As you progress through your first year in college, you might crave a break from the dining hall food every now and then. Below is a list of restaurants in Hyde Park recommended by upperclassmen. Included are suggestions from the Foodie app, an app created by recent UChicago graduates that autonomously crowdsources and analyzes ratings from publicly available restaurant reviews.
https://www.chicagomaroon.com/article/2018/9/25/cheat-sheet-eat-hyde-park/
Thanks @CU123
My personal take and of course that includes heavy personal bias.
Valois: absolutely overrated for dinner. Decent breakfast as long as you don’t mind high calorie high fat content food. Somehow the food tasted better 30 year ago when I was a grad student at HP 
Salonica: very boring place and don’t know how it can survive all these years.
Giordano: probably the worst outlet for this popular chain in Chicago. Eat in the Loop or suburbs for this chain.
Harold Chicken Shack: the “white Harold”. South side favorite and great fried chicken if you eat it right away. Great sauce but don;t let it sit on the chicken for a long time or it will be a soggy mess.
Noodle etc.: MSG central. Good for pseudo Chinese food.
Medici: decent college town food. Do try the “Vaguely Reminiscent” dessert: a very delicious chocolate mousse pie.
Weighing in based on very recent experience:
Harold’s: Letting the sauce sit on the chicken - not to mention on the fries and white bread - is what it’s all about! A true Harold’s experience. Be sure to order both BBQ and Hot Sauce. My husband was able to call ahead last time he was in town. That works if they actually pick up the phone. Prepare for long lines and know that the packaging for your white half or whatever you ordered is the same as it was in 1985 and probably well before that. Some things just shouldn’t change.
Giordano’s: HP isn’t quite as good as Downtown or Lincoln Park but that’s because those others are out of this world, at least w/r/t the spinach pizza (the only kind I order). Personally, I enjoy the HP restaurant and it’s very easy to get to if you want to stick around the area for lunch or dinner. We also enjoy the one up here in Minneapolis. Giordano’s is good regardless of location (IMHO).
Medici: always a great choice with a college’y atmosphere. Delicious shakes. That chocolate mousse thing is renowned. One simply has to visit at least once.
Not mentioned:
Shinju Shushi: we ordered delivery on a super-busy night and had to wait forever. It was worth it. Surprised to discover that pretty standard fare such as Miso soup and Tempura were simply excellent and particularly flavorful.
Snail (Thai): Haven’t tried it but my husband and kids really like the food there.
Yes I agree with the above about Harold’s. Got to do it the right way. It’s a Chicago institution.
I enjoyed the Mexicana milkshake at Medici’s. Seems to have some spice (but not spicy) to it, and super creamy.
Also, the claim to fame for Valois Diner is that Obama ate there often so it’s fun to eat where the president ate. They do give you a boat load of food, but if you only had a day or two in Chicago, maybe skip it. Or eat there if you’re pressed for time and are staying at Hyatt Place because it’s literally around the corner from that hotel.
Thanks to all for the food and fun recommendations!
Don’t recall ever having b-fast at Valois but I used to enjoy the burgers there at lunch, once upon a time.
JB- gotta try Valois for breakfast. Go hungry!
I like the Giordanos in Hyde Park. It is not much different than any of the chains. But if you have to have Deep Dish craving and you don’t have time to leave HP, it’s a acceptable option.
The Promontory is a fancy joint for students and I think it is a bit overpriced. But food is decent and it seems to be always packed with people.
I have not been there but Mesler at Sophy Hotel has gotten good reviews from my friends. Definitely a place for students to take their parents there and have them pay for the meal 
Medici has a separate Bakery and Deli store front right next to the restaurant and a few tables along the sidewalk. When it isn’t too hot in summer or it is too cold after October, it is actually quite pleasant to sit outside and munch on your sandwich or muffin while enjoying your Hyde Park people watching.
typo: when it isn’t too cold after October
I would like to add Uncle Joe’s Jerk Chicken (at E. HP Blvd. and Harper) to the list. I have friends who swear by its lunch.
How about Nile on 55th? We thought it is a decent Middle Eastern restaurant. Agree that Noodles etc. is there for the convinience, not really up to the par.
FYI to new families/students: the dining halls are closed Saturday evenings. While many take that opportunity to hit other parts of Chicago for food, it’s great to know that there are excellent options in HP itself.
Nile’s OK, but very pseudo-Mediterranean. If you grew up in an area with good food from the region, it feels a little…off.
There’s also an excellent sushi place on 55th street. General rule of thumb in my friend group is to go there for really good sushi, and to Shinju for their all-you-can-eat option.
Daley’s Diner on 63rd (not Hyde Park, but close enough) is a personal favorite. Valois is my go-to to eat at that place Obama liked, because why the heck not, but Daley’s is where I go for a great meal. The menu’s standard diner fare/soul food, but really good for what it is - at a reasonable price. The restaurant itself is older than the University - workers building the World’s Fair site and a certain university were among their earliest customers. They recently moved to a new building (after something like a century in the old one), so the space doesn’t have the same charm, but the staff and food are as great as ever. I’ve eaten many 6 AM breakfasts there after getting off an early bus or plane.
Anyone have any thoughts on Piccolo Mondo?
@DunBoyer, what is the name of your sushi place on 55th?
Virtue in HP was very good - nouvelle Southern food
I liked Noodles; I ate there twice and I thought it was fairly authentic.
La Petite Folie was good food, but the clientele a little stodgy
The nearby Ascione Bistro serves great food; plentiful and fresh. Too noisy for my linking
Plein Aire , next to Robie House, is good but a little crowded, and no student discount.
Nella (underneath one of the dorms) for pizza & pasta is good, they don’t offer students discounts, but according the the manager, the uni funded the interior design overhaul to entice them (Nella) to move into the space. I think, given its location on campus, they should give the students some kind of discount.
I had breakfast in Yellow Mellow one morning; the food was ok, not great - and they charge for each cup of tea, no refills.
Capri Pizza was disgusting. The place is filthy, and the food was really sub-par. That said, the service was very good.