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Best Family Friendly Restaurants in Chinatown

15 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked

Last Updated: February 2026

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Our Top Pick
MingHin Cuisine
Large-format, Bib-recognized dim sum with tablet ordering and deep variety.

Notable Picks

$$ Chinatown Chinese, Dim Sum
MingHin Cuisine is Chinatown’s high-capacity dim sum hall, pairing iPad ordering with a long menu of Cantonese small plates, congee, and seafood. With Michelin recognition and thousands of multi-platform reviews, it’s the default move for groups who want reliable, all-day dim sum in 60616.
Must-Try Dishes: Steamed BBQ pork buns, Shrimp dumpling har gow, Rice noodle rolls with shrimp
What Makes it Special: Large-format, Bib-recognized dim sum with tablet ordering and deep variety.
$$ Chinatown Vietnamese, Thai
Joy Yee Noodle’s Chinatown flagship is a high-volume pan-Asian stalwart where Thai noodle dishes share the stage with a sprawling menu and one of the city’s largest bubble tea lineups. Since the mid-1990s, it’s been a default stop for groups looking to combine Thai staples like pad thai and basil chow fun with smoothies and fruit freezes in the heart of Chinatown Square.
Must-Try Dishes: Pad Thai Noodles, Thai Spicy Basil Chow Fun (Pad Kee Mao), Thai Milk Tea
What Makes it Special: Pan-Asian Chinatown institution where Thai noodles and an enormous drink menu anchor the experience.
$$ Chinatown Italian
Since 1963, Connie’s flagship Archer Avenue location has been a south-side standby for deep-dish, tavern-style pies, and red-sauce pastas. Mama Sue’s Homemade Lasagna sits alongside pizzas and vodka rigatoni, giving groups a way to build a classic Chicago-Italian spread under one very large roof.
Must-Try Dishes: Mama Sue's Homemade Lasagna, Rigatoni alla Vodka, Original Pan Sausage Pizza
What Makes it Special: Flagship south-side pizzeria where deep-dish and lasagna share the spotlight.
$$ Chinatown Japanese, Ramen
Daifuku Ramen sits on China Place serving a focused menu of tonkotsu, miso, shoyu, and specialty bowls built on rich broths and generous toppings. With strong recent reviews and a cozy dining room, it’s a reliable option when Strings is slammed but you still want a satisfying Japanese-style ramen experience in Chinatown.
Must-Try Dishes: Hakata Tonkotsu Ramen, Daifuku Spicy Garlic Ramen, Sapporo Miso Ramen
What Makes it Special: Cozy Chinatown ramen shop with a wide roster of classic broths.
$$ Chinatown Mongolian Hot Pot
Since 2018, this Inner Mongolian hot pot chain has become Chinatown's go-to for communal dining, built around a 6-hour bone broth infused with 36 ingredients that's flavorful enough to skip the dipping sauces entirely. The all-you-can-eat format at under $30 delivers exceptional value with premium lamb sourced from New Zealand, Australia, and the UK, plus a self-serve buffet of vegetables, seafood, and complimentary ice cream.
Must-Try Dishes: Half & Half Bone Broth (Original + Spicy Szechuan), Organic Marbled Lamb, Premium Fatty Beef Slices
What Makes it Special: 6-hour bone broth with 36 ingredients so flavorful that dipping sauces become optional
8.4
$$ Chinatown
Yao Yao’s Michelin-recognized Szechuan kitchen centers its service around big-format pickled fish platters and shareable spicy mains that naturally become a family-style chef’s feast. Tables often build their own progression—snacks, cold plates, then massive cauldrons of fish and beef—turning the meal into a communal, course-like experience a few steps from the Cermak-Chinatown stop.
Must-Try Dishes: Pickled Fish XL, Spicy Chicken, Garlic Eggplant
What Makes it Special: A Michelin-noted Szechuan spot where oversized pickled fish pots and hot dishes are designed for multi-course, family-style sharing.
$$$ Chinatown Chinese, Dim Sum
Since the mid-1990s, Triple Crown has served all-day dim sum and Cantonese dishes under the glow of the Chinatown Nine Dragon Wall. It’s a workhorse choice for late-night tables and mixed-order meals where har gow, lo mein, and seafood casseroles land alongside beer and tea.
Must-Try Dishes: Shrimp dumpling har gow, Siu mai pork dumplings, Beef chow fun
What Makes it Special: Long-running Chinatown standby for all-day dim sum and late-night Cantonese plates.
