Chicago Tribune Ranked The Top 25 Burgers In Chicago And Somehow Left Off The Best Burger Place In The City
I learned so much over the month. You should be able to pick a burger apart, to examine every element, and it should taste good. But a burger is not just about the beef, nor is it about the toppings and the bun. It’s about how all those combine into something better. That explains how a dive bar burger at less than $5 can satisfy more than a $20 monstrosity downtown. Quality matters, but so do construction skills.
That said, onions play a far more important role than I ever imagined. Before this quest, I thought of them like backup singers — a great addition to a band, but not exactly essential. But they are as important as the drums. They add crunch and sharpness when raw, and savory sweetness when caramelized. They somehow make beef taste beefier. There’s not a burger on this list without them.–Chicago Tribune
An extremely comprehensive list. Thorough research. I am sure he spent 500+ hours on the list article between writing, editing, picture-taking, stuffing his face, and travel. Years off his life and points added to his cholesteral levels. I kept scrolling through with my mouth watering a little more with each passing burger. Waiting to get to the end because I knew what was coming. I wanted to see what he said about the truly best place and I got to the bottom and…it wasn’t there. I even paid the $1.5o subscription fee from the Tribune to be able to read this article because that is how much I value burgers. But at the end…the best place was omitted.
I am breaking my own rule with this blog. This place I love is soooo good and so small and they don’t take reservations. I don’t talk about this place so I don’t impede my own ability to get a table with a reasonable wait time. But if you’re going to list them all, then you can’t omit the King.
Little Bad Wolf in Andersonville. Place is spectacular. The burger is the star of the show, but they’ve got great cocktails, fries, mac and cheese, and even tacos. There are no shortage of menu items that will kill you from the inside out, but you’ll love every second of it and when you die 10 years early, it’ll still feel worth it. It’s a fancy burger place with a weird ambiance in a part of town that is a little out of the way. It’s worth the $18 uber up to Andersonville. How this burger doesn’t make the list is beyond me…unless this guy is doing what I did and not telling people because he wants it for himself. In which case…I played myself, and him.
My personal top 6
6) Mott St
5) Farm Bar
4) Kuma’s
3) Fatso’s Last Stand
2) Small Cheval/Au Cheval
1) LBW