Lollapalooza may be over, but the memories are not. Every year around this time, thousands of music lovers descend upon Grant Park. This past weekend, I joined in on all the fun. As a self-proclaimed music festival connoisseur and foodie, I go for both the music and food.
Compared to some of my favorite music festivals in NYC and LA, Chicago can sometimes fall behind in the food department. However, I was excited to finally see a music fest in my hometown finally stepping up their food game. With so many great food options this year, it was tough to narrow it down to just my top 10.
Fab Happenings: Top 10 Things I Ate/Drank at Lollapalooza 2018 // Photo: @topchicagoeats
10. Rosé PopTail from Cupcake Vineyards
Fab Happenings: Top 10 Things We Ate/Drank at Lollapalooza 2018 // Rosé PopTail from Cupcake Vineyards // Photo: @topchicagoeats
Wao Bao was a great option for a fast bite in-between artists’ set times. The lines were never long and the food was easy to eat while walking to the next stage. I ordered the Combo Box, which came with one BBQ Pork and one Teriyaki Chicken Bao. I also got the Potstickers that were lightly seared and filled with crispy ginger chicken. This was the perfect grab-and-go option for a quick but filling meal.
Fab Happenings: Top 10 Things We Ate/Dank at Lollapalooza 2018 // Combo Box and Potstickers from Wow Bao // Photo: @topchicagoeats
{Location}
Wow Bao
Gold Coast || 1 W Division St, Chicago, IL || P: (312) 643-1185
Water Tower Place || 835 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL ||P: (312) 642-5888
Lakeview || 2806 N Clark St, Chicago, IL || P: (773) 433-5333
The Loop || 1 W Wacker Dr, Chicago, IL || P: (312) 658- 0305
The Loop || 220 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL || P: (773) 279-5216
The Loop || 225 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL || P: (312) 226-2299
8. Lime and Blue Raspberry Snow Cone from Harris Ice
The Lime and Blue Raspberry Snow Cone was a great way to cool down on a 90 degree day. This was the longest food line I waited in all weekend. Once I received my order, I understood why. It was extremely refreshing and made standing among large crowds of people more tolerable.
Fab Happenings: Top 10 Things We Ate/Drank at Lollapalooza 2018 // Lime and Blue Raspberry Snow Cone from Harris Ice // Photo: @topchicagoeats
7. Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Fries from Edzo’s Burger Shop
Fab Happenings: Top 10 Things We Ate/Drank at Lollapalooza 2018 // Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Fries from Edzo’s Burger Shop // Photo: @topchicagoeats
{Location}
Edzo’s Burger Shop
Evanston || 1571 Sherman Ave, Evanston, IL || P: (847) 864-3396
Elote/esquites were my favorite snack growing up. When I saw Broken English Taco Pub at Chow Town, I instantly knew I had to stop by. Many restaurants offer trendy versions of Mexican street corn but sometimes you just crave the classic version. Adding a bunch of extra ingredients can mask the flavor of the corn. The Mexican Street Corn Esquites was just what I was looking for. The roasted corn was topped simply with cotija cheese, cilantro, lime, and chili spices.
Fab Happenings: Top 10 Things We Ate/Drank at Lollapalooza 2018 // Grilled Street Corn Esquites from Broken English Taco Pub // Photo: @topchicagoeats
The warm, slightly doughy Churro was topped with cinnamon sugar and served with a side of jam for dipping. It looked like regular jam but don’t be fooled. The jalapeño jam had a lot of heat but didn’t overpower the flavor of the traditional churro.
Fab Happenings: Top 10 Things We Ate/Drank at Lollapalooza 2018 // Churro from Broken English Taco Pub // Photo: @topchicagoeats
{Location}
Broken English Taco Pub
Lincoln Park || 2576 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago, IL || P: (312) 929-0045
Old Town || 1400 N Wells St, Chicago, IL || P: (312) 951-7667
The Loop || 75 E Lake St, Chicago, IL || P: (312) 929-3601
Whether you’re in the mood for a beef or veggie burger, M Burger has something for everyone. I went for the Impossible Burger, which had all the flavor and taste of a beef burger but without the heaviness. It had such a strong grilled flavor that you don’t normally get from veggie burgers, it made me forget that I was eating a plant-based burger. It was topped with crisp lettuce, diced onions, mustard, ketchup, and pickles.
