On a hot and steamy day, the hustle and bustle of the fair had a variety of excellent neighboring food vendors and shops ie jewelry and clothes. The smell of the various restaurants co-mingled into a pleasant melange of delicious scents prompting customers to take their time eating, drinking, and being merry on a lazy day. It was super crowded. Ice cold beer was a favorite of the attendees. The staff was friendly. read more

Taste of Randolph - Band area - Festivals Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

10/10/2024 My first time and they charged me $217 to showcase my artwork and I only had table . The first price was $300 and the communication could have being better and my first time in addition, I will NOT BE doing it again. I made half of my money back and my art piece's were priced low. The overall setup of the festival was nice and music read more

It was CRAZY hot when we came here but we bought our frozen bottles of water from home, and that helped. We got cash out before coming, as we had a bad experience with an ATM copy-card at Taste of River North. What's with the tomato juice/beer/beef jerky trend? I see those at every food fest now, it is just gross! There were LONG lines for food/drinks but samples (bai, kombucha) too, that was nice. My sister wanted to see Chicano Batman but ended up near the West Stage and seeing Allen Stone, who was a mentor on America Idol. He was awesome; there were empty chairs from departed vendors nearby. they should have more chairs available! read more

Taste of Randolph - Taste of Randolph, hot but cool!! - Festivals Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

It was a little drizzly when I went, which cut down on the crowds! No waiting on line for any of the food, though I do wish there were more food options. It was still a fun night out seeing some bands and checking out the vendors! read more

Taste of Randolph - Chicken and Farm Shop chicken sandwich - Festivals Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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wonderful festival except for the bars. several of us watched in amazement as their management literally refilled cases of empty liquor bottles with water and used them for drinks. not just wate, but from a hose in the dirty alley between dumpsters. If this is the unethical and unsanitary standards (and completely illegal) they follow, how could anyone choose to spend money on their food and beverages? It was also witnessed and overheard by many to just use less alcohol in their batched drink kegs. read more

Typically I'm not a fan of street festivals and its overpriced food and beverages, but luckily we scored some VIP tickets through a @chicagogrammers giveaway and let me say... we'll probably never have the same experience again at a street festival. The VIP area was hosted by Visit Denver (essentially a company promoting tourism in Denver), we had nice little fenced off area near one of the main stages with several bar top seats, round tables under cabanas, luxury portapotties (so clean and A/C'd), free sunglasses, free beer & wine from breweries & wineries in & around Denver, free snacks, and free food catered from BellyQ. All I can say is we we're spoiled. And I'd be down to check out Denver! Aside from the VIP area, the Taste of Randolph also featured... ~Two main stages with live music (awesome!) ~a DJ booth which was pretty bumpin' with loads of people dancin' ~Plenty of food and drink vendors (pricey) ~Plenty of vendors selling clothing, jewelry, memorabilia, etc. ~Free massages (yay) ~Free product samples (yay) Anyways, easily one of the best experiences I've had at a street festival solely because of the VIP amenities we scored. Without it, probably just another typical Chicago street festival. 'Til next time, cheers! 166/365 read more

Music was great. Food lines was crazy. Still had a chance to get a few bites but it was sooo hot . They should really do some air coolers in the street. Toilets of what I heard was a high level of disgust. Information counter was so unhelpful. Asking them where to get water was horrific. With that weather honestly water should be everywhere and they should try to keep people hydrated . Two information counter staff was taking it really lightly when we tried to look for water and they asked us to walk down two blocks to a water station: booth that was close ! If it was an emergency please don't talk to organizers or the info counter thing . They are more interested in selling "vip" tickets Pictures will have some of the food we had a chance to try I guess was just okay . read more

