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So let's get down to brass tacks here. There are a lot of burger joints. or joints that like to serve what they call burgers. Some are decent burger joints with good, sometimes exceptional burgers. But it's difficult to find a great burger in a joint filled with character and characters that fill it daily. I have been in this city my entire life and I am intimately familiar with its offerings particularly the street food scene, i.e. burgers, dogs, tacos, beefs, ethnic street foods etc. That said I had never heard of Goldyburger's until a friend of mine who grew up near and worked there it dragged me there. I had driven by this nondescript bar too many times to count and never even noticed it. But it's no surprise as its been there literally 100 years so it fit right into the neighborhood landscape. I mean, even though it's technically in a suburb, Forest Park, the L train goes there and the bus goes there and you can easily drive as it's right off of the Eisenhower and Harlem ave. I am ashamed to say I had never been. So we pulled up and there it is this old bar storefront a relic from Chicago's past when politicians were called 'Hinky Dink and Bathhouse John'. When you enter it's like stepping into a timeworn or a museum. You can hear the old voices whispering in the booths. The furniture and decor is clean and well taken care of but attractively aged. I think it's all the original stuff from way back when the brothers Goldstein open a bar in the spot in 1926. I tell ya, being in there immediately made me feel like I was transported back into the past. The dining area is large and with excellent family style seating. The bar is old school Chicago, reminiscent of those I grew up in and the taverns in the neighborhood that the folks would take us to, every barstool filled with a different unique character. The kind of people that all had nicknames they earned for one reason or another. Not like today were people give themselves nicknames. The decor all original. Out back, the patio, is an immense, tree filled courtyard fun to hang out eat in and drink in. I mean, it's hard to put into words the character this spot has, as long as it's survived it deserves more than any words I can offer up to describe it. These days and for the past 4 decades plus it's owned Mike Sullivan and family who i had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with. The menu is straight forward on laminated double sided sheets. That's all you need because the proof is in the pudding so to speak. It's in the food offerings. We started with the breaded and deep fried Cheddar Cheese Balls. Really good with really excellent flavorful breading. But hardcore bar style grub for the hardcore. Yes they are deep fried, yes they are filling and no I won't even go into how heart healthy they may be. But man they're good. They are kind of like last meal electric chair food. That kind of good. They have some great offerings, ham n cheese on rye and homemade potato pancakes and quality Chicago style bar food (not enough props is given to real Chicago bar food, it's a very real food group) to a Friday night fish fry. I went with the original Goldy Burger with cheese. You get your choice of cheese and pickles, lettuce, tomato and a healthy side of house cut steak fries on the side. The burger is excellent, a good old school diner burger. Believe me they're not that easy to come by. A burger and a side of character even harder to find. The cheese is nicely melted and covers the patty. The LTP is fresh and crisp and just enough so as not to disguise the beef. The beef patty is what stands out, thick, juicy, cooked correctly. Now this isn't a smash burger, no, this is old school diner or picnic burger. The kind that brings you back to being a kid, the kind a lot of love goes into. Goldyburger's is that kind of burger. You can tastes the love they put into it. You feel like you're on a picnic in your own back yard on their large, airy patio. The fries are really good and stand up to any fry I can think of. If you could see my belly you would know I'm not afraid of a fry or two. I washed this excellent lunch down with my go to an unsweetened Iced Tea. My friend washed hers down with a couple Vodka Tonics which are available as it is a bar. That's an added benefit for many folks. A few folks on the patio were enjoying beers with their burgers. I think what does it for Goldyburgers beside the fact that they have great burgers and enough really good offerings to keep everyone happy is the love put into it. This place is obviously labor intensive and Mike the owner holds old school service and neighborhood in high regard. It's about the generational business they do here. I noticed he knew most everyone who walked in. As a side note, it's no surprise his daughter Bailey Sullivan is a huge hit on America's Top Chef. Growing up at Goldyburger I am sure didn't hurt. You gotta try it!
Where have you been all my life. Great patio and even better food! The fish fry was spectacular and a total surprise, am I in Wisconsin?! Mild white fish in a nicely seasoned and crusty breading, 8.6/10. We ordered the potato pancakes as an appetizer and again after the meal, holy moly it doesn't get better, 9.6/10. Curds also very solid, well seasoned cubes with a thick batter. Wow. Great local spot!
Best burger for miles and miles and miles. Every time we visit we Live it even more. Come on a night when they have live music and make it more special!
