Ben's Allergy & Restaurant Reviews

I went to Runaway Cow in Chicago! They’re closed till the spring of 2027 so it was great timing I went when I did. I’m allergic to dairy, peanuts, & tree nuts and being able to have a sundae that is dairy-free & nut-free is truly incredible. There are still peanut flavors I have to be careful of, but they use oat milk ice cream so it’s very easy to make it dairy-free & nut-free.

Food Rating: 8 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: This Brownie Delight Sundae was amazing!! The Brownie, Oat Milk Ice Cream, Hot Fudge, & Marshmallow Fluff were an amazing combination. It’s truly something I would come back for.

Allergy Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: They clearly tell you they use Oat Milk for their ice cream on their website. They’re so many options to eat here. I really loved my experience here at the Runaway Cow & I highly recommend you try this place whenever it’s in season.

Have you tried Runaway Cow in Chicago?

I Tried MingHin Cuisine in Chinatown Chicago. I have never had Dim Sum before in my life and I wanted to try it since I have seen lots of social media content creators try dim sum.

Food Rating: 7 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: The Deep Fried Pork Dumpling Stole the show here. It was so freaking delicious!! I enjoyed the sticky rice, potstickers, & the pork soup dumplings were amazing. It was a great restaurant in Chicago Chinatown and I can’t complain about the food at all!!

Allergy Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: I didn’t have an allergic reaction and my waiter was super helpful about my food allergies. Overall, I had an amazing experience at MingHin Cuisine in Chicago’s Chinatown.

Have you been to MingHin Cuisine in Chicago Chinatown?

I went to Stan’s Donuts in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. I saw on social media they had dairy-free (vegan) donuts and I found them and I want to share my experience with you!!

Food Rating: 8 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: It was so good I had to get some before I went home to Ohio. I went to this location twice and I absolutely loved these vegan cinnamon sugar and vegan chocolate donuts. I was so amazed by the size of these donuts. I enjoyed both of the donuts here at Stan’s. They were $8 (I rounded up for charity) for both donuts. I loved these amazing donuts.

Allergy Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: I absolutely loved these amazing allergen statement on the bag for the donuts. I had no allergic reactions and they serve dairy-free donuts. It’s super difficult to find places that serve dairy-free donuts and Stan’s is a great to serve these amazing donuts.

Have you been to Stan’s Donuts?

I went to Salt and IDOF on the Navy Pier and I want to share my experience with you!!

Food Rating: 6 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: I loved my burger here. The smash patty was a nice touch. I also enjoyed the fries and the IDOF Pita Chips.

Allergy Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: I didn’t have an allergic reaction on the Navy Pier in Chicago. Overall, I highly recommend you try this combination stand at the Navy Pier.
Have you been to the Navy Pier in Chicago?

I went to Graze Kitchen at the Brookfield Zoo in Brookfield, Illinois. I just got done visiting the Penguins and this place is right next to the Penguin Exhibit.

Food Rating: 6 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: I absolutely loved their chicken tenders and fries. The chicken was fresh and amazing. Their fries were really good too. It was pricy $26 including a drink, but it was worth it especially since I arrived at the zoo at 10am and wanted to get some lunch.

Allergy Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: They have dairy free options labeled on their menu. This is a huge deal for me since I’m allergic to dairy. Overall, I really enjoyed my time at the Graze Kitchen and the Brookfield Zoo.

Have you been to Graze Kitchen at the Brookfield Zoo?

I went to Skippy’s Gyros in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. My hotel was in Oakbrook Terrace so it was nice and close to where I stayed at.

Food Rating: 7 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: The portion sizes here were humongous. I got so much gyro meat on my gyro. I really enjoyed my gyro here. The fries were amazing as well. They reminded me of fair fries, which are really good .

Allergy Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: I had no allergic reactions eating here and I had a pretty good experience here at Skippy’s Gyros.

Have you been to Skippy’s Gyros?

I went to the Brown Bag Seafood Company in Downtown Chicago. I will say the service was quick, fast, and effective because I was trying to get to Chicago 360 to see the Chicago Skyline at 3. I really did appreciate the friendliness of everyone here.

Food Rating: 7 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: The Salmon was absolutely amazing. It tasted like fresh caught salmon and it stole the show here. I also got rice, tater tots, veggies, & a Swedish fish. This food was amazing.

Allergy Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: I didn’t have an allergic reaction eating here and I really enjoyed my experience here at the Brown Bag Seafood Company in Chicago.

Have you been to the Brown Bag Seafood Company?

I went to Charlie’s Restaurant in Forest Park, Illinois. My tire light came on and I got my car fixed at the Walmart in Forest Park. I walked 13 minutes there and back while they were working on my car. I’m absolutely glad Charlie’s made my morning great. Also they fixed my car so it was a nice morning to know my car wasn’t severely damaged in anyway.

Food Rating: 7 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: Holy Cow!! I absolutely loved the pork chop. It was hot, juicy and fresh. I really enjoyed the eggs, hashbrowns, & sourdough toast. My meal here was absolutely amazing and I recommend you try Charlie’s food.

Allergy Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: I didn’t have an allergic reaction and I felt like my food allergies were taken seriously here. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience at Charlie’s Restaurant in Forest Park, Illinois!

Have you been to Charlie’s Restaurant?

I went to Mission BBQ in Downers Grove, Illinois and I want to share my experience with you!!

Food Rating: 6 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: I loved the beef brisket and the pulled pork, but the fries here really stole the show here.

Allergy Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: They have an allergen menu that is easy to read. I also went to godairyfree.org and found an allergen menu that tells me what is dairy free and what isn’t dairy free. Overall, I had a great experience here at Mission BBQ.

Have you been to Mission BBQ?

I went to Lou Malnati’s in Oakbrook Terrace, Illinois. They’re lots of different Lou Malnati’s locations around the Chicago Area. My family talks about this place and when they go to Chicago they come here to get pizza.

Food Rating: 10 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: My family was right!! I was so impressed with the pizza here. I loved their sausage. It felt like I was eating a fresh sausage patty. I really loved their deep dish pizza crust too. I absolutely love this pizza place and I will come here again when I visit Chicago.

Allergy Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars
Rationale: They have an allergen menu and I was able to find out what was in their pizza crust by going on their app and website. It was amazing to know they have dairy-free pizza. If I’m ever in Chicago with my family we’ll have to come here and enjoy some pizza.

Have you been to Lou Malnati’s Pizza?