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Chicago 2012, I think this festival is one of the best by far. So go! I hit it up Saturday and am bummed that I left to meet people elsewhere and missed seeing Chris Robinson Brotherhood! All the more reason to check out the festival website before going. Oh.. so bummed, saw them recently in Northern Cal a few months back and it was a great show. What made it so good? Keep reading. First off lets remember that entrance fee, is a suggested donation. It's $10 but as another Yelper already mentioned (Sarah E.) you can donate $5, $7 etc and still make it in. It's downtown but good parking is not hard to come by. My buddy scored some free parking on Lake street. I got parking on Washington, where most meters are $1.75 per hour. Remember you can use parking meter stickers anywhere in the city, so if you know where a cheaper meter is... What made the festival good for me: 1) the flow of it. There are areas of Randolph street which are thin, meaning half of the street and a walkway shared by us, a grassy median and fest stands. In these areas there is a lot of people traffic moving in either direction and it can be overwhelming but keep heading West & stop often to pick up and enjoy a nice white Sangria for $6, pretty good. Then there are other areas where the path opens up to four way intersections and the full breadth of the street is open to llamas, people watchers and everyone else. There is much to see and the walk and smells should inspire your hunger. 2) There are many good food stands and most are affordable. Plus! No stupid ticket system. I don't mind tickets, its just annoying to stand in one line to buy them and then have to follow their pricing / ticketing system. There were quite a few food stands with offerings under $5 dollars. Tacos, pulled pork sliders, desserts and more. I spent less than fifteen dollars and was happy with my selections. 3) People watching. So this is where all the lovely ladies of Chicago are in their best of summer dresses and 3 - 5" heels. Let's not forget all the gentlemen in mostly summer pastels, half and quarter sleeved shirts and polo's and a number of good straw fedoras. I overheard some women talking about shoe shopping. Viewing what other women were wearing and hoping they might truthfully share where it was purchased. 4) The music. Peep the website or catch the detail in any of the other reviews. Two DJ booths with people dancing around or nearby the DJ's tables. One stage for all the band;, per their website it says 3 stages of great music to be heard. I had a great time. Exchanged some nice smiles and flirts. Enjoyed some good food as well. For the best of the food, it's wise to get there early. By about 6 or 7 pm, some vendors were running out of different entrees, sandwiches, etc Needless to say, I'm looking forward to next year. If it wasn't Fathers Day today, I'd be back for a third round. read more

Review # 39 out of 365 We bought VIP and it was a joke. We had to walk all over the park just to get a useless wrist band. Then found out the area designated for VIPs was super small and completely full. What a joke. Save your money and get in free. The lines were out of control for food. So we ate McDonalds. I think 1/2 the crowd was in there because it was cheap and air conditioned. Now to think of it, they could have really used those fans with water, more shade and a real thought to put in to keep people out of restaurants on the street. If they wanted it to be a "festival". If the whole reason to get people down there was to trick them into thinking it was a festival, but stores are down the street, I think they accomplished this. Randolph is an incredible street. Don't wait for a lame festival to go down there. Go now. read more

This is my favorite festival in Chicago! I had just planned on "stopping by" after work, but we ended up staying till the very end. It was packed tonight so I can't imagine what it will be like tomorrow. The prices for food are reasonable, the food selections are good (was eyeing that steak Shish kabob), and the music and crafts are exceptional. The DJ played really good music. No depressing music, but get up and dance music and his dancers did! I also like how the fest has two sides. One side is mainly food and the other side is mainly crafts vendor. (Make sure to check out the liquor designed candles). There are also 2 music stages. Similar to other fest the establishments are open for business. I highly recommend checking out Packing House (the old Market). We really enjoyed the beautiful view on the rooftop and the DJ music selections. Not to mention the food albeit pricy is delicious. I also have to mention don't feel forced to give the $10 donation. I plan on coming back probably Sat or Sun so I only have $5.00. All in all I had a great time and Taste of Randolph is an excellent way to start the summer :) read more

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You'll hear it from every Chicago native - summer is the best time to be in the city. And a lot of that is owed to great street festivals you can find throughout the city every weekend in summer. Now, not all of them are great. Some are straight up duds. But when you put a festival right by some of the best restaurants Chicago has to offer, you know you're in for something good. The biggest attraction to Taste of Randolph is the food, and while some of the heavy hitters in the area don't really do street fests, you do get some greats like Grange Hall with some juicy burgers and Belly Q serving up sweet korean bbq tacos. You also cannot miss out on Publican Qualiy Meats' sausags. For drinks, you can get some pretty good beer for decent prices. There are some negatives to the fest. It's a bit too popular for its own good, and at times can be a pain to traverse. I still don't know why they don't open both sides of Randolph for the entire fest instead of just half of it (though I hear coming on Sunday is a smart idea because of this very problem). Also the $10 donation cover charge puts it among the highest for fests. Also, the food choices don't seem to rotate much year-to-year, but it's great enough that it remains on my annual must visit list. Just make sure to work on your crowd navigation skills. read more

