There are plenty of movies and TV shows set in Chicago—many of them are even filmed here. And yet it’s pretty rare to get an onscreen depiction of the city that actually feels like Chicago.
And then there’s The Bear, FX's tense, funny, deliciously entertaining series (stream it on Hulu) about an esteemed chef (Jeremy Allen White) returning home to Chicago in order to take over an Italian beef stand after his brother passes. Over the course of three seasons, the series has captured so much about life here—the aesthetic, the architecture, the personalities, and, most of all, the food—that it’s piqued interest from visitors across the country.
According to restaurants interviewed by Block Club Chicago, "The Bear effect" has translated into substantial increases in foot traffic at culinary spots depicted in the series. There's now even a guided tour you can buy tickets for; offered by Chicago Food & City Tours, the excursion is called—inevitably—"Yes, Chef! Chicago."
If you'd prefer to make your own way, there's good news for any newfound Chi-curious fans of The Bear: The city's food scene is even more bingeable than the show. Add these stops to your itinerary to take a Bear-sized bite out of Chicago.
Note: If you're not fully caught up with the show yet, mild spoilers ahead.
To Get Around Town: Use Public Transit
Notice how whenever anyone on The Bear has to schlep up to visit Uncle Cicero (Oliver Platt) in Wilmette, they sound miserable? That’s because car traffic in and around the city sucks. All that gridlock you see in establishing shots on I-90/94 is cinéma vérité, no digital effects needed.
If you want to experience the city like a real Original Berf-er, you’ve got to ride the L, city buses, Metra regional transit, or a Divvy bike-share. At the very least, pay $2.50 to hop on the Brown Line for a mini architecture tour circling the iconic skyscrapers in the Loop. By and large, the CTA will get you wherever you need to go on this tour, and you won't have to pay $30 for parking.
Mr. Beef: Original Beef Originator
(Inside Mr. Beef sandwich shop in Chicago | Credit: Ryan Dickey / Flickr)
The Bear's showrunner and creator, Christopher Storer, explicitly modeled the show's fictional Original Beef shop on Chicago's Mr. Beef (666 N. Orleans St.), a family-owned staple that's been around since 1979. Storer worked here as a teen and has maintained a lifelong friendship with current Mr. Beef owner Christopher Zucchero.
As the Chicago Tribune explains, most of the "anxiety-inducing kitchen scenes" for which The Bear became famous were shot at Mr. Beef. Even when the bulk of the action moves to a new restaurant in the third season, the Italian beef shack returns in flashbacks and arguably remains the spiritual heart of the series.
Some Chicagoans griped early on about how The Bear depicted the surrounding neighborhood, River North. But the point is that Mr. Beef is an anomaly in the area, maintaining its affordability, level of quality, and grit in a neighborhood otherwise characterized by nightclubs, art galleries, and high-end office complexes.
In any case, the Italian beef sandwiches here really are that good. The generous stack of tender, thin-sliced beef, the savoriness of the jus, the bright, oily kick of the giardiniera—there’s not much left in the world that’s this tasty and filling for around $10.
To many Chicagoans, Italian beef is far more emblematic of local cuisine than, say, deep-dish pizza. If you don’t want to wait in line at Mr. Beef, other beloved purveyors include Al's #1 Italian Beef (1079 W. Taylor St.), Portillo’s (100 W. Ontario St.), and Buona (613 N. McClurg Court).
(Jeremy Allen White as Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto in season one of FX's The Bear | Credit: FX Networks)
Lake Michigan: Everybody's Preferred Focal Point for Introspection
Like a lot of Chicagoans, the characters in The Bear just can’t resist savoring (food pun intended) views of Lake Michigan, especially in the photogenic pre-dawn and pre-dusk times of day. Under the purple glow of the Drake Hotel sign on Michigan Avenue, White's Carmy stares out at the water before an AA meeting in season one. In season two, Ebraheim (Edwin Lee Gibson) contemplates his culinary abilities under the Chess Pavilion in Lincoln Park. And Sydney (Ayo Edebiri) asks a ride-share driver to pull over as she has an internal crisis so she can peer out over the white shore rocks in season three.
