In the late 1800s, South Bend built a 19th-century Queen Anne-style firehouse on Portage Avenue to be the quarters for five firemen, a stable of horses, and a Studebaker wagon. Today, the firehouse is home to No.6 Scratch Kitchen, a modern fine dining establishment with a daily changing menu and extensive wine list. Customer highlights include vegetable risotto, filet with fresh fig, goat cheese and mashed potatoes, and a cauliflower burger.

Roselily promotes an elevated dining experience with a multi-course menu that’s still approachable. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday and offers weekend brunch. Each dish on its consistently updated menu is presented with artistry and care, including recent highlights like hamachi with watermelon, hibiscus, serrano, and avocado; mussels with red curry and coconut; or a lump blue crab cake. There are also plenty of vegetarian and vegan options including a green gazpacho. Are you looking to sample a variety of dishes? Then the chef’s tasting menu and wine pairing might be the perfect option.

The downtown restaurant serves customers in a quaint modern dining area next to a full bar. Visitors can find various Mexican dishes, but the restaurant also showcases other international options, including popular American and Asian items, pork or chicken tamales, pad Thai, and a juicy cheeseburger.

Locals, visitors, and star Notre Dame athletes frequent this popular breakfast nook. The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and offers options like banana French toast and omelets, and less common dishes like chicken and waffles, and an Irish benedict, which comes with corned beef and hashbrowns. Would you prefer a boozy breakfast? Peggs also serves mimosas, screwdrivers, spiked coffee concoctions, and specialty bloody marys like a bloody BLT.

The New Orleans-inspired downtown cafe offers a full bar and a menu fit for Bourbon Street. Chicory frequently hosts weekly gatherings, including trivia, chess night, and live music. Open for breakfast lunch and dinner, popular menu items include the French Quarter, caramel latte, beignets, the havarti bacon jam po’ boy, and jambalaya.

It’s a south-of-town craft brewery where customers can drink beer from the patio above the banks of the St. Joseph River. The Post No. 1167 cream ale is a long-time favorite with a light body and smooth floral taste. The brewery is known for its meat, especially its smoked brisket and pastrami menu items. The restaurant also carries a full vegan menu, which is updated frequently. No matter your dietary restrictions, it’s worth trying out Crooke Ewe’s smoked jackfruit tacos with avocado salsa, cilantro, pickled jalapeño, and lime.

The collective serves Cloud Walking’s high-end coffee and food, baked goods and sweets from local restaurateurs. Popular items include local chocolates, scrumptious bacon scones, bagel sandwiches, and breakfast burritos. There’s also a variety of whole wheat baked goods, such as shapley sourdough loaves and addictive sourdough soft pretzels. On the weekends, Cloud Walking Collective rotates between serving made-from-scratch tacos and pizza.

The popular postgame haunt is commonly known as “the Backer.” Here students and college football fans dance the night away to catchy classic rock tunes and modern pop hits. It doesn’t hurt that the Linebacker Lounge sells outrageously affordable drinks. Don’t let the late-night weekend scene scare you off from a worthy postgame meal. This local favorite offers some of the best bar food in town, including barbecue burgers and a crispy chicken sandwich. The kitchen also sells some of the best wings in town, which can come doused in various specialty sauces from Caribbean jerk to mango habanero to vindaloo.