Chicago Travel Forum

Looking for cheap, but good eats around the Hyatt Regency O'Hare in Rosemont. Will be there for a conference in Oct--not funded by an employer--and need to save money, yet fill my belly. Any help would be appreciated. Adventurous eater and ethnic foods are welcomed. However, I would prefer local non-franchised places if possible.

Unfortunately the area around Rosemont is filled with expensive restaurants. An Italian restaurant that is non-franchised is Carlucci's. Their website is http://www.carluccirosemont.com/. Other then that I am sure you may find a local hot dog and/or Italian Beef spot somewhere close by that the hotel may recommend. There are also several pizza places nearby, but they are somewhat franchised.

Are you going to have a car? Or rely on taxis? Will you have enough time to go downtown at all? Most of the Rosemont hotels should have shuttles either to the blue line el or to the airport where you can pick up the blue line el and head downtown where you can get anything.

The area around Rosemont has restaurants primarily for business travlers who are on expense accounts. I looked at Rosemont's website to see if there was anything like what you are looking for but it's mostly chains or multiple location Italian/pizza places or steakhouses.

There are a couple of places I can recommend in nearby Arlington Heights but if you don't have a car, I think the taxi ride would be too expensive, one is La Tasca, a Spanish tapas place and the other is Mitsuwa, an Asian market that has a food court.

http://www.rosemont.com/dining.aspx

No car. We'll go downtown maybe one or two nights while I'm there. Otherwise, I'm "stuck" in Rosemont.

If you want a great local fire grilled burger, Paradise Pup is just a mile up the the road from Rosemount. See my Des Plaines IL page.

If you stay in Rosemount, the local eateries are nothing special. Otherwise, you may have to settle for something like Gino's East, or Harry Carey's.

There's also The Choo Choo, I've never been but I've seen it featured on a Food Network special. Or maybe it was one of the Chicago specials on PBS, in any event it looked like an interesting place to visit for the kitsch factor, how can you not like a place that delivers your food by train :-)

http://www.thechoochoo.com/

My son would adore the Choo Choo. Too bad he won't be with me. Thanks for the info!

I used to live about 5 minutes walk from the Choo Choo. They have good breakfasts on the weekends, but other than that I can't say one way or the other.

It is just on the other side of the police station from the metra station in down town Des Plaines. Half way between the train station and the McDonald's museum.

I just looked on the Choo Choo menu per the link that Dabs posted. Breakfasts are not on there... curious?! I must have visited on some special promotional day. I have had a burger there and they are decent too.

DSwede, comparing Paradise Pup and Choo Choo, which would you say has the better burger? I'll have to check to see if Choo Choo still serves breakfast. Also, does anyone know if there is a Starbucks or a really good coffee shop nearby? Can't stand the thought of having to drink the coffee that they serve at the conference. Typically it's not that good. Can't start the day without a good cuppa Joe!

There is a Starbucks at 9500 Higgins Road in Rosemont. Your hotel is located at 9300 Bryn Mawr. This is about 1 mile away. It's not all that easy to walk around the area as it is a bunch of corporate buildings and hotels surrounded by major Chicago expressways literally right next to O'Hare. The Choo-Choo is not within walking distance as it is in Des Plaines a few miles away.

Thanks for the info. How's the public transport in the area? If it's anything like Minneapolis, it stinks! How I wish I lived in Europe! They know how public transport should work. ;-)

Outside of downtown, transport is pretty stinky, most people in the burbs own cars. You should be able to ask the concierege at the hotel if there is some place to get coffee, I assume a Hyatt will have coffee makers in the room and somewhere to get a cup at the hotel.

Actually public transporation in the city of Chicago and to and from the suburbs isn't bad, however within the suburbs itself or suburb to suburb isn't the greatest. Your best bet is to check out this website for the regional transportation authority - http://rtachicago.com/

Can't think of any convenient bus stop near Paradise Pup, but I would recommend its burger over Choo Choo.

I no longer live in Des Plaines, but I'm still employed there. When ever I go back and visit the office, I always get my friends together and go to the Pup.

I would recommend checking out the restaurants in Edison Park which is about a 5 minute drive (or taxi) from your hotel. As previously mentioned, Rosemont has mostly expensive restaurants like Carluccis and Gibsons. There are lots of little place in Edison Park I love Nonno Pinos or Zia Trattoria for Italian. There is also a good inexpensive ribs place and a thai place. Everything in a walkable area once you get there.

http://chicago.metromix.com/facets/restaurants/loc.chicago_market.chicago.northwest.edison_park

I hope I'm not too late here, but Maria's Mexican Restaurant at 9440 W. Foster is the best. It's been there forever, and when I lived up north, I'd go there at least once a week.

If you look at this map, you'll see you're not too far from Maria's. Prices are good, margaritas are even better :)

http://chicago-hotels.tripadvisor.com/LocalMaps-g35805-d527721-Maria_s_Mexican_Restaurant-Area.html