smunderground wrote:...Anyways, because of our love for the Skylark burgers, we have started the Burger-Off using the Skylark as our gold standard. We are only 3 burgers in, but I figured that I would post the scoreboard and our results so far. And as we add Burger-Off challenges, I will definitely try to remember to post them on LTH.
#1 Skylark vs. Burger Bar... Skylark 1, Challengers 0
#2 Skylark vs. Revolution Brewing... Skylark 2, Challengers 0
#3 Skylark vs. Owen & Engine... Skylark 2, Challengers 1...

Nice write-up. I've never had the burger at Skylark but based on your report/paradigm, I hope to change that very soon.

smunderground wrote:As mentioned in my review of Owen & Engine, they have a great deal on burgers Tuesday nights [a burger, beer & bourbon for $14...!]

A great deal, indeed, though I believe it is now up to $15. Was there last night -- enjoying a great burger and perfect french fries -- and am almost certain that's what we were told.

smunderground wrote:Burgers are delicious!

I couldn't agree more.

=R=

smunderground wrote:Burgers are delicious!

Even though I asked for my Owen & Engine burger medium rare last night and got it almost well done, the thing was still a complete knock-out. Coupling the burger with their tremendous fries made this plate a total treat.

However, I believe their haddock fish n chips might be even more enjoyable. Fresh as hell and fried to perfection. Pleasant House has some serious competition!

Sensational mid-week dinner last night.

This is the first I heard of the burger/beer/bourbon combination. Thanks for pointing it out (again), this just may be my new after work stop for Tuesdays!

PIGMON wrote:
However, I believe their haddock fish n chips might be even more enjoyable. Fresh as hell and fried to perfection. Pleasant House has some serious competition!

Sensational mid-week dinner last night.

I know this is the burger thread, but want to second this, as the fish-n-chips I had from O&E was tremendous.

Making the hike up to Edzo's tomorrow for the first time since August.

I AM VERY EXCITE!!!

come early, if possible. otherwise, be prepared to deal with chaos in the wake of our Check Please appearance, which runs for the first time tonight.

elakin wrote:come early, if possible. otherwise, be prepared to deal with chaos in the wake of our Check Please appearance, which runs for the first time tonight.

Damn, wish I had seen this yesterday. Just about to leave...should be there in an hour. Prepared to wait.

SueF's birthday is this Sunday, and I'm challenged to find a place that meets the following criteria, based on her request:

1) Really good burger (Ok, not hard so far)
2) Open on a Sunday evening (Edzo's and a number of other places are eliminated)
3) Not a fast food sort of place (want a better ambiance than Smash, Meatheads, Five Guys, etc., although she'd have made an exception for Edzo's if they were open evenings)
4) Good milkshake

Do any of the highly-recommended places on here, such as Owen & Engine, Skylark, Bad Apple serve shakes? None of those places' websites mention anything about shakes, most don't list any non-alchoholic bevs.

So far, the top candidate is DMK Burger Bar, and that just barely clears rule 3.

Bad Apple is somewhat known for their shakes. I have not tried one personally and found the burger to be middle of the pack.

If you feel like a drive to the south side, consider going to top notch.

JoelF wrote:3) Not a fast food sort of place (want a better ambiance than Smash, Meatheads, Five Guys, etc., although she'd have made an exception for Edzo's if they were open evenings)

So far, the top candidate is DMK Burger Bar, and that just barely clears rule 3.

Not sure how DMK barely clears rule 3. You may not care for the atmosphere, but I don't think many people would compare it to a fast food place.

Haven't been there, I was judging by the website, which gave off a fast food vibe.

JoelF wrote:SueF's birthday is this Sunday, and I'm challenged to find a place that meets the following criteria, based on her request:

1) Really good burger (Ok, not hard so far)
2) Open on a Sunday evening (Edzo's and a number of other places are eliminated)
3) Not a fast food sort of place (want a better ambiance than Smash, Meatheads, Five Guys, etc., although she'd have made an exception for Edzo's if they were open evenings)
4) Good milkshake

Do any of the highly-recommended places on here, such as Owen & Engine, Skylark, Bad Apple serve shakes? None of those places' websites mention anything about shakes, most don't list any non-alchoholic bevs.

