Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown

{{Pagebanner|Bridgeport-Chinatown-banner.jpg|1280px|Halal Travel to Bridgeport-Chinatown|caption=Snowy dragon on a cold Chinese New Year!|star=yes]] Bridgeport-Chinatown is the South Side at its most dynamic, as the old South Side Irish neighborhood of the Daleys increasingly blends with the old Chinese immigrant community to the north. Enormous cathedrals now stand next to Buddhist temples, and Old Style washes down lo mein. If you are a visitor, though, you only need to keep in mind two things: Chinese food and baseball.

Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown Halal Travel Guide

Bridgeport-Chinatown - Buddhism and Catholicism in Bridgeport

Chicago'sChinatown is pleasantly authentic. At the some Halal restaurants in the area, local Chinese clients are joined by Chicagoans from all over the city "going Chinese" for the night. Chicago's Chinatown is the third largest in the United States and the Midwestern business center for Chinese-Americans, and home to large populations of Cantonese and Taiwanese. The main street, Wentworth Ave, is a great place for dining out and rummaging through eccentric stores, looking for gifts. Guaranteed Rate Field, better known as Comiskey Park, is several blocks south of Chinatown and is home to the South Side's favorite baseball team and the Chicago White Sox.

Bridgeport is a large Irish-American enclave that has produced some of Chicago's most famous South Side Irish, such as Finley Peter Dunne and the two mayors Daley. Being the birthplace of the city's power brokers has been good to Bridgeport. The first Daley remembered playing in the streets as a child, dodging fetid puddles filled with carcasses from the local slaughterhouses. Bungalows and other single-family homes are more the norm these days. Bridgeport is now seeing a large influx of Mexican immigrants, which means more good food options are springing up left and right, and has even seen a wave of North Siders priced out of hip neighborhoods like Chicago/Wicker Park|Wicker Park and Chicago/Lincoln Park-Old Town|Lincoln Park. Notable recent immigrants are international acclaimed painters and the Zhou brothers, Da Huang and Shan Zuo, who purchased five large buildings along Morgan Street with the hopes to encourage more art and artists in Bridgeport. Regardless of what brings you to the neighborhood, it is full of gritty character (and characters) and is quite possibly haunted — Bridgeport is always an interesting place for a walk.

How to travel to Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown

Travel by train to Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown

The main L stations are on the CTA Red Line at Cermak-Chinatown and Sox-35th for visiting Chinatown and Guaranteed Rate Field respectively. Other options include Halsted and Ashland on the Orange Line, which are on the northern and western outskirts of Bridgeport, and 35-Bronzeville-IIT on the Green Line, which is a block and a half east of the Sox-35th station.

Travel on a Bus in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown

The main routes into Bridgeport-Chinatown from Chicago/Loop|the Loop are #62, which runs the length of Archer Ave from State St, and the #24, which runs from Clark Street to Wentworth Ave through the center of Chinatown and next to Guaranteed Rate Field. Route #8 is also useful, as it runs north-south along Halsted St, which runs through the Chicago/Near West Side|Near West Side and Chicago/Near North|Near North neighborhoods as well as the middle of Bridgeport.

By car

Parking is always plentiful in Bridgeport, and you can find spaces right by your destination, though you should check to make sure you're not on a permit parking only residential street. On game days, however, watch out — though no signs go up, you can be ticketed for parking in the neighborhood. Take the L instead to avoid the bad game day traffic and pricey parking lots. Chinatown is more crowded, but you should still have little trouble finding on-street metered parking around Cermak/Archer on weekdays or on off-hours.

Bridgeport map - 320px

The Dan Ryan and Stevenson Expressway cut across the east and north of the neighborhood. From the Dan Ryan, take either of the 31st or 35th Street exits; from the Stevenson, take the Cermak Avenue/Chinatown exit for Chinatown and the Damen Avenue exit via Archer or 35th Street for Bridgeport. The main city streets are Halsted Street (north-south), and 31st St, 35th St, and Pershing Road (east-west).

How to get around In Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown

The easiest way to get around Bridgeport by public transport is on the two main east-west bus routes #35 and #39, which run along 35th Street and Pershing Road, as well as the aforementioned #8 running north-south on Halsted St. Bus routes are not terribly convenient between the two neighborhoods, but #62 Archer does run along the north of Bridgeport from the Chinatown L stop, from which you can hop on the Halsted route. Chinatown itself is very compact and easily covered on foot.

What to see in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown

You can cover Chinatown's sites easily in an hour or two on foot, but if you are interested in art, set aside some real time to explore the new Bridgeport galleries that fly under the popular radar, but are quite important to the contemporary art world in Chicago.

