Devon Avenue is Chicago’s well-known Indian enclave, loaded with retail shops, grocery stores and restaurants that represent all corners of the South Asian country. Don’t miss it for standout dining experiences, but also don’t limit yourself to that area, either – there are exciting, globally-influenced takes on the classics to try in lots of other neighborhoods, too. Here’s where to get the best Indian food in Chicago.
Annapurna Simply Vegetarian
Rogers Park & Hoffman Estates
A popular vegetarian counter service restaurant with locations in both the city and suburbs, Annapurna is known for its enormous menu that features South Indian specialties like dosas, bhel puri (a puffy rice dish) and vada (a savory fritter-like snack). There’s also a grocery section for stocking up for cooking and eating at home.
2600 W. Devon Ave. / 721 W. Golf Rd.
Udupi Palace
Rogers Park
Long considered one of the top vegetarian restaurants on Devon Avenue, Udupi Palace serves an extensive menu of South Indian staples. Favorites include iddly (rice and lentil patties served steamed or fried with chutney for dipping) and pizza-like uthappam (grilled lentil and rice pancakes topped with vegetables). Don’t skip the dosai, though — jaws drop when the massively long, crepe-like treats stuffed with assorted fillings come out of the kitchen.
Basant
North Center
Chef/owner Jeet Singh draws in fans with a menu that incorporates regional Indian ingredients and cooking techniques with influences from outside of the country. Look for creative turns such as pork belly tonkatsu with vindaloo aioli and mushroom kulcha with truffle garlic butter. The restaurant’s raved-about namesake Fish Basant — a dish Singh first made at a dinner party he hosted in his early 20s and tweaked during the two decades — is salmon served in a habanero-infused tomato and coconut milk sauce.
Rooh Chicago
West Loop
This multi-level fine-dining restaurant is designed to impress at every turn. The menu is filled with elevated takes on standards you’ve had before (butter chicken, saag paneer kofta) and maybe a few you haven’t (chili cheese kulcha made with Tillamook cheddar and shishitos). New to the offerings here are vegetarian and non-vegetarian tasting menus that are available at dinner Wednesdays to Sundays that showcase dishes from various regions throughout India. Cocktails include a Gin and Tonic made with turmeric-infused gin, grapefruit tonic and orange-thyme syrup.
Himalayan Sherpa Kitchen
Lincoln Square
You’ll find Nepalese and Tibetan specialties alongside traditional Indian favorites at this small restaurant that’s dotted with pictures of the Himalayan mountains. Try sephaley, small pies stuffed with spiced chicken and peas, and kwati, a bean-centric curry cooked with traditional Himalayan spices. Don’t miss the house specialty C momo, which are chicken- or vegetable-filled dumplings doused in a super-spicy chili sauce.
Vermilion
River North
A 20-year veteran of the River North dining scene, Vermilion’s menu morphed from Indian Latin to Indian Chinese last year under the helm of owner/activist Rohini Dey. Menu items are named to make you smile; try the Wok of Life (shrimp or paneer toast), Mary Had a Little… (char siu pepper lamb) and You Say Sichuan (jackfruit spring rolls).
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Indienne
River North
Chef Sujan Sarkar’s fine-dining creations are best experienced in the form of multi-course seasonal tasting menus; the restaurant offers vegetarian, non-vegetarian, pescatarian and vegan options, all guaranteed to stun and delight. Dishes change often, but expect sophisticated takes on traditional fare, including blackberry pani puri, mushroom galouti with goat cheese and truffle, and dahi bhalla, a lentil donut with tamarind, mint and raspberry accents topped with chilled yogurt.
Khan BBQ
Rogers Park
Despite Pepto-pink walls and a massive crystal chandelier, Khan BBQ has a bustling, no-frills vibe rather than a romantic one. But it’s still a great place to bring a loved one to share char-cooked Pakistani favorites like seekh (ground beef) kebabs, chicken boti with chile yogurt sauce and tandoor-baked breads.
Thattu
Avondale
Thattu started as a stall in a West Loop food hall and was a James Beard semi-finalist for best new restaurant 2020. Now, it has a proper space in Avondale where chef Margaret Pak focuses on the cuisine of Kerala in South India’s coastal region. Diners swoon over the spicy beet puff pastry and bone-in pork chop Peralan that’s served with coconut-braised collard greens. The lunch menu features more casual fare like spicy Kerala fried chicken bites and a weekends-only dosa trio.
Lilac Tiger
Wicker Park
This walk-in-only spot in the former Wazwan space serves inventive takes on South Asian street food alongside a fun cocktail menu. Try the beef momo with chili oil and the THC (tandoor hot chicken) sando with spicy honey and gochujang aioli. Wash it all down with an Ube Colada or Double Chai Daquiri.
Sukhadia Sweets and Snacks
Rogers Park
A Devon Avenue staple, this counter service café and sweet shop is a great place to make a meal out of snacks. The options seem limitless. Savory treats include fritter-like bajri vada and chickpea pani puri, while you’ll want to try sweets like crunchy, sweet jalebi and gulab jamun (donut hole-like balls drenched in rose-flavored syrup).
Superkhana International
Logan Square
It’s hard not to smile at Superkhana International — the décor is bright and cheery (sit on the pretty patio if you get a chance), and the menu is full of playful approaches to Indian food. The butter chicken calzone is a must, and so is one of the pizzas like the palak “paneer,” which is topped with creamed spinach, shallots, mozzarella and chili oil. After that, loosen your belt for pork belly vindaloo, lamb kebabs and eggplant bao.
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