Chicago Instagram Accounts to Follow
Published on May 22, 2025
eATLAS’ 4 th annual ScavHunt was created by Sara Faddah and Dario Durham of the 77 Flavors of Chicago podcast. Their popular Instagram account contains entertaining reels about hidden spots of Chicago’s history and recommended attractions. Follow them and join us from May 30 – June 1 to benefit the Respiratory Health Association and play to win cash and prizes totaling more than $2,500.
By Dave Lifton (@daveeatschicago)
With so much happening in Chicago, it can be hard to figure out what to do on any given day. Fortunately, all one has to do is call up Instagram, where you can find numerous feeds to help you plan your trip as well as show off the city’s history, culture, and, almost above all, its food. Here are some of Chicago’s most influential Instagrammers.
Shermann “Dilla” Thomas (109K followers) started making videos about local history to teach his daughter about TikTok. Although he boasts about the gifts Chicago has given to the world with his catchphrase, “Everything dope about America comes from Chicago,” he isn’t afraid to talk about the uglier aspects. He’s now a local celebrity, running his own tour company, appearing regularly on local radio, and winning awards for his ambassadorship.
With 576,000 followers, Best Date Food is a must-follow for those looking for what’s going on throughout town, not just for a romantic night. Nearly every day, the team posts a new reel about anything from new restaurants to the beginning of farmers’ market season to memes about life in the Windy City.
Bored in Chicago (344K followers) is more of a question than a descriptor of creator Cameron Benson. His reels showcase the neighborhood spots – the parks, shops and, especially, the restaurants. One of Benson’s recurring features is his attempt to find cuisine from every country in the world in the Chicago metropolitan area.
In the warm-weather months, Sam Roby, aka Chicago Food Authority, is an invaluable resource. She’s great at finding the rooftop, patio, and waterfront spots for dinner, happy hour, and brunch, making expertly edited videos and broadcasting them to her 282,000 followers.
At Chicago by Ren (250K followers), Renee Koontz can pick out great deals on sushi in trendy neighborhoods or show off the city’s landmarks on a beautiful day. Her “Chicago Musts” series curate five spots on a theme, such as bakeries, wine bars, or Chinatown. As a bonus, sometimes her dachshund, Harry, makes an appearance.
Like many local influencers, Kaylee Beevers of Kaylee Jo Chicago (189K followers) will show you downtown and neighborhood restaurants, shops, and attractions. But she can also come with innovative themes, including “1920s Chicago Date Ideas” or “Chicago Sandwich Spots I Dream About.”
As Chicago Beer, Mike Zoller (102K followers) makes reels focusing on the local craft brewing scene. But he’ll also digress from beer to create humorous memes about life in Chicago. And, as a Cubs fan, he’s also not above trolling White Sox fans when they travel to the North Side to play the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Douglas Jubic is a photographer who posts as Justdougkas (136K followers). He specializes in capturing Chicago’s natural and man-made beauty, such as the skyline on a foggy day or Lake Michigan when it’s frozen in the middle of winter.
eATLAS’ own Ronnie Frey created Doorways of Chicago (39K followers) to show off the architectural diversity of the Windy City’s residences, as opposed to the downtown skyscrapers. The descriptions he writes show off his background in architecture history, and he has regular features like Mansard Monday or Fab Friday. In the warm-weather months, he conducts in-person walking tours of many of his favorite neighborhood homes.
Will Quam has also partnered with eATLAS on an Adventure of brick homes in Hyde Park. His Instagram feed, Brick of Chicago (34K followers) is similar to Ronnie’s in that it focuses on exteriors of buildings. But, as the name suggests, he spotlights the masonry with such clarity that you will never look at brickwork the same way again.
The author of this piece has an Instagram feed dedicated to what he’s eating and doing around town, but he frequently forgets to update it.
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