Cant wait to come back next year. Get here early so you wont have to wait long for food. Family friendly and lots of things to see. They did offer lots of shaded seating to eat your food or just to relax. I tried the forno pizza and sweet fried dough. Worth every penny. I also went to gourmet cone and had a chocolate banana. Not worth getting. Definitely worth checking out. read more

Taste of Randolph - From forno - Festivals Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I came here on Friday night and there was many a people walking through the various stalls. It felt like a bougie version of the Taste of Chicago. People were dressed up, ladies were wearing heels, people carried small dogs in their arms, etc. It was my first time attending, so I don't know if the restaurants offer the same food every year but I did like the offerings. We ordered a variety of things and while most were good, I did not like the mac and cheese from the restaurant that had the dirty burger. The grass fed burger from another restaurant was better. The mac and cheese tasted gritty and not very cheesy. The gyro was good. Way too much sauce but awesome portion. I would come again next year, but maybe earlier in the day to avoid crowds and to protect my toes. read more

I've gone two years in a row, and appreciate the presence of Strongbow at this fest. Though it's pricey, it's still nice to have alternative hard drink option to beer. The music has always been what brings me to the fest. Last year, I paid the full donation on all the days I went. This year I skipped the lines and just walked in. They don't seem to check purses or bags unless you want a wristband for alcohol. The music didn't sound great midday, but at night everything sounded wonderful. read more

Suggested donation is $10...it is not a mandatory admissions fee although the people in the front portray it like it is...don't be fooled or scared to ask! There are a lot of delicious food vendors so I would definitely check it out next year..come hungry! read more

Food was pricey but good ... DJ sucked ... too much pushing ... try harder next time Taste of Randolph! read more

Taste of Randolph - Festivals Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Very annoying. Cash only?? It's bloody 2022. Don't be so obvious with your tax evasion tactic and your desire to rip us all off with ATM transaction fees. And also, only 3 choices for beer?? I won't go next year. read more

Came here after work pretty late on Friday night with friends around 8:30. It was mobbed. Luckily I don't live too far away. The streets were packed full of awesome young drunk and swaying people with loaded drinks and beers in their hands not paying too much attention to their surroundings. Once you figure this out, you quickly become a Girl Scout and hand holding your friends to bum rush the crowd so you don't lose one another is key. Starving and realizing we only have a bit of time left before the show is over, we stop first at the Belly Q tent. We each got the two taco special for $7. Lemongrass Chicken taco with avocado and Asian slaw. Belly Swang Pork Taco with Asian slaw. Also, because I needed a little wake up... The Vietnamese Iced coffee. They were quick to keep the line moving and had some servers calling us over to the other side of the window area to keep us the process. We were served quickly and the tacos were hot and fresh and visually appealing. We scooted to the left side of the counter to enjoy our tacos, where the napkin station was. Wolfing down these tasty morsels, everything tasting fresh and the slaw crispy. The pork was super juicy, and the chicken was minced and very flavorful. No shorting us here, so overloaded and spilling out the sides, we request a fork, but receive a spoon. It's all they've got we're told. Okay. We move down towards Mad Social, and though the counter people were pleasant, we took a seat on the curb behind us (causing people not paying attention to trip over our feet). Yay.... We grab the paper tray covered in syrup (very messy), and proceed to use the plastic fork and knife to divulge. The waffle definitely seemed like an eggo or similar and not a fresh waffle. The chicken was over fried and very dry. Porkbelly ontop which was the only food that the knife cut through without an issue. It was hard to eat, and harder to swallow. I hate overlooked dry chicken. Luckily there are a few washing stations around to wash your paws after this mess. Stopped at Vivo heading back for a refreshing caprese salad. Very good, all ingredients very fresh and tasty. Lastly, Bar Siena, as the PIC is friends with the owners there and they delighted us with a taste of their balls. Huge line behind us, but these were tasty as per the usual. A bit spicy, but flavorful, and hot (temperature hot). Visually appealing as well. The manager was handing out free push pops of Bombobars pistachio and vanilla gelato to the standing people in line. Nice touch. Walking out we caught some really great tunes from Atlas Genius! read more