So far, the top candidate is DMK Burger Bar, and that just barely clears rule 3.

You could give 25 Degrees a shot. They definitely have points 2, 3, and 4 covered. Don't know about 1, but I've heard good things.

stevez wrote:If you feel like a drive to the south side, consider going to top notch.

I'm pretty sure they're closed on Sundays.

JoelF wrote:SueF's birthday is this Sunday, and I'm challenged to find a place that meets the following criteria, based on her request:

1) Really good burger (Ok, not hard so far)
2) Open on a Sunday evening (Edzo's and a number of other places are eliminated)
3) Not a fast food sort of place (want a better ambiance than Smash, Meatheads, Five Guys, etc., although she'd have made an exception for Edzo's if they were open evenings)
4) Good milkshake

Do any of the highly-recommended places on here, such as Owen & Engine, Skylark, Bad Apple serve shakes? None of those places' websites mention anything about shakes, most don't list any non-alchoholic bevs.

So far, the top candidate is DMK Burger Bar, and that just barely clears rule 3.

I don't think Bad Apple has shakes and they're not listed on the menu on the website.

Getting shakes at a place that doesn't have a fast food feel at all is a little tough. You could try Burger Bar, they have both. The burgers are very good, but not exceptional.

If you want an exceptional burger and a great shake and don't mind walking across the street in between enjoying the two, get the burger at Big Jones (5347 N Clark St., open until 9:00) and then walk across the street to George's Ice Cream and Sweets (5306 N Clark St., open until 10:00).

JoelF wrote:SueF's birthday is this Sunday, and I'm challenged to find a place that meets the following criteria, based on her request:

1) Really good burger (Ok, not hard so far)
2) Open on a Sunday evening (Edzo's and a number of other places are eliminated)
3) Not a fast food sort of place (want a better ambiance than Smash, Meatheads, Five Guys, etc., although she'd have made an exception for Edzo's if they were open evenings)
4) Good milkshake

Do any of the highly-recommended places on here, such as Owen & Engine, Skylark, Bad Apple serve shakes? None of those places' websites mention anything about shakes, most don't list any non-alchoholic bevs.

So far, the top candidate is DMK Burger Bar, and that just barely clears rule 3.

Try Hot Chocolate on Damen. Not the most earth shattering burger, but a darn good one. Their milkshakes, on the other hand, are.

Hot Chocolate
1747 N. Damen
Chicago, IL
phone: (773) 489-1747
http://www.hotchocolatechicago.com/

If you want to do a little gambling before/after, the burgers at Prime at the Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin are very good. Definitely the best burger ever in Chicago, but it would be worth the trip if the gambling strikes a chord. They do seem to consistently cook them a bit over, so I always order rare. They have a good mushroom burger, the truffle fries are delish and the creamsicle milkshake comes in 2nd only to Edzo's nutella shake. It's got kind of a mid-century vibe. The chairs are the EXACT chairs we had at home in the mid 60's (and for years later) which I now know were a knockoff of Saarinen's tulip chair. Dad sold office furniture and he was stylin' back then.

JoelF wrote:SueF's birthday is this Sunday, and I'm challenged to find a place that meets the following criteria, based on her request:

1) Really good burger (Ok, not hard so far)
2) Open on a Sunday evening (Edzo's and a number of other places are eliminated)
3) Not a fast food sort of place (want a better ambiance than Smash, Meatheads, Five Guys, etc., although she'd have made an exception for Edzo's if they were open evenings)
4) Good milkshake

Do any of the highly-recommended places on here, such as Owen & Engine, Skylark, Bad Apple serve shakes? None of those places' websites mention anything about shakes, most don't list any non-alchoholic bevs.

So far, the top candidate is DMK Burger Bar, and that just barely clears rule 3.

David Burke's Primehouse.