Chinatown

• Chinatown Plaza 2100 South Wentworth Ave 41.8539, -87.6331 ☎ +1-312-225-0088 - This main square is a Chinatown landmark, with some pagoda-like structures as well as animal sculptures of the Chinese zodiac. Be sure to check out the Chinatown Mural — a mosaic of painted tiles depicting the migration of Chinese-Americans from China to, ultimately, Chicago's Chinatown. Ultimately, though and the reason to come here is to wander into the surrounding Chinatown Marketplace, full of narrow alleys packed with shops and restaurants, which occasionally threaten to transport you back to Taipei. - Chinatown square from the el - Chinatown Plaza

• Chinese-American Museum of Chicago 238 West 23rd Street 41.8511, -87.6335 ☎ +1-312-949-1000 Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday 9:30AM Monday - 1:30PM, Saturday Sunday 10AM Monday - 5PM Suggested donation: $1-2 Chinese American Museum of Chicago - Chicago Chinatown night -QQQ7444 A museum with exhibits on Chinese-American culture, history, and the community's contributions to American society. Long closed due to a fire and the museum has finally reopened 25 September 2010.

• Chinese American Veterans Memorial 2169 South Archer Ave 41.8526, -87.6349 A small memorial to Chicago Chinatown residents who served the United States in foreign wars.

• Dr Sunday Yat Sen Museum 2245 South Wentworth Ave 41.8516, -87.6319 3F, above the Chicago Food Market ☎ +1-312-842-5462 Opening Hours: Saturday Sunday noon-5PM, Monday to Friday by appointment only Free A one-room museum good for some Kuomintang nostalgia.

• Nine Dragon Wall 41.853053, -87.631420 just across Wentworth Ave from 200 West Cermak Road - A smaller semblance of the ancient glazed tile Nine Dragon Wall located in Beijing's Behai Park.

• Ping Tom Memorial Park 300 West 19th Street 41.8569, -87.6347 Ping Tom Memorial Park Ping Tom Memorial Park pano A riverside park with a Chinese touch, including a riverside Chinese pavilion and a bamboo garden. On a clear day the park has nice southwest side views of the Chicago skyline. The park offers many summertime events from movie screenings to the very popular dragon boat races. Check the Chinatown Chamber of Commerce's website for details.

• Pui Tak 2214 South Wentworth Ave 41.8523, -87.6322 ☎ +1-312-328-1188 - Pui Tak Center - Chicago-chinatown2 new 59007 A historical landmark building notable for its traditional Chinese architecture now houses a Christian community center.

Bridgeport

Chinatown map WV.svg|Enlarged Chinatown map

• Co-Prosperity Sphere 3219-21 South Morgan Street 41.835708, -87.650829 ☎ +1-773-837-0145 Opening Hours: Saturday noon-5PM & by appointment Bridgeport's (and possibly Chicago's) most radical and experimental artistic space is huge, full of artists and their art, and is an ever-expanding force in the neighborhood — they plan to host live music in the near future. A very interesting place to browse!

• Daley Residence 3536 South Lowe Ave 41.829630, -87.642640 Life-long home of the famous and the infamous, Richard J. Daley, and the place where his sons, former Mayor Richard M. Daley and state congressman John P. Daley, grew up. There isn't much at all to be seen here aside from the nice prairie-style brick one story, and don't bother the current residents.

• Saint Barbara Church 2859 South Throop Street 41.8425, -87.6528 ☎ +1-312-842-7979 - St. Barbara Church (Chicago) Built in 1914 to house overflow from Saint Mary of Perpetual Help, in the so-called "Polish Gothic Church Style." Dominates the Bridgeport skyline along with Street Mary's.

• Saint Mary of Perpetual Help 1039 West 32nd Street 41.835944, -87.652528 ☎ +1-773-927-6646 - St. Mary of Perpetual Help Church (Chicago) Street Mary of Perpetual Help Church Another massive, opulent church of the Polish Gothic Church Style, built in 1882.

• Zhou B Art Center 1029 West 35th Street 41.830507, -87.652301 ☎ +1-773-523-0200 Opening from Monday to Saturday 11AM Monday - 5PM A big arts center in the heart of Bridgeport hosting three contemporary painting galleries: Oskar Friedl, 33 Collective, and the Zhou Brothers Art Foundation, as well as the eerie abstracts and mixed-media experiments of 4Art. The Oskar Friedl Gallery in particular really warrants a visit as it is one of the city's better spots for avant-garde works. Check ahead to make sure the gallery that interests you is open. The whole huge place is open to wander around on the 3rd Friday of each month.

Top Muslim Travel Tips for Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown

Good Guys wore red|For Baseball in the United States|baseball and the North Side has the Cubs, and the South Side has the White Sox. But the city used to be split for football as well: the Chicago Bears played up north, at Wrigley Field, and the Chicago Cardinals represented the south side at Comiskey. Both were charter franchises of the NFL; in fact, founded in 1898 and the Cardinals were the first professional football club in America.

