The Chicago Neighborhood Guide to Legal Weed

On January 1, 2020, Illinois became the 11th state to legalize cannabis for recreational use and the first state to do so via a legislative process. Currently, there are nine dispensaries serving recreational customers throughout Chicago and, thus far, demand has been enormous with lines of eager consumers wrapping around blocks.

Zoning restrictions have led to dispensaries setting up shop in both well-trafficked neighborhoods as well as some places many Chicagoans would consider a bit off the beaten path. This presents a perfect opportunity to explore some of the less well-known corners of Chicago and their offerings.

We’ve put together a list of some of the can’t-miss spots to visit when picking up some newly legal pot and, perhaps, when anticipating the munchies. Remember to be a good neighbor when visiting—public consumption is still banned, as is driving while under the influence. 

Logan Square

Home to MOCA Modern Cannabis, Logan Square these days has come to be something of an open-air food court owing to an explosion of restaurants and nightlife spots over the previous decade. Here you can find everything from Macanese food at Fat Rice to a modern take on Mexican at Mi Tocaya Antojeria.

If you’re looking for some takeout to bring home with your herbal purchase, check out Parson’s for its legendary fried chicken or longtime neighborhood favorite Miko’s Italian Ice for a sweet treat. Considering dropping into the Logan Square Farmers Market which is open on Sundays during the winter next door to MOCA at the Emporium Arcade.

Wrigleyville

When the Ricketts family bought the Chicago Cubs in 2009 it set in motion a transformation of this neighborhood from a scruffy nightlife hotspot to a sleek, modern playground for well-heeled baseball fans. The Sunnyside dispensary, part of the largest chain in the state, fits in well in this evolving neighborhood.

Food options are quite diverse from Uncommon Ground for sustainable food and coffee to Wrigleyville Dogs for ballpark classics. Wrigley Field itself offers plenty to see and do but for a lesser-known (and perhaps more grown-up) slice of the neighborhood walk over to Alta Vista Terrace, one of Chicago’s historic districts. Built in 1904, it was designed to look like a block of charming English rowhouses.

Uptown 

Dispensary 33 is a nod to 1933, the year alcohol prohibition ended. Now that cannabis prohibition has ended in Illinois, this sleek and modern dispensary is drawing huge crowds to the rapidly changing Uptown neighborhood.

The Aragon Ballroom and Riveria Theatre are grand venues built early in the 1900s and the Green Mill, one of Chicago’s most storied venues, hosts regular jazz and Americana nights that are a must-see. Owing to the diverse residents of this neighborhood, take-out options are remarkably varied, especially in the Asia on Argyle area.

Nhu Lan Bakery & Sandwiches has some of bahn mi and pho this side of Saigon, and newcomer Sam & Gertie’s is getting lots of buzz as the (self-proclaimed) “world’s first vegan Jewish deli.” 

Bucktown

Tucked away along the Elston corridor you’ll find NuMed Chicago on North Avenue. Once a gritty industrial area, this sliver of land has become some of the most valuable real estate in the city, with mega-developer Sterling Bay eyeing the area for the Lincoln Yards development.

Save for a Home Depot, there’s not much right by the dispensary, except for a few hidden gems. Just a few blocks up Elston you’ll find Local Foods, an aptly named grocery store and cafe featuring locally produced foods. DMK Restaurant Group owns two spots in the area: Ada Street and Werewolf Coffee Bar. 

The area is also home to one of Chicago’s great cultural institutions, The Hideout. A former speakeasy (like every historic Chicago bar), this venue now hosts a variety of events and acts from podcast tapings and young artists to the likes of gospel-legend Mavis Staples.

Vittum Park 

Midway Dispensary, so-named for the nearby airport, has set up shop along the busy 47th Street corridor. This primarily residential area of the city has been profoundly shaped by the immigrants that have settled here over the decades and, as such, offers a wonderfully diverse set of restaurants and shops nearby that entice adventurous eaters.

No trip to this corner of the city is complete without a trip to Weber’s Bakery, a renowned Eastern European bakery and deli. Birrieria Zaragoza on Pulaski Road is also a must-try. With just one entree, goat cooked in mole, this restaurant has won just about every culinary award imaginable and is lauded as one of the best restaurants in the city. You don’t know what you’re missing until you’ve tried it. 

Jefferson Park 

Home of Columbia Care, this neighborhood has long been heavily influenced by its Polish history. If you’re visiting in early September, don’t miss Taste of Polonia—one of Chicago’s best street festivals—for pierogi and other Polish delicacies. If you can’t wait until then, SMAK-TAK serves up excellent Polish comfort food six days a week.

Norwood Park

When visiting Zen Leaf Chicago on the far Northwest Side, it is impossible to miss Superdawg mascots Maurie and Flaurie beckoning from the top of this storied drive-in. With real carhops and their signature pickled green tomato hotdog garnish, this hot dog stand offers a unique experience.

For something healthier, chef Bill Choi at Amitabul has been serving up all-vegan Korean cuisine since 1995 and is one of the neighborhood’s best-kept secrets.

Tri-Taylor

The Herbal Care Center is located at the corner of Western Avenue, Chicago’s longest street, and Historic Route 66 (also known as Ogden Avenue). Options are somewhat limited, though fans of Chicago’s famous mild sauce know there is a Harold’s Chicken on Western. Look to Taylor Street for take-out pizza, including enormous Bacci’s slices, and Middle-Eastern food. 

South Chicago

Finally, we have Mission Illinois located in this neighborhood on the city’s far south side. Mexican restaurants and bakeries are plentiful but the real standout is Calumet Fisheries, famous for its fish smoked in their on-site, grandfathered-in smoker and for being featured on Anthony Bourdain’s “No Reservations.” It is cash-only and there’s no seating, but you won’t mind once you taste the food here. 

Fans of 1980’s “Blues Brothers” will recognize the nearby 95th Street bridge as it is where Jake and Elwood went airborne in their 1974 Dodge Monaco at the start of the film.