My family and I made a quick trip to Illinois, but we only had 24 hours to enjoy our stay. This was our first time visiting Illinois, but we’ve already started thinking about our next visit. In this post, I’m sharing what we ate and where we stayed. If you’re visiting on a spur-of-the-moment trip, like my family and I did, I hope our unplanned itinerary will help you make the most of your stay. We checked into the very conveniently located and modern VOCO Hotel Chicago Downtown. This hotel has amazing views and is located in the heart of the city. We were able to walk right out of the door and across to the riverfront. The window of our hotel offered stunning skyline views and easy access to some of Chicago’s best food spots. Whether you’re in town for business, like my family and I, or on a quick family adventure, VOCO’s central location makes it a top choice for a place to stay in Chicago.
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For lunch, we enjoyed our scenic walk to the Brown Bag Seafood Co. This restaurant, a fast-casual favorite of mine, offers fresh seafood and build-your-own bowl options. The restaurant has a fun vibe, and the menu offers a variety of seafood dishes, including healthy options. We ordered the fried shrimp, and it was a great midday stop for us. After a bit of sightseeing, we ended the evening with a classic Chicago dinner at Lou Malnati’s Pizzeria. This restaurant is popular for deep-dish pizza. Personally, I decided to try the Chicken Louie, and unfortunately, it didn’t live up to my expectations. This pasta dish lacked flavor and didn’t capture the description that I read from local reviews. If it’s your first time, I recommend sticking with their classic deep-dish pizzas. My family enjoyed their slices.
Before heading home the next morning, we made a short drive to Blueberry Field Pancake House for breakfast. This cozy restaurant is located just outside the city and offers generous portions of classic breakfast dishes with a home-cooked feel. The pancakes were fluffy, the omelets were flavorful, and the portions were generous, and it was the perfect way to wrap up our quick but delicious 24-hour trip in Illinois. If you’re searching for where to eat in Chicago and nearby suburbs in just one day, these three restaurants are worth a stop.
