CHICAGO — With our broad shoulders and big mouths, Chicagoans are known to take down a meal with ease.
Whether it’s an Italian beef sandwich sopping in au jus or an artery-clogging Maxwell Street Polish, we eat passionately and don’t apologize for it.
But for those who can’t be satiated with regular greasy-spoon menu items, the city does offer more extreme options.
Need a drink the size of a purse, a pizza larger than your stovetop, or a burrito as big as a newborn baby? Chicago has it.
Could you tackle one of these big boys, or are your eyes bigger than your stomach?
The Big Dat Donut
Where to get it: Dat Donut, 8251 S. Cottage Grove Ave., Chatham.
In the South, extra-large things are called “Texas-sized,” but in the case of The Big Dat Donut, we can just call it Chicago-style.
The Big Dat Donut at Dat Donut in Chatham has been a South Side staple since 1994, drawing hungry customers from near and far.
Equivalent to about four or five regular-sized doughnuts, The Big Dat is roughly the size of an adult human head.
It costs $5.12, tax included.
The yeast doughnuts are made fresh daily, hand-cut, extra-proofed and fried to perfection on each side.
They’re drowned in huge scoops of glaze or homemade chocolate frosting and set out for display, where they fly off the shelves.
A single bite is but a drop in the ocean when tackling this ginormous delicacy, so be prepared to share, save or stuff yourself.
The doughnut shop confirmed earlier this year it plans to open a second Dat Donut location at 947 W. Wellington Ave. in Lakeview, making the Big Dat that much more accessible to fans.
While you’re at the Chatham shop, try the other beloved fare, like the bowtie doughnuts, breakfast sandwiches and apple fritters — or grab a mouthwatering barbecue lunch at Uncle John’s BBQ, owned by the same family.
Super Mega-Rita
Where to get it: Cesar’s Killer Margaritas, 2924 N. Broadway, Lakeview.
Why have a party on a trolley when you can have a party in a glass?
Already known for its massive margaritas, Cesar’s Killer Margaritas in Lakeview somehow made its signature drink even bigger.
At a whopping 64 ounces, the Super Mega-Rita is about three times the size of Cesar’s Mega Margarita, which is already a hefty 24 ounces.
The towering drink is roughly the size of a small bird bath and requires two hands to grip its thick glass stem.
The Super Mega-Rita comes in all the same festive flavors Cesar’s offers for its other margs, including banana, blackberry, chamoy, coconut, guava, dragonfruit, hibiscus, lime, and mango.
Your cup can runeth over for $55.
One Super Mega-Rita serves about four people.
The Giant Pizza
Where to get it: JB Alberto’s Pizza, 1326 W. Morse Ave., Rogers Park.
It’s 10:30 p.m. and a show just let out at the Riviera Theatre.
As hungry concertgoers spill out of the venue, a car pulls up to the curb and a man in a baseball cap steps out with a massive cardboard box.
Emblazoned on the top are the magic words: The Giant.
J.B. Alberto’s Pizza has come through again.
This scenario is common across the North Side: When you’re hungry for pizza, and lots of it, you’re going for The Giant from the Rogers Park pizzeria.
The massive thin-crust pizza is 24 inches in diameter and conservatively serves six to eight people.
The 2-foot-wide pizza is exactly 452.39 square inches — it says it on the box.
To put it in perspective, the pie is about the size of a stovetop and then some.
According to J.B. Alberto’s, The Giant is “absolutely Chicago’s largest delivered pizza.”
The Giant features house-made sauce and freshly shredded mozzarella atop the restaurant’s famous crispy, flaky crust — and it’s cut tavern-style, of course.
Open since 1967, J.B. Alberto’s is known for its huge pizza-related endeavors.
In 2017, owners beat the record for World’s Longest Pizza by creating a 1-mile-long pie in California, and in 2023, the restaurant teamed up with an international group of pizza experts to break the Guinness World Record for World’s Largest Pizza Party.
Concha Gigante Y Cafe de Olla XL
Where to get it: Mr. Chilaquil, 3904 W. 47th St., Archer Heights.
No weekend brunch is complete without a hot cup of coffee and a sweet pastry.
Now, take that concept to an almost hilariously enormous degree and you’ve got the Concha Gigante Y Cafe de Olla XL at Mr. Chilaquil in Archer Heights.
You’ll feel teeny tiny with this colorful mammoth concha and vat of java before you.
The concha is served on a platter with a large cake knife for cutting.
The Mexican-spiced coffee comes in a cauldron-sized mug with a handful of normal-sized mugs and a ladle.
The spectacle is brought to your table by a line of dancing waitresses, adding to the whimsy.
The supersized breakfast will set you back $45, but it’s shareable.
Scoff at the price if you will, but people line up down the street to get it.
Portofino Purse
Where to get it: Pizzeria Portofino, 317 N. Clark St., Downtown.
A purse is meant for essentials, non-essentials, future purchases and any treasures or small animals you may find.
Pizzeria Portofino overlooking the Chicago River adds another purpose: a highly Instagrammable drink receptacle.
For $85, you can get one of the restaurant’s four signature cocktails served in a purse: the Aperol Spritz, Amalfi Spritz, Venetian Spritz, or Paparazzi, which has elderflower, Prosecco, mint, and cucumber.
Served over ice with citrus slices and long bendy straws, the clear purse contains four to five drinks, has a handle for easy transportation and is meant to be shared with up to four friends.
This trendy seasonal accessory is available during the summer.
Big Baby Burrito
Where to get it: Martinez Mexican Bar and Grill, 3301 S. Morgan Ave., Bridgeport.
Congratulations, it’s a burrito!
At 7 pounds and 20 inches, the Big Baby Burrito from Martinez Mexican Bar and Grill, also known as Martinez Supermarket, is wrapped in soft-as-a-blanket tortillas and must be handled with care.
The colossal entree is about the length of an arm and weighs as much as a chihuahua (or two).
It comes with the classics — beans, cheese, onions, cilantro, sour cream, lettuce, and tomato — plus your choice of handfuls of seasoned meats such as chopped skirt steak, chorizo, chicken, al pastor, or ground beef.
When ordered to go, it comes in a giant cardboard box that looks as if it could fit a small Roman column.
You can’t be a big baby about the price — it costs over $60.
The good news? The Big Baby Burrito can, and probably should, be shared.
image source from：https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/04/14/chicagos-biggest-foods-from-7-pound-burritos-to-texas-sized-doughnuts/
