Gale Street Inn

From the second you take your seat and a manager asks, “Howyadoin’?” in her thick Chicago accent, you know this place is about as classically Chicago as they come. And judging by how crowded it is, it may be one of the main culprits behind the city’s obesity problem: enormous entrées like tender baked ribs and juicy barbecue chicken come with bread, salad and big, hearty sides like the twice-baked, cheesy gratin potatoes. Real Chicagoans, however, should have no trouble cleaning their plates.