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Create your plan of attack, the website exists for a reason. There are too many places to try so pick your favorites before you go. It's probably best to plan it around your favorite bands as well. We wandered aimlessly and ordered too much at the initial stalls. Poor game plan. Each dish could set you back anywhere $4-$10. The best way to describe this is a huge farmers market. It's pretty awesome! Lots of great jeweler vendors too. Ooppsies! Stay away if you're claustrophobic! read more

It's long been a theory of mine that everything in life can be explained in (the band) Superchunk song and album titles. So in honor of their mind-blowingly good headlining set on Sunday night (their new stuff is as good as their old stuff) at the festival, I will now attempt to review Taste of Randolph Street using as much Superchunkanalia as possible... I was doing far too much "Indoor Living" recently and since I have no "Precision Auto," I knew the best thing to "Come Pick Me Up" was a festival in the city. I had tried Festa Pasta Vino the day before but it was boring to the point of making me "Too Sick To Move." In fact it was a "New Low." So rather than being a "Slack Motherfucker," I decided to try out Taste of Randolph. I'm glad I did since it pulled me off the "Trash Heap." I know I shouldn't "Act Surprised" but this festival is huge. "Without Blinking," I was in awe of its sheer scope. Stretching four blocks "Driveway To Driveway," there was a dining smorgasbord of all good things West Loop (almost a dozen restaurants spread out along the "Sidewalk" of Randolph mixed in with vendors). I'm not good at "Keeping Track" of everything I ate, but I have to say that the macaroni and cheese muffins from Market were "Flawless." The taste had me seeing "Animated Airplanes Over Germany" and "Certain Stars." No need to have a "Cast Iron" stomach to appreciate this food. In a "Sunshine State" because the water was only $2 and the food was right around $5 for large portions, I made my way to the stage. It wasn't a question of if I would make it there, "The Question Is How Fast." I was left only to say, "Yeah, It's Beautiful Here Too." The two stages consisted on both days of some of "The Popular Music" (national headliners) but I was there for only one reason - "Superchunk" (yeah, it's the title of their first album). "Every Single Instinct" told me the set would be awesome, and it was. The stage setup was such that the crowd was not packed in. I left with no "Nu Bruises" from being jostled. And the sound was mixed well enough to go over any crowd noise. Crowd noise which, for the record, leaves me "Throwing Things." Seriously, if you're going to stand by the stage at a festival, "Here's To Shutting Up" or at least talk "In A Stage Whisper." Though the crowd was really a "Late-Century Dream" who seemed to actually be there for the music (as opposed to some chad-and-trixie fests elsewhere). Also, one last thing that made this festival great - it must have been designed by "Smarter Hearts." They had separate men's and women's port-a-potties. So ladies, no worries about the men leaving "Tiny Bombs" on the seats. And, men, no lines "For Tension" when you really have to go and wait in line and no "Water Wings" floating around the stalls. Seriously, someone would have had to "Punch Me Harder" or there to be more "June Showers" to ruin this festival. At $10 suggested donation it was actually a bargain. I'm "Saving My Ticket" for next year's version for sure! read more

This year was worse than last. Fewer food and retail vendors. I remember the first time I went I saw a photographer selling really beautiful prints. This year, I was excited to try BellyQ but they only had three items on their menu. I didn't stay for the music, even though I came around 6pm on Friday (the event started at 5pm on Friday). A few bands weren't even playing. The lines for suggested donations were very long and inefficient too. I will pass next time and I've been going for four years. read more

