Lindy’s Chili & Gertie’s Ice Cream

Chicago, United States

3.4

Closed now

26 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 773-927-7807
Website:
www.lindyschili.com
Address:
3685 S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL, 60609
b/t Claremont Ave & Western Blvd
McKinley Park
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
930 ft35th/Archer Orange Line Station
0.2 mi35th/Archer
1.1 mi36th Street & Kedzie Terminal
Categories:
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Lunch
Parking
Private Lot
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Full Bar
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Dogs Allowed
No
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
Yes

Today

Today 10:30 am – 11:00 pm
Closed now
Local time (Chicago) 23:56 Monday, 9 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 10:30 am – 11:00 pm
Tuesday 10:30 am – 11:00 pm
Wednesday 10:30 am – 11:00 pm
Thursday 10:30 am – 11:00 pm
Friday 10:30 am – 12:00 am
Saturday 10:30 am – 12:00 am
Sunday 12:00 pm – 10:00 pm

Description

Specialties

Chili, Ice Cream, American food, family restaurant, catering

History

Established in 1924.

Lindy’s chili began serving Chicago’s best Chili in 1924 and Gerties Ice Cream opened in 1901. In the mid 70’s they were brought together into one restaurant.

Meet the Business Owner

Richard H.

Business Owner

Over 10 years in the restaurant business and the owner of two Lindy’s and Gertie’s.

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26 reviews of Lindy’s Chili & Gertie’s Ice Cream

