Bandera Restaurant in Chicago

535 North Michigan Avenue

Chicago, IL  60611-3814

Phone:              312-644-3524

Take the El:            (Red Line) to Grand

Hours:              Sun-Thurs – 11:30am to 10pm

                        Fri-Sat – 11:30am to 11pm

Credit Cards:            American Express

                        Diners Club

                        Master Card

                        Visa

Cuisine:            Southern, American

The menu is small, but the portions are big and tasty at the Bandera Restaurant in Chicago.  Although actually a chain restaurant serving standard American cuisine, the decor (dark lighting, black vinyl booths, and cowhide barstools), suggests that it is not one of your typical chain restaurants.  Just have a look at the kitchen, where you’ll find a huge rotisserie oven capable of roasting several dozen chickens at once.  It's busy at the Bandera Restaurant, especially at lunch, so call ahead and arrive before noon if you want to avoid a serious wait to be seated.  Arrive early for dinner, but expect to be seated in a more timely fashion, as there is usually ample seating at the bar.

Mild jalapeno cornbread, steamed with butter, is served in a cast iron skillet (also available by the piece, but so good you’ll want more). The roast chicken at the Bandera Restaurant in Chicago is so tender that the meat simply falls off the bone and comes with a huge mound of mashed-potatoes with chives – you will never go home hungry.  If you are looking for something a little lighter, try the “macho” salad – greens with dates, nuts, goat cheese, and shredded roast chicken fresh from the spit.  If you still have room after one of these dishes, try the Oreo ice cream sandwich for dessert.

The Bandera Restaurant in Chicago proudly features a jazz trio nightly, and they will validate parking for the garage that is nearby at Rush and Wabash.  Overall, the Bandera is a great place to feel comfortable away from home, blend in with the locals, and get a great meal with good portions for a price that won’t leave your wallet empty.