Living in the southwest suburbs of Chicago is, personally, a preferable location to live. The cost of living is lower, it’s easily accessible to the major interstates/routes to the city and major suburbs. As a couple who HATES looking for parking and paying insane premiums for everything in the city, especially for a meal, we have accumulated a list of moderately priced, easily accessible, favorite restaurants we go to for each flavor profile we crave.
The cuisines we commonly consume are Japanese, Italian, American, and also Mexican, Brazilian, and Taiwanese. Here are the places that see our handsome faces often:
Japanese
SUSHI:
This is almost a weekend must for us. Out of everything, I crave sushi the most often. There are two locations we frequently visit:
Oishi Sushi in Willowbrook for All-You-Can-Eat sushi. Their appetizers on the AYCE menu is very good too! Charlie, the owner, is very nice and is always coming around and talking to the patrons. He knows the rolls we regularly order, and he calls Brett “Mr. Summer,” because he always orders the Summer roll (hahaha!)
Chiba Japanese Restaurant in Darien for sushi and hibachi. They have a great lunch special Monday-Saturday, and they have the best chicken fried rice we’ve ever had (they must put some butter or some delicious seasoning in it or something. It’s SO good.) Their hibachis all come with noodles, fried rice, veggies, miso soup, and salad. Jim is the owner, and he also loves to come around and chat up the patrons. They recently relocated to a larger space, and it’s much nicer with a full bar, nice decor, and plenty of seating.
RAMEN:
I can have hot noodle soups year, round, but it is especially nice on a cooler day. We have two spots we go to for a deliciously complete ramen meal:
Ramen Misoya in Mount Prospect is one of the top ranked ramen shops in Illinois outside of downtown (Ramen Misoya Chicago location is easily top 10 in the city.) Their bowls are full meals on their own, with different miso soup flavors, large cha-shu pork pieces, and many other topping choices. I also love getting their chicken karaage appetizer. Small location, so definitely get there expecting a wait (Sometimes we get lucky, but I promise you, it’s worth the wait!!)
Santouka Ramen (Mitsuwa) in Arlington Heights is another fantastic ramen shop, down the street from Ramen Misoya, inside the Mitsuwa Japanese market. It’s in the food court, and is cash only. They have really good ramen combos and different sized bowls you can get. The lines are usually long, so get there before or after the mealtime rushes. Then, grab a green tea affogato dessert at re Leaf Matcha Cafe on the other side of the food court.
Taiwanese
International Market (formerly known as Diho Market) in Westmont has been around for a long time, like my parents went there before I was born, and every visit is like a reunion with old friends. The Food Court has stalls of various Asian cuisines, but the two longest standing and most popular ones are Taiwanese (Yu-Ton Dumpling House and Chinese Cafe), and the owners are brothers. The traditional beef noodle soup is a favorite there (definitely a favorite of mine), and on the weekends, they have popular Taiwan breakfast foods and more street food dishes. No website, but check the Yelp reviews for sure!
Italian
Italian food is one cuisine I don’t think I’ll EVER get sick of eating. There’s been some great Italian restaurants that we’ve seen come and go, but these two have always been there for us:
For very authentic, traditional, and delicious Italian food, we love going to Capri Ristorante in Burr Ridge, and we love the ambiance and decor. There are a few locations (linked and photo are from the Burr Ridge location) and they are all owned by the same family (all the individual location owners are siblings!)
La Barra (Formerly Pizza Barra) in Oak Brook is owned by the Labriola family and is in the same plaza as Labriola Bakery & Cafe. Both are very good, but for pizzas, pastas, appetizers, outdoor waterfront patio with a bar and firepits, we go to La Barra! They have changed their menu often, but we have seen favorites come back! We always leave with happy tummies.
Brazilian
Chauma Gaucha is hands down our favorite, BUT when we want something quick and more moderately priced, Nossa Brazillian Grill in Lombard is our place! They have dinner platters, delicious sides, and build-your-own bowls (like how they do it at Chipotle, but with Brazilian food!) Picana is my favorite Braziian meat, and when I saw they had it on their menu here, I was not disappointed. I’m always thinking about their cheese bread too…..
Mexican
The Crazy Burrito in Darien is my personal go-to when I’m craving Mexican food. They give you such a great value for your dollar, the food is freshly made, and SO delicious and flavorful without being overly salty! I usually get so thirsty after having Chipotle from all the salt. I most often get their burrito bowl with half al pastor and half barbacoa meat, side of pico de gallo, and then salsas! I also like the torta and fajita plate. They have great daily specials too, so if you’re ever in the area, definitely stop here!
American
For quality steaks, seafood, and salads, our two go-to spots are Wildfire Restaurant (photo above) and Gibson’s Bar & Steakhouse (photo below) both in Oak Brook. They are located at Oakbrook Mall (Wildfire is attached to the mall while Gibson’s is just across the street) and always have the most fantastic food!
Gibson’s also has a beautiful patio with a waterfall, which is very peaceful and aesthetic while dining. There are several locations as these are Chicago-based chains, but we always go to Oak Brook since it’s about 15 minutes away for us.
For good ol’ BBQ, we really like Real Urban BBQ in Oak Brook. I love getting their chopped salad with burnt ends topped over it, or their brisket plate (moist and perfectly smoked.) They have special sides that rotate along their regular sides. I usually get the brussel sprouts, coleslaw, potato salad, or sometimes a peach cobbler. Their soups are really hearty and full of flavor, and make sure you save room for dessert! It gets super busy around lunch time, but if you don’t have time to eat there, order ahead and you can pick up to dine-in.
Yummmmm……..
I hope you enjoyed looking at some of those mouth watering photos! If you’re in or around the Chicagoland area, definitely check out those highlighted dining options! It was hard to narrow it down per cuisine, so believe me, we’ve got more spots we love to visit!
Let me know if there’s anywhere you love to eat in your hometown, so we can try it if we’re in the area! Thanks for reading!
HW Life & Style 