Really, really good burgers.
Open Sunday night.
Sophisticated ambiance.
Offers shakes made with any of their house ice creams - the shakes are buried on their kids menu, but don't let that stop you, they are great. They also offer some variants made with added alcohol, called "liquid sweets" on the cocktail menu (I haven't tried these, but they look yummy).

vinyl endive wrote:Try Hot Chocolate on Damen. Not the most earth shattering burger, but a darn good one. Their milkshakes, on the other hand, are.

Hot Chocolate
1747 N. Damen
Chicago, IL
phone: (773) 489-1747

Well, I might even go as far as saying that their burgers are earth shattering ... maybe as good a burger as I've ever tasted, as I noted here.

BR wrote:

vinyl endive wrote:Try Hot Chocolate on Damen. Not the most earth shattering burger, but a darn good one. Their milkshakes, on the other hand, are.

Hot Chocolate
1747 N. Damen
Chicago, IL
phone: (773) 489-1747

Well, I might even go as far as saying that their burgers are earth shattering ... maybe as good a burger as I've ever tasted, as I noted here.

Gotta agree. Hot Chocolate turns out one of my top 5 burgers in the city. Maybe top 3. (locks for the top two: Owen and Engine and Vie).

Athena wrote:David Burke's Primehouse.

Really, really good burgers.
Open Sunday night.
Sophisticated ambiance.
Offers shakes made with any of their house ice creams

Dang, Burke's been on our must-try-list for a while, but I swear when I've checked before, they've been closed Sunday nights.

JoelF wrote:

Athena wrote:David Burke's Primehouse.

Really, really good burgers.
Open Sunday night.
Sophisticated ambiance.
Offers shakes made with any of their house ice creams

Dang, Burke's been on our must-try-list for a while, but I swear when I've checked before, they've been closed Sunday nights.

Not sure if its a recent change, but they are definitely open Sunday nights, I think its sort of a given since its in the James & there are hotel guests to be fed. If we aren't in the mood for a formal meal, the lobby menu is a great option too.

http://davidburkesprimehouse.com/Reservations.aspx

stevez wrote:Bad Apple is somewhat known for their shakes. I have not tried one personally and found the burger to be middle of the pack.

If you feel like a drive to the south side, consider going to top notch.

I have never seen shakes on the menu at bad apple, and I frequent the place. I still think it's the best burger in the city though!

We really enjoyed our jalapeno cheddar burger at The Spot in Marengo. At first we thought we were in the wrong place (it's a biker bar--little rough around the edges--but the people were as nice as could be), 'till we saw Homer Simpson dressed in a burger costume.
Nothing fancy--3/4 lb of beef, perfectly cooked.
We went Woodstock to pick strawberries at McCann's and stopped for a burger on the way home. We followed the advice of the guy next to us at the bar ("If you're hungry, split one, if you're really, really hungry, get your own")


The Spot, Marengo, IL


Half of a Spot burger

I'll put in my love for Michael's char cheddar burgers in Highland Park. With grilled onions, of course, and whatever of the other regular toppings you fancy. Fries are good at Michael's, too.

Also in Highland Park, the burgers at City Park Grill have been described to me as a burger connoisseur's dream. And there you can get fancier with the toppings. I always get the lamb chops and so have no personal knowledge of the burgers.

Went to Tom and Eddies in Lombard. All four of us thought it was very good.

At first I thought - not another upscale burger place! - but it was worth the trip.

I would go again. As good or better than SmashBurger.

DKoblesky wrote:Went to Tom and Eddies in Lombard. All four of us thought it was very good.

At first I thought - not another upscale burger place! - but it was worth the trip.

I would go again. As good or better than SmashBurger.

We have gone to the Tom & Eddies location in Geneva a number of times over the past year or so that they have been open. We have a Smashburger that is closer but after trying T&E, we haven't been back. I like the selection of add ons at T&E better and always get a make your own burger while my fish eating vegetarian partner likes the ahi tuna burger. T&E's fries are much better as well, nice and crisp.

