Ferro's! Just across the highway on 31st Street, this unassuming building is home to some of the best (and cheapest!) Chicago food near campus. Whether you are looking for a classic Chicago-style hot dog, a hamburger, or even an omelette and pancakes, this place has something for you.
As soon as you walk in you are overwhelmed by the sheer size of the menu. Breakfast items, sandwiches, beef, salads, Chicago tamales (?), the list goes on. But if you are a bit indecisive, turn your attention to the wall on the left. Here you will find only ten choices to choose from, but these are arguably the best things on the menu. The specials listed here are delicious, and you can choose from a two-hot-dog-and-fries meal to a hamburger and others.
The nice thing about this smaller menu is that it is great for the poor college students that we are. Ferro's has a punch card just for college students (i.e. us), and for every special you get off this menu, you get a punch. Fill up the card and get a free lunch! And this means there is no excuse not to try a Chicago dog if you've never had one before. And ask for a char dog if you're in the mood for something grilled. For the out-of-towners, a Chicago dog has mustard, onion, Chicago-style relish, tomato wedges, sport peppers, and celery salt. And absolutely no ketchup!
They just recently added a whole new section to their menu, dubbed "City-Que." Someone in the kitchen must have really been jonesin' for some barbeque, because they bought a smoker and now there is a whole new menu's-worth of BBQ options. Pulled pork, rib tips, and beef brisket are just a few things on this new menu. It is surprisingly delicious, and my favorite item from this section is, strangely enough, the Pulled Pork Cheese Fries. It doesn't exactly sound like a good combination going in, especially since I am not a fan of the cheese sauce American fast-food joints slather on everything, but this thing is fantastic! The pulled pork really makes this dish and pairs unusually well with the sauce, and this is perfect on one of those days where you need a pick-me-up after just finishing an extra-hard exam and you don't care whether you live or die.
My favorite thing here though is one of their specialties: Italian Ice. There are a few places in Bridgeport that offer this, but Ferro's is my favorite. A lot of flavors to choose from, but my go-to flavor is strawberry. All the flavors are made with real fruit and it is just the ticket on a hot summer day.
This place certainly will not be winning any beauty contests, and isn't the five-star cuisine you might find near the Loop or elsewhere, but this place is fast and cheap has something everyone can enjoy--and if you have a friend who's a vegetarian, you can tell them to just deal with it and get a pepper-and-egg sandwich. Within walking distance of campus, definitely check this place out.
No comments:
Post a Comment