enjoy red sauce pastas, veal, lemon chicken, and more. Place orders via DoorDash.

Essential Mexican restaurant 5 Rabanitos from chef and owner Alfonso Sotelo has earned a loyal following over the years with tortas, tacos, caldo, pozole, and much more. Patrons can try these hits at home by placing orders online.

Dolo never had a dim sum cart, so diners won’t be missing that experience if they decide to order their buns, crepes, dumplings, or rolls to eat at home. The restaurant also offers its famous lamb chops and spare ribs with garlic for takeout or delivery, plus an assortment of bento boxes.

Founded in 1989 by celebrated chef Samuel Linares (lost to COVID-19 in 2020), La Casa de Samuel is an established destination for authentic regional Mexican plates. The Little Village restaurant features an impressive range of options for carryout or delivery that seamlessly bridge the well-known with the exotic, which this eatery reminds us, can be relative. Tortilla soup and ceviche can be enjoyed along with iguana, rattlesnake, venison, frog legs, cornish hen, and even bull testicles. Some seasonal dishes are served during festivities, such as the emblematic chiles en nogada (chiles in walnut sauce) and romeritos (a wild, edible plant usually served with mole and shrimp), can be found here year-round. Don’t miss their handmade tortillas.

Jamaican food is both delicious and travels well, and some of the best in town can be found at Ja’ Grill in Hyde Park. Place orders via Grubhub or Uber Eats to snag beef patties, jerk everything (chicken, shrimp, ribs), curries, and more.

This ramen destination has mastered the challenging art of packaging noodles, soup, and toppings to-go at all three of its Chicago outposts (Chinatown, Lakeview, and Hyde Park). Place orders online for steaming bowls of miso ramen with kuro buta, vegetarian shoyu, gyoza, and much more.

Lem’s business has always been about pickup, inside a tiny space along 75th Street. Its full menu — ribs and hot links — remains available. Take note, however, that the space tight and doesn’t allow for much social distancing.

The Honeybear, a family-owned diner in Rogers Park, opened just before the pandemic hit and has been adjusting ever since, converting its parking lot into a heated patio and offering everything on its enormous menu for delivery. Sure, it’s easy enough to scramble some eggs, but it’s nicer if someone brings you a full omelet stuffed with cheese and vegetables — and a side of bacon.

Hunker down with some French fare from Bistro Campagne. Choose between classic dishes like French onion soup, croque madame, steak frites, or cassoulet. Bottles of wine are available as well.

One of the city’s best Neapolitan pizza makers is still open for carryout service, now with the full menu, including antipasti and pies such as the classic margherita, Diavola (soppressata, basil), and Pistacchio (sausage, pistachio cream).

Neapolitan pizzas and housemade pastas are the main attractions at this Southport Corridor spot and folks will still be able to get them for curbside pickup. The menu changes daily so check the website for the latest info.

Let pitmaster Brian Bruns’s unique alpine smokehouse do all the heavy lifting for dinner. The restaurant’s $60 prix fixe package feeds two people and includes choice of starter and entree; add-ons like sourdough bread or a bottle of wine are available. There’s also an a la carte menu.

The Alinea Group has created to-go packages for two of its restaurants. Chicagoans can order beef short rib Wellington from Alinea or cocktails in large or small format from Roister, all available for pickup at Roister in the West Loop.

Pies make everything better so pick up some slices and other items like sandwiches, quiche, and strata, or grab some frozen take-and-bake pastry from this retro bakery and soda fountain. Pre-order for next-day pickup.

Chicago’s hottest dumpling maker is accepting curbside pickup orders. Savor Chinese specialties like beef noodle soup, pork and cabbage dumplings in spicy sour soup, and lamb and cumin bread.

Vajra, a refined Nepalese and Indian restaurant in West Town, is offering a large takeout menu that includes dinner packages for two or four, as well as small and large plates like juicy chicken momos and tangy goat steak.

Avli is offering takeout and delivery of its modern Greek food at all four locations (the Loop, Lincoln Park, River North, and suburban Winnetka), and those that spend more than $30 at downtown’s Avli on the Park will get a free bottle of (presumably Greek) olive oil.

Chicagoans can treat themselves to prime cuts of beef and fresh seafood with Steak 48’s delivery menu. The to-go selection features 50 of the restaurant’s favorites like Alaskan king crab legs, bone-in steaks, and lobster tails.

Leave all the hard work that comes with baking to Michelin-starred pastry chef Aya Fukai. Her popular West Town shop is selling a selection of frozen products that customers can bake at home. They include biscuits, mini croissants, cookie dough, and pizza dough. Order online or pick up items through the bakery’s drive thru, Aya Express, open 7 a.m. to noon daily.

West Loop’s glamorous restaurant is offering takeout and delivery with luxe options like bone-in filets, lobster thermidor, and dayboat scallops, alongside salads, starters, and upgrades like black truffles.

This 92-year-old Italian joint is still offering curbside pickup and delivery so at-home diners can enjoy red sauce pastas, veal, lemon chicken, and more. Place orders via DoorDash.

Essential Mexican restaurant 5 Rabanitos from chef and owner Alfonso Sotelo has earned a loyal following over the years with tortas, tacos, caldo, pozole, and much more. Patrons can try these hits at home by placing orders online.

Dolo never had a dim sum cart, so diners won’t be missing that experience if they decide to order their buns, crepes, dumplings, or rolls to eat at home. The restaurant also offers its famous lamb chops and spare ribs with garlic for takeout or delivery, plus an assortment of bento boxes.

Founded in 1989 by celebrated chef Samuel Linares (lost to COVID-19 in 2020), La Casa de Samuel is an established destination for authentic regional Mexican plates. The Little Village restaurant features an impressive range of options for carryout or delivery that seamlessly bridge the well-known with the exotic, which this eatery reminds us, can be relative. Tortilla soup and ceviche can be enjoyed along with iguana, rattlesnake, venison, frog legs, cornish hen, and even bull testicles. Some seasonal dishes are served during festivities, such as the emblematic chiles en nogada (chiles in walnut sauce) and romeritos (a wild, edible plant usually served with mole and shrimp), can be found here year-round. Don’t miss their handmade tortillas.

Jamaican food is both delicious and travels well, and some of the best in town can be found at Ja’ Grill in Hyde Park. Place orders via Grubhub or Uber Eats to snag beef patties, jerk everything (chicken, shrimp, ribs), curries, and more.

This ramen destination has mastered the challenging art of packaging noodles, soup, and toppings to-go at all three of its Chicago outposts (Chinatown, Lakeview, and Hyde Park). Place orders online for steaming bowls of miso ramen with kuro buta, vegetarian shoyu, gyoza, and much more.

Lem’s business has always been about pickup, inside a tiny space along 75th Street. Its full menu — ribs and hot links — remains available. Take note, however, that the space tight and doesn’t allow for much social distancing.