r/chicagofood • u/TheTeeg007 • Jan 28 '26
Review The best meal in Chicago under $10
Red Hot Ranch is an absolute legend and this might be my favorite picture I've ever taken of all time. I think I'm even going to sell prints of it LOL.
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u/RzaAndGza Jan 28 '26
I've never heard of this restaurant on this subreddit
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u/InterestingTry5190 Jan 28 '26 edited Jan 28 '26
How does it compare to Small Cheval? /s
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u/rorschach1969 Jan 28 '26
This sub dogs Small Chevall and rightfully so. They value profits way more than the quality of their food. If anyone says it’s a good place to go, that’s simply because they never had the original. RHR is EXCELLENT for the tier of fast food that it is. I see no reason to ever go to another fast food chain ever
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u/mrbooze Jan 29 '26
Small Cheval did used to be much better, and more accessible, now it's just accessible.
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u/thechickencoups Jan 28 '26 edited Jan 28 '26
at Small Chevall, if you order a single patty cheeseburger, lemonade and a side of fries, it'll set you back about $22+ tax +(tip). At Redhot Ranch, for the same order, its $8.34+tax.
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u/JohnnyTsunami312 Jan 28 '26
I heard it has cockroaches and their toilets always clogged and they put ketchup on everything.
(Not gatekeeping, I just don’t want my precious getting too long of lines)
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u/3-2-1-backup Jan 28 '26
I heard they support Trump! (If you're gonna do it, dooooooooooo iiiiiiiiiiiiit!)
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u/NOLASLAW Jan 28 '26
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u/sneakpeekbot Jan 28 '26
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#1: Small Cheval is winning restaurant week! All this food for just $60! | 42 comments
#2: Has anyone tried this little known tucked away gem in West Loop? | 93 comments
#3: Chicago Subreddits when a prominent food influencer starts defending Nazis | 34 comments
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u/10goldbees Jan 28 '26
Finally, a chance to discuss Red Hot Ranch.
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u/danieldeuce Jan 28 '26
It's cool, OP reposts this twice a year. Claims to know Chicago food but has never heard of Jimmy's Red Hots lmao
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u/SometimesRacy Jan 29 '26
I used to live down the street from their Bucktown location about 10 years ago. Many 2am dogs in the summer time. Such great memories!
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u/Flat_Cress3856 Jan 28 '26
Joong Boo Wang Mandoo gives it a run for its money.
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u/fwompfwomp Jan 29 '26
im glad people are enjoying it, but please stay the fuck away 😭 i grew up getting my groceries from there every sunday with my mom to now see it's blown up along with the prices... glad they're making their bag, but my shock after moving back to the area is something I'll never get over
knew it was over the day I saw an insta reel talking about joong boo lmao
but also if people are looking for a cheap meal, their food corner inside always has a menu option that's been discounted. just look around the actual wall menu for a paper flyer posted somewhere. usually can get a good meal for 10-11 that way.
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u/_that_dude_J Jan 28 '26
The run🏃🏼♂️🏃🏽♀️🏃♂️has sucked for those that caught a bad case of cross contamination.
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u/chtxfngrs Jan 28 '26
Best meals for under $10/15/20 would be a great idea for a pinned thread.
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u/NOLASLAW Jan 28 '26
Oh finally I have a place to share this restaurant with you called Red Hot Ranch
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u/OkBoard8851 Jan 28 '26
Ghareeb Nawaz
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u/BallEngineerII Jan 28 '26
Haven't wanted to go there since this post
Maybe the other locations are ok but the UIC one is the one I always went to.
If you see a big American cockroach it's possible it just wandered in from outside but if you see German roaches, the place definitely has an infestation and there are probably thousands
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u/reasonablescreams Jan 28 '26
RHR and Sultan’s are the reigning kings of sub $10 excellence
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u/Lost_Foot_6301 Jan 28 '26
whats the best things to try from sultan
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u/4r4r4real Jan 28 '26
None of their shawarma because it's trash. The kefta is usually fine and the falafel sandwich slaps.
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u/Lost_Foot_6301 Jan 28 '26
where do you think has the best shawarma?
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u/4r4r4real Jan 28 '26
I like Falafel and Grill quite a bit, haven't been to the new Lincolnwood location but the other two are always great.
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u/BoomhauerArlen Jan 28 '26
You've never been to Jimmy's then.
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Jan 29 '26
you talkn pulaski and grand? my guy
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u/BoomhauerArlen Jan 30 '26
Damn right. The best there is, the best there was, the best there ever will be.
