4 of 5

Write now Article Tools

Eating out can cost a bundle of money these days, so a lot of diners want more than just good food for their buck. They also want to have fun! Luckily for Chicago locals and travelers, you have your choice of restaurants where the atmosphere itself is entertaining. Why spend your money on dinner and a movie when just the dinner will do? At any one of these five Chicago restaurants, you'll find quality food and lively fun in perfectly equal amounts.

#1) Ed Debevic's
640 N. Wells St.
312-664-1707

This throwback to the 1950s isn't just a place to eat. It's a place to experience, and Chicago locals love to take visitors here just to see their expressions when they first encounter the surly waitstaff. Why would you want to be waited on by a rude server? Because it's all part of the act. Ed's reproduces the hash-slinging, roadside diner experience in every way, right down to the gum-chewing, big-haired waitresses who just love to backtalk. You won't be able to help thinking that Flo (of TV's Alice) and the rest of the Mel's Diner staff might work here.

The food at Ed's is fun in itself, and this is definitely no place to watch your waistline. Chicken fried steak, patty melts, cheese fries, and all of their retro diner buddies make appearances on the menu. You can top them off with a classic root beer float or a slice of apple pie to rival Mom's. Beer and alcohol are served at Ed's, which just makes the atmosphere even more like a party (if the music didn't do it already). Frozen margaritas here are as big as milkshakes! Be sure and tip your waitress well, especially if she was extra mean, and pick up one of the "Eat & Get Out!" shirts to take home.

#2) Billy Goat Tavern
430 N. Michigan Ave.
312-222-1525

If fun is what you're after in a Chicago restaurant, could it possibly get any better than being in the middle of a Saturday Night Live sketch? If you remember John Belushi as a short-tempered grill cook, shouting "Cheezeborger, cheezeborger...No Coke...Pepsi," then the Billy Goat Tavern will seem eerily familiar to you. That's because the sketch was written by Don Novello (who also played Father Guido Sarducci) when he still worked as an ad copywriter in -you guessed it- Chicago.

The Billy Goat Tavern is slightly less no-frills than the Saturday Night Set, but it's still plenty dark and gritty. The counter lingo is exactly as it is in the famous skit, and the food is the same too. Prepare your arteries, because the centerpiece here is the cheeseburger, whether it's

• 1
• 2
• next page >>

Add your voice

Know something about Fun restaurants in Chicago?
We want to hear your view. Write now!