You know, once upon a time, Twisted Spoke's Fatboy burger was terrific. But they've changed products in the last couple of years. I won't eat there anymore unless it's the only place open with outdoor dining on a glorious 70 degree day in March. Then I get the Boss Hog pork sandwich with fries extra well done. Greasy Spoon, does Rockit's regular burger come with the truffle fries? If it does, that would be a great deal.

Tortfeasor wrote:I was over at the Twisted Spoke in the West Loop on Saturday and had one of the worst burgers in recent memory.

Hmmm, that's strange. I've never gone wrong with a Fatboy over at the Spoke. I will say that their fries have gotten worse in the last few years.

Tortfeasor wrote: the burger was so overpowered by the "Lipton Onion Soup Mix" spices that it was almost inedible.

You know it's funny you described the burger as such. I think I once posted a similar phrase about the burger I had just a half block north of the Twisted Spoke at a place called Players Bar and Grill. Talk about a nasty burger, you'll find it there....

I think its time for a post about my favorite burger under $5. Brankos sandwich shop has long been a staple of the Lincoln Park neighborhood, they've been serving Depaul students and neighborhood residents since 1972. Brankos is a Chicago style stand (Beef, dogs, burgers, pizza puffs, good deli sandwichs and a very underrated gyro) run by a family who is as friendly as it gets and always pleasant to talk to, they dont forget you here, ive been going there since I was 9 when I would order another Chicago original, the gravy bread before my ma made dinner on regular occasions. What makes them my favorite Chi-style stand is their double cheeseburger. They take two McDonalds size patties and char them on the grill and finish it off with ketchup, mustard a nice fresh slice of tomato, some onions and some chopped lettuce. The result is what I believe to be the best burger under $5, it comes out to $4.87 w/ tax, fries included. Next time anyone is in Lincoln Park and your looking for a good lunch that wont break the bank, I highly suggest Brankos. They do it all, and they do it better than most.

Has anyone actually chowed down one of these big boy's? I think I have a weekend activity planned...

http://blog.w-reiser.de/?p=18

Da Beef wrote:Has anyone actually chowed down one of these big boy's? I think I have a weekend activity planned...

http://blog.w-reiser.de/?p=18

I actually shrieked when I saw the picture of that burger. I guess that means I'm not man enough.

Holy Hamburgler!

Have you ever seen that Simpson's episode where Homer tried to take on that Trucker in a steak eating contest? And halfway through Bart was trying to throw pieces of meat in Homer's mouth and it kept bouncing out because he was so full? That's gonna be you Da Beef halfway through that burger... Hah!

~GS

Wow! Now that's a burger!

I haven't seen any mention of Pete & Johnny's of Lisle in this thread (for good reason--nothing special) but I'm reminded of their eat-it-all monster burger.

Three patties, more than a pound of meat (can't remember the specifics on the weight but it was a lot), three different kinds of cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, mustard, ketchup, mayo...all the trimmings.

The trick, like so many others, is that if you eat the whole thing in 15 minutes it's free, you get a t-shirt and your name on the wall of fame. A friend of mine tried to tackle it--he's a big guy, figured he could handle it.

Trick was, the bun was probably just as big as the slab of meat, and practically rock-solid! He tried dunking it in water to get through it, but just couldn't finish it off. They gave him the t-shirt anyways, but no free burger and no shining moment of glory in polaroid form.

Can't win 'em all.

It's been a while since I've been to P&J's, so forgive if the details aren't perfectly accurate--the spirit of the engorgement is there. Is there anywhere else that has a monster burger like this? If you've seen the Visa ads with the guy eating the burger the size of a manhole cover, that looks fantastic.

Pete & Johnny's Tavern & Grill
2901 Ogden Ave, Lisle, IL
Tel: (630) 848-1900

Great discussion and another topic on this board dear to my heart. I'd like to add my thoughts....
Although I enjoy a big juicy burger as much as anyone, being a lifelong White Castle fan, the small burger concept has some inherent appeal to me as well. These 'mini burgers' pop up from time to time on various menus (sometimes in other kinds of restaurants as appetizers) with varrying results...but are often disappointing. Best viewed as a subset of the 'greasy grill burger' genre they can, however be quite good when done well. As far as I can tell they have been largely ignored in this otherwise excellent and fairly comprehensive thread (until now). One of the better versions I've tried can be found at Red Rockets on Lincoln and Belden. These burgers start out as squat cylinders of decent beef ("Black Angus" again) placed between two sheets of wax paper then smashed into perfectly sized patties by the deft use of a large can. Once appropriately configured they are then grilled to the desired degree of delectable doneness (medium rare if you ask me), topped with american cheese, pickle slices, onions,mustard and ketchup and served on a respectable (non toasted) bun. Three to an order they make for a nice snack at a reasonable price (half the cost and at least twice as good as the version I was served at 'Minnies" on Halstead this weekend). To sweeten the deal get fries. These are hand cut and done in the crispy outside/creamy inside/slightly greasy and salty style ala Al's on Taylor or the late Demon Dogs. Not revelatory but worth a stop if you're in the area.

