The Best Restaurants For When You Need A Plan B

Flights get delayed, water mains break, bosses make you stay late. In other words, life doesn’t always go according to plan, and as a result, a table at your first-choice restaurant isn’t happening. Don’t panic—we made a list of the perfect, reasonably good Plan B spots for when your Plan A fails. And sure, just like how the “New Style Ninja Tortoises” knockoff toys aren’t quite the same as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles you really wanted as a kid, these alternatives share enough qualities with the ones you had your heart set on. Your night is saved.

THE SPOTS

Segnatore

For When You Wanted Monteverde

Monteverde is Chicago’s best Italian restaurant, and you’ll probably only be able to get a same-week reservation at 5pm on a Tuesday. If you end up staying late at the office to file those TPS reports (or you just don’t feel like going out for the early bird special), eat at Segnatore instead. It’s just a little north in Humboldt Park , has almost-as-good housemade pasta, and is never as busy. Plus, it has a charming candlelit space complete with mismatched chairs, vintage wallpaper, and a long wooden bar that’s begging to become someone’s forwarding address.

The Loyalist

For When You Wanted Au Cheval

Your friends from New York have their hearts set on Au Cheval—but it’s Saturday night, and unless they plan on sleeping there, it’s not gonna happen. Take them a few blocks away in the West Loop to The Loyalist. It’s a casual spot in the basement of Smyth , and just like Au Cheval, it’s dark and has big, comfy booths. It also serves the best burger in Chicago , with a patty made from a blend of chuck, short rib, and bacon. The quality of this cheeseburger and the seasonal cocktails is high enough that you should be thinking of The Loyalist as a destination in its own right—not just an Au Cheval back-up plan.

Sifr

For When You Wanted Galit

If you have friends visiting over the weekend, don’t be surprised if someone read about Galit, and is really looking forward to eating there. And while it’s possible to walk in, it’s not likely if you have more than two people. Thankfully your friend’s pita and hummus dreams don’t have to end there. Consider Sifr in River North . The Middle Eastern small plates are very good, and while the manakish isn’t quite as life-changing as the pita at Galit, you’ll probably still end up eating three orders of it before the night is over.

Robert’s Pizza & Dough Company

For When You Wanted Pizzeria Portofino

Pizzeria Portofino is a very beautiful and absurdly busy spot right on the river. If you’re strolling around downtown and think it looks like a promising option, there’s a good chance the host will tell you there’s a four-hour wait. You can decide to put your name in anyway and kill time taking an architectural boat tour (twice), or you can go a little further north and eat at Robert’s Pizza And Dough Company. It’s a pizza place on the Ogden Slip that also has a great view of the water. Order one of the specialty pies (we like the fennel and the sausage) and use all that extra time you would have spent waiting at Portofino doing laps inside Navy Pier .

Gilt Bar

For When You Wanted Bavette’s

Gilt Bar debuted the same year as the iPad, and since your first iPad has been gathering dust for a long time, it’s understandable if you’ve similarly forgotten what a great restaurant this is. When Bavette’s is booked (which is always), Gilt Bar is a fantastic substitute. It’s right next door, has the same speakeasy feel, and is owned by the same people—so you’ll even find a lot of the same dishes on the menu (like the tenderloin tartare). The best part is that it’s much easier to get into, and there’s a good chance you can get a table even if you just walk in.

Kayao

For When You Wanted Cabra

Your college friends are in town and staying at the Hoxton, and you booked a table weeks ago at Cabra, the Hoxton’s Peruvian rooftop restaurant. Or you thought you did...but never actually hit “confirm” to reserve. Before your group spirals out of control negotiating alternative options, head for Kayao—a buzzy spot in Old Town with River North energy. You won’t get city views, but you will get zippy ceviches, perfectly cooked seafood , and a smattering of Nikkei dishes to go along with delicious pisco sours and a clubby soundtrack.

Mako

For When You Wanted Kyoten Next Door

Chicago has several omakase -only spots, and Kyoten Next Door is the best. But it only has ten seats, which makes it very hard to get a reservation. The next closest nigiri-only alternative is Omakase Yume , but with an equally small counter you’ll be hard-pressed to snag a last-minute seat unless you’re dining solo. So if you need a Plan B special occasion omakase for more than one person, try your luck at Mako. Their dining room can fit 22 people, everything is thoughtfully prepared and delicious, and you’ll get over 20 courses—including small plates. All those extra seats mean that dinner here can take longer, but hey, you should have planned further ahead.

Ramen Wasabi

For When You Wanted Akahoshi Ramen

Akahoshi Ramen evolved from a hard-to-get-into pop-up into a full-fledged, hard-to-get-into Logan Square restaurant with the best ramen in Chicago . Reservations are booked five weeks out and instantly vanish, while a walk-in line forms 30 minutes before open. Head down the street to Ramen Wasabi instead. They spend 45 hours making their incredibly silky tonkotsu broth, which when accompanied by thick noodles, fatty pork belly, and an oozing soft-boiled egg, makes for one of the best tonkotsu ramens in the city.