The Top 8 Up-and-Coming Food Influencers in Chicago
Chicago food influencers who punch above their follower count: 8 up-and-coming creators with up to 5 times the typical engagement of their size, and how to book a visit.
Most Chicago-area food accounts with 5,000 to 100,000 followers get about 6 likes and comments per 1,000 followers on a typical Reel.
1. Anthony, @anthonymartorina: sit-down restaurants, brunch and food events
sit-down restaurants, brunch and food events
- Engagement Strength
- 29.05x the typical Chicago food account
- Followers
- 21,052
- Avg. views per Reel
- 11,424
- Reels, last 30 days
- 13+
Anthony covers Chicago restaurants, happy hours and food events, from Lincoln Park and Wicker Park to Naperville. Recent posts include the Greek menu at Noema Greek Gastrobar in Lincoln Park, the Chicago Caviar Dog at The Wiener's Circle, which reached 25,524 views, and Thai Moo Gratha barbecue at Ezankaya Baan Suan in Lincoln Park.
The strongest fit is a sit-down restaurant, a brunch or a happy hour with a chef or a menu story to tell. The bio asks for collaboration requests by DM.
2. Dee, @dee.luxee.eats: black-owned spots, ramen and dumplings
black-owned spots, ramen and dumplings
- Engagement Strength
- 23.04x the typical Chicago food account
- Followers
- 21,068
- Avg. views per Reel
- 47,039
- Reels, last 30 days
- 9+
Dee covers Chicago restaurants, new spots and city events, from Pilsen to Bridgeport. Recent posts include the expanded menu with jerk chicken pizza at Truffle Chicago in Pilsen, late-night ramen at Shinya Ramen House in Bridgeport, and Nepalese momos at The Momo Factory.
The strongest fit is a Black-owned restaurant, a late-night kitchen or a spot with one dish people have not tried yet. The bio invites collaboration requests by DM or email.
3. Jessica, @itsjessgameng: asian restaurants, happy hours and date nights
asian restaurants, happy hours and date nights
- Engagement Strength
- 22.74x the typical Chicago food account
- Followers
- 6,599
- Avg. views per Reel
- 8,936
- Reels, last 30 days
- 5+
Jessica mixes Chicago restaurant posts with travel, with a steady run of Asian food around the city. Recent posts include the $21 Korean fried chicken happy hour at Perilla, which reached 22,538 views, ramen at Takumi Ramen in Pilsen, and shareable plates for date night at Ella Elli.
The strongest fit is an Asian restaurant, a happy hour deal or a date-night spot. The bio lists an email for UGC and collaborations, so it is worth asking about video you can use on your own account.
4. Kayla and Chris, @ourlittlefood: date nights, lunch deals and desserts
date nights, lunch deals and desserts
- Engagement Strength
- 21.54x the typical Chicago food account
- Followers
- 13,366
- Avg. views per Reel
- 30,896
- Reels, last 30 days
- 11+
Kayla and Chris are a couple who post Chicago date nights, restaurants and things to do. Recent posts include the focaccia with a tallow candle at Butcher & the Bear, the $25 three-course weekday lunch at Matilda in River North, and the 15 layer chocolate hazelnut cake at Labriola, which reached 154,107 views.
They suit a restaurant that works as a date-night pick, or one with a set-price lunch or tasting menu. The bio lists an email address.
See Kayla and Chris's Instagram
5. Sal, @salcaneat: soul food, sandwiches and south side spots
soul food, sandwiches and south side spots
- Engagement Strength
- 21.24x the typical Chicago food account
- Followers
- 51,743
- Avg. views per Reel
- 25,569
- Reels, last 30 days
- 15+
Sal reviews Chicagoland food with an address in every post, much of it on the South Side and in the south suburbs. Recent posts include Magic City BBQ on East 103rd Street, which reached 27,892 views, soul food at Kisha's Kitchen, which reached 82,690 views, and tacos at Raymond's Tacos on Damen, which reached 20,107 views.
The strongest fit is an independent soul food kitchen, sandwich shop, barbecue spot or brunch with a set price. The bio invites collaboration requests by inbox or email.
6. @eatsinchicago: cafes, pizza and suburban openings
cafes, pizza and suburban openings
- Engagement Strength
- 16.83x the typical Chicago food account
- Followers
- 6,611
- Avg. views per Reel
- 9,553
- Reels, last 30 days
- 15+
This account covers cafes, bakeries and casual spots in Chicago and the suburbs, from Pilsen and Logan Square to Oak Park and Naperville. Recent posts include the 16 inch tavern style Margherita pizza at Novel pizza cafe in Pilsen, which reached 28,506 views, empanadas and an iced vanilla latte at the new Mateando in Logan Square, and an iced vanilla latte at 3fold bakery in Oak Park.