The patty melt is another burger subspecies that might warrant some specific attention here. Had a good one at 11 City Diner ( Wabash and 11th st.) last week

The stuffed Cuban style burger at Cafe Bolero (2252 N. Western) is another favorite that deserves to be mentioned here.

Finally, along more traditional lines... I was surprised at how good the burger was at the Southport Grocery recently. Not normally what I think of as burger type place they really did an excellent job . Handground beef, Neuske Bacon, Jalepeno Jack cheese, grilled onions, mustard/mayo mix and an excellent bakery bun (which did not overwhelm the burger as these type buns are sometimes inclined to do) made for a sweet upscale burger experience.

kuhdo wrote:The stuffed Cuban style burger at Cafe Bolero (2252 N. Western) is another favorite that deserves to be mentioned here.

I had one of those Bolero Burgers on Memorial Day, stuffed with jalapeno and bacon. I thought it was very spot-hitting, though the flavor of the bacon was quite recessive...and they really should serve it with a side of fried plantains. Still pretty good.

Hammond

I know what you mean.... bacon seems to work better on the outside of a burger. I'll usually go with cheese and olives or olives/onions/jalapenos instead.

5 burgers in a 7 days:
Blackies on printer row
Feed
Bite Cafe
Jane's
and... Maxwell Street on Roosevelt/i94 (don't ask me why, was taggin' along)

Jane's was briefly mentioned previously in this thread as well as here

Bite Cafe has also been mentioned previously in this thread (by Erik M) as well as another here.

just want to reiterate that burger @ Bite is dang good:



bleu cheese, grilled onions, red onion, perfectly medium rare patty with great carbon flavor. vinegary cabbage salad added zest, buns were airy, fluffy (unlike Jane's bun from D 'Amato's) yet substantive enough not to be destroyed by your grip. no trickery of truffle oiled mayo, foie gras topping or fancy microgreen posing as lettuce. fries were hand cut, not crispy, but not bad at all.

omitted from picture: sysco mayo packets!!! boo!

hONESTLY... YOU HAVE TO TRY THE SLC BURGER AT THE SLC CLUB.
DEEELICIOUS. THEY PUT THOSE ONION STRINGS ON THERE ONIONS AND MUSHROOMS I THINK, A REALLY GOOD BURGER. CHECK IT OUT AND LET ME KNOW. IT IS ON STATE AND 12TH STREET.

I have been very impressed with the burgers at the Ram Restaurant & Brewery (at least the location in Rosemont). I'm not sure how big the burgers are, although I suspect they're a half-pound. I always order the burgers medium rare, and they have always been delivered medium rare. They are served on fresh buns, and in addition to the typical burgers, they have a number of special burgers including ones with bacon, bbq sauce, cajun seasoning, etc.

Also, I always request the Ram chips (instead of french fries) which are something between potato chips and cottage fries (some very crispy, others merely crisped at the edges), sprinkled with seasoned salt, and very tasty (very similar but maybe not as good as the chips Claim Company used to serve).

Although most of the burgers are in the $9 range, on Thursdays they offer all burgers at $2 off. I've yet to try their $13 Waygu beef burger, but one of these days I will.

Ram has locations in Wheeling, Schaumburg and Rosemont, although I have only been to the one near my office in Rosemont (on the north side of Higgins, just west of River Road).

I bear witness to the burger at the South Loop club; it's a good alternative to the nearby Hackney's. Dine in a cheesy old bar, or carry-out; they make it very easy (just make sure that you enter the carry-out door on Balbo, and obey the signs prohibiting taking carry-out food into the bar). It's cooked over real charcoal, and they abide by "cooked-to" requests like rare and medium-rare (at least as long as that kind of thing is legal in Chicago).

My only beef (I love an opportunity like that) is that it comes with obligatory fries (for which, presumably, I've paid). Sometimes, I just want to luxuriate in a damned burger.

