When chicken Caesar wraps became viral a few years back, I quickly got involved with that. For me, it all started when a friend took me Bobwhite Counter on a trip back home in Jersey City. But something told me Chicago food could hang with what I grew up on in Jersey. Between bites at Bobwhite’s, I knew I had to find the best chicken Caesar wrap in Chicago.
While it’s taken me a few years and a handful of (won) debates, I’m 100% certain I found it. The very best chicken Caesar wrap in Chicago. My credentials? Love for the game. Next question.
Lastly, I’m sorry, but this is going to cause a lot of discourse. But when I’m right, I’m right—and you have to trust me on this one. Here we go.
Little Victories
Out of every viral chicken Caesar wrap I’ve tried in Chicago, the best, without a single doubt, is at Little Victories in Wicker Park. I know, you’ve heard this before. I didn’t want to believe the hype either. But it’s true.
This puppy is fat as a house, packed to the brim in the fluffiest flour tortilla you’ve ever wrapped your hands around. It’s so big it feels like it’s about to burst, but somehow it always stays intact.
Inside, crushed pita chips add an extra crunch, bringing together the crispy lettuce, decadently creamy Caesar dressing, and crispy buttermilk fried chicken in a way that feels like a complete dream.
To finish it off, both sides of the wrap are covered in parmesan cheese. It’s diabolical—especially because getting a table at Little Victories is so hard, given that it’s always packed. Get there early, get there hungry, and get there only if you’re 21+, because they won’t let you in otherwise. Plus, it’s only $16, which is solid compared to a lot of the other chicken Caesar wraps in Chicago. It doesn’t come with fries, though—but it’s more than enough food without them.
Village Tap
Village Tap in Roscoe Village makes a chicken Caesar wrap you’ll write home about. Seriously, after my first bite, I stopped to take a photo so I could show my dad.
This one is stuffed into a seared tortilla and comes with a tangy Caesar dressing, which you have to ask for more of on the side. And no, that’s not because it doesn’t come with enough—it’s because it comes with fries, and you’ll want to dip them in there too.
The lettuce is crunchy, the chicken is grilled and seasoned in a way I’m still trying to perfect in my home kitchen, and the croutons have just the right amount of crunch. I love this one because every bite is the same—everything is perfectly, evenly distributed, and you never end up with a bite where you’re like, “ugh, I got no chicken in that.” You will get chicken. In. Every. Bite.
This one is $20, which is a bit pricier, but unlike Little Victories, it does come with fries, like I previously mentioned. Plus, the beer selection here is top-tier.
Nonna’s Pizza & Sandwiches
When I tell you that I will add banana peppers to anything, I will. If there are banana peppers on the menu, I will be having banana peppers in or on whatever I’m getting. I don’t care if it’s cereal. Thankfully, I don’t have to add any to my chicken Caesar wrap from Nonna’s in Fulton Market. They already come in the wrap.
Nonna’s chicken Caesar wrap is delicious. In addition to banana peppers, it’s got grilled chicken breast, croutons, parmesan, onions, and a creamy Caesar dressing all wrapped in, and the flavors go together like you wouldn’t even believe.
It’s certainly on the pricier side for a solo chicken Caesar wrap and will run you about $18 (which comes out to, like, $20 over tax, and don’t even get me started on delivery), but trust me—if you’re willing to splurge, this one’s going to change you.
GG’s Chicken Shop
GG’s on Southport is different, but in a good way. For starters, they’re known for their rotisserie chicken, which you can choose to put directly in your wrap or go for fried. I’ve tried it both ways—both are delicious—but rotisserie chicken inside a chicken Caesar wrap is serendipitous. Jewel Osco, take notes.
What also stands out is that instead of lettuce, GG’s wraps it up with pickled red onion, kale, and brussels sprouts for a crisper bite and a bitter flavor that pairs in a way I wasn’t ever expecting with the savory dressing. The wrap is only $14.50, but it rides solo—thankfully, you can spend a few more bucks and snag a side like waffle fries, mac and cheese, and more if you’re feeling a little extra when you go.
Roscoe’s Tavern
This one surprised me, because I barely realized Roscoe’s had food aside from the limes they put in my $2 well drinks on Thursdays. But, alas, the iconic Boystown bar has a chicken Caesar wrap that will knock your socks off.
On the outside, it’s really classic—no frills. It doesn’t need your attention. That’s why the drag queens are there. But make sure you lift your head up from your plate after your first bite so they don’t get angry with you, because the taste will take your concentration away.
This one’s just got what you’d expect: grilled chicken, romaine, parmesan, garlic croutons, and dressing, all tightly wrapped inside a flour tortilla. It’s not the biggest, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in flavor—trust me. For $17, it comes with a side of fries that are also seasoned to perfection.