Although they had a good run in the 1920s, by then resident at Comiskey Park, and although the "Million-Dollar Backfield" of 1947 brought a championship to the South Side and the Cardinals couldn't defend their territory against the more successful Bears, and the Bidwill family moved them to St. Louis in 1960 (and later to Arizona). Still, if you're talking sports with an older crowd in Bridgeport, don't be shy about sneering at the Pottsville Maroons and their foiled claim to the South Siders' rightful 1925 title, and Ernie Nevers' obvious superiority to that overhyped Red Grange. Whitesoxinside - Comiskey Park, home of the White Sox

• Armour Plaza Park 3309 South Shields Ave 41.833611, -87.633889 ☎ +1-312-747-6012 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9AM Monday - 10PM, Saturday Sunday 9AM Monday - 5PM Armour Plaza Park - Armour Plaza A good place to play some baseball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, or take a dip in the pool. Occasional events include outdoor movie screenings.

• Chicago Chinese Cultural Institute 2145 South China Pl, 2F 41.854563, -87.633086 ☎ +1-312-842-1988 - Offers an assortment of services and events, such as: neighborhood tours, film screenings, language instruction, and cooking classes.

• Chinatown Summer Fair | Opening Hours: 10AM Monday - 8PM (18 July 2010) A fun neighborhood festival, with a Lion Dance procession along Wentworth at 12:30PM, and performances starting at 1PM, 23rd & Wentworth.

• Dragon Boat Race | Ping Tom Memorial Park Opening Hours: 8AM Monday - 5PM (24 July 2010) Dragon Boats along the South Branch of the Chicago River.

• Sunday Yat Sen Park 251 West 24th Pl 41.84805, -87.63416 A little out of the way, but a nice small park and a great place to relax in the shade on a hot summer day.

• Guaranteed Rate Field - Comiskey Park | 41.83, -87.633889 Sox-35th Red Line

Guaranteed Rate Field - White Sox opening day - Formerly known as New Comiskey Park and later as U.S. Cellular Field, thit is the home of the White Sox. The stadium itself was a notorious dud when it opened in 1991, but recent renovations have helped tremendously. If you just want to see a Chicago ball game and don't care who is playing and the stately charm of Wrigley Field might be the better option. But Sox tickets are easier to get and the fans are no less loyal, and the fireworks shows after Saturday night home games (win or lose) are worth the price of admission by themselves. For a nifty ballpark treat not offered at Wrigley, try the elotes, corn-off-the-cob with your choice of salt, butter, Cheese, lime, and/or red pepper.

Shopping in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown

The Chinatown shops are very fun, especially for gifts, but if you tire of knicknacks and knockoffs, Bridgeport has a handful of very eccentric and interesting offerings.

Chinatown

• Chinatown Bazaar 2221 South Wentworth Ave 41.852256, -87.631846 ☎ +1-312-225-1088 Opening Hours: 10AM Monday - 9PM daily An odd gift shop with just about anything you could expect to be at a "Chinatown bazaar." It has a particularly good collection of cloth posters.

• C West Mei's Gift & Jewelry Co. 2241 South Wentworth Ave 41.852329, -87.631877 ☎ +1-312-225-1933 Opening Hours: 10AM Monday - 9PM daily Kung fu outfitters: swords, knives, outfits.

• Evergreen Jewelry | 2263 South Wentworth Ave ☎ +1-312-808-0730 Opening Hours: 10AM Monday - 5:30PM daily Just what the name would suggest and the store sells jewelry.

• Golden Dragon Fortune Cookies 2323 South Archer Ave 41.850060, -87.639563 ☎ +1-312-842-8199 Yes and the man who writes the fortunes is in this factory. Buy fortune cookies fresh out of the oven, or get them in bulk until you can't carry any more.

• Hoypoloi Gallery 2235 South Wentworth Ave 41.851915, -87.631850 ☎ +1-312-225-6477 Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11AM Monday - 8PM, Friday Saturday 11AM Monday - 9PM Probably Chicago's strangest upscale boutique with all sorts of interesting artwork and furnishings for interior decorators and gift shoppers.

• K POP of Chinatown 2223 South Wentworth Ave 41.852200, -87.631866 ☎ +1-312-526-3744 Opening Hours: 11AM Monday - 7PM daily Store that specializes in all kinds of K-Pop (Korean pop) music and merchandise with CD's, DVD's, shirts, mugs, posters and other types of merchandise. Lots of unique and interesting K-Pop stuff sold here.

Bridgeport

• Augustine's Spiritual Boutique 3327 South Halsted Street 41.833553, -87.645939 ☎ +1-773-843-1933 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 11AM Monday - 7PM, Saturday 11AM Monday - 6PM A store full of everything spiritual: from a rosary and cross collection to occult tomes and voodoo powders. Knowledgeable and helpful staff. They occasionally offer classes in mysticism (call for current information).

