Chicago’s best burger lists have long been topped by the likes of Au Cheval, Lockdown Bar & Grill and Kuma’s Corner. But trusty neighborhood gems, corner bars and local staples are serving up serious competition that might not always make it into the spotlight. Enter Battle of the Burger, an annual summit of buns, patties and all the fixings hosted by yours truly. Seventeen restaurants are competing in the third annual brawl, grilling up mini versions of their favorite burgers in hopes of taking home the crown.
Armed with pun-laden names (‘Nduja Love Me and Jamaican Me Crazy, for example), unique toppings (raisin vinaigrette, Guinness cheese sauce and tortilla chips, anyone?) and experienced chefs, these patties are packing heat. Though each competitor has a different approach, there’s a common ingredient among most of the burgers on the list: cheese. Maybe contestants are taking notes on last year’s winner, the Mac & Cheese burger from Wicker Park’s Standard Bar & Grill. Piled high with applewood-smoked bacon, melted cheddar, lettuce and tomato, the patty’s star ingredient is homemade mac ‘n’ cheese—and it’s returning this year to defend its crown. Owner Randy Roginski said he saw a bump in sales following last year’s win and didn’t want to mess with success when he entered the competition again this year. “It’s our biggest seller already, so it’s nice to showcase it in other parts of the city,” he said about the mac and cheese concoction. “Last year, we had a lot of customers come by who hadn’t heard of us—from River North and further north.”
When it comes to stuffing your face with 17 mini-burgers, Roginski had some advice: “Take one bite of each. I hate to throw away a good burger, but it’s hard to make it through the whole thing without getting full.” We rounded up all 17 hopefuls to kick off the competition, share the vitals on each and make your mouth water at work.
The Bad Apple
4300 N. Lincoln Ave. 773-360-8406
The burger
: The Red Roses burger
The chef
: Craig Fass
The fixings
: House-cured Catalpa Grove Farm’s Berkshire pig bacon, Red Barn Wisconsin white cheddar, Four Roses bourbon onions and steak sauce
Battle factor
: All the meats.
Beef & Barley
3001 N. Ashland Ave. 773-248-0990
The burger
: The Smang It
The chef
: Cecil Rodriguez
The fixings
: Chipotle mayo, Spanish chorizo, avocado, jalapeno, lettuce, tomato and pickle
Battle factor
: Packing heat between buns.
Chef’s Burger Bistro
164 E. Grand Ave. 312-374-3092
The burger
: Flying Pig
The chef
: Marco Micheli
The fixings
: Confit pork belly, marinated goat cheese, raisin vinaigrette, mizuna and housemade pickles
Battle factor
: Making pigs fly since 2014.
Claddagh Irish Pub
1702 Commons Drive, Geneva, 630-208-0337
The burger
: The Jameson burger
The chef
: Karen Monaghan
The fixings
: Guinness cheese sauce, fried onion strings and Jameson sauce
Battle factor
: Someone spiked the sauces.
Cork and Kerry
10614 S. Western Ave. 312-842-0769
The burger
: The Latino
The chefs
: Roberto Lopez and Rick Campillo
The fixings
: Chorizo, queso, chipotle mayo and avocado
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Battle factor
: Everything you love on tacos, minus the tortilla, plus a bun.
Davanti Enoteca
1359 W. Taylor St. 312-226-5550
The burger
: ‘Nduja Love Me burger
The chef
: Dan Harris
The fixings
: Salami burger, sharp provolone, pickled sweet onions and cucumber yogurt
Battle factor
: Looking for love in all the right places.
Good Stuff Eatery
22 S. Wabash Ave. 312-854-3027
The burger
: Colletti’s Smokehouse burger
The chef
: Spike Mendelsohn
The fixings
: Applewood-smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, chipotle barbecue sauce and Vidalia onion petals
Battle factor
: Onion petals FTW.
Leadbelly
5739 W. Irving Park Road 773-283-7880
The burger
: Old Time Religion
The chef
: Nicole & Steve O’Brien
The fixings
: Roasted tomato, goat cheese, arugula and truffle aioli
Battle factor
: The power of beef compels you.
