The ultimate guide to lunch in Chicago’s Loop: These are the best spots to grab a bite

It’s been a year since I last tackled where to eat lunch in the Loop, and if I’ve learned anything, it’s to always expect change. New restaurants open, old favorites close and time marches on. Trends that were once ascendant (poke) have faded, while others (Indian cuisine) are growing exponentially.

As this list was originally published in 2019, it’s a good idea to check in with the restaurants before you go, as hours and offerings might have changed due to the pandemic.

Tikka N’ Curry

One of the newest entries in the Loop lunch scene is also one of the best. Unlike the vast majority of quick-service concepts, the food here isn’t just cooked ahead of time and left to hang out on a steam table. Instead, the main dishes at Tikka N’ Curry are cooked to order. Pick out your protein (chicken, paneer, lamb or veggies) and your curry (tikka masala, vindaloo, korma, saag or kadai) and an employee will line up everything in front of a cook, who will quickly saute everything. This results in dishes with vibrant spice profiles and juicy, tender meat (unless, of course, you go with veggies). I’m particularly fond of the lamb kofta in spicy vindaloo sauce, which I like to get as a feast platter ($11.37). That way I can load up on biryani rice, one of the shop’s three kinds of dal and a collection of fresh vegetables. Lines can get long (I’ve waited 30 minutes before), but the prices are remarkably reasonable. 400 S. Financial Place, 312-877-5722, tikkancurry.com

Chicago Lunchbox

I almost skipped this tiny storefront because the name sounded so generic. What a mistake that would have been. Chicago Lunchbox serves an aggressively flavored Pan-Asian menu, featuring the likes of Filipino pork sausage and Thai-style ground chicken with basil, which you can get as a sandwich, a taco, a salad, a rice bowl or a noodle bowl. I’m particularly taken with the beefy Korean rice bowl ($9.95), where charred and juicy steak is drizzled with a spicy garlic dressing and a slightly sweet house sauce. It rests on a bed of steamed white rice with bright pickled carrots and daikon, crisp cucumber, fresh cilantro and red onion on the side. 400 S. Financial Place, 773-696-0144, chicagolunchbox.com

BenjYehuda

BenjYehuda stands apart from the dozen other Mediterranean quick-service concepts thanks to its array of vegetable toppings. Forget about choosing between watery lettuce and pale tomatoes. Here you can load up your wraps with four brightly colored salads (corn, carrot, cabbage and Jerusalem), along with crunchy thick-cut pickles. That’s not to mention the shop’s very good hummus and baba ganoush. If you want to experience them all, go with a combo box ($8.99), where you can get all of the toppings arranged over a bed of rice with chicken, steak and falafel. Multiple locations, benjyehuda.com

Oasis Cafe

I left this classic Loop lunch spot, with its unique location in the back of a jewelry store, off my list the first time around because I didn’t think the sandwiches measured up to the versions at Naf Naf Grill and BenjYehuda. What I didn’t realize was that real finds are the daily specials, such as the Wabash mixed combo. Available on Mondays and Thursdays, the special includes what looks like a tidy burrito, but is a large Moroccan pastilla, featuring bite-size pieces of chicken, peppers, onions and carrots wrapped in flaky phyllo dough. It also comes with a side of creamy foul (the bean dish), smooth hummus and crunchy falafel. 21 N. Wabash Ave., 312-443-9534

Bienmesabe Arepa Bar

Restaurants serving arepas (griddled corn cakes that are split open and stuffed) have been multiplying around Chicago’s neighborhoods, but it took the opening of Bienmesabe Arepa Bar last year before you could find the dish to the Loop. Sure, the small shop also serves rice bowls (because, of course), but what you want is the generously stuffed dish this restaurant is named after. As for a filling, may I suggest the pabellon ($8.95)? Then you get one of the freshly made arepas split open and stuffed with tender braised beef, creamy black beans, sweet and soft plantains with salty Caribbean cheese. 29 E. Adams St., 312-285-2911, bienmesabechicago.com

Krishna Lunch

In need of a satisfying vegetarian Indian meal? Krishna Lunch is there for you. That’s even though it doesn’t have a permanent location, nor is this technically a food truck. Instead, it is a service run by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness of Chicago, and its stated goal is to “provide vegetarian meals that are subsidized, healthy, freshly prepared, karma-free, and Yoga-friendly (sattvic).” Visit the website, check out the menu for the day and make sure to place your order before 10 a.m. (All meals are $6.) Then pick which drop-off location is closest to you. At the specified time, a van will pull, a group of people will line up and a healthy vegetarian Indian meal will be handed over. I haven’t tried all of the dishes, but last time I got a flavorful batch of mutter paneer, vegetables in a coconut milk curry and a satisfyingly spongy gulab jamun (a fried ball of dough soaked in rose flavored syrup). iskconchicago.com/krishna-lunch

Smoque BBQ

It’s hard to believe that one of Chicago’s best barbecue joints has a Loop location, but that’s the magic of the Revival Food Hall. Not only that, but the shop is cooking the meat on site, which means the brisket ($9.45) is as tender and smoke-laden as at the original shop in Irving Park. The stall is not a secret, so be prepared for a line that snakes out into the middle of the food hall, 125 S. Clark St., 773-999-9411, revivalfoodhall.com

