Dining Out For Free in Chicago

Eating out in Chicago doesn't need to be expensive. There's many restaurants where you can eat on the cheap or even for free. In fact if you go to certain restaurants on the right day you can find yourself a deal. Here's a big list of restaurants that offer dining deals, happy hour, or buffets around Chicago.

Downtown

Brasserie Joe- Happy hour 5-7pm every Tuesday
59 W Hubbard St
Chicago, IL 60610

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The Buzz- Free buffet from 5-6pm with free salsa lessons from 6:30-7:30pm
308 W Erie St Bsmt
Chicago, IL 60610

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Golden Buddha Chinese Restaurant- Don't be put off by entering through a lobby of an office building as they offer free appetizers every Friday evening.

312 W Randolph St Chicago, IL 60606

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Mezito Latin Bistro and Wine Bar- Free tapas on Tuesday from 5-10pm

710 N Wells St,
Chicago, IL 60606

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Northside

Big Chicks- This popular GLBT spot in Uptown offers a free full Sunday brunch buffet from 3-4pm. Salad, pasta, sandwiches, and deserts are included.

5024 N Sheridan Rd,
Chicago, IL 60640

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Celtic Crown- Free pizza 5-8pm on Fridays

4301 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60618

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Franks'- Free food on St Patrick's Day and Fat Tuesday

2503 N Clark St
Chicago, IL 60614

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Full Shilling Pub- This Wrigleyville bar offers free food Fridays 5-7pm during Cubs games

3724 N Clark St,
Chicago, IL 60613

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Clybar- Free pizzas from 5-8pm on Fridays

2417 N Clybourn Ave,
Chicago, IL‎ 60614

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McGee's Tavern and Grille- Free pizza at Midnight on Fridays

950 W Webster Ave,
Chicago, IL 60614

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North End- This Lakeview sports bar has Sunday buffets during Bears season. GLBT

3733 N Halsted St
Chicago, IL 60613


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Sedgwicks- Free Friday buffet at 10:30pm Saturdays around midnight.
1935 N Sedgwick St
Chicago, IL 60614


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West Side

Cleo's- You can get your late night free food fix with free appetizers Saturday 11-1:00 am at this Ukrainian Village spot

1935 W Chicago Ave
Chicago, IL 60622


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The Map Room
1949 N Hoyne Ave
(between Homer St & Armitage Ave)
Chicago, IL 60647


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International night, 2 drink minimum strictly enforced on Tuesday night. Local from around the world chefs gather at this Bucktown spot to cook ethnic dishes from their country.

Free samples around town

Fox and Obel- Offers free samples of food everyday, free wine samplings Thursday and Friday evenings from 5-8pm and Saturday afternoon from 2-5pm

Godiva Chocolates- Free samples on weekend (double check website to see upcoming offers)

Trader Joes- Free samples offered everyday

Whole Foods- Samples offered weekend afternoons

Meson Sabika Review

Quick Review: Went all the way out to Naperville to Meson Sabika today for diner (in rush hour traffic on 294) for some Tapas and had a reasonable meal when we finally got there.

Long Review: After seeing Mason Sabika on Cheak Please we decided to go and check it out for ourselves and also to enjoy the springtime weather outside Spanish style in la sol (which was quickly receding below the horizon)

We arrived and ordered some cold tapas to start out. They were pretty good, the bacon wrapped prunes. They were good but after a few the sauce seemed too sweet and some water was needed to dilute the taste.

We moved onto the hot tapas and I ordered the lamb chops with cous cous. It was good not the best lamb I've had, the cous cous was good and was large grain which absorbed the sauce well.

We moved onto deserts and I had Tarimsu. It was alright for the price. All in all I had high expectations for Meson Sabika since I heard so many great things about but it didn't quite live to expectations. Maybe it was the phenomenal meal we had at Trattoria Trullo but I was expecting more. It's still a nice restaurant with good quality tapas for the suburbs.

Overall rating: 4 out of 5 stars.