In the last segment, we looked at restaurants and food trucks around 57th Street. Part II heads up to 55th street to see what culinary goods it has to offer. I like to think of 55th Street as a little slice of the world because there are so many international cuisines! Middle Eastern, Mexican, and Korean— the list goes on. Check them out below!
Part II: On or near 55th
(55th Street is about a 7 to 10 minute northbound walk from the main quad, but all of these restaurants are easily accessible by the Central shuttle which leaves from the Reynold’s Club on the main quadrangle!)
The Nile: 1162 E 55th St
Middle Eastern fare located in right in the Midwest. Serving up falafel and shwarma, in addition to other favorites like baba ganoush and hummus.
Maravilla’s: 5506 S Lake Park Ave
When you don’t feel like heading to Pilsen, Maravilla’s serves up delicious Mexican dishes from tacos and tamales. Pro tip: head there for breakfast to get chilaquiles and huevos rancheros.
Bergstein’s NY Deli: 1164 E 55th Street
One of the things I immediately missed about home was the ubiquity of delis on every corner, where I could easily grab an egg and cheese on the go. Bergstein’s is a New York-style deli right in the middle of Hyde Park, here to satisfy your craving for hearty sandwiches like pastrami on rye and bagels with lox.
Thai 55: 1607 E 55th Street
The place to grab bubble tea after a delicious plate of Bangkok chicken when you don’t feel like trekking to Chinatown (which is easily accessible by public transportation!).
Pho 55: 1611 E 55th St
Serving up steaming hot bowls of delicious Vietnamese pho as well as other yummy dishes like garlic noodles and soft shell crab curry. It’s also super close to Thai 55, where you can get bubble tea for the road!
Kikuya: 1601 E 55th Street
You can grab traditional Japanese fare like tonkatsu and tempura dishes at Kikuya, in addition to endless varieties of sushi in case you ever want to take a quick trip halfway across the world.
Café Corea (Seoul Corea): 1603 E 55th Street
The cute little mom-and-pop restaurant satisfies your craving for pajeon, bibimbap, or any other Korean dish you can imagine.
The Snail: 1649 E 55th Street
With so much more than pad thai, The Snail will appeases your hunger for Thai cuisine: from basil chicken and chicken satay, to various Thai curries and so much more. They deliver too, so you can enjoy delicious Thai food from the comfort of your own bed.