How refreshing! A festival featuring bands, food, booze and booths other than the summer standards. Don't get me wrong, I love Sixteen Candles, Hairbanger's Ball, Too White Crew, hippie jewelry and tye dye sarongs, meat on a stick, sangria, and Miller Lite. But by late June I've had my fill and I'm looking for something a little different. Taste of Randolph featured two stages with a plethora of bands I had either never heard of, or have wanted to see but never had a chance (yayyy Tool cover band!!). The middle of the street was reserved for the festival, but the eastbound side of the road was very practically dedicated to tables and chairs for dining, restrooms of the portable persuasion and plain ol' breathing room. Magicians, local street artists, pet boutiques and daycare, clothing and jewelry packed one side of the fest and there was plenty to look at. I really loved the animal rescue booths like Mastiff rescue. They also had restaurants offering up their favorite foods and a huge semi with taps for five different beers, which meant short lines, and not out of the ordinary prices. They even offered free cups of Summer Shandy, yummmmmmy!! Loved this festival- important deets: + $10 suggested donation (we paid $5 with no problem) + Doesn't block any of the restaurants/shops along Randolph + 8 Halsted bus is the way to go + Great food and drinks + Actually somewhat kid-friendly read more

This was my first visit to Taste of Randolph. Unfortunately, my eating partner (the hubs) was stuck at work and I wasn't able to enjoy all of the food I wanted to. I did stop by the BellyQ tent & scored 2 bbq pork tacos with Asian slaw avocado and cilantro puree for $7. Not a bad deal at all if you ask me & the tacos were delicious! A little messy to eat while walking but definitely worth the mess. There were plenty of food and beer tents & many vendors selling various merchandise. Not a bad spot to be on a beautiful day. read more

Taste of Randolph ("TOR") is a fest that manages to be completely different each year. Well, sometimes change is good while other times it's not. First of all, if you ever decide to attend TOR I highly suggest you enter at the west end at Racine and Randolph to avoid the crush further to the east and, I would assume, at the east entrance. I've entered the fest at the west entrance for several years and have had no problem with crowds right at the gate. This year, TOR again did not use a ticket system for food and drink. The ticketing system usually screws things up and makes for longer lines and waits. Getting beer at the west end of the fest was no problem this year. If you ever go to TOR, I highly recommend simply standing at the west end of the fest in the open area to avoid what made this year's fest a gigantic headache. This year, TOR had all lanes of traffic on Randolph open to foot traffic. The problem was that they had fences up in the medians such that you couldn't get out of your two lanes of traffic, causing huge bottlenecks in the middle lanes. I felt like I was in the stockyards. In long stretches in those middle lanes, movement was extremely slow. It was uncomfortably crowded for my taste. This setup is simply not conducive to a street fest. Were the fences up so that people wouldn't trip over the median? I didn't see the point since the street itself had all kinds of holes (and potholes) whereby you could catch your foot or break your ankle. Randolph just doesn't work very well for a fest with this big of a crowd. As for the band this year, I caught a bit of Swervedriver. I know of Swervedriver (somewhat of a combination of My Bloody Valentine and Nirvana) from back in the day and actually like the song "Duel," but everyone agreed they were an absolutely brutal wall of bad noise on this night. I remember when The Black Keys played this fest several years ago. Damn. The one thing TOR got right once again was the outhouse situation. There were plenty of them and no lines. Don't underestimate how important plentiful outhouses are at fests. Overall, I think TOR has slipped a bit and can no longer humanely control the big crowds that turn up without making changes. Fests are better suited to open thoroughfares than streets divided by two medians, in my opinion. TOR slips to 2 1/2 stars. P.S. We made the wise decision to not go into Market after this fest. It sucks. I'll pound on that establishment at any opportunity I can get. read more

Went to TOR at the request of the boyfriend, who was there for a band called Anamonaguchi? Anamonoguchi? Anomonaguchi? (Good luck trying to solve the spelling on that one, Google Autocorrect.) I was sorta dragging my feet on whether to go or not last night as I was working out in the northern suburbs that afternoon. While I wasn't looking forward to driving in, the pull of beer tents and live music proved to be too strong for me to resist. So, here I sit the morning after, requesting that every sentence be repeated for my blown eardrums to process. Where to begin? Sangria tent? At a festival. SANGRIA?! When faced with a beer choice that only features Miller Lite, I vote yes, yes, yes! It was actually pretty damn good and made listening to a whiny Dave Matthews knock-off band bearable. When Anamonaguchi hit the stage, all hell broke loose. They're an 8-bit band who I initally wasn't really into when my boyfriend blasted their stuff in the car. But Anamonaguchi live? Just what a post-work, stressed out Evelyn needed. The crowd consisted of super nerds who just wanted to rock the f*ck out to Nintendo-esque music with great guitar riffs. And we did. So it was good. See you next year, TOR! read more