As much as I love to love Suzy's (you must admire such inventions as "Cup O' Taco" and "Gyros/Bacon/Chicken/Chili/Cheese Fries in an Edible Bowl") and crave the Confused Chicken, my last two visits for burgers were, sadly, disappointing. The cook took a couple of pre-cooked burger patties from a room-temp holding tray and tossed them on the grill to reheat. This was, by the way, not at rush: maybe 3 p.m. The result was something like the consistency, chewiness and flavor of an old Birkenstock. The hand-cut, skin-on fries that I once worshipped and devoured (sometimes just as dinner) would've been greatly helped by fresh oil. I haven't seen the authoritarian Suzy there for quite a few visits now; I hope that she resumes her hands-on style.

South Loop Club

Cheers,
Wade

To add another suburban option to the list, I had quite a good burger at Durty Nellie's in Palatine, the Stout burger, 10 ounces of beef marinated in Guinness Stout -- big and juicy and cooked as ordered. They have many other burger options as well.

Nellie's is a large nightclub with live music, but the restaurant/pub area is totally segregated from the loud music area, and the dining room is even away from the bar itself, so you can have a reasonably peaceful meal. They also have a very nice outdoor dining area.

The menu is much more extensive than I would have expected. Besides burgers and typical bar items, they offer a Carolina-style pulled pork sandwich, which the menu claims is "Slow roasted hickory smoked pork shoulder smothered in our Chef's award winning Carolina mustard bbq sauce served on a toasted bun with crispy onion straws and cole slaw"; smoked barbecue meatloaf served atop cheddar bacon mashed potatoes; chicken breast marinated in Dusseldorf mustard, lightly breaded and baked, with Jameson whiskey cream sauce; chicken tacos; chicken and potato pie; and more.

Himself enjoyed the meatloaf; I thought it was bland, but then I usually do. They have a long list of beers on tap.

On Wednesdays, they have "dueling pianos" in the back room, which is a fun time.

The current complex has only been in place since late 2003, but Nellie's has a long history in Palatine. It first opened in 1972 at 55 N. Bothwell, modeled after a County Clare pub named Durty Nellie's built in 1620 and still standing near Bunratty Castle. A group of airline pilots, frequent fliers to Ireland, founded the Palatine pub in an already venerable building that had been a bar since 1947. Alas, that 100-year-old structure was torn down in 2004.

Downtown Palatine is certainly spiffing up these days, as are most of the northwest suburbs along the rail lines.

Durty Nellie's
847/358-9150
www.durtynellies.com
180 N. Smith St.
Palatine

waderoberts wrote:I haven't seen the authoritarian Suzy there for quite a few visits now; I hope that she resumes her hands-on style.

I saw her at the drive through last Saturday night. The western burger was great though the fries could have been hotter.

Been to Charlie Beinlichs. The burgers were pretty good, not unbelieveable. Sadly IMHO, the best burgers used to be at Come Back Inn in Melrose Park, which is now a vacant lot. They were awesome - RIP. A very good burger can be had at Alfies on Roosevelt Road in Glen Ellyn. They serve it with thin fries (not unbelieveable either) and a pickle. Best deal in the burbs. You can have 2 burgers and a beer each and get out of there for under $25 including tip. Also, there is a little place on North Ave in Villa Park called Strat's (across from Supreme). Fast food place but the best fast food burgers I've ever had.

Every Friday evening, nearly without exception, I get together with a group of friends for "Burger Night."

This week, we eagerly descended on Five Star after reading about the bar menu which was designed by Jason Paskewitz.

The results were mixed: the burgers were entirely too lean and lacking in beefy flavour, but the fries were truly exceptional.*

Five Star Bar & Grill
1424 W. Chicago
312.850.2555

E.M.

* Handcut, properly salted, piping hot, and grease-free.

Last Friday I had to pick up my kids on the way way south side and it took me two full hours to get there, so I decided it might be good to take a dinner break before doing the same drive back. Thinking about what was on 95th street and reasonably kid friendly, it dawned on me that here at last was my chance to try Top Notch Beefburgers, the south side burger institution in existence since the 1940s and famous for fries fried in beef tallow. (Alas, the camera was at home so you'll just have to trust the descriptions. Also, note that I went to the mall spinoff, not the older location, though neither is the original location which was on 79th near Halsted before the late 60s. There's apparently yet another one even further south in Orland Park.)

Their half pound burger is the first burger in years I've felt the need to cut in half. The beef quality was good but I have to admit that I'm not wild about a burger that big being fried on a standard kitchen griddle; I'm fine with thin little patties done that way but I want a thick slab of beef like that to be grilled or something, I prefer that flavor over a big slab stewing in its own juices.

