- Best Mexican Restaurant on the Indiana Border
- Best Vegetarian Pilgrimage Spot
- Best Family-Friendly Dive Bar & Grill
- Best Greasy Spoon
Best Mexican Restaurant on the Indiana Border
El Charro de San Francisco
Eight blocks west of Indianaâs northwest corner is El Charro de San Francisco, a Mexican restaurant with a family-friendly vibe decorated with neon-colored sombrereros and mariachi regalia. The food, fresh and lovingly prepared, will remind you of your abuelaâs cooking. Donât miss the locally famous horchata, which is always freshly made, rich, sweet, and creamy. (Ben Handy)
El Charro de San Francisco, 3655 E. 106th St. MondayâThursday, 9amâ11:30pm; FridayâSaturday, 9amâ1:30am; Sunday, 8amâ12:30am. (773) 734-3584. eastsidecharro.com
Best Vegetarian Pilgrimage Spot
Mark’s Produce
This place needs to be squarely on the radar of every vegan, vegetarian, or lover of fresh, healthy food. Located in a small brick cottage within view of the glitzy Horseshoe Casino, Markâs Produce is packed to the rafters with fruit and vegetables. Mark and his team scour area fruit and vegetable markets finding incredible deals so that you donât have to. Everything is fresh, but may be cosmetically blemished, and you never know quite what will be âon offerâ making a trip to Markâs a real adventureâŠ.in savings! The staff is always attentive and helpful, and they provide carry-out assistance to your car. Youâll need it: twenty dollars here goes a long way. (Ben Handy)
Markâs Produce: Fruit & Vegetable Store, 1464 Indianapolis Blvd. Whiting, IN. 9amâ5pm every day. (219) 659-2080
Best Family-Friendly Dive Bar & Grill
Jovial Club
The Jovial Club is an improbable holdover from this regionâs steel mill past; it reflects a time when many family-style banquet halls hopscotched their way along the steel coast between the Far South Side and Gary. Though each was unique, these establishments commonly served tasty, no-nonsense dinners to mill workers and their families. At Jovial, the proprietor Caroly Spelich maintains a homey atmosphere, just like her mom before her, while serving up baskets of perfectly fried catfish and artisanal beers with hip names like âOld Styleâ and âMiller.â (Ben Handy)
Jovial Club, 9615 S. Commercial Ave. WednesdayâFriday and Sunday, 11amâ2am; Saturday, 11amâ3am; Monday and Tuesday closed. (773) 375-1203
Best Greasy Spoon
Thomas Restaurant
So deeply steeped in tradition that it has become the official âunofficialâ diner of Calumet Heights, Thomas Restaurant is a favorite meeting spot for many a local politician or business figure. The venerable dive has been serving up solidly prepared American favorites, from cheeseburgers to turkey club sandwiches, since 1963. The best time to visit is for breakfast. The best side is the hand-carved ham. The lighter-than-air pancakes and waffles are legendary here, and so is the waitressesâ banter. (Ben Handy)
Thomas Restaurant, 1657 E. 87th St. Monday and WednesdayâSaturday, 6amâ4pm; Sunday, 7amâ1:45pm; Tuesday closed. (773) 731-8227