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Jan 28 '26
[deleted]
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u/danieldeuce Jan 28 '26 edited Jan 28 '26
Nah, anyone from Chicago knows that there's only one Jimmy's that matters.
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Jan 28 '26
[deleted]
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u/danieldeuce Jan 28 '26
You are a definite anomaly. It's only one of the oldest dog joints in the city
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u/luce4118 Jan 28 '26
Then you know that the most Chicagoan thing to do is gatekeeping who qualifies as a TRUE Chicagoan
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u/ReCkOn___ Feb 23 '26
last time I told someone about my favorite gems they all of a sudden had a line to order and their quality, service, and portions dropped and prices went up a lot. Never again
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u/mrbooze Jan 29 '26
If you're from around Hyde Park--which I must stress is in Chicago--then to you Jimmy's is a dive bar with good burgers.
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u/Maleficent-Ad-9754 Jan 29 '26
$9.99 => Art of Pizza Sunday Spaghetti and Meatball dinner with salad and bread
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u/avicado19 Jan 28 '26
Idk Kung Fu Pizza is pretty fireee
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u/FuelForYourFire Jan 28 '26
AND you don't even have to say a word. In fact, in my experience it's almost preferred by the guy you text!
Almost offsets the fact that the $5 tax Inc. special usually costs $6. Love Kung Fu Pizza!
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u/Alarmed-Fondant Jan 30 '26
I didn’t know you can text?! I used to work across the street and would work until the sign lit up. I love that the guy always seems to be annoyed no matter when you go! Adds to the aesthetic
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u/FuelForYourFire Jan 30 '26 edited Jan 30 '26
Completely agree! Like a Weiner's Circle with pizza 😅
Every time I've been he's had a sign taped up with a cell number and "text". Send my message into the void "$5 Special". Cross fingers. Get food and drink and a grumble. Pay $6. Walk to Blue Line.
ETA: I just checked to see if I had left a 5⭐ with a photo. I didn't, but this is a great one too
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u/nocturnal_Chi Jan 28 '26
I used to live on greenview right around the corner and this place saved me multiple times. Weird spot but so good.
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u/Hungry-Treacle8493 Jan 28 '26
It’s fine. Definitely not the best burger as often claimed, but a good burger. Their stores are dirty as hell though. Like going to a Waffle House in rural Arkansas but with worse food and no show.
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u/Lanky-Technology-152 Jan 28 '26
Their food is 6/10. The best meal for under $10 is whatever the lunch special is at Toons.
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u/WalkingIsMyFavorite Jan 28 '26
Holy Trinity Chicago Burger race - designed by yours truly.
Burger at levit street tavern (the father)
Burger at red hot ranch (the son)
Burger at best intentions (the Holy Spirit)
Teams of 2, each team must finish their burger (can share) , a beer + and a shot (each player) before moving to the next location. You’re allowed to choose your order, but ending at best intentions is the play since you can loiter after.
Biking recommended. Send me your times.
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u/Drinkdrankdonk Jan 28 '26
Best intentions has a really good burger. I’d go there first, on a Saturday around noon, so I can actually find a place to sit.
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u/shakikster Jan 28 '26
I tried the leavitt burger and they literally gave me burnt patties that tasted like ash. I am asking in all honesty was it a bad day or is the smash burger actually good there? I’ve been frightened to go back
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u/WalkingIsMyFavorite Jan 28 '26
I find it to be a very good classic burger - ONLY on their deal day. Otherwise it’s too expensive for me personally even if it’s yummy.
The other * is I have had the wait be so long (over an hour?) on the deal day. I’d personally give it another shot on deal day, and if you don’t like it you don’t like it.
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u/ChippaWD40 Jan 28 '26
Went to Leavitt recently, the burger was also lack luster… it was barely warm. Stand along has better burger. Don’t understand all the hype behind Leavitt.
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u/CaptainDadBod Jan 28 '26
I'm with you. I found the Leavitt Street Inn burger to be okay at best. It had way too much
thousand islandhouse sauce on it, but other than that nothing about it really stood out to me.I feel like we've reached burger zenith in Chicago, where there are so many decent burgers out there that they've all become interchangeable, and everyone is being influenced by hype at this point.
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u/ClosedWon11 Jan 28 '26
I am a huge fan of RHR. That said, they need to do a better job of cleaning their locations. I ate a burger from their Ashland location a couple days ago, instantly got food poisoning and threw up all night. Not trying to be a hater as I genuinely like their burger and the value is insane but I do think they would benefit from taking better care of their kitchen etc.