Yay to street fests! I love this one because of the great food...however, it is hard on the pocket book. $6 for a small taco...YAWOO. Come hungry and full of dough and you will be a happy camper. Its jammed so be prepared to scoot through the crowd balancing your food and drink :) read more

2011's Taste of Randolph has rolled in, and like in years past the organizers are still figuring out how to make a good fest in the West Loop. This year the fest is fatter around the middle, expanding to both sidewalks on Randolph Street. However, the east end is still squeezed into the middle lanes, 1/3 of which are flooded from a recent rainfall. The traffic jam is bad -- this setup simply doesn't work. Also new this year is a bump in the "suggested donation" to $10, very steep for an a la carte festival. These annoyances aside, Randolph has a plus lineup of regional bands all weekend and features food from neighborhood restaurants instead of the fried dough and cevapcici trucks anchoring most festivals. The tchotchke and marketing vendors are also interesting. There is a third music stage blaring techno DJs all weekend. I wish this one were not right in the middle. No wait for beer and wine, or you can stop at the neighborhood's nearby bars for a stronger tipple. These high points notwithstanding, I got my fill in a few hours and don't feel the need to head back this weekend, even though it is right outside. This is a street festival still seeking its niche. I think the organizers are pushing the fine food angle, and should double down on this and skip the DJs. There also must -- must! -- be more space inside the festival. Definitely worth a peek, but still not one of the must-attends of the summer. read more

This is what summer is all about, being out and about in the nice summer head enjoying some good food and cold drinks. This festival offer all of the previously stated goodies in addition to various local businesses promoting their services. First of all this event is pet friendly, huge plus as it was not just a chance for us to enjoy a nice day out but a great opportunity for our pup to get out and meet new people and other dogs. The fee to get in is $10pp but the fee goes towards the local community. There's live music and food all around this festival and you'll have no trouble finding good food here, albeit surprisingly overpriced. The food here is certainly not cheap, e.g. $5 for 1 taco, but good nonetheless. Definitely worth hitting up if you are in the area but probably not worth making a trek across town for. read more

I came into this festival with thinking it was just a "foodie fest," but Taste of Randolph impressed me this year with the variety of art, music, and food stations that they had. The favorite food that I had was a "dirty burger" with a side of mac & cheese. That was a fantastic deal for $10. They had some other really cool food items as well; steak tacos, shrimp, beef skewers, etc. The art was something that I didn't expect at this festival, they had some really cool stations. My favorite was the guy that had the alcohol scented candles in beer glasses. Really cool idea! The music was not really my style, it was jazzy and less rock. But hey, a lot of other people liked it and it suited the type of people that came to this event. This is the first time I had come to Taste of Randolph- everyone knows the West Loop area as being the "go-to" place for restaurants with places like Girl & The Goat, Au Cheval, and Avec. And now it is my go-to place for a "foodie" type summer festival. Great time! read more

Loved the taste of Randolph! Had so many options of food to try. Price was not bad liquor wasn't expensive neither. Had lots of lil shops to look at if you wanted to purchase anything. Also has a couple of stages for live acts. Can't wait for next year! read more

The admission price was $10, alone. I spent about $25 on one beer, a small portion of fried chicken, and an icecream sandwich. The vendors were OK - nothing that tugged at my pursestrings, but overall, I felt like it was overpriced with few perks! Beer was $5-6 a cup, which seemed a little pricey, considering the entrance fee. Still, it was nice to get out of the house. read more

