Cheap relaxing yet iconic Chicago restaurant near Millennium Park? (home, pub)

[ChicagoMeO]

Actually the restaurants in the Illinois Center complex are going to be the cheapest. You can go to the little restaurants on Randolph and Michigan (northeast corner). go about 500 feet and voila. theres some there, or go a bit farther down the street to 233 n michigan.

[Missy2U]

Originally Posted by BigLake

Also consider Italian Village. Classic joint about 4-5 blocks from Millenium Park that houses ~3 Italian restaurants (casual to formal).

Totally beat me to it! Exactly what I would recommend.

[anhdungng001]

Originally Posted by knitgirl

The Gage is definitely not cheap, at least not in my book. The title of this thread has cheap as the very first word. I actually went there a few weeks ago before Hamilton. We were seated 45 minutes after our reservation so were were rather rushed. The problem seems to have been a table that sat forever. The employees at The Gage did do their best to make up for it. Service was very fast. I enjoyed my soup and the side of green beans I got. The other people I was with seemed to enjoy their food as well.

Thanks for your share

[chet everett]

Somebody REALLY needs to clarify what they mean by "cheap" and "near Millenium Park".

I think some of the suggestions are not a bad deal, but in my book paying $14 for a sadly subpar meatball sandwich at Italian Village in the Central Loop or only a bit less for deep dish pizza at Uno/ Dur would be hard to call a good deal nor would I call someplace that is really closer to North Michigan Ave convenient...

There are some spots on the top floor of the former Marshall Fields that are better value and only three blocks from the park....

[NealIRC]

Originally Posted by chet everett

There are some spots on the top floor of the former Marshall Fields that are better value and only three blocks from the park....

Speaking of cheap and near Millennium Park, there's also the basement of the former Marshall Fields too.

[BridgetJones]

Originally Posted by deg23

Billy Goat Tavern under Michigan Ave./Wrigley Building

+1! It's pretty cheap and definitely something fun to tell friends about.

[emathias]

For iconic and not too far from Millennium Park, Billy Goat or Berhoff are probably the most solid bets.

Other places worth considering that may be somewhat less iconic but are still very Chicago and are within a mile of Millennium Park and aren't going to cost an arm and a leg (might not be "cheap" but certainly won't be anywhere near as expensive as the spendiest places in Chicago):

Cherry Circle Room - this is a new restaurant in the new Chicago Athletic Association hotel on Michigan Ave.

Cindy's Rooftop Bar, also in the Chicago Athletic Association, more notable for its elevated views of Millennium Park than anything else.

Volare, a classic Italian standby just north of the River.

Sayat Nova, on Ohio just east of Michigan, is a romantic Armenian place that I like a lot personally and has been around forever.

Heaven on Seven, Lousiana cooking on Wabash just west of Millennium Park is also really good. It has hours oriented toward business crowds, though, so make check their schedule before you decide to go there.

For definitely cheap, there's an Al's Beef on the corner of Wabash and Jackson - you could get a traditional Chicago Italian Beef sandwich there.

Finally, Plymouth Restaurant and Rooftop bar is a classic among business lunch and after-work drink crowds. Not too expensive, but the food is good but nothing really special. The location and layout are probably its most notable features. Or, for great views (but not cheap), the LondonHouse rooftop bar has great views north up Michigan Avenue and east and west along the main branch of the River.

[nana053]

I love Sayat Nova. We used to go there frequently when we lived in Evanston and in Chicago. I love Armenian and Middle Eastern food.

[SkylarkPhotoBooth]

I, too, think of Miller's and Berghoff when I think of iconic Chicago food/drink establishments in the Loop. It's hard to go wrong with either. I wouldn't call them cheap, necessarily, but they're not expensive by the standards of decent sit-down places downtown. They're certainly cheaper than various trendy new places or mediocre hotel bar/restaurants. Honestly, if I want really cheap food downtown I'd just go to Potbelly.

[jwaiter]

Tavern on the Park
https://tavernatthepark.com/