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With the third season of The Bear set to be released on June 27, we are reminded of how Chicago has established itself as one of the hottest restaurant scenes in the whole country.
While New York can in many ways be said to belong to the world, and LA has one foot in Mexico and the Pacific, Chicago is the city that can be called the most American of American cities. The restaurant scene reflects it too. There is every kind of table here in the Windy City, elevated fine dining, traditional mom and pop, burgers, beef, and everything in between. That’s why The Bear sits so well in Chicago, it is a restaurant story that is relatable to restaurant workers and diners across the country, even across the world.
Choosing Chicago as the backdrop for The Bear proved an inspired choice as the city itself weaves itself throughout the narrative, maybe even taking on the most important role of all. Here is a round-up of all the Chicago restaurants to have been featured in The Bear so far.
Mr. Beef
Where it all started—the inspiration for The Beef in the show, the iconic sandwich shop where show creator Christopher Storer worked. Several scenes were shot on location at Mr. Beef in River North as well as a soundstage replica of the space. The Beef was transformed into a fine-dining restaurant, but Mr. Beef will always be the same sandwich joint.
Pizza Lobo
You may remember Sydney (Ayo Edebiri, above) embarking on a Chicago gastro-odyssey looking for inspiration early in season two. She ends up at the Pizza Lobo takeaway window for a slice, before trying to poach Lobo staff in the back alley while on their breaks.
Kasama
Husband and wife owned and operated Michelin-starred Filipino restaurant and bakery Kasama is Sydney's first stop on her Chicago culinary expedition. Here she eats a mushroom adobo, a longanisa sausage sandwich with hashbrowns, and a mango tart. One of Chicago's shining lights, Kasama has reached national and international fame as the US's only Michelin-starred Filipino restaurant.
Superdawg Drive-In
An institution and the go-to place for the iconic Chicago Dog, an all-beef wurst served on a poppyseed bun, this hot dog joint retains its original look and feel from 1948. This is a genuine all-American classic hot dog drive-thru, appearing in The Bear in a montage that opens episode seven, season one. Superdawg's hot dogs and fries also appear in a party scene in episode five of season two.
Alice's Lounge
Featuring in episode five, season two, this Avondale bar is known for its late-night karaoke and that's exactly what the culinary school students do when they hit it. Struggling to fit in with her younger classmates, Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas, above) comes out of her shell at Alice's Lounge, belting out Before the Next Teardrop Falls by Freddy Fender.
Loaf Lounge
An all-day cafe and bakery, the Loaf Lounge tuns out high-quality cakes and pastries for the locals of Avondale, including The Bear's very own decadent chocolate cake, prepared in season one by The Beef’s pastry chef Marcus (Lionel Boyce). This cake is always in high demand at Loaf Longe as it was made by co-owner and baker Sarah Mispagel as a consultant for the show.
Gene & Jude's
Another traditional hot dog joint, Gene & Jude's has been serving 'red hots' since 1946 topped with mustard, onions, relish, and sport peppers, with fries. This place features in the same episode seven, season one montage as Superdawg. Devoid of seats, people have been standing up eating dogs here for generations.
Ever
Featuring prominently in season two, Ritchie stages in a fictional version of this two-Michelin-star restaurant with Olivia Coleman helming the kitchen. Ever's chef Curtis Duffy doesn't appear in the episode, but you can see cameos of some of the courses from the tasting menu as well as some controversial pizza.
A first look at season three of The Bear
Pequod's Pizza
Deep-dish institution Pequod's appears in the scene in season two when Ritchie dashes out from Ever to grab a deep-dish pizza for some tourists who haven't had time to sample Chicago's most famous dish. The pizza is brought back to the restaurant and given the fine-dining treatment complete with micro basil and drizzling of a mystery red sauce.
Margie's Candies
Sydney indulges in an ice cream sundae at the end of her Chicago food tour at Margies Candies, and things begin to make sense to her. This place has been a local favorite since 1933 with queues around the block on hot summer days.
Giant
Another stop on Sydney's culinary tour of Chicago is Giant, which stands in as Verdana French Bistro, where an anxious Sydney gets some restaurant opening advice from industry veterans. The Logan Square bistro is modern and cool with upmarket cuisine and cocktails.
Roeser's Bakery
Chicago's oldest family-owned bakery serves as inspiration for Marcus' donut experiments in season one. Open in Humboldt Park since 1911, Roeser's has been selling seasonal treats and custom cakes for generations.
Johnnie's Beef
This Italian beef sandwich favorite appears in the montage during episode seven of season one.
Lionel Boyce as Marcus in The Bear
Lao Peng You
A stop on Sydney's food tour, where she eats hand-rolled dumplings served in broth. West Town restaurant Lao Peng You is run by brothers Daniel and Eric Wat serving noodle soups, sandwiches and more. Bring your own booze and grab a seat on a first-come-first-served basis.
The Green Door Tavern
Showing in several scenes throughout season one, Ritchie complains that The Green Door is closed as a sign that the neighborhood is changing. It hasn't closed though and since 1921 has been serving hard-working locals with beers and liquor and feeding them with classic pub food.
After Lounge
Next door to Ever, the After Lounge serves as an overflow cocktail bar for the restaurant's diners. After stands in as the Copenhagen restaurant where Marcus trains under pastry chef Luca (Will Poulter). Worth a visit on its own for artisan cocktails, chef Curtis Duffy offers casual food options too.
Elske
The Michelin-starred restaurant welcomes Sydney in episode seven, season one to experiment with pasta along with chef David Posey. Run by husband-and-wife team David and Anna, Elske has both a Scandi-themed set menu and an à la carte.
Avec
Sydney gets fine-dining advice from Avec's owner Donnie Madia who tells her to "get a good partner, someone you can trust". The restaurant looks splendid with its wood paneled walls. Avec's staff are seen having a pre-service powwow where they reference the restaurant’s famous short-rib hummus.
This article was updated with a new trailer on 5/30/2024.
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