{"id":287508,"date":"2025-10-08T21:24:20","date_gmt":"2025-10-08T21:24:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/287508\/"},"modified":"2025-10-08T21:24:20","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T21:24:20","slug":"where-to-eat-along-the-chicago-marathon-2025-route","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/287508\/","title":{"rendered":"Where to Eat Along the Chicago Marathon 2025 Route"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Chicago Marathon<\/a> is taking over the city this weekend as runners trek 26.2 miles across the north, west and south sides. For those cheering on the sidelines, there\u2019s a lot of time to pass between the brief waves you\u2019re able to exchange as runners pass by and when they pass the finish line. Whether you\u2019re craving a full meal, a quick bite or a mid-marathon pick-me-up, these restaurants and\u00a0bars along the Chicago Marathon route have you covered.<\/p>\n

RECOMMENDED:\u00a0The best Chicago bars\u2014your definitive guide to drinking<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Best for a\u00a0sit-down meal: Kindling Downtown Cookout & Cocktails
\n\"Kindling\"
\nPhotograph: Courtesy Kindling <\/p>\n

Kindling<\/a> is known for its live-fire cooking, courtesy of James Beard Award-winning chef Jonathon Sawyer. At mile 13, Kindling inside the Willis Tower is an ideal spot for having a sit-down meal. It\u2019s also right next to miles two and three, so you\u2019d be able to watch runners pass through mile three, head to Kindling, then catch runners entering the 13th mile as soon as you\u2019re done eating.<\/p>\n

Address:<\/strong> 202 S Franklin St, Chicago, IL 60606<\/p>\n

What to order: <\/strong>You can\u2019t go wrong with any of the wood-fired plates, but we recommend opting for a sandwich, like the Super Baja grilled chicken sandwich, served with Nueske bacon and salsa verde. Plus, if you\u2019re celebrating here after the marathon, a 20% discount will be offered to anyone who shows their medal or marathon ticket on Friday, Saturday and the following Monday.<\/p>\n

Expect to pay:<\/strong> $50-100 per person<\/p>\n

Best for brunch: R.J. Grunts
\n\"A
\nPhotograph: Courtesy of Lindsay Eberly <\/p>\n

A little farther north, R.J. Grunts<\/a> is located between miles five and six. This gives you enough time to enjoy brunch after runners make their way through Lincoln Park before spotting them on their way south at down Sedgwick Street at mile 10.<\/p>\n

Address:<\/strong> 2056 N Lincoln Park W, Chicago, IL 60614<\/p>\n

What to order:<\/strong> The breakfast burrito and pancake breakfast sandwich are always hits. You may enter a food coma shortly after, but at least you\u2019re not expected to run a marathon!<\/p>\n

Expect to pay:<\/strong> $20-30 per person<\/p>\n

Best for beer: Good Times Brewery + Kitchen<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for a palace to plop down and nurse a cold one during the marathon, head to Good Times<\/a>, which is conveniently situated where the course turns south down Broadway at mile 8. Even if you\u2019re just here to cheer on strangers, it\u2019s a lively spot to be parked on marathon day.<\/p>\n

Address: <\/strong>3827 N Broadway, Chicago, IL 60613<\/p>\n

What to order: <\/strong>Good Times\u2019 menu features a selection of Indian-American fusion items, like chicken tikka pizza and butter chicken sandwiches. Pair with one of the nine house craft beers, including the tart ORD Cherry Altbier and citrusy Woo! Woo! Witbier.<\/p>\n

Expect to pay: <\/strong>$20-30 per person<\/p>\n

Best for caffeine: Gathers Tea Bar
\n\"Mango
\nPhotograph: Courtesy GathersMango matcha latte, mango matcha cream and strawberry matcha cream from Gathers <\/p>\n

Cheering on runners isn\u2019t an easy job, so stop by Gathers Tea Bar<\/a> on Taylor Street at mile 18 for a dose of caffeine in the form of matcha, lattes, teas and more. Runners turn south down Loomis Street just two blocks away, so you\u2019ll have just enough time to grab a drink before they pass.<\/p>\n

Address: <\/strong>1214 W Taylor St, Chicago, IL 60607<\/p>\n

What to order:<\/strong> Gathers is known for its match. Multiple variations, such as strawberry, banana and ube, are on offer. The traditional and fruit teas are also worth a try.<\/p>\n

Expect to pay: <\/strong>$6-8 per person<\/p>\n

Best for a hearty meal: Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings
\n\"Baskets
\nPhotograph: Jaclyn Rivas for Time Out <\/p>\n

Runners will head east down Cermak Road before taking a right down Wentworth Ave in Chinatown. Although not directly along the marathon route, this turning point just before mile 21 is close enough to Qing Xiang Yuan Dumplings<\/a>, just a stone\u2019s throw away. Plus, the route heads north up Michigan Avenue, just three blocks away, so you\u2019d be heading toward the finish line anyway.<\/p>\n

Address:<\/strong> 2002 S Wentworth Ave #103, Chicago, IL 60616<\/p>\n

What to order: <\/strong>QXY serves some of the best dumplings in Chicago. We love the pork and cabbage, and Wagyu beef and onion dumplings, both pan-fried. The menu is extensive, so there\u2019s something for everyone.<\/p>\n

Expect to pay:<\/strong> $20-30 per person<\/p>\n

Best for a quick bite: Harold’s Chicken
\n\"harold's
\nPhotograph: Jaclyn Rivas for Time Out <\/p>\n

Harold\u2019s Chicken<\/a> is located at the point where runners finally turn north and make a dash for the finish line. If you\u2019re cheering on a runner, you\u2019re probably planning on joining them to indulge in celebratory carbs after the marathon, so a quick bit at Harold\u2019s Chicken near mile 23 will tide you over until then.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Address: <\/strong>124 E 35th St, Chicago, IL 60616<\/p>\n

What to order: <\/strong>You obviously have to order chicken here. The tenders and wings never disappoint\u2014just make sure to get enough of Harold\u2019s signature sauce for dunking!<\/p>\n

Expect to pay:<\/strong> $10-20 per person<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Chicago Marathon is taking over the city this weekend as runners trek 26.2 miles across the north,…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":287509,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5124],"tags":[10633,960,5386,1818,10634,988],"class_list":{"0":"post-287508","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-chicago","8":"tag-categories-restaurants","9":"tag-chicago","10":"tag-il","11":"tag-illinois","12":"tag-news-eating","13":"tag-restaurants"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/115340658038475126","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287508","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=287508"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287508\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/287509"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287508"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287508"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287508"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}