$ Chinatown Bakery, Breakfast
Saint Anna functions as both a Chinese bakery and Hong Kong–style cafe, pairing egg tarts and pineapple buns with congee, wonton noodle soup, and milk tea. It’s a sit-down option where you can make a full breakfast or light lunch out of bakery cases and short-order plates.
Must-Try Dishes: Egg custard tarts, Pineapple buns, Sesame balls
What Makes it Special: Hybrid bakery and Hong Kong–style cafe where you can pair pastries with congee, noodles, and strong milk tea.
$$$ Chinatown
Tucked inside Chinatown Square, Yummy Yummy Noodles focuses on steaming bowls of Cantonese noodle soup, roast meats over rice, and clay pot specialties at everyday prices. It’s a go-to when you want a filling, sit-down meal without spending much more than a fast-casual spot.
Must-Try Dishes: Wonton and Beef Brisket Noodle Soup, Roast Duck over Rice, Beef Chow Fun
What Makes it Special: Cantonese noodle house where big steaming bowls stay firmly budget-friendly.
$$$ Chinatown Chinese, Dim Sum
Upstairs in Chinatown Square since the 1990s, Phoenix blends menu-based and cart-passed dim sum in a large, banquet-style room. Regulars come for chicken feet, shrimp dumplings, and roast meats at busy weekend seatings, treating it as a classic, slightly old-school option.
Must-Try Dishes: Chicken feet in black bean sauce, Shrimp shu mai, Steamed BBQ pork buns
What Makes it Special: Upstairs banquet hall where classic dim sum and Cantonese roasts run all day.
$ Chinatown
Hing Kee is a family-owned Chinatown mainstay known since 2007 for handmade soup dumplings, pulled noodles, and an affordable menu. Dog-friendly outdoor tables along Archer give guests a way to sample xiao long bao and noodles without leaving their pup at home. High review volume over many years, plus consistent dumpling-focused coverage, point to a reliable, value-driven stop rather than a polished destination.
Must-Try Dishes: Pork Xiao Long Bao, Shrimp and Pork Wontons in Chili Oil, Beef Hand-Pulled Noodle Soup
What Makes it Special: A family-run Chinatown spot since 2007 specializing in handmade soup dumplings and noodles with dog-friendly outdoor tables.
$ Chinatown
Up a flight of stairs in Chinatown Square, Imperial Restaurant runs an expansive, chandeliered banquet hall with several partitioned private rooms. It’s favored for dim sum service that still uses carts alongside an extensive Cantonese menu, making it a flexible choice for weddings, banquets, and mid-size celebrations.
Must-Try Dishes: Crispy Shrimp Dumplings, Siu Mai Pork and Shrimp Dumpling, Imperial's Peking Duck
What Makes it Special: A second-story dim sum and banquet hall with flexible private rooms that feel more under-the-radar than nearby icons.
$$$$ Chinatown
Emperor's Choice is a multi-decade Chinatown dining room focused on Cantonese-American classics, roasted meats, and family-style platters. White tablecloths, big round tables, and a long menu make it a dependable choice for groups wanting roast duck, noodles, and old-school service in a slightly more formal setting than nearby cafés.
Must-Try Dishes: Cantonese Roast Duck, Emperor's Egg Rolls, Salt and Pepper Shrimp
What Makes it Special: Classic Chinatown dining room with Cantonese roast duck and family-style platters that have drawn regulars for decades.
$$$ Chinatown Japanese, Sushi
On Archer Avenue, Sushi Plus runs a conveyor-belt sushi bar where nigiri, maki, and small plates circulate past booths and counter seats at approachable per-plate pricing. With hundreds of reviews and multiple local locations, it’s a fun, high-throughput option for casual sushi cravings in Chinatown.
Must-Try Dishes: Godzilla Maki, Fiesta Roll, Homemade Mango Pudding
What Makes it Special: Conveyor-belt sushi with broad roll selection and easy pricing control.

Worthy Picks

$ Chinatown
Tai Ho Yee Food Company is a low-frills Cantonese BBQ shop at the southern end of Wentworth where whole roast pigs, ribs, and roast pork are ordered by the pound. It’s used heavily for takeout and special-occasion meats, with ribs and crackling skin carrying much of the appeal.
Must-Try Dishes: Chinese BBQ Ribs by the Pound, Roast Pork Belly, Whole Roast Pig (Pre-Order)
What Makes it Special: Old-school Cantonese BBQ counter where ribs, roast pork, and whole pigs are carved for everyday meals and parties.