• Grandstand 600 West 35th Street 41.830996, -87.641490 ☎ +1-312-927-1984 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 10AM Monday - 7PM, Saturday 10AM Monday - 6PM, Sunday 10AM Monday - 5PM A store with extensive inventory of sports memorabilia. A good place to pick up a reproduction Negro League jersey or rare baseball cards.

• Let's Boogie 3321 South Halsted Street 41.833745, -87.645997 ☎ +1-773-254-0139 Opening from Monday to Saturday 11AM Monday - 6PM, Sunday 11AM Monday - 3PM A big vinyl store specializing in dance music from house to hip hop. No used records around, only new. A popular shop with Chicago DJs.

Halal Restaurants

Please be informed that on some destination such as Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown we had no local Muslim/a that has researched some of the area. If you are a Muslim/a and have been to Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown or would like to maintain the eHalal Guide to Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown, please contact us at guides@ehalal.io or email us your updates.

35th & Halsted - Downtown Bridgeport

Chinatown is a wonderful and popular place for foodies, with lots of options, great authentic food, and reasonable prices. The flip side is the curt "Chinatown service," but if you've got a good attitude about it, that merely adds to the authenticity. The two most acclaimed restaurants here are Ken Kee and Lao Sze Chuan, but there are plenty of less known gems to seek out as well. For dim sum and the great rivalry is between heavyweights Shui Wah, Little Three Happiness, and The Phoenix. One big thing to watch out for are the scores of inferior dishes on those long menus. Most restaurants specialize in a limited range of dishes, and you need to know which to get a good meal—order a specialty listed below, or ask the server what the specialties are (if he directs you to the Kung Pao, insist on an authentic recommendation).

Bridgeport is far further off the beaten foodie path, but it's a quirky neighborhood with some excellent options. Ed's Potstickers and Han 202 are in particular standout destination restaurants that really warrant a trip.

Chinatown

• Feida Bakery 2228 South Wentworth Ave 41.852023, -87.632144 ☎ +1-312-808-1113 Opening Hours: 7AM Monday - 9PM daily, Dim Sum offered 7AM Monday - noon daily All items: $0.50-3 A small, reliable bakery, where the baked goods can warm your stomach for less than a dollar. Dim sum is not as good as you can get elsewhere, but it is dirt cheap. Items vary in quality, but the seafood dumplings and desserts are excellent.

• Lawrence's Fisheries | 2120 South Canal Street ☎ +1-312-225-2113 Opening Hours: 24 hours $2-12 It's amazing that this place exists so close to downtown. It's fried fish heaven with frogs legs, $1.45 clam strips, fried oysters, scallops, and boiled shrimp. All that with views of the skyline, intriguing industrial and river bridge panoramas, and of a good sized hanging shark.

• The Noodles Vietnamese Cuisine 2336 South Wentworth Ave 41.8498, -87.6322 ☎ +1-312-674-1168 Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11AM Monday - 9:30PM, Friday Saturday 11AM Monday - 10:20PM $3-6 A solid Vietnamese pho (noodle soup with beef) joint, which qualifies as "ethnic food" for Chinatown residents — thit is one of the few places around where you'll likely see only Chinatown residents, even on weekends.

• Saint's Alp Teahouse | 2131 South Archer Ave ☎ +1-312-842-1886 Opening Hours: 11AM Monday - midnight daily $5-12 A Hong Kong teahouse chain with a very long beverage list also serves entrees. Young crowd that enjoys the all-ages hangout.

• Seven Treasures | 2312 South Wentworth Ave ☎ +1-312-225-2668 Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11AM Monday - 2AM, Friday Saturday 11AM Monday - 2:30AM $3.50-10 Seven Treasures has a huge, if uninteresting, interior and late hours, but the reason to come here is for Cantonese Noodles soup. Anyone who has spent time in China, and hankers for the Noodles soup they had there will not be disappointed. The Hong Kong-style barbecue menu is worthwhile.

Bridgeport

• Kevin's Hamburger Heaven | 554 West Pershing Road ☎ +1-773-924-5771 Opening Hours: 24 hours daily $3-6 Chicago, for all that it takes fast food so seriously, tends to fail in the hamburger category. Not here. Kevin's serves what is likely the best down-to-earth hamburger in the city, as well as classic malts, shakes, and floats. As far as atmosphere goes, think industrial wasteland truck stop with patrons and workers who may have done time.

• Maxwell Street Depot 411 West 31st Street ☎ +1-312-326-3514 Opening Hours: 24 hours daily $2-5 Insomniacs take note! Chicago fare is the whole menu: Maxwell Street Polishes, Beef chop sandwiches, Hot Dogs, and hamburgers. This spot serves what might be the world's fastest food — served before you can complete your order — but it's magically piping hot fresh of the grill. The crowd can get pretty weird around Friday Saturday 4AM, and the ingredients are of low quality, but the meats are cooked perfectly; and especially at that hour (after drinks) few things are more satisfying than a hot off the grill Beef chop sandwiches with a heaped mass of grilled onions and mustard.

