Every city has its culinary secrets. Those unwritten menu items, hidden gems, and insider orders that separate tourists from locals. You know, the kind of thing that makes someone turn to their friend and say, “Wait, how did you know they’d make that?”
New Orleans and Chicago might be hundreds of miles apart, but they share something remarkable. Both cities have vibrant food cultures where the real magic happens off the menu. From Creole kitchens in the Crescent City to hidden spots in the Windy City, knowing what to ask for can transform your dining experience. Let’s dive into the five secret menu items that only locals seem to know about.
The BBQ Shrimp Po-Boy at Liuzza’s By the Track, New Orleans
Liuzza’s By the Track is a hidden gem in mid-city New Orleans known for its unique and delicious BBQ shrimp po-boy. Honestly, this isn’t your typical sandwich. Most visitors stick to fried shrimp or oyster po-boys, which are fantastic in their own right. Yet locals know to ask for the BBQ shrimp version, a mashup that shouldn’t work but somehow does brilliantly.
The beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity and mess. Imagine succulent shrimp bathed in that buttery, peppery New Orleans-style BBQ sauce, all piled onto fresh French bread. Located near the race track, Liuzza’s offers visitors an authentic taste of New Orleans cuisine with its charming atmosphere and friendly service. The bread soaks up every bit of that rich sauce, creating what I think is one of the most underrated eating experiences in the city.
The Meatball Sub at RPM Italian, Chicago
This upscale Italian chain gets down-and-dirty with their off-menu meatball sub, served on a piece of RPM’s iconic garlic bread, topped with four enormous prime beef meatballs, slathered in cheese and marinara sauce, and then served with a side of spicy giardiniera. Here’s the thing: RPM Italian markets itself as a sleek, sophisticated dining destination. The secret menu tells a different story.
Those who know ask for this beast of a sandwich. It’s indulgent, it’s messy, and it completely defies the restaurant’s polished image. The giardiniera adds that perfect Chicago kick, the kind that makes your taste buds wake up and pay attention. Four massive meatballs might sound excessive until you taste them. Trust me, you’ll understand why locals guard this secret so jealously.
The Baller Roll at Sunda, Chicago
Let’s be real: ordering sushi off a secret menu sounds risky. Though not much of a secret, River North’s Sunda offers this extravagant roll strictly off-menu, and for good reason too, as the Baller Roll features black truffle, Japanese Wagyu and wasabi creme making it one of the most extra sushi rolls on any menu in the city, coming in at a whopping seventy-five dollars per roll.
Is it over the top? Absolutely. Is it worth it for a special occasion? According to those in the know, yes. The combination of buttery Wagyu with earthy truffle and that sharp wasabi cream creates something memorable. It’s the kind of dish you order when you want to truly splurge, the kind that makes you feel like you’ve discovered something exclusive. I know it sounds crazy, but sometimes indulgence is the whole point.
Krispy Kreme Bread Pudding at Boucherie, New Orleans
Tucked away off the streetcar line on South Carrollton Avenue lies Boucherie, a quaint restaurant serving contemporary Southern cuisine, with a menu that changes with the season, offering grilled fish and brisket, boudin balls and mussels, but one dish that’s always on the menu is the Krispy Kreme bread pudding, made with Krispy Kreme donuts baked and finished with a delicious sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Think about that for a second. Krispy Kreme donuts transformed into bread pudding. It sounds like something you’d dream up after a night on Bourbon Street, yet it’s real and spectacular. The glazed donuts create this incredibly rich, sweet base that somehow works perfectly with the vanilla ice cream. The restaurant and their sister restaurant Bourree is just around the corner and offers up wings, craft daiquiris, and Cajun specialties like boudin and meat pies.
The Speculoos Cookie Butter Milkshake at Edzo’s, Chicago
Cookie butter milkshake – now, Edzo’s makes dozens of wildly delicious milkshakes to sip alongside its burgers and fries, but the secret-menu Speculoos Shake is truly in a league of its own, and when topped with hot fudge this diet-breaker is sure to become your next cheat day favorite.
Speculoos spread, for the uninitiated, tastes like gingerbread cookies blended into creamy perfection. Now imagine that as a milkshake. The spiced, caramelized flavor profile sets it apart from your standard chocolate or vanilla shake. When you add hot fudge on top, you’re looking at something that borders on dangerous. It’s hard to say for sure, but this might be the richest shake experience in Chicago. Locals who’ve discovered it keep coming back, even when they know they probably shouldn’t.
The secret menu culture in both New Orleans and Chicago reveals something important about these cities. They reward curiosity and insider knowledge. Sure, you can have an amazing meal sticking to what’s printed. Yet asking for that special preparation, that off-menu creation, that local favorite opens up an entirely different culinary world.
Finding such places is so rewarding and part of what fires up the whole ever-swirling conversation about food and restaurants, and lately, it’s been an eye-opening reminder of one of the pleasures we get from restaurants: sharing things that bring us joy, and seeing that joy register with others. These dishes exist because chefs love to experiment, because regulars want something special, and because both cities celebrate food as more than just sustenance.
So which of these secret items would you try first? Have you stumbled upon any hidden menu treasures in your own city? The best discoveries often happen when you simply ask, “What do you recommend that’s not on the menu?”