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Place rating: 3
Naperville, IL
I’ve passed it many times on the way to Midway. Sketchy and vintage looking, intriguing. We made a U turn after a last minute decision to try it and I’m glad we did! You don’t go here for the ambience, you go here for Chili Mac. Get the bowl with beans: $ 2.85, sour cream, cheese, and onions are extra but delivered in friendly fashion in sanitary plastic cups. The service is great, the vinyl booths duct taped in matching green, the chili: delicious! Cmon, don’t be a snob, come get Lindy’s Famous Chili!
Place rating: 1
Chicago, IL
Grew up in the neighborhood (archer & western) the chili used to be excellent. …Truthfully now I wouldn’t feed this shit to my dog. How this place is still open is beyond me, the service was terrible. The food was worse, to be honest go a few blocks west on Archer to Wendy’s to get better chilli the only thing they got going is the beer is cold
Place rating: 2
Chicago, IL
Recently, I went to Lindy’s on Archer & Western, and it was really disappointing. They expanded the bar, so it was pretty noisy, and the customer service (or lack of) was really bad. The waitress didn’t even acknowledge us, and after what seem like forever, we left. I really like their chili, but if this is what is to be expected. Thanks, but no thanks!
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
Aside from being located next to the park fairly close to where I live, Lindy’s is pretty bland. I’ve gone there on multiple occasions and yet I’ve been rather apathetic on most things on the menu except for the chili. That chili was definitely something to brag about. I never tried their ice cream.
The bar section is very cramped and the locals who hang around aren’t particularly friendly. Overall, this restaurant is average at best, like this review.
Place rating: 4
Harwood Heights, IL
Stopped at Lindys during a long walk through the city. Excellent chili and ice cream.
The chili is rather mild but with hot sauce I’m able to get it the way I like it.
Service was rather unfriendly and actually kind of surly and slow. If the service improved to average Lindy’s would have gotten five stars.
Place rating: 5
Berwyn, IL
I was craving a chili cheeseburger and ice cream so this seemed like the perfect place to go. It’s a classic Chicago style burger; not the highest quality chili but a perfect compliment to the burger. I really liked that I was able to request it cooked medium and it actually came medium. Gotta love when the take out container is wrapped in plastic wrap to keep all the chili inside :)
My banana split is AMAZING!! First, I am a bit of an ice cream snob. In a blind taste, I can tell the difference between Gelato and ice cream and such. The chocolate ice cream was a perfect blend. Chocolate ice cream very easy can be slightly grainy but this was nothing like that. It is very creamy and perfectly sweet. The vanilla ice cream is flavorful and creamy. The strawberry is the only one I’ve ever had is even close to my dad’s. It’s so flavorful!
I will totally go back and look forward to eating my way through the menu: D
Place rating: 2
Oak Park, IL
Sad to have seen what has happened to this location since I was there 10 years ago. Musty smell when we walked in. Chili tasted like it came out of a can. «Nachos» were topped with cheesy goo from a can, and more of the canned chili. Shakes I heard were good from those at our table that ordered them. Hope they go back to their old formula of doing things — it used to be much better here.
Place rating: 3
Chicago, IL
Chili is good, enviroment not so much. For a place that serves chili that is a hearty meal that warms you when your cold, the dining area is freezing (it’s December turn on your heat). You would think the place would be warm and inviting. Make sure you specify if you want beans or not. My husband ordered his chili without beans. I just ordered chili. Mine came without beans but I thought it would come with beans sense that’s the main ingredient in chili guess not. So just specify when ordering.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
This is a child hood tradition i think the chlli could be a little bit better but i always come back
Place rating: 5
Manhattan, NY
Recently remodeled, but continues the tradition of excellent chili and burgers. prices are very reasonable.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
Closed for remodeling! It’s been 2 months Lindy’s when will you reopen?! I’m getting nervous over here. I’d like a cheeseburger dream meal and a vanilla shake before it gets too cold to walk the few blocks over.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
One of my favorites right here!
Either if im going on a low key date with the lady or out for a few beers with the guys, this place is always on point.
Regular Diner food with great chilli. Im usually going with the Cheeseburger Dream Meal (comes with a cup of chilli) and it has never been bad. Throw down a strawberry shake at the end and you got yourself a fantastic meal. Or belly up at the bar and have a couple Budweisers and hang out for a while.
Love this place.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
This place is awesome, I grew up coming to Lindys for ice cream with my parents. The one thing that disappoints me is this waitress who is super rude. Besides her the food is great, definitely try the Chocolate ice cream! Chocolate cows are life lol (root beer and chocolate ice cream)
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
I can’t speak to the full menu at this place, but if you show up and order a milkshake and a hot round of french fries, you will be living the dream, friends. Incredibly tasty business, with one of the best chocolate shakes I’ve had in Chicago (super thick, lots of ice cream, big, the value prop was just right). The fries were fresh cut and served in a big to-​go bag… if I had to stretch, I would complain that there were not enough ketchup packets in my bag.
Otherwise, amazing and the service was fast, but I was a takeout order, so I can’t speak to some of the complaints I’m seeing here about the table service.
Place rating: 5
Chicago, IL
Best vanilla ice cream! I’ve been here several times for the ice cream. You can take a carton to go. Never ate the food here. Definitely worth coming here for smooth, creamy delicious yummy ice cream!
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
This place is just a cool as it was when I first came here. Before Unilocal.
The servers are always nice — surprisingly so, as a matter of fact. You need more cheese? More crackers? You got it.
If I had a complaint, it would be that the décor hasn’t changed since I first came here. Before Unilocal.But I go here for the food, not the décor, so who cares?
But the fact that you can simultaneously get beer AND ice cream … Makes this place freaking amazing.
Place rating: 1
Chicago, IL
Came here on Sunday with my family trying to have a family day out we ordered 3 hot dog meals and a chili dog. What we didn’t order was a side of rudeness. The waitress took forever to come take our order. She only had 3 tables all together and was slow with everyone before she came to our table she took three milkshakes to another table and slammed and I mean SLAMMED the cup down in front of the girl not cool. When she came over to Us she took our order with her attitude at 100% we couldn’t fully order that we had to end up sharing the food AND DRINKS since she took our order in a rush and we could barley get a word in. I get better service at McDonald’s and Burger King. We will never be back.
Place rating: 1
Chicago, IL
Feel so bad writing this review but it is what it is.
Came here with some friends and waitress was so rude.
I had the cheeseburger, cup of chili, fries and a side or rudeness.
The chili was ok, fries so forgettable, burger was bad, I’ve had better burgers with the clown and the royal, but my side of rudeness was on point.
Waitress comes and puts the check on the table, we had to ask if we could have some icecream, the icecream was good BTW, banana split with strawberries and pineapple, and they added a lil something I can’t quite put my finger on it, it was strong, sour and weird, o yea it was rudeness.
not again
Place rating: 2
Chicago, IL
all this place is good for is the chili which is! nt made there and the beer. I sat and ate there, all the food was cold from the pic up window all the way to the counter
Place rating: 2
Chicago, IL
Sad not what it used to be. Time for the new owner to open his eyes once the construction out front is done.
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
I have been going to this location for over thirty years. Yikes I can’t believe it has been that long but it has. I don’t think the décor has changed in thirty years but that’s a whole different post. It used to be packed solid at lunchtime but now there was just me and three other tables.
I always get the same combination which is a cheeseburger and a cup of chili Mac and no matter what time of the day or what time of the year the quality is always the same. You can’t beat the chili Mac. The fries were actually better than previous times but that may just because they cooked them a little longer just like I like them.
There is a parking lot and free parking on the park side of the street.
Place rating: 1
Chicago, IL
I want to love this place, I really do. But the big guy in the fedora definitely makes it difficult. He’s always had something crappy to say to me when I leave. Either the tip I leave (for the teenage waitresses mind you – not him) isn’t big enough (20%) or if I tell the cashier to keep the change, he’s gotta yell out something smart-​assed like, «if you’re handing out change, I know a guy by the freeway blah blah blah». The past 3 times I’ve been in there he’s made a point to smart off AS I’M WALKING OUT and never to my face. No no – I get it. You don’t want my money. That’s fine. Your food gives me heartburn and the tables are always sticky and covered in crumbs, anyway.
Place rating: 2
Chicago, IL
The food at Lindy’s and Gertie’s used to be good, but it’s declined quite a bit over the last few years or so. I used to love their chili and ice cream, but neither things are as good as they once were.
Place rating: 1
Los Angeles, CA
Well, it’s been a minute since hubs and I have stopped in here – almost 2 years. Came in on a recent Sunday afternoon to catch the end of the Bears game, grab some lunch and a beer without having to drive to the south loop. We were hoping the new owners would have managed to turn this place around. What a mistake.
We won’t be back.
There was a cockroach scampering around on the wall across from our table and another climbing all over the booth across from us.
Midday. Broad daylight.
Luckily the waitress was pretty nice about it (though seemed a little less than shocked) and didn’t charge us for the food.
You couldn’t pay me to eat here again. It’s a shame. What I wouldn’t give for a nice, clean sports bar and grill to get some wings or a burger and watch the game without having to hop on the highway.. .. a girl can dream.
Place rating: 1
Chicago, IL
Second time. I came once at 1040. the next time at 1020. both times an older lady told «sorry we close». I ask if I can take something to go and they say no. wtf. why say you close at 11 if it’s a lie. I used to love this place but screw them now
Place rating: 4
Chicago, IL
One of my usual lunch options when I’m in court at 26th and California. Decent service and the food is always consistently good.
Chili and a dog for me.