Best Date Food's #1 Chicago Restaurant Week Lunch Pick

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We are doubling down on our number one selection for Chicago Restaurant Week (CRW) lunch menus! You might say that we called our shot, because we picked this one ahead of time and it absolutely lived up to the hype today! The restaurant we think you should visit before CRW ends is Yardbird in River North!

The Yardbird lunch menu is only available Monday-Friday, which means that next week is your last chance to try it (February 6 - 10). For $25, you can get a three-course lunch with some fantastic options! We ate their for lunch today and it was fantastic, plus it saves you a bunch of money! Read til the end to learn more about the cost savings.

Let’s get the important part out of the way, if you like Chicken & Waffles this is the CRW menu for you! If not, you should pass on it. With that being said the Chicken & Waffles at Yardbird are delicious yet pricey, that’s why this is the perfect time to try them! While we fully expected the CRW Chicken & Waffles to be a smaller portion than usual, it turns out that it isn’t actually that much smaller. The waffle is the same size, and the amount of chicken you get is only slightly less. Neither of us could actually finish it!

For the appetizer options, you have three great choices: Deviled Eggs, Fried Green Tomato BLTs and Iceberg Wedge Salad. We went with the Fried Green Tomatoes and the Wedge Salad. We shared them both and they were fantastic! The Buttermilk Ranch on this salad is insane. Get it if you are a big ranch person!

If you are someone who likes deviled eggs, they are good here as well. Just like the Fried Green Tomatoes, you get two Deviled Eggs as part of the CRW menu compared to the normal three you would get on the standard menu. These Deviled Eggs are unique though and easy to split on a date. Whether it’s these or the other two options, share whatever you decide with your date to turn this three-course lunch into a four-course meal!

Last but not least, save room for dessert! The two options are Fried Oreos and Key Lime Pie! Two good options at small portion sizes. That’s okay though because by the time that you get to dessert, you are likely a little full already. We again enjoyed both of these. If you have to choose one, go with the Fried Oreos. While in actually it’s one Fried Oreo, it also comes with a yummy scoop of Cookies and Cream ice cream!

Lunch for the two of us came out to about $65 after tax and tip, which sounds expensive until you consider the value you are getting. This entire meal makes the most sense from a cost perspective if you both get the Chicken & Waffles, as the dish typically costs $42 (or $55 with tax and tip). This means that you are essentially getting two CRW appetizers, two CRW Chicken & Waffles and two desserts for only $10 more than what you would pay for the Chicken & Waffles on the normal menu! If you have been wanting to try it, now is the time!

While it might be tough to schedule a nice sit-down lunch during the week, if you can make it happen, we think it is a great way to try out one of Chicago's most stunning new restaurants. Make reservations or walk in if it’s not too busy! We were in and out of there in exactly one hour, so it doesn’t necessary need to be a long meal!

Find Yardbird Table & Bar in River North at 530 N Wabash Ave in Chicago