Understanding Chicago's Near North neighborhoods & party scenes... a few questions! (Morton: restaurants, garden)

[prelude91]

Originally Posted by marothisu

Chicago? Chain establishments? Say what? There aren't many chains here. The ones that are, are usually more fast food oriented things like Starbucks, McDonald's, Subway, etc. Restaurants? .

Interesting, my biggest complaint about The Near North Side is it's full of chain restaurants.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by prelude91

Interesting, my biggest complaint about The Near North Side is it's full of chain restaurants.

While not Near North, The Loop has a ton because it's office space, but near north? Really? Besides Chili's, Cheesecake Factory, and Hooter's, where else? I'm not talking about fast food here. The other chains that exist down in Near North are either very small chains 99% of people have no idea are even chains (i.e. Cantina Laredo), or are more expensive, better chains like Fogo de Chao, Texas de Brazil, etc. There's many more non chains than chains in near north.

[ChiNaan]

Originally Posted by marothisu

While not Near North, The Loop has a ton because it's office space, but near north? Really? Besides Chili's, Cheesecake Factory, and Hooter's, where else?

Hard Rock, Rock Bottom, Bar Louie, Texas de Brazil (which, sorry, everyone knows is a chain), Weber Grill, Rainforest Cafe, Fridays, Mortons...I'd continue but I'm bored. WAY too many chains in that area.

[Brssplr]

Also in the Loop are Bennigan's and Cosi, to name a couple of chains. I'm not exactly keen on either of them, but generally speaking, locally-owned chains are okay with me.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

Hard Rock, Rock Bottom, Bar Louie, Texas de Brazil (which, sorry, everyone knows is a chain), Weber Grill, Rainforest Cafe, Fridays, Mortons...I'd continue but I'm bored. WAY too many chains in that area.

I thought Friday's closed. Hard Rock and Rock Bottom I agree are chains. Most people have no idea Texas de Brazil even exists and when they do, they don't know it's a chain, sorry. Morton's is a very expensive.

I agree there are chains in the area, but if you take the number of other non chain restaurants in the area, they outweigh them. There's a reason most of the chains are only in a certain area of near north. It's for the tourists, but outside of that.....there's a ton of non chain places downtown.

[rparz]

Originally Posted by ChiNaan

I disagree completely. There are more local places in Chicago than many cities, thankfully, but there are plenty of chain bars and non-fast-food chain restaurants, too. Just a few that come to mind are Bar Louie, Tilted Kilt, Rock Bottom, Hard Rock, Chilli's, P.F. Changs, Hooters, Friday's, Cheesecake Factory...I could go on, but you get the idea.

Maybe in the tourist traps, or access of the suburban commuters, but go north of Chicago of Chicago ave, or west of Halsted (where most people actually live) and that's not the case.

[Vlajos]

Originally Posted by Brssplr

Also in the Loop are Bennigan's and Cosi, to name a couple of chains. I'm not exactly keen on either of them, but generally speaking, locally-owned chains are okay with me.

Cosi is local, but it sucks.

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by Brssplr

Also in the Loop are Bennigan's and Cosi, to name a couple of chains. I'm not exactly keen on either of them, but generally speaking, locally-owned chains are okay with me.

Eh, Cosi is fast food. It's on the same level as Panera. Most of the "chain" places exist in a few very specific areas of near north. Where I live, besides McDonalds and Starbucks, there's no chains anywhere close to me.

[rparz]

Can we consider JJ fish a chain?

[marothisu]

Originally Posted by rparz

Maybe in the tourist traps, or access of the suburban commuters, but go north of Chicago of Chicago ave, or west of Halsted (where most people actually live) and that's not the case.

Exactly. North of Chicago there's not many chains besides subway, mcdonalds, chipotle, and starbucks. The chains really exist in areas like in some areas of Streeterville, and the northern area of River North around the Rock and Roll McDonald's, and around State Street for a block where Rock Bottom is. Really a lot of them are where hotels exist or near it.