The strongest fit is a coffee shop, bakery or pizza place, especially a new suburban location or a seasonal menu. The bio invites collaboration requests by DM or email.
See @eatsinchicago's Instagram
7. @chicagohalalfoods: zabiha halal, suburbs and new openings
zabiha halal, suburbs and new openings
- Engagement Strength
- 13.02x the typical Chicago food account
- Followers
- 16,750
- Avg. views per Reel
- 20,112
- Reels, last 30 days
- 8+
This account tracks zabiha halal food across Chicago and the suburbs, from Albany Park to Lombard, Des Plaines and Bloomingdale. Recent posts include the dedicated zabiha halal menu at US Ramen in Bloomingdale, which reached 81,797 views, Central Asian food at Arzan Cafe in Albany Park, and a new Syrian shawarma food truck with garlic sauce, Shawerma G.
The strongest fit is a halal restaurant, a new suburban location or a spot that has added a halal menu. The bio asks for collaboration requests by DM.
See @chicagohalalfoods's Instagram
8. Tommy, @tommyjoochoi: restaurant openings, chefs and neighborhood bars
restaurant openings, chefs and neighborhood bars
- Engagement Strength
- 11.12x the typical Chicago food account
- Followers
- 47,675
- Avg. views per Reel
- 18,352
- Reels, last 30 days
- 17+
Tommy is a Chicago realtor whose recent Reels are almost all restaurant news, with the address and the story behind each spot. Recent posts include the wings at Output Lounge, which reached 32,350 views, the first Midwest location of Nan Xiang soup dumplings in River North, and thin crust pizza at Side Street Saloon in Lakeview.
The strongest fit is a new opening or a long-running neighborhood spot with a chef or history worth explaining. Send the opening date, the address and the dish you want shown.
How to reach Chicago food influencers and get a visit booked
Finding someone you want to work with is the start. You still need a reply, agreed terms, a visit on the calendar and the content afterward.
Find their business email, follow them and reach out
Look for the email button on their Instagram profile, a business-inquiries address in their bio or a contact page on their linked website. If they list a manager for collaborations, use that contact.
Follow the account and watch a few recent restaurant videos. Then email a specific invitation: which restaurant you run, where it is, what you would like them to try and what you are proposing in return. Mention a relevant post of theirs so they can see why you chose them.
Send a short DM pointing them to your email. If their profile asks businesses to DM rather than email, start there. The goal is to get the invitation seen through the channels they use for work.
Follow up and get your terms in writing
If you do not hear back, follow up after a few business days. If there is still no response, move on to another good fit. Stop if they decline.
Once they are interested, agree on the food credit, any cash fee, guest count, content they will produce and posting deadline. Include raw footage and commercial usage rights if you need them. Permission to advertise from the influencer's account is separate from permission to run their video from your restaurant's account.
Get those terms in writing before you book. A friendly yes does not tell you whether you are getting a Reel, a few Stories or any files you can use afterward.
Schedule the visit and tell your team what was agreed
Offer specific dates and service windows. Confirm the influencer's name, party size, arrival time, dining credit and who they should ask for when they arrive. Give your team the same information.
Send a reminder before the visit. If the date changes, update the booking and your team so the new plan is not buried in a DM.
Follow up until you have the content
After the visit, check the posting deadline, review anything that requires approval and collect the files you agreed on. Follow up if the content is late. Save the finished video, raw clips and written permissions together so you can actually use them later.
Keep track of the influencers whose content, attitude and follow-through you liked. Those are the people to invite back. You do not need to start a new search every month when you have relationships worth continuing.
Want local influencers without managing all that back-and-forth?
You can do this yourself. The work is keeping a dozen different conversations moving: who replied, who agreed to your terms, who needs a date, who rescheduled and who still owes you content.
Remy gets interested local influencers to apply to work with your restaurant on your terms. You approve the influencers and their content. Remy handles scheduling, reminders, rescheduling and content follow-up, and you keep the relationships so you can invite good people back.
Instead of chasing every person on a list, you can choose from influencers who have already applied to work with you.
Looking for another city? See our food influencer lists by city, including New York City, Boston and Las Vegas.
About the numbers
Engagement Strength is the likes and comments a typical recent Reel gets per 1,000 followers, using each account's newest Reels from the past 90 days. We screened 116 Chicago-area food accounts with 5,000 to 100,000 followers and checked each finalist for real Chicago restaurant coverage. The typical account we screened scored 6. Data collected 2026-09-24.