How Best Chicago chooses the city's best
How Best Chicago's editors choose each ranking: every side of town, a long record with locals, verified facts, real craft and reliability in every season.
Chicago is a city of loyal customers. People stick with the barber, the mechanic and the pizza place their family has used for years, and newcomers want to know where those places are. Our rankings try to capture that loyalty and keep it current, using five steps for every list.
Every side of town
We search each category on the North Side, the South Side and the West Side as well as downtown. A bakery in Back of the Yards or a tailor in Rogers Park is considered alongside the better-known names in River North and the West Loop, and neighborhoods far from the L get the same look.
A record that lasts
We favor businesses that have kept a good name with Chicagoans over the long run: regulars who return, who bring their friends along and keep praising the same things, winter after winter. A big opening week is welcome, but it is not enough by itself.
Facts on the ground
Every listing is checked before it runs. The business has to be open at the address we give, reachable at the number and website we show, and keeping the hours we print. A place that has moved, shut or that we cannot confirm stays off the list until the details are clear.
Craft and care
Each category has its own measure of quality. A pizzeria lives or dies by its crust, a mechanic by honest diagnosis, a clinic by clear communication and access. We look for businesses that get the fundamentals right consistently. Friendly service at a fair price is part of it too.
Reliable in every season
Chicago tests businesses in ways milder cities do not. We pay attention to whether a business keeps its standards and its hours through winter, when a dependable furnace technician or tow service matters most, and through the summer rush on patios and at the lake.
Keeping the guide current
We revisit our rankings on a regular cycle. Closures, moves and overlooked favorites can be reported to info@bestchicago.us; the neighborhood or nearest L stop helps us find them fast.
A note on hours
Many Chicago businesses change their hours with the seasons, and patios, beer gardens and lakefront spots may close for the winter. Our listings show regular hours, so in the colder months it is worth confirming before you head out.