Neighborhood 48H guide
West Loop / Fulton Market: Where to Stay & What to Do in 48 Hours
Randolph Street’s Restaurant Row: Au Cheval’s burger, Girl & the Goat and Fulton Market’s old warehouses.
The West Loop’s former meatpacking and warehouse district is now the city’s restaurant center, with Randolph Street’s Restaurant Row and Fulton Market’s converted warehouses.
Photo gallery
Photo: Bex Walton from London, England · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Why stay here
Many of Chicago’s best-known restaurants are a short walk away.
Who it's for: Food lovers and travelers who want a buzzy, design-forward base.
Pros
- Restaurant Row
- Design hotels
- Green and Pink Line access
Cons
- Popular spots need reservations or long waits
- Pricey
- A walk or ride to the lake
48H in the West Loop
Burger, warehouses, a big dinner.
11:00 – Au Cheval
The famous double cheeseburger; go early to cut the wait.
14:00 – Fulton Market walk
Converted warehouses, shops and galleries along Fulton Market.
19:00 – Girl & the Goat
Stephanie Izard’s shared-plates restaurant on Randolph; reserve.
Named recommendations
Real places with links to their official site or a Maps place page. We do not invent hours, prices, or ratings.
Eat
Eat
Girl & the Goat
809 W Randolph St
Stephanie Izard’s bold shared plates on Restaurant Row.
Official site / map →
See / do
See / do
Fulton Market
W Fulton Market
The old meatpacking street, now lined with restaurants and offices.
Photo: Bex Walton from London, England · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons Official site / map →
Where to stay
Specific named properties—not vague city-wide searches. Expedia stays use tracked Creator links; others open the hotel's official site.
Roam48 may earn a commission when you book a stay through Expedia or Vrbo links on this page, at no extra cost to you. All commercial stay links use rel="sponsored nofollow".
Hotel · Expedia
The Hoxton, Chicago
200 N Green St
Design hotel in Fulton Market with a rooftop bar.
Check rates on Expedia →
Vacation rentals
Prefer an apartment or whole home in this neighborhood? Browse Vrbo listings for West Loop / Fulton Market.
Chicago requires short-term rentals to be registered with the city, and some buildings and precincts ban them. Look for the city registration number on the listing before you book.
Browse vacation rentals in West Loop / Fulton Market on Vrbo →Other ways to spend 48 hours in Chicago
- The Loop — The Art Institute, Millennium Park’s Bean, the Riverwalk and a rooftop above Michigan Avenue.
- River North — Marina City’s corncob towers, deep-dish pizza, a Portillo’s Italian beef and hotel rooftops.
- Magnificent Mile / Streeterville — Michigan Avenue’s shops, the 1869 Water Tower, the Billy Goat Tavern and Navy Pier.
- Gold Coast — Astor Street mansions, Oak Street Beach and the Drake’s Palm Court.
- Wicker Park — The six-way corner at North, Damen and Milwaukee, Big Star tacos, Myopic Books and The 606 trail.
- Lincoln Park — The free Lincoln Park Zoo, the glass Conservatory, Pequod’s pan pizza and late-night blues at Kingston Mines.
- Lakeview / Wrigleyville — Wrigley Field’s red marquee, Murphy’s Bleachers and a hotel across the street from the ballpark.
- South Loop / Museum Campus — The Field Museum, Buckingham Fountain and live blues at Buddy Guy’s Legends.
- Hyde Park — Frank Lloyd Wright’s Robie House, the Museum of Science and Industry, the new Obama Presidential Center and Promontory Point.