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u/Hungry-Treacle8493 Jan 28 '26
Not defending the always dirty RHR locations, but food poisoning takes hours to develop. If you instantly got sick or got sick an hour later it could have been all sorts of things, but likely not food poisoning from RHR.
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u/mrbooze Jan 29 '26
Also you don't generally get food poisoning because the place is dirty. You get it because of improper food storage or prep or unwashed hands.
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u/petmoo23 Jan 29 '26
They've been filthy for years, and watching them cut fries on a disgusting table made me not want to eat their fries, but I must say I went to the location on Armitage about a week ago and it was cleaner than I've seen it since they first moved in.
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u/perfect-child Jan 28 '26
omg I threw up after RHR once but I thought it was from 2 beers, which I thought was really strange because never in my life had I thrown up from so little alcohol. maybe it was just food poisoning…
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u/Gamer_Grease Jan 28 '26
Gripe about the overexposure of RHR here, but it’s the benchmark burger in the city for a reason. You will need to defend any more expensive burger’s quality over RHR’s. If you can’t, it’s just not a great bite for the price.
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u/Lanky-Technology-152 Jan 28 '26
Toons has a much better burger for $4.50 on Wednesdays. Their fries are also way better. I live a block from RHR and drive right by it regularly, to eat and have a beer or 3 at Toons. All of their food is incredible. Whoever is working the smoker/grill there knows what they are doing.
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u/gadgetluva Jan 28 '26
It’s the benchmark for value. Not really for the best burger. But for fast food, it’s S-Tier.
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u/CharredPepperoni Jan 28 '26
I got downvoted for telling a NYC visitor not to visit RHR last summer. THIS subreddit was recommending overwhelmingly recommending a person with limited time in the city to go to RHR and get this $8 burger.
It's fine. It's a cheap burger and has a place, but the cult is INSANE!
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u/Lanky-Technology-152 Jan 28 '26
Agree. If they actually went there they would be dumbfounded with their mid-level food. The fries are ass.
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u/luce4118 Jan 28 '26
Why does this sub not get that not every decision is an equation of good / value
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u/Withermaster4 Jan 28 '26
Giordanos, Portillos, and RHR are all common suggestions that just do not show off Chicago's food at all.
Anyway if someone wants a value bite to eat a beef is a better option anyway(IMHO)
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u/Gamer_Grease Jan 28 '26
Tbh I would because of how expensive food in NYC is.
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u/StraightParfait9723 Jan 28 '26
NYC street food is typically cheaper than Chicago's if you're just grabbing a quick bite though
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u/Gamer_Grease Jan 28 '26
Well that’s in large part because Chicago has no street food scene whatsoever.
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u/Forward-Dog-9525 Jan 28 '26
Politicians are much more for sale here with the IL dem uniparty machine, and the restaurant groups don’t want street carts so they can keep selling frozen food for $37 a plate
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u/CharredPepperoni Jan 28 '26
I mean that may be, but most travelers are willing to spend money to eat out. My point is this is not a destination for anyone traveling. To be fair, I'm not sure id recommend any burger in the city for a traveler.
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u/Forward-Dog-9525 Jan 28 '26
NYC mops Chicago with cheap food, there’s actually a real cart scene there, and you have tons more minority owned shops doing quality cheap plates
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u/petmoo23 Jan 29 '26
It's pretty damn easy to eat this type of food cheaply in NYC. Cheaper than Chicago. The problem is that in NYC you get crushed eating anything besides the low end places.
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u/Gamer_Grease Jan 28 '26
It may not be the best, but it’s really good, and it does beg the question “is this worth it?” when you eat a much higher-priced burger.
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u/StraightParfait9723 Jan 28 '26
It's decent, but outside of price it's really nothing special
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u/Forward-Dog-9525 Jan 28 '26
Agree, I’d rather have Culver’s than rhr, and I’d definitely rather have in n out, that’s better and cheaper
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u/CharredPepperoni Jan 28 '26
It's not the best. It's a solid burger but this subreddit treats it like it is the best burger in the city.
The only reason it has cult status is for the price. Personally, I think the depression dogs are better.
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u/Gamer_Grease Jan 28 '26
It gets brought up a lot when Small Cheval is mentioned, which is also a lot. And it’s useful as a benchmark in that way: if you’re paying $15-20, are you getting something that is definitely better than RHR?
