15 Recent Chicago Restaurant and Bar Openings to Know

Eater

29-07-2025

is the Associate Editor for Eater's Midwest region, and has been covering Chicago's dining scene for over a decade.
Having a tough time keeping up with all the new dining options? Welcome to the Opening Report, a curated roundup of recent restaurant openings big and small across Chicago.
Did we miss a spot? Drop a note at the tipline or email [e-mail], and we'll consider it for the next update.
July
AVONDALE — Popular Hyde Park Mediterranean spot Cedars has made its way up north. Fans can now order falafel, chicken shawarma, and hummus bowls for delivery or pickup from the restaurant's virtual kitchen operating out of Picnic in Avondale. 3517 N. Spaulding Avenue.
IRVING PARK — After closing its Irving Park location on Elston Avenue last year, local pizza chain Leona's has found a new home in the neighborhood. Housed inside the former Tahina Kitchen space, the restaurant offers thin-crust, deep-dish, Sicilian, and Detroit-style pies along with pastas, salads, sandwiches, and Italian ice. Leona's has additional outposts in West Loop and the suburbs. 4363 W. Irving Park Road.
LINCOLN SQUARE — The old Gather space is now home to a fast-casual dumpling restaurant. Union Dumpling House specializes in Chinese-style dumplings filled with pork, beef, chicken, lamb, seafood, and veggies. It also sells frozen dumplings that customers can make at home. 4539 N. Lincoln Avenue.
THE LOOP — There's a new all-day spot in the Loop for Downtown workers to grab a bite. Solette offers an eclectic selection of sandwiches, salads, sushi, steaks, and dishes like Nashville hot chicken and rigatoni Bolognese. There's a coffee bar with pastries from Lost Larson in the mornings, plus happy hour specials from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Solette is closed on weekends. 225 W Randolph Street.
THE LOOP — Lyric Opera of Chicago and Toasted Hospitality (Slightly Toasted, Copper Club) have announced that Eaves, a Southern European-style bar and bistro at the historic Lyric Opera House, will open the week of August 11. Theatregoers will be able to grab a drink or bite inside the Pederson Room, a reimagined space with nods to cafes and libraries of 1920s–30s Southern France and Italy. The food menu features pastas, arrosticini skewers, sandwiches, and salads, while the beverage program focuses on riffs of classic cocktails and Old World wines. 20 N. Wacker Drive. Opens week of August 11.
NOBLE SQUARE — One of the city's best deep-dish makers has relocated. Milly's Pizza in the Pan is now open in Noble Square after closing its Uptown location in July. The move gives owner Robert Maleski a bigger kitchen and better oven, allowing him to double his pizza production each day. Seating is still limited so guests should plan on ordering the pies to go or for delivery. Milly's also has a second restaurant in suburban Berwyn. 925 N. Ashland Avenue.
PILSEN — There's a new coffee shop in Pilsen from one of the owners behind Mexican restaurant Peke's Pozole. Café Carranza serves items like horchata latte, iced espresso, and other caffeinated beverages made from Café Aroma de Mexico beans, plus tortas and pastries. 1641 W. 18th Street.
SOUTH LOOP — Chengdu Bistro, a sister restaurant of Chengdu Impression, has opened a second spot in South Loop. Enjoy spicy Sichuan specialties like dan dan noodles, dry chili chicken, mapo tofu, Zhong dumplings, and ye'er ba — sticky rice cakes filled with ground pork. Chengdu Bistro's original location is in West Town. 733 S. Dearborn Street.
WEST TOWN — Semicolon, the beloved Black women-owned bookstore in West Town, will reopen on Wednesday, July 30 with a new cafe attached. Owner Danielle Moore temporarily closed the shop in April after she raised $30,000 to add a cafe to the space. It will feature rotating Black-owned coffee shops, with Muse Coffee Studio being the first resident. 1355 W. Chicago Avenue. Opens July 30.
PLAINFIELD — Fast-food chain Jack in the Box has returned to the Chicago area with a new restaurant in Plainfield. The company left the region in the 1980s, but plans on opening several locations in the city and surrounding suburbs in the coming months. Jack in the Box serves burgers, chicken sandwiches, tacos, milkshakes, and all-day breakfast offerings. The Chicago location is expected to open in Ashburn in September; there are nine restaurants in downstate Illinois. 2101 Illinois Route 59.
June
IRVING PARK — There's a new spot in town for cheesesteaks. Philly Bros features the Philadelphia sandwich as well as gyros, chicken shawarma, burgers, and wings. The restaurant previously had a location in Lincoln Park near DePaul. 3558 N. Pulaski Road.
RIVER NORTH — A new Mexican-Peruvian restaurant has arrived in River North. Matilda blends the flavors of both countries to create a menu featuring ceviches, tacos, braised meats, and Baja-style seafood. Weekend brunch is also served. Below Matilda sits Clandestino, an intimate basement lounge offering a selection of classic cocktails, including the Old Fashioned, pisco sour, and Last Word. Both projects are from Éxodo Hospitality Group, which is behind Chicago restaurants Kayao and Ayayay. 535 N. Wells Street.
SOUTH LOOP — Breakfast and brunch favorite Batter & Berries is now open in South Loop. The restaurant is best known for French toast, which is offered in a variety of flavors and flights. The menu also offers waffles, omelets, pancakes, and traditional morning plates. Batter & Berries has additional locations in Lincoln Park and Olympia Fields. 2318 S. State Street.
UPTOWN — The owners of Ragadan, the falafel and burger restaurant that won a Jean Banchet Award in 2025, have opened a pizza shop just a few doors down on Broadway. A Pizza Pie is a new neighborhood spot for medium-crust pizzas, with classic topping combinations like Hawaiian, margherita, and supreme. Diners can also customize their own pie or get it with gluten-free crust. The menu offers wings, salads, and fries, too. There's limited seating so A Pizza Pie is primarily a carryout and delivery operation. 4449 N. Broadway.
WEST TOWN — Celeste Group has introduced the latest restaurant in its lineup, Hiro Bar + Izakaya. Bringing the spirit of Tokyo izakayas to West Town, Hiro features live-fire robata dishes, hand rolls, sandos, okonomiyaki (savory Japanese pancakes), and noodles from chef Luis Carlos Hernández (Nobu). The beverage program highlights sakes, highballs, and cocktails like a sesame ginger martini. Hiro replaces Porto, Celeste Group's Michelin-starred Portuguese and Spanish restaurant that closed in 2023. 1600 W. Chicago Avenue.