This is an update of a post I made in 2023. Note that this is completely unofficial; it’s just me and my overblown opinions. Also, your opinions may be different from mine. I don’t care. Get your own blog!

Midwest FurFest used to publish a 20-30 page booklet of listings and reviews of local restaurants, but unfortunately when you have to print 5,000+ copies of anything (let alone a 20-30 page booklet) costs start to get prohibitive, and with the availability of Yelp and similar sites we had to make the difficult decision to discontinue the Restaurant Guide.

That said, I’m happy to offer a (completely biased, occasionally snarky) overview of restaurants in and around the Stephens Convention Center, though I will leave it to the reader to find exact locations on Google Maps.

Inside the Hyatt Regency O’Hare

First off, an important note: The Hyatt Regency O’Hare is officially cashless, meaning that all food and beverage outlets only accept credit or debit cards for payment. I have some rather strong thoughts about the socioeconomic impact of any vendor going cashless, but surprisingly they did not solicit my opinion before they made their decision. Anyway, the food options:

• O’H Restaurant (or whatever they’re calling it these days): a buffet restaurant serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food ranges from OK to pretty good, which is a disappointment because I know they Hyatt can do a lot better. Note that the food served in the Hyatt’s restaurants is prepared by separate staffs and kitchens than the food served at functions like the Sponsor Brunch or Shiny Sponsor Receptions. Those are made by the Banquets department, and their food is pretty damn stellar!
• Red Bar: Bar/restaurant open late afternoons and evenings with has a small food selection available as well. The prices are also not cheap, and the service can be regrettably slow. It sure is convenient, though! (Be sure to check out the special cocktails they offer for Midwest FurFest. A portion of the proceeds will go to Midwest FurFest’s amazing charity, MCP Rescue & Outreach!)
• Perks, the coffee shop/gift shop. They have a selection of grab-and-go sandwiches and salads. Personally, I’ve lived off their salads for lunches during the con and they’re not bad.
• Then there’s the food truck. We have made our opinion clear that the one (and only one) truck they have had in previous years was neither very good nor very fast, and they sold out quickly. Anyway, stay tuned to MFF’s social media for more info on that.

The Hyatt will set up larger food service stands (drinks, sides, burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs) on the Entry Level that are on the expensive side but terribly convenient.

In the Stephens Convention Center

• Expoteria: Rumor has it that this restaurant is sometimes open. I can only assume it is between 2:30 AM and 2:45 AM on alternate Tuesdays or something because it’s been years since this has been open during Midwest FurFest.
• Starbucks: In the ground floor lobby of the convention center. Pretty much your standard Starbucks, and the prices are surprisingly not inflated for the location.
• Aramark, which is responsible for food service in the convention center, welcomes numerous vendors in the convention center lobby and in the Dealers Den (which is in Hall F on the ground floor this year). Offerings from vendors in the past have included poke bowls, tacos, and mini-bundt cakes. Expect to see some new vendors scattered around this year.
• Aramark also has concession stands in the exhibit halls. Expect drinks, sides, burgers, chicken sandwiches, and hot dogs that are on the expensive side but terribly convenient. The food is provided by Aramark which supplies many school cafeterias. I’m sure the similarity between the food quality is purely coincidental. Aramark also sets up a food stand on the second floor in the North Ballroom complex with similar offerings.
• Bist-Rose: This is a cafe in the lobby of the Stephens Convention Center. Expect $13-15 sandwiches and salads and $10 beers. This is the same preprepared food you would buy in Perks across the street in the Hyatt, only they microwave it for you!

In the Parkway Bank Park Entertainment District

• Saltwater Coastal Grill: They have abandoned their “Carolina seashore” vibe that probably didn’t work because we’re in Illinois, duh. Instead, they now bill themselves as “a Mediterranean restaurant serving small plates – bringing flavors from the world’s coasts to one table.” I haven’t tried their new menu but it looks pretty good. They also have a sushi sub-restaurant with a surprisingly good menu but holy hell, $25 for a sushi roll is pretty ridiculous. They take reservations on their website.
• King’s Dining & Entertainment: Bowling and restaurant. The place is loud, though fun with a group of friends out for drinks.
• Adobe Gila’s: Mexican-ish. Not recommended. Carrying on a fine tradition of hating on this place for twelve years now!
• Sugar Factory: Ridiculously overpriced tourist crap (think $19 burgers)
• Bub City: BBQ. Haven’t tried but reviews aren’t terrible. Takes reservations on their website.
• Fat Rosie’s: Somewhat elevated Mexican food with an over-reliance on giant margarita. I wasn’t blown away by the food the one time I went but their menu is big enough that there’s sure to be some winners there.
• Fogo de Chao: Brazilian steakhouse. “The Meat Faucet”, you know the drill. Put on your buffet pants and fast the day before to get your money’s worth. Takes reservations on their website.
• Crust Brewing: Craft beer and pizza place. The beer isn’t bad, nor is the pizza. Think Rock Bottom/RAM Brewing levels of beer quality. Could be fun with a group of friends.
• Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar: This is the sort of thing you would like if you like this sort of thing. (Come to think of it, I say the same thing about some of my friends’ more adult social media posts. Anyway…)
• Pete’s Tiki Tiki: It’s a bar. It serves tiki drinks. Does that make it a tiki bar? I have strong reservations. Shares a building with the piano bar and you can walk between them. FFS, if you want tiki, please go to Hala Kahiki instead (see below)
• Verilife Dispensary: Handy if it’s a novelty for you, but keep in mind that Illinois is the second-most expensive state for cannabis in the US, and also that the TSA frowns on bringing cannabis products when traveling by air.

Also Nearby

A short ride away on the Green-C shuttle route or the Rosemont Entertainment Circulator (or a 10-minute walk south on River Road) is the Fashion Outlets of Chicago (fancy name aside, it’s just a mall). The food court and other restaurants have some decent options that are quite affordable. A 15-minute walk north on River Road brings you to McDonald’s and also Giordano’s Pizza, one of the Holy Trio of Chicago deep-dish pizza restaurants. A little further brings you to Stan’s Donuts and Big Chicken, just behind Giordano’s. Both aren’t bad but definitely on the pricey side. Next to them is Small Cheval, an offshoot of downtown Chicago’s Au Cheval (reputedly home to one of Chicago’s best burgers). It offers an entire menu ranging from hamburgers and fried chicken to…hamburgers and fried chicken. Really, that’s about it. Let me know if you’ve tried it!

A little further walk (or a short Uber/Lyft/whatever trip) south on River Road, two blocks south of the Loews Chicago O’Hare, is Short Fuse Brewing Company I’ve found their beer to be pretty good and the food is decent as well.

Finally, a few miles south on River Road is Hala Kahiki Tiki Bar and Lounge. This is a shockingly legit retro tiki bar that has no business being tucked away in a Chicago suburb, but there it is. They have a huge menu, and the drink prices aren’t outrageous. You’ll want to eat before you go though. The food options there are pretty scarce, though the root vegetable chips are pretty tasty. Check out their special Christmas tiki menu, too!

Other good things to know: The Rosemont Entertainment Circulator is a free shuttle that runs nonstop all weekend and even late into the night. It stops at the CTA Blue Line station, at the front of the convention center, in the Parkway Bank Park, and at the Fashion Outlets Chicago.

Finally, Grubhub, UberEats, DoorDash, and other food delivery services are alive and well in Rosemont. Don’t be shy about using them to order as well!