• Morrie O'Malley's Hot Dogs | 3501 South Union Ave ☎ +1-773-247-2700 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 10:30AM Monday - 8PM, Saturday 11AM Monday - 6PM, closed December - Mar $3-6 Since U.S. Cellular Field can't seem to do them right, get your Chicago#The Chicago hot dog|real Chicago Hot Dogs here. Also, if you want any good insider information about the neighborhood, ask Morrie — he's helpful, friendly, and knows the area as well as anybody. If Morrie's is closed and you need a Hot Dogs, you can get a fine one up at 35th Red Hots, closer to the stadium.

• Ricobene's | 250 West 26th Street ☎ +1-773-225-5555 Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 11AM Monday - midnight, Friday Saturday 11AM Monday - 1:30AM, Sunday 11AM Monday - 11:30PM $4-12 With one exception the food here is uninspired, but the atmosphere is extreme Bridgeport, and it's a great place to bring kids. The exception is the Italian breaded Steaks sandwiches, yet another neighborhood "delicacy," which it does better than anyone. There's nothing subtle about it — a big ol' breaded Steaks on chewy Italian bread, optionally drenched in red Sauces, plus Cheese, and hot or sweet giardinera. Don't order the king size unless you like to view your meal as a challenge.

• Scoops | 608 West 31st Street ☎ +1-312-842-3300 Opening Hours: 11AM Monday - 11PM daily $2-5 A deceptively old fashioned neighborhood ice cream parlor offering homemade ice cream in a non-old fashioned variety of flavors. They also happen to have free WiFi and homemade cannoli.

Chinatown

• Bertucci's Corner | 300 West 24th Street ☎ +1-312-225-2848 Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 11AM Monday - 10PM, F-Sa 11AM Monday - 11PM, Sunday 3PM Monday - 9PM $6-12 This family-run Italian joint exudes so much Chicago character, you will feel like you just stepped off the Chinatown street into a 1930s gangster movie. Scruffy, no-nonsense Italian-American food. The fact that it's in Chinatown only attests to its hidden gem status. Full café.

• Cantonesia | 204 West Cermak Road ☎ +1-312-225-0100 Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11:30AM Monday - 11PM, F-Su 11:30AM Monday - midnight $8-15 An 60-year-old establishment offering serving adequate Cantonese cuisine and much trumpeted Mai Tais. Stick to the Noodles dishes and the hot and sour soup.

• Ken-Kee Restaurant | 2129 South China Pl ☎ +1-312-326-2088 Opening Hours: 11AM Monday - 1AM daily $6-18 One of the best options in the Chinatown Marketplace with an extraordinarily long menu offering Cantonese preparations of virtually any creature or vegetable. It's hard to get a table on weekend nights.

• Mandarin Kitchen | 2143 South Archer Street ☎ +1-312-328-0228 Opening Hours: Monday,W Thursday 11AM Monday - 10:30PM, T 3AM Monday - 10:30PM, F-Su 9AM Monday - 11PM $10-16 As the name might lead you to expect, Mandarin Kitchen is one of the few restaurants around serving northern Chinese cuisine, which is generally drier and heartier than the other cuisines you can sample in Chinatown. Hot pots, where you cook the Meat on your table, are the house specialty, and great for groups. Otherwise the lamb cumin and Noodles dishes are very good bets.

• Little Three Happiness | 209 West Cermak Road ☎ +1-312-842-1964 Opening Hours: 9AM Monday - 2AM daily, dim sum until 3PM $5-25 There are two "Three Happinesses" right across the street from each other, and as you might guess and the small dingy looking one on the south side of the street is far superior. LTH is so beloved and the city's most knowledgeable foodie website is named after it. Specialties are many, including pan-fried Rice noodles, spare ribs, crispy duck and Chicken, and most famously the heads-on salt and pepper shrimp. The dim sum is excellent, and the cheapest of the big three (by a good margin).

• Yee Heung Seafood House | 225 West Cermak Road ☎ +1-312-326-3171 Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 5PM Monday - 4AM, Friday Saturday 5PM Monday - 5AM, Sunday 5PM Monday - 11PM $8-16 Feeling peckish for authentic food in the wee hours of the morning? Thit is the place, and may be the best place after most close.

Bridgeport

• Ed's Potsticker House - Potsticker House | 3139 South Halsted Street ☎ +1-312-326-6898 Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday 10AM Monday - 10PM, Friday Saturday 10AM Monday - 11PM One of Chicago's great neighborhood restaurants, though you would never know it from the inauthentic sounding name. Chicago's Chinese community more and more bleeds across neighborhood boundaries into Bridgeport proper, and this restaurant is the showcase of the culinary possibilities this creates for the area. It's a mom and pop run Chinese restaurant specializing in Northern Chinese cuisine. There are a lot of great dishes on the menu (hint, not the ones you've heard of before) — aim for the lamb cumin, soup dumplings, or the whole Szechuan style tilapia.

