Birrieria Zaragoza reels you in right away with its carving station and the smell of pressed-to-order tortillas. This tiny taqueria has been specializing in Jalisco-style birria since 2007, and even though the menu is small, they set the standard for birria citywide. Their stewed goat basically melts on impact, and the meat's funk is nicely balanced out by smoky arbol consomé.

Sun Wah is the Peking duck king of Chicago. This Uptown Chinese spot has been carving roast birds tableside and serving their off-menu duck dinner since 1986. Every dish in the duck feast—meaty bao, rice or noodles, broth made with the carcass—is excellent. When you’re crowded around a lazy susan with good company and plates of glistening duck, few group dinners can compare.

Before you even order, the scene at Lem’s exudes icon energy—from its old-school sign to the Chicago-style aquarium smoker visible through the window and the line outside. But the reason this decades-old Greater Grand Crossing BBQ spot is a classic is because of the incredible sauce. Vinegary, sweet, and peppery mild sauce makes anything taste good, like the BBQ, fried shrimp, and just-okay fries that come with every order.

This iconic family-run Italian deli and sub shop in the West Loop has been around since 1937, long before the Randolph was the Disney World of restaurants. The industrial-looking exterior hasn’t changed since the neighborhood was full of meatpacking warehouses, and inside they’re making very good Italian subs and sandwiches. Order at the counter and eat at one of the tiny tables, or take your haul to go. The Italian is our favorite, but the muffaletta is another strong choice.

This Chinatown staple has been around since 1996, and people still line up on the staircase near the dining room for its delicious dim sum. Lunchtime on the weekends is the busiest, when every two-top and 10-seat table with a lazy susan is taken. But this is also the best time to visit: the room is totally alive, and the kitchen churns through har gow and BBQ pork buns frequently to keep up. No matter when you go, the meal won't be complete without Triple Crown's cartoon piggy custard buns.

Back before Chicago had Filipino hot spots like Kasama and Boonie’s, there was Uncle Mike’s in West Town. It’s an appropriate name for this longstanding diner, considering eating Filipino breakfast in their floral-tiled dining room feels like you're hanging out in a relative's home. Fatty longanisa, tocino, and crispy fried milkfish all come with gingery lugaw, garlic rice, eggs, and dipping vinegar.

When you can’t make a decision about where to eat in Chicago’s most restaurant-y neighborhood, go to Avec. This 20-year-old Mediterranean small plates spot opened in the West Loop before Randolph became “Restaurant Row” and the food is always excellent. Being here feels like eating in a wooden shoebox, so only come if you don’t mind sitting elbow-to-elbow with strangers. Or better yet, to eat bacon-stuffed, chorizo-wrapped dates and taleggio flatbread by yourself at the bar.

Sure, Bucktown’s Le Bouchon is always packed for dinner and you often run the risk of getting jostled by a waiter or a neighboring diner. But it’s all part of this 30-year-old tiny French bistro’s charm and keeps people coming back. Well, that and all of their buttery escargot, cheese-loaded french onion soup, steak frites, and roast duck with spätzle.

Waiting in line outside of Cho Sun Ok is basically a Chicago tradition. It's also valuable downtime that lets you catch your breath before this Korean BBQ sprint. Once you're inside, the servers ask for your order shortly after you're seated, so study the menu quickly like you’re cramming for a quiz (the bulgogi, galbi, plus japchae and seafood pajeon is our usual plan of attack). And the food shows up faster than it takes to drink half a can of BYOBeer.

Frontera is one of those restaurants that feels like old news, because, well, it’s old. It’s been in River North for almost 40 years, way before you could buy Frontera chips and salsa at Target. We’re here to remind you why this Mexican restaurant is a classic, and still worth your time. The menu is full of regional dishes and changes frequently. Tamales are filled with fresh cheese. Carne asada is better than what you’ll find in most Chicago steakhouses, and they make their own tortillas.

Deep dish gets a lot of national attention, but people who live here know that Chicago’s legendary cracker-style thin crust can’t be ignored. And that’s what you’ll find at Vito and Nick’s. This southside institution has been around since the 1950s. Their pizza is super thin and crispy, with bubbly browned cheese and a spicy tomato sauce. Inside, it’s a dive: drop ceilings, neon beer signs, and wood-paneled walls. And we hope that never changes.

Calumet is a fish smokehouse that's been around since 1948. It’s literally a shack on the 95th Street Bridge over the Calumet River, wedged between Lake Michigan and the Chicago Skyway. They’re smoking shrimp, whitefish, salmon, trout, catfish, and a lot more in their little wood smoker out back, and you need to be a part of it. Just know there’s no place to sit, so come in the summer when you can hang outside, or plan on eating in your car.

You can’t have a Chicago classics list without deep dish, and Pequod’s is the place we take any East Coaster with a pizza superiority complex. Unlike traditional Chicago-style deep dish, which has sauce on top, Pequod’s serves pan-style pies with a spicy sauce underneath the toppings and a thick and airy crust. What sets Pequod’s apart is its “caramelized” crust, also known as the burnt edges of crispy cheese surrounding the pie.

If you haven’t already eaten at Athenian Room 100 times, you need to change that. It’s been around since 1972, and continues to be one of our favorite casual Lincoln Park spots. The service is brusque, but the huge portions of reasonably priced, solid Greek food will make you forget all about that. Get the Kalamata chicken, which is roasted and served with chicken jus-soaked fries.

You may have already heard of Valois because of President Obama—it’s famous for being one of his favorite spots in Hyde Park. But another thing that makes this place unique is the fact that it’s an old-school cafeteria that's been around since 1921, complete with old-school cafeteria food (like hamburger steak), plastic trays, and people who will yell at you if you move too slowly through the line. Just remember that it’s cash only.

Ask a random person in Chicago to name a classic Italian restaurant, and there’s a good chance they’ll say La Scarola in River West. It’s a neighborhood spot with white tablecloths, framed photos of celebrities on the wall, patrons wearing Blackhawks jerseys, and veal scallopini the size of the table. Your hair will smell like Marlboro thanks to smoker-friendly dive Richard’s Bar next door, but you’ll have leftovers for days.

Opened in 1923, Lou’s on the border of Greektown and the West Loop is the old-school diner version of Cheers. But even if you’re just dropping in before catching a train at nearby Union Station (like many do), the staff will probably call you some variation of hun, sweetie, or darling. Grab a bar stool at one of their retro counters, and order a Greek sausage omelette with feta and a mini stack of silver dollar pancakes.

Any neighborhood—in any city—would be lucky to have a spot like Lula Cafe. The farm-to-table dishes are always reliable, whether it's the precisely roasted chicken or delicious circa-1999 classics like the pasta yiayia. And even when it's busy (which is all of the time), the friendly service always fills us with Midwestern pride. This place is as vital to Logan Square as memories of the infamous Aloha billboard.

Superdawg is an old-fashioned drive-in that’s been around since 1948, and it still has carhop service. As in, you place an order through the speaker box, and blast REO Speedwagon while you wait for your food. Fun service aside, it’s the extra snappy Chicago dogs that make this Norwood Park spot an institution. Their namesake dog is topped with a pickled green tomato, and the beef is spicier than most others in the city.

Open since 1942, this South Loop Jewish deli has been the lunchtime stomping ground for generations of office workers and local politicians. But even if you want nothing to do with downtown traffic, politics, or both, you'll want everything to do with Manny’s. It has a ridiculous variety of comforting food like sandwiches, knishes, and matzah ball soup, and you order cafeteria-style from someone whose only job is to make sure you’re getting enough pastrami in your life.