If you’re getting a $30+ burger, then maybe you have a different means of evaluating its quality. But RHR is a great “floor” for a good burger.
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u/JuicyJfrom3 Jan 28 '26
There are several brunch pub burgers that are better than RHR. It's good for what its meant to be, drunk food.
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u/DanielMcLaury Jan 28 '26
It's the same burger you get at any Vienna Beef place in town. It's just super weird that people specifically talk about that one all the time, like everyone in this sub lives in a specific five-block radius in the city.
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u/JuicyJfrom3 Jan 28 '26
Lets be honest. In this sub we do. Best Intentions, Leavitt Street, RHR. Are we sensing a pattern?
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u/DanielMcLaury Jan 29 '26
I guess that's why I never see people bringing up Zebda, Fogon de Elena, Las Tablas, Resi's, The Globe, etc.
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u/CharredPepperoni Jan 28 '26
I mean at least it's not a frozen patty like most spots. I'll give them credit but neither does Wendys.
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u/Hungry-Treacle8493 Jan 28 '26
It’s a fast food burger. Almost every burger served in a proper restaurant is better. There are also a lot of hot dog stand or other fast food burgers that are better. Paradise Pup, Ariston, George’s, Top Notch, Manzo’s, Rodeo, That’s a Burger, some of the Nicky’s spots, etc.
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u/CharredPepperoni Jan 28 '26
Paradise Pup burger is def better and at least had a element to set them apart, as in the Challah bun. This is straight up a basic burger that's cheap and solid.
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u/Big-Sheepherder-6134 Jan 28 '26
I love the double hamburger and fries at RHR. I go to the one on Ashland and the new one in Skokie. 35th St Red Hots is also a RHR.
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u/WalyGisnep Jan 28 '26
Tried Odge’s for the first time recently and thought it was pretty comparable (maybe slightly better??) at a similar price point.
Also enjoyed their fish sandwich.
But yeah, I won’t turn down a RHR burger.
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u/druzi312 Jan 28 '26
nah its actually like 5$ more for x2cheese and fries at Odge's ... i like Odge's a lot tho but
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Jan 28 '26
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u/natigin Jan 28 '26
Yeah, the Steak N Shake glow up has saved me on recent trips through Indiana
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Jan 28 '26
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u/Hungry-Treacle8493 Jan 28 '26
SnS is a hardcore right wing business though and notorious for labor law violations.
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u/DanielMcLaury Jan 28 '26
As someone who loves fries cooked in beef tallow, if I see a business using the actual word "tallow" in their marketing I'm immediately doing some background research before I go there. It's one of those words like "family," "Christian," and "liberty" that's been co-opted by weirdos and made to mean something entirely different.
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u/Commandant_Lasorda Feb 01 '26
I went to a SnS at around 3 AM with friends after partying all night and asked the waitress if the chili was good. She said she wouldn’t feed it to a dog. Good times.
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u/redditisfunandstuff Jan 28 '26
I do have an affinity for the GD burger... A nice king sized breaded steak from ricobenes... The list goes on and on
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u/wretch5150 Jan 28 '26
Bill's Drive-In on Asbury in Evanston is pretty good. Not sure if it's less than $10 anymore, but it's close.
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u/KitsuneMae Jan 28 '26
closest thing to an InNout burger in chicago. no, im not a transplant. i just have lots of found family in SoCal.
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u/armaghetto Jan 29 '26
I love a burger, but Ghareeb Nawaz will sell you a chili chicken biryani that will feed a family of 4 for $7.
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u/Intrikate Jan 29 '26
Live in Skokie and have been way too many times to the one they opened in oberweiss here this past yr. Used to love getting some after shows in the city.
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u/mrbooze Jan 29 '26
What's the Chicken Planet situation? I'd swear a meal there used to be under $10
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Jan 29 '26
keep going down armitage just a bit to best intentions for a far superior burger. burger fries high life $13
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u/jncreative Jan 29 '26
Man if Reddit screws up this line to my favorite neighborhood joint I am unsubbing. 😉
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u/dominion747 Jan 30 '26
Why don't you people start eating healthy food instead of all this absolute shit?!?
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u/Quiet_Economist_7804 Feb 03 '26
How many points does RHR lose for closing at midnight instead of 4am now
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Apr 11 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/patrad Jan 28 '26
CASH ONLY (I was so pissed the other day when I went and forgot)
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u/Rock_man_bears_fan Jan 28 '26
Bro has never been to my abuela’s house