Choose Your Dinner
- Keep the example food subtotal lowest: The StopAlong Bucktown, two 10-inch pizzas for USD 29 using authorized online-order prices.
- Have a complete plate each: Irazu, two chicken casados for USD 48 on the posted restaurant menu.
- Choose a French bistro dinner: Le Bouchon, two butter-topped steak frites for USD 72, or its USD 80 whole duck for two.
| Restaurant | Example Order For Two | Food Subtotal, USD | Before You Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| The StopAlong Bucktown | 10-inch cheese + 10-inch Major Payne | 29 | Online-order prices; confirm dine-in pricing; Monday closed |
| Irazu | Two chicken casados | 48 | Plates include rice and beans, plantains, cabbage salad and an egg; Sunday closed |
| Le Bouchon | Two steak frites with maître d’hôtel butter | 72 | Sauces change the steak price; use the official reservation link |
These are example food subtotals for two people, checked October 14, 2026. Drinks, dessert, tax, tip and any additional charges are excluded. They are not fixed-price packages or guaranteed final bills. The duck is a separate USD 80 shared main; it is not included in the steak example.
The StopAlong For Two Different Pizza Orders
The StopAlong Bucktown makes sense when you want to agree on dinner without agreeing on toppings. Its authorized online menu lists a 10-inch cheese pizza at USD 13 and a 10-inch Major Payne at USD 16. The latter adds pepperoni, jalapeños, garlic and cilantro to spicy tomato sauce. That is a USD 29 food subtotal for two small pies; appetite, extra toppings and drinks determine how far it goes.
Choose the pair if separate toppings matter more than a multi-course meal. Confirm the restaurant’s dine-in prices before using an online subtotal as your table budget. The original Bucktown branch is 1812 N Milwaukee Avenue; the California Avenue restaurant is a different location. Monday is closed, and online ordering closes earlier than the venue.
Irazu For A Main With The Sides Included
A casado is the reason to put Irazu on this shortlist: the accompaniments are already part of the main. The official menu lists chicken at USD 24 and skirt steak at USD 26. Each comes with gallo pinto, sweet plantains, cabbage salad and an over-easy egg. Two chicken plates total USD 48; choosing one chicken and one steak makes it USD 50. The veggie version is USD 20, but the listed egg matters if someone is avoiding animal ingredients.
This is the pick for companions who want different proteins and their own plates. Sandwiches offer a lower starting price, but switching to one changes the meal and what is included. Use 1865 N Milwaukee Avenue, Bucktown, and the restaurant-linked reservation page. Published dine-in service runs Tuesday–Saturday, 11 a.m.–9 p.m.; Sunday is closed.
Le Bouchon For The Bistro Meal You Budgeted For
Le Bouchon belongs here because its dinner menu makes the bigger spend legible. Steak frites with maître d’hôtel butter is USD 36; the au poivre version is USD 40. Two butter-topped steaks total USD 72, while two au poivre orders reach USD 80 before anything else. The half roast chicken with potatoes and haricots verts is USD 35.
For a meal centered on sharing, the menu explicitly places the USD 80 whole roasted Pekin duck, with duck-fat spätzle and cabbage, under dishes for two. Choose the duck when sharing one main is part of the occasion. If you want separate plates, the chicken and steak examples are easier to agree on. Starters and wine will move the total up. The address is 1958 N Damen Avenue, Bucktown; book through Le Bouchon. Confirm your actual dinner time in the booking system.
Set The Budget Before Adding The Extras
If USD 29 is already most of your food budget, start with The StopAlong’s two small pies and check dine-in pricing. If you want rice, beans and accompaniments accounted for on the plate, Irazu is the clearer comparison. Le Bouchon earns its place when the occasion calls for a French main and you are comfortable starting around USD 70–80 for two before starters or drinks.
Send your companion the order, not just the restaurant name. “Two chicken casados” is a more useful agreement than “somewhere affordable.” For another pizza format, open our Wicker Park and Bucktown pizza guide; the Bucktown planning page keeps the local profiles together.
How we chose: We compared official menus, matched the exact branches and checked linked booking or ordering information on October 14, 2026. These are research-based recommendations; Top Food Spots has not conducted a tasting or restaurant visit for this guide.