The fries, though, were outstanding. Perfectly executed in the twice-fried manner, richly tasting of lard rather than vegetable oil. A good burger and great fries are probably worth the trip if you're not far away, even if I'd still consider the Petey's Bungalow burger the best one in that area that I know of.

Top Notch Beefburger Shop
2116 W. 95th St.
773-445-7218

Top Notch Beefburger
4720 W 95th Street
Oaklawn, IL 60458
(708) 422-5544

Mmmm... Burgers!

-------------------------------

Come Back Inn (RIP)

Used to be a family favorite spot. The one pound Burgerbriand on dark rye with both grilled and raw onions.

Twas great! In the last few years before they closed they were substituting 2 half pound burgers much to my dismay. I worked not far from there and brought a gentleman fresh off the boat from Russia and he thought it was the best beef he ever had.

-------------------------------

For you White Castle fans, remember Cock Robin? Same cooking method (steam grilling). I always order the double cheeseburger and eat it in layers because that center slice of bun soaked with burger grease and a melted slice of cheese. Heavenly.

Still one location open...

Cock Robin Ice Cream Co.
8861 Burlington Ave.
Brookfield 60513-2156
708-485-7504

-------------------------------

Don't waste your time trying the 3/4 pound burger at...

Bono's
551 S. Bolingbrook Drive (RT 53 just south of I-55)
Bolingbrook, IL 60440
(630) 759-9191
fax (630) 759-7866

A grey mass of unseasoned meat. I hear the weekend Classic Car Cruise Night is pretty cool though.

-------------------------------

I work near Lemont and have stopped at Nicks Tavern for their signature burger. "Nickburger" or the self proclaimed "Granddaddy Of Sandwiches". 1 pound, fairly loose packed, on a bun with bar toppings. Not the best but not bad at all if you are hungry and in the hood. Go with someone and order the burger and a beef and split them both.

Nick's Tavern
221 Main St., Lemont
Tel: (630) 257-6564

-------------------------------

A good bar burger can be found way north near Palwaukee Airport at the...

DAM INN
1000 S MILWAUKEE AVE
Wheeling
(847)-537-4350

A curious little place. Be careful bringing the kids as there is adult novelties on display in the front of the bar.

The Sir Loin burger is pretty good. A half pound burger, nicely seasoned, with fresh condiments. Closed sundays.

-------------------------------

... and last but not least, you can always stop at most steak houses, sit in the bar/lounge and have a pretty tasty burger. I have visited both

Tom's Steak House
1901 W. North Ave.
Melrose Park 60160-1101
708-345-2766

and

The Golden Steer
7635 Roosevelt Rd.
Forest Park 60130-2212
708-771-7798

and had a good, flame broiled burger.

Have fun!

... and what is up with the new Burger King 'BK Stacker'? The commercial I saw showed one version with 4 patties of meat! I heard you can order it Ala Carte paying for the patties as you build. Perhaps the sky is the limit.

Yikes!

I also heard that right after the ad came out they changed the name to the 'King Supreme' instead. Maybe they got sued...

Haven't tried it yet but maybe soon.

Panther in the Den wrote:
Come Back Inn (RIP)

Used to be a family favorite spot. The one pound Burgerbriand on dark rye with both grilled and raw onions.

Twas great! In the last few years before they closed they were substituting 2 half pound burgers much to my dismay. I worked not far from there and brought a gentleman fresh off the boat from Russia and he thought it was the best beef he ever had.

When I was courting the not-as-yet Wife, I think our first actual date may have been to the Come Back Inn. It was a good and reasonably priced place, but I remember not liking the bread-as-bun approach -- the dark rye (though perhaps good in and of itself) disintegrated about half-way through the meal. On the other hand, in desperation while on the road last weekend, I stopped at a Floridian Burger King and found the bun -- large, fresh, and plump, sprinkled with sesame seeds -- to be just about perfrect. (Note: I believe there is more room for local variation at BKs as opposed to McD's, so I'm not claiming that all BK buns are great...just the one I had last Thursday night).

Buns mean a lot to my overall appreciation of a Burger,

Hammond

David Hammond wrote:

Panther in the Den wrote:
Come Back Inn (RIP)

Used to be a family favorite spot. The one pound Burgerbriand on dark rye with both grilled and raw onions.

Twas great! In the last few years before they closed they were substituting 2 half pound burgers much to my dismay. I worked not far from there and brought a gentleman fresh off the boat from Russia and he thought it was the best beef he ever had.

