Review of 'Time Out Market'

“Time Out Market” is a relatively new concept that puts a group of a city's favourite street food sellers under one roof. This is a great way to promote smaller vendors and give people a great chance to try them.

Located just a short distance west of downtown and a block away from the Morgan L station, the Chicago Time Out Market is in a former warehouse building with 20 different vendors running the gambit from Japanese Sushi (Arami) to typical Chicago staples like hot dogs (Duck Inn Dogs) and, of course, pizza (“The Art of Pizza”). Inside it is a big open eating area with long communal tables surrounded by the various vendors. The upper floor features a few more vendors and a demo kitchen.

Drinks are available from a central bar. Food ordering consists of going to whatever vendor you like, paying (card only) and being given a buzzer which goes off when your order is ready. You grab a seat (hopefully) somewhere at one of the tables.

We were a bit overwhelmed and, unfortunately, not terribly hungry so we wandered around aimlessly for a while looking for something perhaps a bit more unusual. We settled on a starter of “Peanut Butter Egg Rolls” ($8) from “Brian Fisher” which were pretty much what you might expect: A normal deep-fried egg roll laced with peanut butter. Quite tasty.

Next up we ordered two “Original Chicago” hot dog ($10 each) from “Duck Inn Dogs” with a side order of their “Duck Fat Fries” ($5). The hot dogs came complete with loads of toppings including pickles, diced onions and cherry tomatoes. Very tasty but, I have to admit, gone in a flash. The chips were, for me, lacking a flavour.

Next up we paid a visit to “Pretty Cool” near the exit - Selling various rather unusual flavoured ice cream popsicles ($5.50 each). We picked “Chocolate Crunch” and “Peanut Butter Potato Chip”, both of which were full of flavour and very rich.

Quite trendy. Other than it being very noisy (busy), finding a table and having a tough time actually deciding what to try, we really enjoyed our visit. This is an interesting idea and I hope it continues. We look forward to returning and trying something else…

Rating: “Nearly perfect, but not quite”

Review Date: 2020-02-23

Cuisine: American/British

Address: 916 W Fulton Market, Chicago, IL 60607, United States

Public Transport: Morgan

Location: Chicago (USA) - Fulton River

Map:

Telephone: +1 (312) 637-3888

URL: https://www.timeoutmarket.com/chicago/