Lotties Pub
1925 W. Cortland St. 773-489-0738
The burger
: Chicago Fire burger
The chef
: Brian Jupiter
The fixings
: Two patties, smoked bacon, crispy Tabasco onions, pepper jack cheese, giardiniera, lettuce, tomato and spicy pickles
Battle factor
: Named after Taylor Kinney’s abs, basically.
Rockit Burger Bar
3700 N. Clark St. 773-645-4400
The burger
: Double cheeseburger
The chef
: Amanda Downing
The fixings
: American cheese, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickle and dijon mustard
Battle factor
: No frills, no mercy.
Route 12 Bar & Grill
37540 US-12, Fox Lake, 847-629-5075
The burger
: Jamaican Me Crazy
The chef
: Nick Garbett
The fixings
: Housemade Caribbean sauce, pineapple, grilled onions, pepper jack cheese
Battle factor
: Could cure “Pineapple Express”-style munchies.
Shelby Campbell’s Tavern & Grill
1000 Busse Road, Elk Grove Village, 847-956-1170
The burger
: Shelby’s Mushroom Swiss Supreme burger
The chef
: Felipe DeSantiago
The fixings
: Two patties, swiss and colby jack cheese, griddled onions, caramelized mushrooms, dill pickles, lettuce, tomato and special sauce
Battle factor
: The words “griddled” and “caramelized.”
Standard Bar & Grill
1332 N. Milwaukee Ave. 773-904-8615
The burger
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: Mac & Cheese burger
The chef
: Jim August
The fixings
: Homemade mac ‘n’ cheese, applewood-smoked bacon, melted cheddar, lettuce and tomato
Battle factor
: Reigning champs are back with a beef.
The Assembly American Bar & Cafe
2570 Hassell Road, Hoffman Estate
s, 847-843-3993
The burger
: Almost World Famous Parmesan burger
The chef
: Gary Taylor
The fixings
: Parmesan cheese and homemade garlic parmesan butter
Battle factor
: Double the parm, double the fun.
The Range Grill & Tap
35 N. Water St., Batavia, 630-761-0145
The burger
: Billy the Kid
The chef
: Terence Kaminski
The fixings
: Sauteed mushrooms, sliced smoked beef brisket and white cheese sauce
Battle factor
: Google “Billy the Kid.”
The Ogden
1659 W. Ogden Ave. 312-226-1888
The burger
: Bacon Cheddar Minis
The chef
: Chris de La Cueva
The fixings
: Chipotle cheddar, applewood-smoked bacon, caramelized onions, pickle and house garlic aioli
Battle factor
: It’s not the size of the boat, but the motion of the ocean that counts.
Whisk
2018 W. Chicago Ave. 773-252-9060
The burger
: House burger
The chef
: Rick Rodriguez
The fixings
: Chihuahua cheese, chipotle mayo, guacamole and tortilla strips
Battle factor
: They won’t charge you extra for the guac.
Check out Battle of the Burger on Thursday at the Chicago History Museum, 1601 N. Clark St. 6:30-9:30 p.m. $40 in advance at
, $50 at the door.
Editor’s picks
I’ve never met a burger I didn’t like, so a night devoted to celebrating Chicago’s best is my kind of jam. Here are a few of my top picks from this year’s lineup.
Whisk’s House burger
might sound ordinary, but the toppings make it one of my go-to faves at the West Town spot. Crunchy tortilla strips, chunky guac and spicy mayo add up to a killer hangover helper for Sunday mornings.
The Flying Pig from Chef’s Burger Bistro
is one of the most unique options on the list, boasting pork belly, marinated goat cheese, raisin vinaigrette, greens and pickles. The flavors are perfectly paired and practically melt in your mouth—and don’t even get me started on their fries. Last, but certainly not least, I have to give a shout-out to my BFF, truffle oil.
Leadbelly’s Old Time Religion
is drizzled with the stuff and topped with tomato, goat cheese and arugula.
Don’t be shy! Say hi if you see me at Battle of the Burger on Thursday, and tweet me your top picks from the evening at @redeyeeatdrink.