Okay, so the other day I was downtown and feeling super hungry. I remembered someone mentioning the food court at the Illinois Center, so I figured, why not give it a shot? I wasn’t expecting anything fancy, just a quick and easy lunch.
First thing I did was look up the address on my phone – gotta make sure I’m going the right way, right? Then I hopped on the ‘L’ train, because parking downtown is a nightmare. It was a pretty quick ride, and thankfully the station was just a block or two away from the Illinois Center.
Once I got inside, finding the food court was a little tricky. The building is HUGE. I wandered around for a bit, following the signs (which, honestly, weren’t the greatest), and asking a security guard for directions. He pointed me towards a set of escalators, and finally, I was there!
The Food Court Itself
It wasn’t super crowded, which was nice. It was that sweet spot between lunch and dinner, I guess. It had your usual suspects: a pizza place, a sandwich shop, some Asian cuisine, a salad bar, and a few other things I couldn’t quite identify. Nothing extraordinary, but a decent variety.
I’m a sucker for a good slice of pizza, so I went with that. The line wasn’t too long, and the pizza looked pretty fresh. They had a few different options, but I’m a simple guy, so I just grabbed a pepperoni slice and a soda.
- Finding a seat: Plenty of tables were available.
- The pizza: It was…okay. Not the best I’ve ever had, but definitely not the worst. It hit the spot.
- The price: Pretty standard for downtown, I guess. A little pricey, but nothing outrageous.
After I finished eating, I walked around a little more, just to check out the other options. I made a mental note of a couple of places I might try next time. I also noticed there were a few dessert places – a cookie shop and a place selling smoothies. Maybe next time I have a sweet tooth I have another place to get my fix.
Overall, it was a perfectly fine experience. Nothing to write home about, but it served its purpose: I got a quick, affordable, and reasonably tasty lunch. If you’re in the area and need a bite, the Illinois Center food court is a solid option. Just don’t expect anything mind-blowing, it’s the kind of food court you just walk into, and it’s there.