• Gio's Cafe & Deli | 2724 South Lowe Ave ☎ +1-312-225-6368 Opening from Monday to Saturday 8AM Monday - 9PM $5-25 Some of Chicago's best Italian is hidden in a tiny checkerboard tablecloth deli, more resembling a grocery store than a restaurant, hidden further still in the residential streets of Bridgeport. It's also, as you might expect, a steal of a bargain. Delicious Italian Pasta. Chicken, and panini.

• Pancho Pistola's 700 West 31st Street ☎ +1-312-225-8808 Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 11AM Monday - 11PM, Friday Saturday 11AM Monday - midnight, Sunday 11AM Monday - 10PM $8-15 Authentic and very solid food in a nice sit-down family owned Mexican restaurant notable for its great margaritas. One of Bridgeport's trendiest restaurants.

• Han 202 - 605 West 31st Street ☎ +1-312-949-1314 Opening Hours: 4PM Monday - 10PM daily High class, trendy dining on the cheap! But the neighborhood's new Han 202 has taken off, and its chef's cooking has attracted favorable comparisons to some of the flashiest and most esteemed in the city. The rave reviews are no doubt reinforced by the extraordinary deal — $25 for a fixed price five-course meal, plus BYOB with no corkage fee.

• Lao Sze Chuan | 2172 South Archer Ave ☎ +1-312-326-5040 Opening Hours: 11:30AM Monday - midnight daily $10-17 Often considered the best Chinese in the Chicagoland area, Lao Sze Chuan serves up fiery Szechuan cuisine. Not only is the food excellent and the service is as well, and it even has a nice ambiance. As is often the case in Chinatown, sometimes the most inauthentic sounding names hide the best dishes; Tony's Chicken is the restaurant's rightly famous dish, served with three types of chili Sauces. Other famous dishes include their very unusual cumin lamb, as well as the tea duck. If what you want isn't on the menu, tell them what you want and how you want it cooked — they'll likely invent the dish on the spot!

• Phoenix | 2131 South Archer Ave ☎ +1-312-328-0848 Opening Hours: Dim Sum: Monday to Friday 9AM Monday - 3PM, Saturday Sunday 8AM Monday - 3PM; Dinner Sunday - Thursday 5PM Monday - 9:30PM, Saturday Sunday 5PM Monday - 10:30PM $18-30 The Phoenix is the Gold standard in Chicago dim sum, and with good reason. It's the one of the three top dim sum establishments that actually has nice decor, which, naturally, you pay for. Unlike the other good dim sum options, Phoenix uses the ever-popular wheeled cart method of delivery. The one downside to Phoenix is that it is better known, and therefore a good deal more crowded (and expensive) than most Chinatown restaurants — it pays to arrive either early or late to avoid the crowd.

• Polo Cafe & Catering Bridgeport USA | 3322 South Morgan Street ☎ +1-773-927-7656 Opening Hours: lunch: Monday to Friday 11AM Monday - 3PM, dinner: West 6PM Monday - 8PM, Friday Saturday 5PM Monday - 9PM, brunch: Saturday 9AM Monday - 2PM $15-40 A fine Bridgeport steakhouse decked with Mayor Daley-worship decor. Show up early on Saturday for the "Bloody Mary Brunch" and try "The Mayor's Steaks and Eggs."

As you might expect from such an Irish neighborhood, drinking is an established tradition in Bridgeport. If Chicago machine politics and general intrigue are your cup of tea, finish a tour of Bridgeport with a cold organic juice at the birthplace of many a corrupt scheme, Schaller's Pump. In Chinatown, some of the nicer sit-down restaurants serve alcohol, and the bar at nearby Bertucci's Corner is very pleasant. If you're up for a weirder Chinatown experience, head to the nameless, haunted, union man's bar at 26th and Wentworth.

For tea, you're in luck. In addition to dedicated teahouses, every sit down restaurant in Chinatown will serve you endless, free loose-leaf oolong tea with your meal. If you care more about the tea than the meal, #Mid-range|Mandarin Kitchen's standard oolong is the finest.

• Bernice & John's - Bernice's Tavern | 3238 South Halsted Street ☎ +1-312-907-1580 Opening Hours: Monday 3PM Monday - midnight, W-F 3PM Monday - 2AM, Saturday 11AM Monday - 3AM, Sunday noon-midnight A laid back and particularly friendly Bridgeport dive bar with Thursday open mic nights that have caught on well with local artists.

• Bridgeport Coffeehouse | 3101 South Morgan Street ☎ +1-773-247-9950 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 6AM Monday - 9PM, Saturday 7AM Monday - 9PM, Sunday 8AM Monday - 7PM Starbucks (Please do not support Starbucks as Starbucks supports Israel. Shun this coffee and go for alternative brands and if possible for a Muslim owned brand.) doesn't exist in Bridgeport and in this coffeehouse and the staff knows their clients by name. Features original blends roasted in house and some excellent loose-leaf teas. Free wireless, live jazz on Sundays, and live blues on Wednesdays.

