Things to Do in Albany Park: A Neighbor’s Guide

Albany Park doesn’t get the hype of the neighborhoods closer to the lake. That’s fine with us. It means more table space at Kabobi.

We’ve been on Spaulding for 9 years, and this is where we send people when they ask what to do before or after class. Chicago Magazine once asked for our neighborhood picks. This is the extended cut.

Eat your way down Lawrence and Kedzie

• Lawrence Fish Market, 3920 W Lawrence Ave. Our go-to team lunch. Order a giant platter of sushi, and know that it’s pickup only.

• Kabobi, 3224 W Lawrence Ave. Our favorite Persian spot, and the casual pick. Big platters of kabobs and rice, plenty of vegetarian dishes, and family-size packages when you’re feeding a crowd.

• Noon-O-Kabab, 4701 N Kedzie Ave. The more upscale Persian experience. Family recipes in a beautiful dining room lined with Persian tile work and a giant chandelier. A neighborhood fixture since 1977.

• Subo Filipino Kitchen, 4712 N Kimball Ave. A tiny strip-mall spot with a huge menu that covers nearly all of Filipino cooking. Team BVC loves the lumpia and splitting a mountain of pancit.

• Kim’s Home Cooking, 4829 N Kedzie Ave. Casual Korean comfort food: kalbi, bubbling soondubu, and crispy wings in a sweet, sticky sauce. Low-key and easy, with plenty of people ordering to go.

• Rosita’s Tacos & Cocina, 3336 W Lawrence Ave. Their quesabirria with consomé is life changing.

Get a drink (or a coffee)

• Nighthawk, 4744 N Kimball Ave. Our pick for drinks after a workshop. Half coffee shop, half bar, with a full cocktail menu, craft beer, high ceilings, and lots of natural light. It doubles as a community art space, too.

• Bokeh, 4716 N Kedzie Ave. A cozy neighborhood bar with creative cocktails and seasonal small plates.

• Qamaria Yemeni Coffee, 4728 N Kedzie Ave. Light-roasted Yemeni coffee brewed with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, and ginger, plus qishr, a spiced drink made from the coffee husk. Get the honeycomb bread drizzled with honey. It’s open until midnight, which makes it a good alcohol-free spot to hang out after an evening class.

• Dulce de Leche Cafe, 3441 W Lawrence Ave. A Latin American fusion cafe covered in murals by local artists. Order a horchata or dulce de leche latte, and stay for crepes or chilaquiles.

• Khepri Cafe, 4650 N Kedzie Ave. A neighborhood cafe steps from the Kedzie Brown Line stop, run by Albany Park residents who make what they can in house and source the rest from Chicago businesses. Good for coffee, a sandwich, and a pastry.

Get something sweet

• Somethin’ Sweet Donuts, 3244 W Montrose Ave. Family-owned, with the classics done right, like apple fritters and old fashioneds, plus ube and matcha donuts worth crossing the street for.

• La Michoacana, 3108 W Lawrence Ave. Our summer ice cream stop, with paletas, ice cream, and fruit-loaded frozen treats.

• Amande Dessert, 4407 N Kimball Ave. A dessert shop specializing in Basque cheesecake, with the deeply caramelized top and creamy center, in flavors like vanilla, matcha, ube, and caramel. Add a panna cotta with raspberry coulis and a few macarons.

Shop the markets

Albany Park’s independent grocery stores are half the fun. Go hungry.

• Harvestime Foods, 2632 W Lawrence Ave, just over the line in Lincoln Square. IYKYK- the best grocery store in the whole city. Family-run since 1995 and known for its produce.

• Sahar International Supermarket, 4851 N Kedzie Ave. THE Persian grocery store. Huge aisles of specialty ingredients and kitchen goods, a bakery on site, plus a growing selection of prepared foods to take with you.

Get outside

• River Park, 5100 N Francisco Ave. Thirty acres along the river with a canoe launch, fishing spots, and a water playground.

• Ronan Park, 3000 W Argyle St. A river path for bird watching, plus the Multicultural Sculpture Park and Healing Garden.

Mark your calendar

Flavors of Albany Park is a must. Run by the North River Commission, it’s the biggest single-day restaurant crawl in Chicago. The 2026 edition, on June 24, featured more than 60 restaurants from around the world. We go as a team every year and stuff ourselves.

Make something

And then there’s us. Bon Vivant Cakes runs cake and cookie decorating classes at 4749 N Spaulding Ave, a few steps from Kimball. Everything’s baked and ready when you arrive, so you just do the fun part. Here’s what’s on sale now.

If you’re making a day of it, book an afternoon class and get dinner on Lawrence after.

Getting here

The Brown Line stops at Francisco, Kedzie, and Kimball in Albany Park. There’s metered parking in front of the studio on Spaulding or on Lawrence.