Next up in our neighborhood series is Little India, a glimpse of Indian culture on Devon Avenue between California and Damen.
South Asian immigrants first started arriving in Chicago after the Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965, and they opened Indian shops and grocery stores — like Patel Brothers. Even more businesses opened in the ‘80s and ‘90s as Jewish residents left West Ridge, and a second wave of immigrants arrived. The strip became largely commercial in the 2000s as some families got priced out and others moved to the suburbs.
Irshad Khan, who grew up in the area and whose father had businesses on Devon starting in the ‘80s, shares his recs.
Something to Eat
- 🥭 While cruising through Devon, grab a quick mango shake from the local Fresh Farms International Market.
- 🥔 Crunch on pani puris at Spinzer.
- 🫓 Ali’s Nihari brings the flavors of the north Indian subcontinent straight to your taste buds. With fluffy tandoor-cooked naans and sumptuous butter chicken, nihari, and BBQ dishes, there are choices to please the pickiest of palettes.
- 🥠 For vegetarian options, you can't go wrong by getting a freshly fried samosa from Annapurna with your choice of sweet or spiced chutney.
- 🍬 Got a sweet tooth that needs to be sated? Look no further than Tahoora with their endless choices of sweets and shakes which could be eaten on the spot or can be taken home as a treat or gift.
- ☕ Finish the night off at Karachi Chat with some decadent Kashmiri chai garnished with ground pistachios.
Tuk Tuk installations were installed along Devon Avenue last year. (Courtesy of Rogers Park Business Alliance)
Something to See
- 🎨 There are some really nice murals in the area as well as the colorful Tuk Tuk project.
Something to Do
- 🛍️ Shopping is endless and depends what you are looking for from the South Asian subcontinent.
Boundaries of Little India. (Google Maps)