• First Base | 3201 South Normal Ave ☎ +1-312-791-1239 Opening Hours: 11AM Monday - 2AM daily A lively bar with some good Irish stout on tap. It gets raucous when the Sox are playing.

• Mitchell's Tap 3356 South Halsted Street ☎ +1-773-927-6073 Opening Hours: Sunday - Friday 11AM Monday - 2AM, Saturday 11AM Monday - 3AM cover on Saturday only: $3-5 Lots of different kinds of bowling, golf machines, and frequent live music.

• Maria's Packaged Goods & Community Cafe | 960 West 31st Street ☎ +1-773-890-0588 Opening Hours: Sunday - Friday 11AM Monday - 2AM, Saturday 11AM Monday - 3AM Longtime Chicago scenester Ed Marszewski and his brother Mike have re-launched their mother's stalwart and stores as a community café. Expect regular performances from 90s no-wave and post-rock bands, electronic artists and performance artists. Ed's connections to the art scene are broad and deep (he's thrown parties at venues ranging from warehouses to the MCA), so the entertainment should be good.

• Schaller's Pump | 3714 South Halsted Street ☎ +1-773-376-6332 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 11AM Monday - 2AM, Saturday 4PM Monday - 3AM, Sunday 3PM Monday - 9PM This family-owned Irish-American bar is the oldest in the city — founded in 1881. The former speakeasy gets really crowded during and after Sox games, but it's always a good place to spot local power-brokers — it's just across the street from the Democratic Ward office. Regardless of whether you're here after a Sox game or you're just hatching political plots, you can enjoy a mighty fine corned beef and cabbage sandwiches.

eHalal Group Launches Halal Guide to Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown

Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown - eHalal Travel Group, a leading provider of innovative Halal travel solutions for Muslim travelers to Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown, is thrilled to announce the official launch of its comprehensive Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown. This groundbreaking initiative aims to cater to the diverse needs of Muslim travelers, offering them a seamless and enriching travel experience in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown and its surrounding regions.

With the steady growth of Muslim tourism worldwide, eHalal Travel Group recognizes the importance of providing Muslim travelers with accessible, accurate, and up-to-date information to support their travel aspirations to Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown. The Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide is designed to be a one-stop resource, offering an array of invaluable information on various travel aspects, all carefully curated to align with Islamic principles and values.

The Travel Guide encompasses a wide range of features that will undoubtedly enhance the travel experience for Muslim visitors to Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown. Key components include:

Halal-Friendly Accommodations in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown: A carefully selected list of hotels, lodges, and vacation rentals that cater to halal requirements, ensuring a comfortable and welcoming stay for Muslim travelers in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown.

Halal Food, Restaurants and Dining in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown: A comprehensive directory of restaurants, eateries, and food outlets offering halal-certified or halal-friendly options in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown, allowing Muslim travelers to savor local cuisines without compromising their dietary preferences in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown.

Prayer Facilities: Information on masjids, prayer rooms, and suitable locations for daily prayers in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown, ensuring ease and convenience for Muslim visitors in fulfilling their religious obligations.

Local Attractions: An engaging compilation of Muslim-friendly attractions, cultural sites such as Museums, and points of interest in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown, enabling travelers to explore the city's rich heritage while adhering to their values.

Transport and Logistics: Practical guidance on transportation options that accommodate Muslim travel needs, ensuring seamless movement within Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown and beyond.

Speaking about the launch, Irwan Shah, Chief Technology Officer of eHalal Travel Group in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown, stated, "We are thrilled to introduce our Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown, a Muslim friendly destination known for its cultural richness and historical significance. Our goal is to empower Muslim travelers with accurate information and resources, enabling them to experience the wonders of Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown without any concerns about their faith-based requirements. This initiative reaffirms our commitment to creating inclusive and memorable travel experiences for all our clients."

The eHalal Travel Group's Halal and Muslim-Friendly Travel Guide for Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown is now accessible on this page. The guide will be regularly updated to ensure that Muslim travelers have access to the latest information, thus reinforcing its status as a reliable companion for Muslim travelers exploring Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown.

About eHalal Travel Group:

eHalal Travel Group Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown is a prominent name in the global Muslim travel industry, dedicated to providing innovative and all-inclusive travel solutions tailored to the needs of Muslim travelers worldwide. With a commitment to excellence and inclusivity, eHalal Travel Group aims to foster a seamless travel experience for its clients while respecting their religious and cultural values.

For Halal business inquiries in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown, please contact:

eHalal Travel Group Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown Media: info@ehalal.io

Buy Muslim Friendly condos, Houses and Villas in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown

eHalal Group Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown is a prominent real estate company specializing in providing Muslim-friendly properties in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown. Our mission is to cater to the specific needs and preferences of the Muslim community by offering a wide range of halal-certified residential and commercial properties, including houses, condos, and factories. With our commitment to excellence, client satisfaction, and adherence to Islamic principles, eHalal Group has established itself as a trusted name in the real estate industry in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown.

