Chicago has a natural rapport with nightlife. In the early days, immigrants worked night shifts or at odd hours, and clocked out looking for fast food that would keep them going. During prohibition, mobsters and other seedy characters would operate their illicit businesses under the cover of night, taking a break to refuel at a local diner. In the eighties, Chicago house music exploded overnight, causing first a local then international craze, and inspiring thousands to spend their nights in euphoric dance instead of sleep, capping their 6th or 8th or 12th nocturnal hour with a meal from their favorite late-night spot.
In a city rife with unique food traditions—deep dish pizza, Chicago-style hot dogs, polishes, Italian beefs—there’s no shortage of options to satiate a Midwestern football-level appetite that follows an adventurous night out. We combed the streets and scoured the alleyways to bring you this list of the best 24-hour restaurants in Chicago. Some are historic institutions, some are up-and-coming heavyweights. But no matter if you’re on your way out of a game at Wrigley Field, catching a show The Metro, or throwing down at The Cobra Lounge, these Chicago spots will keep you going well into the night, or morning.