Revolution has added a new burger to their pub menu using CDK angus beef topped with duck egg, house cut bacon, vidalia onion jam & arugula. At $16, it's pricier than their standard offering but I suspect it's well worth it. In the past, I stick with the Workingman (non-CDK beef, I guess, with aged cheddar, beer onion & bacon) and have never been disappointed. I order it medium rare and it comes out as ordered (perhaps a shy heavier on the 'rare' side of things but I'd prefer that than too medium). However, and maybe it's just the beer I'm drinking along side the burger, about half way through, I find myself really wanting to just take a nap. And as nice as the staff can be at Revolution, they would probably frown on that.

My go to burger is Big and Littles, with the merkts cheddar of course... It gets overlooked because of their seafood options but they always cook it medium rare which is important to me... Compared to other items such as their fish and chips imo it's the best value on their menu.

However the "best" burger I've had in chicagoland (which im surprised hasnt been mentioned as Chicago magazine raved about it and rated it as the best) is at Prarie Grass Cafe all the way up in northbrook. They offer it on the menu without the bun, but you can ask them to serve it on the bun and they will for no charge. Maybe not a typical burger since it's a sirloin Burger with mild blue cheese and grilled onions but it was the most memorable burger Ive had here thus far and I highly recommend you check it out if you're near northbrook.

Just want to say that I wandered into Fatty's on Clark and, for once, being such a picky eater, was very pleasantly surprised. It is seriously *good*. However, I was impressed with my order but it was the Halftime Burger, supposedly the kiddie burger. This burger is everything 5 Guys *should* be but is not: right size, right price, outstanding flavor. It comes with a large portion of fries and a fountain drink for $5. The fries were quite good. The burger, I am guessing 1/4lb, was simply perfect at that price point---I can't imagine what better quality you could achieve. I am usually highly critical of most new gimmick places, but if you can control yourself and shy away from the 1/2 pound monsters, you will be more than satisfied for $5. My only critical remark: the regular size 1/2 pounders start at $9, you could pay even $2 more for just some bbq sauce and onions. They include fries but no drink. Seriously, just buy TWO Halftime Burgers for less money, if you have to eat that much. The Halftime Burger Combo has to be the best deal around Clark nowadays.

http://fattysburgerschicago.com

Marco wrote:Just want to say that I wandered into Fatty's on Clark and, for once, being such a picky eater, was very pleasantly surprised. It is seriously *good*. However, I was impressed with my order but it was the Halftime Burger, supposedly the kiddie burger. This burger is everything 5 Guys *should* be but is not: right size, right price, outstanding flavor. It comes with a large portion of fries and a fountain drink for $5. The fries were quite good. The burger, I am guessing 1/4lb, was simply perfect at that price point---I can't imagine what better quality you could achieve. I am usually highly critical of most new gimmick places, but if you can control yourself and shy away from the 1/2 pound monsters, you will be more than satisfied for $5. My only critical remark: the regular size 1/2 pounders start at $9, you could pay even $2 more for just some bbq sauce and onions. Seriously, just buy TWO Halftime Burgers for less money, if you have to eat that much. The Halftime Burger Combo has to be the best deal around Clark nowadays.

http://fattysburgerschicago.com

Fatty's Burgers & More
2665 N Clark St
Chicago IL
773-248-3288

Coming to Evanston soon (per their website).

They include fries but no drink.

I only drink water now, so it's always a little easier on my wallet at the overpriced places. The kids portions come in very handy. I order them a lot for a more sensible portion, and to save money. Good call on the $5 deal.

The pimiento cheeseburger at Big Jones is one of the best "fancy" burgers (double digit pricetag) I've had all year and one of my favorites overall in the city. My only qualm was I thought the beef should of been a little juicier. But with the smashed patties paired with grilled onions, housemade pimiento and chow relish it was all gravy. Even though it was $14 the fried okra and pickles, my side of choice, was generous and as I say, the cornmeal batter works best for both. I'd have a hard time not ordering this on my return visit. Near Excellent.


Pimiento Cheeseburger

Big Jones
5347 North Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 275-5725