Do you ever get sick of the nearby restaurants you eat in? McDonalds, Qdoba, and Starbucks are great, but they don’t compare to these hidden gems of Chicago. Here are my top five hidden gems that you should visit if you ever take a trip to Chicago.

5. Brown Cow
On the outskirts of Chicago, there is a place located on 7347 Madison St, Forest Park, IL 60130. It’s an ice cream parlor designed to satisfy any hungry customer. Brown Cow feels like an old school ice cream parlor that is being run like a mom and pop shop and not fake-old-school, cooperate-mom-and-pop shop.

Remember when you were little and the ice cream truck would pull up on the block, and then came the biggest decision in your life? This is kind of like that moment. Their homemade ice cream ranges from vanilla to turtle temptation. If you want to know what that tastes like, check it out!

4. Sumo Restaurant (Sushirrito)
Sumo restaurant is home to the best sushi burrito I’ve ever had. Its food mash-up gives it the novelty factor it needs to stand out in the city. It offers two variations on the burrito: fresh salmon and spicy tuna. Both are prepared with the same accompaniments—cucumber, crab salad, crab sticks, tempura sweet potato and special sauce. The ingredients are padded with rice and encased in seaweed and rice paper. Each roll is then wrapped in foil and cut on a diagonal right down the middle to create two palm-size pieces. This is a must go if you ever want a twist to your food.

3. Uno’s Pizza
Uno’s, as it’s commonly known, has been serving deep-dish pizzas since the style was invented there in 1943. While the company is now based in Boston, has expanded to more than 200. It is inexplicably getting close to unveiling a low-calorie, gluten-free deep-dish pizza.

Since Uno’s is known for its fame and location, it is generally flooded with tourists and it’s common for people to wait more than an hour or two to be seated. To speed the process along, they ask you to place your pizza order when you put your name down. That policy ensures that diners do not have to wait as long to eat once they sit down (deep-dish pizzas take more than 45 minutes to cook). It’s worth the wait!

2. Kuma’s Corner
Kuma’s offers 22 different burgers, 20 of which are named after heavy metal bands. The other two burgers are the eponymous Kuma Burger and a rotating, monthly special typically named after a popular, current news story.

The Kuma Burger features 10 ounces of coarsely ground beef—like every burger at Kuma’s—and is topped with cheddar cheese, bacon and a fried egg. Between the juice from the meat and the egg yolk, there seems to be danger of making an inedible mess after a couple of bites. But the pretzel roll on which every burger at Kuma’s is served is capable of absorbing an astounding amount of liquid. It’s the most mouth-watering burger I’ve ever tasted!

1. Hash House A Go Go
For platters that are $15, Hash House A Go Go can serve you one of the biggest meals you’ll ever eat in your life. This place is loaded with chicken and waffles, stuffed meatloaf, burgers, roasted butternut squash, seafood, potpie and pastas,pork tenderloin, and barbecued ribs. Just think of a pancake as big….if not bigger than your plate. The sides are drool worthy-I love their biscuits. In order to conquer such a great meal, come in hungry because one bite and you won’t want to stop!