The Best Things To Eat And Drink In Illinois

Whether you refer to it as the "Land of Lincoln" or as "the Prairie State," you have to admit — Illinois cannot be beat. Whether you're looking for waving expanses of corn, suburban utopias, or bustling cities, Illinois has it all. It's the home of Abraham Lincoln, Cindy Crawford, John and Joan Cusack, Chance the Rapper, Barack and Michelle Obama, and Bill Murray. It houses some of the best chefs, pizza, hot dogs, and restaurants in the entire country. And we've compiled its best things to eat and drink in one place, in our second annual guide to the best food and drink in every state.

The Best Food and Drink in Illinois for 2019 Gallery

While restaurant powerhouse Chicago hosts such crown jewels as Grant Achatz's Alinea, Brendan Sodikoff's Au Cheval, and Maurie Berman's legacy Superdawg, southern and central Illinois are home to the country's best chili, ribs, and spaghetti and meatballs.

Over the course of the past year we've honored everything from its best hot dogs and brunch spot to its best bar and craft beer in our comprehensive and wide-ranging lists and rankings, compiled through extensive research and with input from a wide network of site contributors, bloggers, journalists, and chefs. We've compiled definitive galleries celebrating the best food and drink in every state, and you can find our Illinois gallery here.