The 8 Most Unique Places to Eat and Drink Like a Local in Chicago

This first appeared on MUNCHIES in November 2016.

Welcome to the MUNCHIES Guide to Chicago! We've got your tour of all the best fine dining, pizza, cocktails, dives, cheap eats, coffee, and other generally cool shit that the Windy City has to offer right here.

About that "cool shit": In every city, there are nooks, crannies, corners, and niche spots that are so unique, it's hard to label them as just another restaurant or bar or shop or bakery. Their coolness transcends.

Here's a look at eight places in Chicago that are a little wacky, a lot tasty, and most importantly, uniquely Chi-Town. But this is just the tip of the iceberg. There's a lot more to our city guide, so check out the full thing here.

Here's your quintessential cheap, sticky dive bar, right on Lincoln Square. It's usually packed to the gills, especially on Friday nights, when they host turtle racing—yes, literal turtles, racing. An $8 pitcher will get you a ticket to place a bet on a slow-ass reptile, which becomes surprisingly fun once you're a few beers deep.

Still hungry? We've got tons of tips of where to blow your bonus or get fadezies on the cheap in the Windy City. Don't miss the rest of the MUNCHIES Guide to Chicago!