The March Hit List, Lunch Edition: La Josie, Big Jones, Johnnie’s Beef, and More

Parson’s has perfected the handheld lunch — whether your ideal is a beer-battered fish sandwich with melted American cheese, a plate of craggy fried chicken, or a basket of hush puppies packed with ham and cream cheese. For something greener, the house Caesar, wrapped in buttermilk-caper dressing, always satisfies. Add a negroni slushy to wash down your lunch in style, or to end the day on a fun-loving note.

Dining status: Carryout and delivery are available.

The secret’s out on this Vietnamese gem — and with good reason. Its banh mi sandwiches fire on every savory, funky, textural deliciousness cylinder. House-baked baguettes shatter airily beneath your teeth, housing traditional fillings of pork or tofu with sweet pickled daikon, fresh cucumber spears, and lots of cilantro.

Dining status: Carryout and delivery are available, or call 773-878-9898.

Pull up to this pint-sized taqueria for retro lunch at the drive-in on Saturdays, when car hops deliver the full menu plus special drive-in bites (read: cheeseburger tacos, crinkle-cut fries and a vacas negras, or black cows with Mexican Coke, vanilla ice cream and cinnamon) on attachable window trays, weather permitting. Lunch is also available to-go Tuesdays through Saturdays, starting at 11:30 a.m.—because everyday should be fried-chicken burrito day. (None of which is to overlook the Wicker Park location, with its taco 10-pack for $40.)

Dining status: Carryout and delivery are available.

Channel the tradition of the leisurely, long Southern lunch at chef and co-owner Paul Fehribach’s lauded Andersonville spot. Here, influences from steamy New Orleans meld with Carolina Lowcountry and Appalachia, leaning on the sustainable bounty of the Midwest when possible. Think popcorn crawfish; po’ boys; fried-chicken salad, piled on local greens with herby buttermilk dressing; and sizzling (local) pork rice and gumbo ya-ya, with house cured and smoked andouille.

Dining status: Open for dine in, also carryout and delivery.

This roomy, Barcelona-style tapas bar makes midday celebratory with its fun-loving menu of shareables and lively environs. Share a colorful spread of bacon-wrapped dates, luscious eggplant escalivada with labneh, sweet peppers and crusty bread, rich gambas al ajillo, Spanish omelet slices, or go for a more substantial meat-, seafood-, or veggie paella platter for a midday to remember. The pleasingly low-octane sidra sangria, with tart Basque cider and white wine, is ideal for washing down your convivial lunch.

Dining status: Indoor and patio dining are available, also delivery.

Father-and-son duo Agostino and Tony Fiasche (also behind local cured meats maker Nduja Artisans) serve up some of the city’s finest sandwiches at their deli and cured-meats market. The creative menu changes often, but carnivorous first-timers must try the Dante, an Italian sandwich packing six layers of nduja, soppressata, mortadella, finocchiona, coppa, and porchetta, plus giardiniera and ‘nduja aioli. And the meatless Beet Streets — with sliced marinated beets, apple, almonds and pickled red onion on multigrain — is a revelation, and a valued new staple in any lunch roation.

Dining status: Pickup and delivery are available.

This lively, family-owned Mexican spot offers all sorts of Jalisco-inspired bites — from colorful ceviches and classic and fruit-flecked guacs to crisp-edged tortas and burritos packed with skirt steak or pulled chicken, hand-pressed tacos, and heftier plates like enchiladas. The massive Tequila selection means your Saturday lunch can and should include a cocktail. We love the bright, floral mezcal margarita, with fruity Banhez mezcal, orange liqueur and lime.

Dining status: Open for dine-in brunch and lunch on weekends, also carryout and delivery.

The River North link of this easygoing brewpub chain is routinely packed with tourists and locals at lunch, because nothing beats solid Midwestern drinking food and quenching house-brewed beers, like the crisp Stadtstraße kölsch. We especially love the hefty brewery nachos, bacon chicken mac n’ cheese, and (yep the same) Kölsch-battered fish and chips — preferably followed by a well-deserved nap on the couch.

Dining status: Open for dine in, also carryout and delivery.

If you’re in the market for a quirkier brewpub lunch, keep heading a few miles northwest to Forbidden Root, where the beers are botanically inclined, and the dishes are likewise classic brewpub — with a twist. Go lighter with the excellent kale salad with orange-tahini vinaigrette and fried chickpeas, or indulge with the iconic milk-brined pork schnitzel sandwich with pickled beet mayo and caraway slaw. The Way Back When foeder lager is sessionable but still plenty interesting — brewed with Niagara grapes so it tastes a bit like rosé Champagne (and also is available in four-packs, if you’re carrying out).

Dining status: Open for dine in, also pickup and delivery.

Rick Bayless’s beloved flagship continues to serve up creative, regional Mexican cooking that’s also ideal for a shareable midday feast. Think olive-flecked tuna ceviche, wintry carne con chile colorado with red beans, and wood-grilled carne asada or chicken with handmade tortillas, sided by black beans and rice pilaf. If it’s that kind of lunch, match it with a smoky mezcal margarita, or the iconically quenching Topolo marg — good in any season. If you’re craving Bayless’s irresistible flavors in a more on-the-go format, consider picking up a crusty torta ahogada (carnitas, warming arbol broth jus for dunking) from adjacent sibling spot Xoco.

Dining status: Indoor and patio seating are available; also carryout and delivery.

You can find an outstanding Italian beef sandwich in almost every corner of the city, but this cash-only suburban shack with perpetual lines down the block is well worth the drive … and the wait. Soft Gonnella bread, chunky giard with just enough vinegary heat and oh, that beef: juicy, tender marinated ribbons of umami-rich meat. Ask for “juicy” for an extra spoonful of that peppery savory jus, and prepare to get messy.

Dining status: Carryout is available, call 708-452-6000.

Set aside your Tuesday or Wednesday lunch hour to indulge in a masterfully simple Roman-style pizza from Pizza Finestra, the standout installation from Superkhana employee Cornelius Bouknight. It’s all part of Superkhana’s collaborative approach to surviving COVID, which taps their network of employees and friends to live out their side-hustle dreams.

In Bouknight’s case, that dream involves creations like his pizza rossa, with tart tomato and a squiggle of olive oil, which is pared-down perfection — especially when topped with (optional) sardines. The same dough forms a toothsome carrier for mortadella, mozz and chicories in a sandwich hefty enough for two.

Dining status: Pre-order for pickup or delivery.