Boka has been a fixture in Lincoln Park since 2003, built around seasonal American cooking under chef Lee Wolen. The menu runs both à la carte and as a hyper-seasonal tasting menu, with the kitchen's focus placed squarely on ingredient quality and technique.
Wolen came up as sous chef at Moto and Butter in Chicago, then spent time in Europe at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons and El Bulli before working as sous chef at Eleven Madison Park in New York.
Reviewers frequently mention duck, Spanish octopus, scallops, and short ribs, along with truffle preparations, house bread, and dessert courses like sorbet and cake.
Michelin has awarded Boka one star nearly every year from 2011 through 2025. The James Beard Foundation has recognized the restaurant repeatedly over that stretch, with finalist and semifinalist nods spanning Best Chef, Outstanding Restaurant, Outstanding Chef, Outstanding Pastry Chef, and Outstanding Service categories, most recently an Outstanding Chef semifinalist nod in 2025. StarChefs named someone from the kitchen a Rising Star in 2021. Boka also appeared on both Chicago Magazine's and Time Out Chicago's 2025 best-of lists, and on Robb Report's Best New Restaurants list in 2026.
Wolen came up as sous chef at Moto and Butter in Chicago, then spent time in Europe at Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons and El Bulli before working as sous chef at Eleven Madison Park in New York.
Reviewers frequently mention duck, Spanish octopus, scallops, and short ribs, along with truffle preparations, house bread, and dessert courses like sorbet and cake.
Michelin has awarded Boka one star nearly every year from 2011 through 2025. The James Beard Foundation has recognized the restaurant repeatedly over that stretch, with finalist and semifinalist nods spanning Best Chef, Outstanding Restaurant, Outstanding Chef, Outstanding Pastry Chef, and Outstanding Service categories, most recently an Outstanding Chef semifinalist nod in 2025. StarChefs named someone from the kitchen a Rising Star in 2021. Boka also appeared on both Chicago Magazine's and Time Out Chicago's 2025 best-of lists, and on Robb Report's Best New Restaurants list in 2026.