Fab Happenings: Top 10 Things We Ate/Dank at Lollapalooza 2018 // Impossible Burger from M Burger // Photo: @topchicagoeats
{Location}
M Burger
Gold Coast || 835 N Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL || P: (312) 867-1549
River North || 5 W Ontario St, Chicago, IL || P: (312) 428-3548
Streeterville || 161 E Huron St, Chicago, IL || P: (312) 254-8500
The Loop || 100 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL || P: (312) 578-1478
Aurora || 1650 Premium Outlet Blvd, Aurora, IL || P: (630) 692-9558
4. Spicy Chicken from Gideon Sweet
I’ve been wanting to go back to Gideon Sweet but haven’t had a chance to go. It was a pleasant surprise to see them at Lolla this year. I get really excited when I discover there are new food options. Crisp and juicy breaded chicken was served with a mildly spicy sauce. It was also conveniently located at the Graham Elliot Lobster Corn Dog tent.
Fab Happenings: Top 10 Things We Ate/Drank at Lollapalooza 2018 // Spicy Chicken from Gideon Sweet // Photo: @topchicagoeats
{Location}
Gideon Sweet
West Loop || 841 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL || P: (312) 888-2258
Revival Food Hall was one of the new vendors at Chow Town this year and the Chili Cheese Curds from Antique Taco were just one of the great options they offered. Large pieces of perfectly fried cheese curds were filled with gooey, melted cheese and topped with chorizo chili, cilantro crema, pickled jalapeños, and onions. The best part was that even though it was smothered in chili, it didn’t get soggy. If you’re looking to turn up the heat on basic festival food, I definitely recommend these spicy cheese curds.
Fab Happenings: Top 10 Things We Ate/Drank at Lollapalooza 2018 // Chili Cheese Curds at Antique Taco // Photo: @topchicagoeats
{Location}
Antique Taco
Bridgeport || 1000 W 35th St, Chicago, IL || P: (773) 823-9410
The Loop || 125 S Clark St, Chicago, IL || P: (773) 770-6195
Wicker Park || 1360 N Milwaukee, Chicago, IL || P: (773) 687-8697
2. Lobster Corn Dog by Graham Elliot
Fab Happenings: Top 10 Things I Ate/Drank at Lollapalooza 2018 // Lobster Corn Dog by Graham Elliot // Photo: @topchicagoeats
1. Duck Fat Hot Dog from The Duck Inn
The Duck Fat Hot Dog from The Duck Inn is one of my all-time favorites but since the restaurant is located all the way in Bridgeport, it can be difficult to get to. So you could imagine my excitement when I saw it was available at the Revival Food Hall tent at Lolla. The Duck Fat Hot Dog was served Chicago-style with Chef Kevin Hickey’s unique twist. It is topped with a pickle, pickled hot peppers, house-made mustard and relish, and celery salt on a poppy seed bun. You can even hear the snap in the casing when you take a bite. Yum! Traditional Chicago-style hot dogs are always a fan favorite but this one takes it to the next level.
Fab Happenings: Top 10 Things We Ate/Dank at Lollapalooza 2018 // Duck Fat Hot Dog from The Duck Inn // Photo: @topchicagoeats
{Location}
The Duck Inn
Bridgeport || 2701 S Elanor St, Chicago, IL || P: (312) 724-8811
As the summer comes to an end, there’s no better way to spend an entire weekend in Chicago than with some of the best music and festival food.
What was your favorite thing to eat at Lollapalooza this year? Share below.
Eat, Eat, Repeat,
Lisette
You slay!
Great freakin article!!! I need to try all of these ASAP!!!
Love your content and website design <3 I really appreciate you posting all the locations for each restaurant as well!!! Thank you for taking the time to share!