Chicago Restaurant Guide
Chicago Restaurant Specials
Chicago has 170 restaurants offering Restaurant.com gift certificates right now, covering the city proper plus suburbs like Evanston, Oak Park, and Des Plaines. The certificates work the standard Restaurant.com way: you pay $5–$100 up front for a $10–$200 certificate to use against your tab, and the restaurant credits the full face value when you visit. Most Chicago tiers price at roughly half off, with 107 of the 170 restaurants offering more than one tier so you can scale the cert to a quick lunch, a date-night dinner, or a group outing. Every certificate on this page is currently active in Restaurant.com's feed and tracks back to ActiveDiner via our affiliate link.
Chicago's Restaurant.com inventory reflects the city's neighborhood-by-neighborhood culinary identity. American is the largest category at 42 restaurants, followed by Mexican at 24 — no surprise for a city where taquerias anchor every other block on the Southwest Side. Pizza accounts for 19 listings (both Chicago-style and thin-crust), while Mediterranean and Italian tie at 6 each. The inventory also includes less-common cuisines that show up when a diverse metro area meets the R.com network: Central Asian (Uzbek-style plov and shashlik), Indian, Ethiopian, and pan-Asian fusion. Certificate tiers run from a $10 cert for $5 up to a $200 cert for $100. The bulk of the inventory sits in the $20-for-$10 and $50-for-$25 ranges — practical for a weeknight dinner for two without planning ahead. If you're looking for downtown fine dining, this isn't where to find it; the strength of this list is neighborhood spots where a half-off certificate meaningfully changes the math on an ordinary Tuesday dinner.
Editor's Picks
A few standouts from this list, hand-picked for the angles where Chicago's Restaurant.com inventory is genuinely strong.
Tatas Tacos
Reviewers consistently call out the house-made tortillas — one wrote they were 'the best I've ever had' — and the inventive taco combinations. The Freda taco and garlic shrimp get repeat mentions. Two certificate tiers ($45 and $75 face value) make it workable for both a casual taco run and a fuller dinner spread.
View dealRaj Darbar
A Halsted Street staple with three certificate tiers from $20 to $50 face value. Reviewers praise the lamb korma and beef samosas specifically, noting 'good quality and quantity for the price.' The multi-tier flexibility means you can match the certificate to your appetite — a $10 solo lunch or a $25 dinner with apps and mains.
View dealNicks Pizza & Beef On Madison
An Oak Park neighborhood spot with consistently positive reviews — 'food is always tasty,' 'portions are very generous,' 'wide menu and everything is good.' Two tiers ($20 and $50) let you scale from a quick pizza pickup to a full family dinner. Not a deep-dish showpiece, but exactly the kind of reliable local place where a half-off cert makes the most sense.
View deal
3950 N Harlem Ave, Chicago
(773) 625-0000
1429 E Hyde Park Blvd, Chicago
(773) 363-2043
2829 N Milwaukee, Chicago
(773) 227-1688
4131 N. Rockwall St, Chicago
(800) 676-4923
436 E 79th St, Chicago
(773) 487-2900
LATEST REVIEW
8103 S Cottage Grove Ave, Chicago
(773) 627-0042
330 E 75th St, Chicago
(872) 244-7397
5047 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago
(773) 878-8494
3224 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago
(773) 961-8414
5695 North Lincoln Avenue, Chicago
(872) 208-5599
4461 W Lawrence Ave, Chicago
(773) 685-6040
5233 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
(708) 667-0887
5804 South Western Avenue, Chicago
(773) 776-7450
4047 W. North Ave, Chicago
(773) 489-9610
4606 West Diversey Avenue , Chicago
(773) 545-7272
1363 W Wilson Ave, Chicago
(773) 271-4010
5532 West Belmont, Chicago
(773) 282-5335
3234 North Pulaski Road, Chicago
(773) 736-5646
4367 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
(773) 304-3000
6075 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago
(773) 227-1688
3311 West Fullerton Avenue, Chicago
(773) 292-5040
2262 W Devon Ave, Chicago
(773) 856-3327
5701 N California Ave, Chicago
(773) 961-7794
2660 North Halsted St., Chicago
(773) 348-1010
2703 N Halsted St, Chicago
(773) 935-4200
730 West Diversey Parkway, Chicago
(773) 248-2882
2187 N Clybourn Ave, Chicago
(773) 472-2800
2835 N Broadway, Chicago
(312) 792-0016
2346 West Fullerton Avenue, Chicago
(773) 227-5993
3649 W Division St, Chicago
(773) 299-2564
3107 N Broadway St, Chicago
(773) 477-0300
Restaurants may come and go, but Angelina's has been around for over 20 years which should give you a little clue as to the delights that lie inside. Many restaurants don't open their doors until the early evening, but at Angelina's you can enjoy an incredible Champagne Sunday brunch, a tasty lunch ...