When I was courting the not-as-yet Wife, I think our first actual date may have been to the Come Back Inn. It was a good and reasonably priced place, but I remember not liking the bread-as-bun approach -- the dark rye (though perhaps good in and of itself) disintegrated about half-way through the meal. On the other hand, in desperation while on the road last weekend, I stopped at a Floridian Burger King and found the bun -- large, fresh, and plump, sprinkled with sesame seeds -- to be just about perfrect. (Note: I believe there is more room for local variation at BKs as opposed to McD's, so I'm not claiming that all BK buns are great...just the one I had last Thursday night).

Buns mean a lot to my overall appreciation of a Burger,

Hammond

First of all, Panther, great post above. I like Tom's in principle, but I find it a bit expensive. Seems like I was doing it wrong.*

As for Hammond's point, I disagree. I've always found sliced black bread to be a great support for burgers, especially if the burger is preternaturally juicy. Of course, the poster child for this type of burger was the old Hackney's, and the bread ideally absorbed a some of the frying of the burger--old Hackney's RIP At Goldy Burgers I go about 1/2 the time with the bread option. At Come Back, it was always.

*About a month ago, my wife, the Condiment Queen and I found ourselves in Elmhurst on some business. We finally tried a place I've been meaning to, Steve's, whose classic googie neon sign is very visible from I-290. One of the things we had was the burger, and a very fine rendition of thick burger it was. Sadly, there was a little fire pit/grill that is no longer in use. Steve's is one of the last of its type for sure, and worth a visit.

Steve's Steak House
476 N York St, Elmhurst, IL 60126
Phone: (630) 834-6611

There's nothing better than a Kewpee's double cheeseburger for breakfast at 7:00am. Samuel L. Jackson will back me on this one. http://static.flickr.com/49/137177454_13d239821b.jpg?v0 http://jacksonraveburger.ytmnd.com/

Wow! I had no Idea there was a Cock Robin still up and running. Thanks for the tip.

kuhdo wrote:Wow! I had no Idea there was a Cock Robin still up and running. Thanks for the tip.

... and they have t-shirts too.

O.K. I'm in. As I recall, all the other Cock Robins' were close to miniature golf courses...was that a coincidence or corporate policy? Any mini golf near this one? Do they still serve square ice cream scoops?

kuhdo wrote:O.K. I'm in. As I recall, all the other Cock Robins' were close to miniature golf courses...was that a coincidence or corporate policy? Any mini golf near this one? Do they still serve square ice cream scoops?

Minature golf - No.
Square Scoops - Yes. (maybe just for the rainbow cones)

The five area ones that I remember were not near Mini Golf (North Ave near Oak Park, Harlem between Chicago and Lake, River Road near Grand, or Lake near 17th). I think coincidence for the ones further out in the burbs.

Vital Information wrote:About a month ago, my wife, the Condiment Queen and I found ourselves in Elmhurst on some business. We finally tried a place I've been meaning to, Steve's, whose classic googie neon sign is very visible from I-290. One of the things we had was the burger, and a very fine rendition of thick burger it was. Sadly, there was a little fire pit/grill that is no longer in use. Steve's is one of the last of its type for sure, and worth a visit.

Steve's Steak House
476 N York St, Elmhurst, IL 60126
Phone: (630) 834-6611

For the sake of future searchers, I'll point out that this place is actually called Steven's Steak House. In 2005, they were still grilling over charcoal, according to this report.

LAZ wrote:

Vital Information wrote:About a month ago, my wife, the Condiment Queen and I found ourselves in Elmhurst on some business. We finally tried a place I've been meaning to, Steve's, whose classic googie neon sign is very visible from I-290. One of the things we had was the burger, and a very fine rendition of thick burger it was. Sadly, there was a little fire pit/grill that is no longer in use. Steve's is one of the last of its type for sure, and worth a visit.

Steve's Steak House
476 N York St, Elmhurst, IL 60126
Phone: (630) 834-6611

For the sake of future searchers, I'll point out that this place is actually called Steven's Steak House. In 2005, they were still grilling over charcoal, according to this report.

I worked at Steven's Steak House the summer before my junior year in high school (bus boy). I've been back maybe a half-dozen times since then. Even with this emotional attachment, I can't say the food there is very good. Once, most memorably, I ordered a chateaubriand medium rare and it came to the table, a huge hunk of meat, merely seared on the outside like Ahi tuna but showing about four inches of gelatinous red meat inside. I sent it back. It came back the same. I sent it back. It came back the same. I sent it back...and three times was a charm. Ridiculous...but it is kind of a cool old place (for Elmhurst).

Hammond