Went on Friday night (soooooo crowded - I think some band that was a bit more well-known was playing) and Saturday late afternoon (still lots of people, but nowhere near as bad as Friday night). I'm not sure any of the vendors took credit cards, so next year, I would definitely bring more cash. "Suggested" $10 donation at the door, I guess you don't have to pay it, but who likes to be the dbag who doesn't donate? Good food. I had a pulled pork sandwhich that had coleslaw on it, boyfriend had a jalepeno cheddar brat, and we shared onion rings. Very tasty! Two big stages on either end which was cool and broke up the crowd. If you are familiar with Randolph street, food was on one side of the median and shopping/crafty stuff was on the other. Nice set-up, beautiful weekend. I just love these summer fests! read more

Had an awesome time at Taste of Randolph this year. I met up with a group of friends to celebrate my birthday there. We had an awesome time catching up, drinking, eating, listening to house music and watching the Blackhawks game on the big screen. One of the great summer fests. read more

The music is always good, been coming here for years. Food too. IDK about the best festival food in Chicago, because lolla & pitchfork have pretty good lineups. But I do like how its all local places, as opposed to the Taste Of Lincoln for example who has the generic carnival food stands. ugh. Anyways, does anyone remember the name of the restaurant that was serving those caprese maki rolls? They were SOOO good & I can't remember. read more

This was a nice weekend to head up the street to the festival. Funkadesi was playing, sangria was good, and the weather was nice. My only reason for not giving five star is the people at the entrance made it seem like it was mandatory for you to pay to get in. I have no problem giving up the $10 buck for my community since I live in the West Loop but don't be all rude and stuff...Im just sayin! The food was OK. Cons...Seemed like their were people bringing these massive big dogs which made it sometimes very hard to walk through the crowd. Someone actually brought two pitbulls and could barely hold on to them talk about scary. Overall a great outing to finish up a perfectly good weekend read more

The food was yummy and the live music was great. We got a glazed duck leg and that was really good. Also got a double order of sangria. It was fruity and for $10 it wasn't a bad deal since beers were $6-8. The korean tacos were good but thought they would put kimchee on them but it was just pickled veggies. Saw pancetta sandwiches but didnt get a chance to try them. They looked delicious though. It was $10 to get in even though the sign said suggested donation. read more

I have a Must Do List for festivals. This is always on it. At one point in my life this was number two on it (Taste of Lincoln Ave is the undisputed Champ), but this one is losing steam. Prices are jacked up, and the beer lines are absolutely insane. I remember one summer I punted on Old St. Pat's because it was too much, and they logistically couldn't manage it. This festival is oh so close to suffering that same fate. Add two more beer stands and vendors to work it would be my friendly suggestion. I'd still say it's one of the best. They attract awesome musical talent, that isn't the rubber stamped bands you see every weekend (which I like, but I do like the change-up here) and Chicago's finest ladies, but I suggest you come after drinking and elsewhere. Another plus is the local eateries that serve as vendors. Luckily, this place doesn't make you buy tickets to get food. That might knock it out for the count. This is also one of the more dressier street fests, especially in the evening, which is also a nice twist. It's not the TOR of old, but it's still on the list. If you missed it this year, get back in the game in 2011. I'll be back. read more

The absolute highlight of 2016 was the music performance - SAVING FOREVER - it was a band with 3 young kids playing the guitar, base, singing with their dad on the drums. It was amazeballs and I was soooooooo happy to see those young boys kill it on stage! However, the festival was not as big as it used to be. The food vendors were basically cut in half from prior years but it was still Randolph Street so of course the options were good and pricey. The local, non-food vendors were pretty great. I picked up some nice candles, oil olive, etc. and kept it moving. read more

Yesterday was my first time at Taste of Randolph. It was insanely humid, but the cold beers and delicious white sangria definitely helped a bit. There were plenty of vendors that there wasn't much of a line anywhere we went. The Denver stage was pretty cool. Interesting concept - kind of weird (it's literally plastic put up around a stage... why?), but fun all at the same time. I tried a few bites of the Mad Social Mac and Cheese, which was pretty good! I also had some of the burrata sandwich from Nonna's. The filling was good, but there was just too much bread - it would have been better as an open faced sandwich. Overall, had a great time! LOVE festivals in Chicago :) read more

All the randolph street restaurants at street fair prices. Of course menu is limited versus stand alone resto but good samplers, nonetheless. read more