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Planning on going to one or the other for my wife's birthday...

Any quick takes on this?

Thanks!

Au Cheval, hands down! I have been to the trencherman and my boyfriend has been there twice, it is awful. In fact, here is his write up of his two experiences there and I do not plan to go back.

http://www.chicagonow.com/chicago-food-snob/2012/08/trenchermen-extraordinarily-under-classed/#image/1
Au Cheval is fantastic, burger is one of the best I have had and the environment is just fun, but loud. Go early or late as there are no reservations.

Have fun.

au cheval's no reservation policy means you're probably better off at trencherman for special event type dining.

AC is pretty small too, so it's not particularly comfortable to wait in.

FWIW i've enjoyed both places.

I haven't been to the Trenchermen yet but the burger at Au Cheval is the closest thing Chicago has to a Shake Shack burger.

Is that a compliment or a takedown?

I really enjoyed The Trenchermen and it was great for celebrating a friend's birthday. Pretty space, great service from bar to table and the food was terrific. Au Cheval was good, VERY heavy food, attitude laden service and an uncomfortable space. Good for late night dining on hangover food--not a place I would go for an occasion.

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“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues.” Elizabeth Taylor

I love Au Cheval and really disliked Trenchermen. Trenchermen's space is nice and the food concepts inventive, but everything fell flat and I was extremely disappointed by it. That said, Au Cheval is more of a "diner" and the music can be really loud so if you are shooting for something more romantic, that may not be the place to go.

Oh, its a profound compliment. Have you had a Shack burger?

Some major love for the Au Cheval burger from Bon Appetit:

http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforum ... -chev.html

I almost voted for Trencherman, even though I think the food at Au Cheval is incredible, but Au Cheval can be sceney, crowded, and loud. But some of the menu is downright divine. Trencherman is a nicer space and probably more convenient. I thought the food was good, but I really liked the cocktails.

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- melissa

My experience says Trencherman, however, based on the wildly divergent opinions on Trencherman my feeling is that it can be wildly inconsistent. I though it was a fantastic meal and I do notice a general theme that the earlier you go the better people seem to fare. Not sure if their kitchen is understaffed or what but most of the complaints i have seen seem to speak to them consistently getting deep in the weeds as the night goes on and the attention to detail suffering.

Really? I was wholly unimpressed with Shake Shack at both locations I visited (UES and Midtown West). I suppose it's better than most of what's out there, but if I'm going to wait in a line like that, it needs to be better than a basic burger with lettuce and tomato on a Wonder bun. It's also pretty pricey for what you get. I really think it's only marginally better than Five Guys.

I haven't been to Au Cheval yet, so I'll be sure to check out the burger and see for myself.

Really? I was wholly unimpressed with Shake Shack at both locations I visited (UES and Midtown West). I suppose it's better than most of what's out there, but if I'm going to wait in a line like that, it needs to be better than a basic burger with lettuce and tomato on a Wonder bun. It's also pretty pricey for what you get. I really think it's only marginally better than Five Guys.

I haven't been to Au Cheval yet, so I'll be sure to check out the burger and see for myself.[/quote]

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My reply:

Of course, your opinion is quite valid for you, but apparently a lot of people disagree with you--those who wait in line for over 1 1/2 hours at Shake Shack in Madison Square Park. (There's even a Shack cam online to show how long the line is). Also, its not a Wonder bun--its a Martin's hamburger potato bun. http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/201 ... -test.html

It might surprise you, but I'm told the Au Cheval burger was inspired by the Shack burger.

Yeah, the Shake Shack burger is pretty damn good, and this coming from someone who by default detests all things "iconic" in New York. Comparing their burger to Five Guys' is like comparing Basil Hayden to Evan Williams. Not even close.

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