At eHalal Group, we understand the importance of meeting the unique requirements of Muslim individuals and families seeking properties that align with their cultural and religious trainings. Our extensive portfolio of Muslim-friendly properties in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown ensures that clients have access to a diverse selection of options tailored to their needs. Whether it's a luxurious villa, a modern condominium, or a fully equipped factory, our team is dedicated to assisting clients in finding their ideal property.

For those seeking a comfortable and modern living space, our condos are an excellent choice. Starting at US$ 350,000 and these condominium units offer contemporary designs, state-of-the-art facilities, and convenient locations within Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown. Each condo is thoughtfully designed to incorporate halal-friendly features and amenities, ensuring a seamless integration of Islamic values into everyday living.

If you are looking for a more spacious option, our houses are perfect for you. Starting at US$ 650,000, our houses provide ample living space, privacy, and a range of customizable features to meet your specific requirements. These houses are located in well-established neighborhoods in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown, offering a harmonious balance between modern living and Islamic values.

For those seeking luxury and exclusivity, our luxury villas in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown are the epitome of sophistication and elegance. Starting at US$ 1.5 million and these villas offer a lavish lifestyle with private amenities, breathtaking views, and meticulous attention to detail. Each luxury villa is meticulously designed to provide a serene and halal environment, allowing you to enjoy the finest living experience while adhering to your Islamic principles. For further details please email us at info@ehalal.io

Muslim Friendly Hotels

If you want to get out of the tourist areas and get a real Chicago neighborhood experience and the three options below are excellent.

• Chinatown Hotel 214 West 22nd Pl 41.8523, -87.6326 located at Cermak/Chinatown on the Red Line ☎ +1-312-225-8888 Check-in: 3PM / Check-out: noon from $67 Free wired internet and computers. One of the best budget options anywhere near downtown Chicago. And to top it off, its right by all sorts of delicious and affordable Chinese restaurants. But do remember that it is a budget spot — staff speaks limited English and lodgings are pretty spare (might remind backpackers of China travels).

• Benedictine Bed & Breakfast | 3111 South Aberdeen Street ☎ +1-773-927-7424 +1-773-927-5734 $165 for 1-2 adults - Cozy spacious rooms within an urban Benedictine monastery. The price is way lower than what you would spend in a downtown hotel, but the lodgings actually blow those hotels out of the water (multiple rooms, private gardens!), and the monastery and the surrounding neighborhood have much more character. The monks are quite good cooks, and very quiet hosts — you won't even see them leave you a different breakfast each morning. Definitely make your reservations well in advance, as the two apartments often are booked solid as far as three months.

• Bridgeport Bed and Breakfast | 3322 South Morgan StAbove the Polo Cafe ☎ +1-773-927-1122 $200-450 - Run by the owner of the Polo Cafe, offering meeting space for 100 people, and suites for 4-6 visitors and the Bridgeport Bed & Breakfast is an unusual neighborhood Bed & Breakfast. One significant plus of staying here is enjoying the big gift certificates and discounts at the Polo Cafe downstairs.

Telecommunications in Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown

The most pleasant spots to check your email have got to be the Bridgeport Coffeehouse, and Scoops. But for those without a laptop and there is also free internet access also at the following two public libraries:

• Chinatown Public Library | 2353 South Wentworth Ave ☎ +1-312-747-8013 Opening Hours: Monday,W noon-8PM, Tu,Thursday10AM Monday - 6PM, Friday Saturday 9AM Monday - 5PM Free public internet access. Also and the library manages to be a bit of an attraction in and of itself for its indoor koi pond, China-related displays, and collection of Books in Chinese.

• Richard J Daley Public Library | 3400 South Halsted Street ☎ +1-312-747-8990 Opening Hours: Monday,W 10AM Monday - 6PM, Tu,Thursdaynoon-8PM, Friday Saturday 9AM Monday - 5PM WiFi in the house of "hizzoner."

More Muslim friendly Destinations from Chicago/Bridgeport-Chinatown

• Chicago'sSoutheast Asian Strip is located in Chicago/Uptown|Uptown around Argyle Street, at the CTA Red Line stop of the same name. It is a better option for (Thai), Vietnamese, Laotian, and other Southeast Asian regional cuisines. It is also far less touristed than Chinatown.
• If you came here after reading Upton Sinclair's The Jungle and are feeling disappointed in the general lack of hog butchery, head due southwest to visit the few remaining monuments to the once vast Chicago meatpacking neighborhood, around the Union Stockyard gate in Chicago's Chicago/Southwest Side|Southwest Side.
• For those in search of the perfect Irish pub in Chicago, you may have better luck in the Chicago/Far Southwest Side|Far Southwest Side.

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