Beatrix Market

Because of its excessive girth and long cooking time, deep dish pizza is not a lunchtime staple in the Loop. Let’s face it, tackling most versions is a sit-down job. The great exception is the adorable individual-size deep dish pie at the Beatrix Market by the DePaul Loop campus. Featuring a remarkably thin base, top quality cheese and a shocking lack of grease, this is also a contender for best deep dish in the city. 23 E. Jackson Blvd., 312-583-0598, beatrixrestaurants.com/beatrix-market/depaul-loop

Gayle’s Best Ever Grilled Cheese

Gayle's has been a fixture for years in Chicago farmers markets, where you could grab a crispy grilled cheese sandwich made with white sourdough from Bennison's Bakery in Evanston, Prairie Pure Butterkase cheese from Belvidere and butter from Nordic Creamery in Westby, Wis. These exceptional ingredients fuse to make one gooey, irresistible sandwich. I especially love the Southport ($8), which adds a sweet smoked onion marmalade to the classic grilled cheese. Located in the pedway, Block 37, Level B1, 108 N. State St., 312-285-2202, gaylessandwichshopchicago.com.

Danke

Danke is the hidden gem in the Revival Food Hall and in serious contention for title of best sandwich-maker in all of downtown. I'm especially obsessed with the secret sandwich ($9.95). It starts with a fantastic baguette, which Danke bakes every morning at Revival. The dark brown and crusty loaf would taste good with a simple swipe of butter, but it seems purposely suited for this sandwich. Bite through the crackly crust, and you'll hit a luscious, creamy bed of duck liver mousse, pork belly and Swiss cheese. And just when you think it's all too intensely rich, a healthy dose of nose-clearing mustard helps cut through it all. According to co-owner Matt Sussman, this arguably crazy dish was devised by a hungry server, who dreamed up the combination for his staff meal. Revival Food Hall, 125 S. Clark St., 773-999-9411, revivalfoodhall.com.

Fontano’s Subs

As the Loop becomes crowded with healthy eateries peddling kale and brown rice, there’s something comforting about this stalwart continuing to sling oversize subs piled high with multiple kinds of meat and spicy giardiniera. Even in its new location on Michigan Avenue, you can score a Wise Guy ($6.75) with three kinds of cured Italian meats and an intensely salty slice of provolone. Oh, and watch out: The hot giardiniera attacks with force. 332 S. Michigan Ave., 312-663-3061, fontanosonmichigan.com

Pokeworks

After the success of Aloha Poke, the Loop became inundated with poke concepts, most of which are not worth mentioning. The best, by far, is this Los Angeles import, which stands out for its high-quality toppings and traditional ingredients, including ogo seaweed and Hawaiian salt. 79 E. Madison St., 312-868-0261, pokeworks.com

Naf Naf Grill

The Loop is stuffed to the breaking point with quick-service Mediterranean joints, the kind where you can get falafel or shawarma served with just enough vegetables to make you feel semi-good about lunch. Most are perfectly passable, if not altogether exciting. Naf Naf is the exception. The chicken shawarma is always juicy and intriguingly spiced, while the falafel balls stay crisp. Plus, the vegetable toppings are fresh, vibrantly colored and crunchy. Multiple locations, nafnafgrill.com

Blackwood BBQ

I like the pulled pork at Blackwood BBQ, but when the brisket is on, it’s some of the best in the city. That’s especially true if you ask for slices from the fatty end. Then each morsel of smoke-scented meat tastes as juicy and satisfying as rib-eye steak. 307 W. Lake St., 312-621-9663, blackwoodbbq.com

The Budlong Hot Chicken

This local chain of Nashville-style fried chicken almost always has a long line at Revival Food Hall, and it's easy to see why. The exterior of the chicken is crackly and genuinely spicy, while the interior stays juicy. Even the sides are top quality, including the intricately flavored collard greens. Revival Food Hall, 125 S. Clark St., 773-999-9411, revivalfoodhall.com

Max’s Take Out

Believe it or not, you can find a great Chicago-style hot dog in the Loop in 2018. Sure, most of the old-school hot dog joints have closed, and you're 20 times more likely to run into a Mediterranean concept serving falafel than a sausage served in a soft steamed bun, but all hope is not lost. Max's Take Out not only feels like stepping back in time to when a dill pickle counted as a serving of vegetables, but it also dishes out a flawless Chicago-style hot dog, complete with a snappy natural casing Vienna Beef hot dog. 20 E. Adams St., 312-553-0170, maxstakeoutchicago.com

Farmer’s Fridge

I’ll admit, it’s still super weird to buy salad from a vending machine, even ones as handsome as these brightly lit ones. But after trying a host of other salad-slinging operations downtown, I came to realize how nicely done these jars of vegetables really are. The quality of the produce is impeccable and the toppings nicely chosen. Multiple locations, farmersfridge.com

Shake Shack

The best quick-service burger in the Loop is this New York import, a fact that kind of pains me to say. But I need to give credit where it’s due: The beef is exceptionally well-seasoned and seared until nearly black on the griddle, giving it an unparalleled crust. 12 S. Michigan Ave., 312-646-6005, shakeshack.com

nkindelsperger@chicagotribune.com