3561 N Broadway St., Chicago
(773) 935-5933
LATEST REVIEW
730 W Diversey Pkwy., Chicago
(773) 248-2882
161 N Clark St suite 140 / Lobby, Chicago
(773) 836-2824
803 W Randolph St, Chicago
(312) 226-3110
1240 W Randolph St, Chicago
(312) 666-9555
1245 N Clybourn Ave., Chicago
(312) 944-1245
401 E Illinois St Ste 310, Chicago
(877) 299-7783
600 E Grand (Navy Pier), Chicago
(877) 299-7783
600 E. Grand (Navy Pier), Chicago
(866) 305-2469
600 East Grand Ave, Chicago
(866) 211-3804
1438 W Chicago Ave, Chicago
(312) 265-1488
2703 W Cermak Rd, Chicago
(773) 376-7833
710 North Rush Street, Chicago
(312) 944-7100
1821 W Irving Park, Chicago
(773) 327-7088
2701 N Halsted Street, Chicago
(773) 832-9999
Since 1976, Beggars Pizza has been a Chicago tradition, offering the finest in the traditional Chicago Deep Dish pizzas as well as some of the best thin and stuff crust pizzas with a plethora of toppings to choose from. With many locations in the Chicago area, Beggars Pizza offers a full menu for th...
5133 S Cicero Ave, Chicago
(773) 735-7000
3231 N Clark St, Chicago
(773) 248-1622
Frequently Asked Questions
How do Restaurant.com gift certificates work?
You purchase the certificate online at a discount (typically 50% off the face value), receive it instantly by email, and redeem it during your meal at the participating restaurant. The restaurant credits the full face value against your bill, and you cover the rest plus tax and tip on the original (pre-discount) total.
Are Restaurant.com certificates valid at all times, or only certain hours?
Each restaurant sets its own restrictions, which are listed on the certificate before purchase. Common limits include a minimum spend (e.g. a $25 certificate requires a $50+ pre-tax tab), one certificate per visit, blackout dates around major holidays, and dine-in only (no takeout). Always read the fine print before buying.
Can I combine a Restaurant.com certificate with other promotions?
Usually no. Most Restaurant.com certificates explicitly exclude use with other coupons, happy-hour pricing, prix-fixe menus, or restaurant-week deals. If a restaurant offers a discount weeknight menu, you typically can't stack the certificate on top of it. The certificate page shows the current restrictions for each Chicago restaurant before checkout.
What happens if a Chicago restaurant closes after I buy a certificate?
Restaurant.com's standard policy lets you swap an unused certificate for one of equal value at any other participating restaurant, or hold it as account credit. Chicago currently has 170 participating restaurants on Restaurant.com, so finding an alternative is straightforward. Tax-and-tip portions still apply at the new venue.
Are Restaurant.com certificates refundable?
Restaurant.com offers a refund or exchange within a stated window from purchase (currently 90 days for unused certificates, subject to their terms). After that window the certificate is non-refundable but typically remains usable indefinitely at participating restaurants. Check the terms on each certificate before purchase for the most current refund policy.
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