With 54 access points spread over 18.5 miles of Lakefront Trail, there’s really no wrong spot to pick for a moment of introspection. Just head east until you reach the water.
(Chess Pavilion at Lincoln Park in Chicago | Credit: Dan Jakes)
Publican, Margie's, Avec, and More: Sydney's Culinary Tour
Though Chicago restaurants are featured constantly in The Bear (Eater Chicago maintains an excellent comprehensive list), the most Chicago-y episode of the series to date is probably season two’s “Sundae,” in which Edebiri's Sydney seeks inspiration via a solo culinary tour of the city.
After a hearty breakfast at acclaimed Filipino restaurant Kasama (1001 N. Winchester Ave.), Syd heads to Publican Quality Meats (825 W. Fulton Market) for some butchering tips. She later tours through Giant (3209 W. Armitage Ave.), which stands in for a fictional, soon-to-fail bistro; gets a one-on-one master class and short ribs tasting with chef Dylan Patel of Avec (615 W. Randolph St.); and slurps broth and incredible-looking handmade dumplings at Lao Peng You (2020 W. Chicago Ave.).
The day ends in Bucktown (up the Blue Line from downtown), longtime home to the neon-lit ice cream parlor Margie’s Candies (1960 N. Western Ave.). Sydney is a bit of an overachiever—you probably won't have time to retrace her full itinerary in one day. Pick a couple that appeal to you the most.
(Margie's Candies in Chicago | Credit: Stephen Hogan / Flickr)
Find a Farmers Market: "What Grows Together Goes Together"
When cost-cutting consultant Computer (Brian Koppelman) insists to Carmy he needs to loosen his viselike grip on fresh market produce, it’s basically a knife to the chef's heart. And no wonder: Seasonal fruits and veggies from small farms just taste better than what bulk corporate suppliers produce.
According to Chicago's tourism office, the indoor farmers market that appears in season three of The Bear was actually filmed at the restaurant Longman & Eagle (2657 N. Kedzie Ave.). But don't let that stop you from searching out a real-life alternative from the city's directory of farmers markets held all across town.
As a visitor, you’re probably not looking to do much cooking while you’re here, but plenty of vendors for items like pastries, pies, pizza, and tamales will be happy to sell you a hot bite while you mosey up and down the aisles.
Alice's Lounge: Tina's Karaoke Bar
In season two, The Bear gives Tina (Liza Colón-Zayas) a touching, quietly empowering moment when she sings a karaoke rendition of "Before the Next Teardrop Falls."
The production team picked the perfect spot to shoot the scene: Alice’s Lounge (3556 W. Belmont Ave.), a true dive bar where karaoke is held 5 nights a week. Feel free to linger into the wee hours—Alice's still has one of Chicago's increasingly endangered 4am licenses.
Ever: Season Three Star
It's hard to think of a real-life restaurant that’s gotten as glowing an onscreen depiction as Ever (1340 W. Fulton St.), chef Curtis Duffy's luxe, set-menu restaurant in the West Loop.
The fine-dining establishment's introduction on the show is so surreal it almost feels like a dream sequence. In season two, Ever is the business that grows Richie (Ebon Moss-Bachrach) from an ambivalent, incorrigible kitchen boy to a passionate, self-respecting (though still incorrigible) kitchen man. And in season three, the restaurant plays a role so central that news of its closing is met with the sort of shock and grief you'd typically associate with an actual death.
(Ever restaurant in Chicago | Credit: Michael Muser)
In the real world, as Ever’s publicists are quick to note, the restaurant remains very much alive, though the more than $300, 8- to 10-course dining experience might not be in your vacation budget. For a more affordable alternative, there's always After, the next-door cocktail bar where you can try small plates made by the Ever kitchen.
All three seasons of The Bear are streaming on Hulu.
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