After wandering the zoo (and refusing to pay $11 for a hot dog) we were ready for some grub. My husband loves burgers so we found a well reviews dive bar (which tend to have the best burgers) and headed towards Goldyburgers. It's evident this place has been around for awhile just based on how it looks, but I was surprised to see based on the reviews this restaurant is over 50 years old and has been creating quite the list of patrons. As we entered we realized they only take cash or check, no cards, but thankfully they have an ATM inside the restaurant. My husband ordered the royal burger and I got the turkey club, both ordered with a side of fries (sandwiches come automatically with chips but can come with fries for an added $1.50). My husband ate his food right away, comparing the looks of his burger to the Mondo burger from "Good Burger". It was definitely more aligned with an actual good burger when it came to taste though. Service was also great, with the waitress greeting us upon entering, chatting for a bit, and even coming out to let us know our food is ready when we stepped outside for a moment. Even better, when my husband asked if they sold any bottled soda, she admitted they didn't but had ordered herself lunch elsewhere and her food came with a bottle of RC that wasn't opened yet and she doesn't care for it. She gave him it for free just to be nice. I didn't experience the restroom or any of the bar drinks but I am definitely considering coming back so I can experience sitting in to eat and enjoy the bar. The looks of the bar definitely make it obvious it is a dive bar but just like they say not to judge a book by it's cover, I find you can't judge a bar by it's divey-ness. If anything, the more divey it is, the better burger they will have. Goldyburgers did not disappoint at all.
This is a dive bar. It is "Cash only." There is an ATM in the bar. They have a dining room with 6 booths and a few tables. The menu is basic burgers, sandwiches, and fried foods. They also have an iceberg lettuce salad. We got the traditional Buffalo wings. They were served in a paper-lined plastic basket, and our plates were paper plates. They are dripping in Buffalo sauce, so you are going to go through a lot of napkins. Our burgers came out on Styrofoam plates, so it's a little more sturdy. I got the 1/2 lb Royal Blue Burger (blue cheese and bacon). My friend got the Big Daddy a 3/4 lb patty with mushrooms and bacon, and your choice of cheese. The burgers were substantial and cooked to order; mine was medium, and my friend's was medium-rare, just like we ordered. The bacon was crispy and thick, not fast food bacon. It is served on a soft hamburger buns. The fries were thicker cut than McDonald's. We were surprised the soda pop was $4.50 each; we felt that it was high. The burgers were $14 - $15. There were two families with kids there, they got the chicken strips and burgers. The decor was dive bar OG. There was an antique tin ceiling (the Marque said "Goldyburger since 1926" the ceiling could be original. ) and various Retro Irish bar signs. One Miller sign said Céad Míle Fáilte (a hundred thousand welcomes). Our server was good but not attentive or friendly. Two burgers, two Cokes, and a small order of wings were $54. Parking can be a crap shoot. We did not have trouble finding a spot, but there is a bowling alley and two other bars within a block or two. Another patron got a parking ticket while at the bar, so the city is ticketing.
What a great find this was. Thanks to the other Yelp reviewers recommending this place. We came here with 15 people (baseball team) on a Saturday at lunch time. Service was great, the burgers were big, messy, and delicious. The food came out quicker than what we expected. Wings and onion rings were good too. Don't let the "dive bar" atmosphere steer you away. Better than a chain burger place. Had to drop a star due to the bathroom condition. But otherwise, give it a shot.
The burgers here are good. This is the burger on rye bread with cheese. I sat at the rail so the service was pretty quick. There was sports and memorabilia on all the TV's and walls around.
2 months ago
Real dive but has serious potential to be a very happening place. The old school vibes form this place being around since 1926 definitely is there. The fried mushrooms were ok. The burger was solid and good size. The turkey BLT was great especially the bacon. The service is a little awkward. There is only a bartender and a waiter. The only beer on tap is Irish beers, which was a disappointment. Once the crowd builds, that will be a great local place. They are obviously doing something right to have been open since 1926. read more
25 days ago
1 year ago
So let's get down to brass tacks here. There are a lot of burger joints. or joints that like to serve what they call burgers. Some are decent burger joints with good, sometimes exceptional burgers. But it's difficult to find a great burger in a joint filled with character and characters that fill it daily. I have been in this city my entire life and I am intimately familiar with its offerings particularly the street food scene, i.e. burgers, dogs, tacos, beefs, ethnic street foods etc. That said I had never heard of Goldyburger's until a friend of mine who grew up near and worked there it dragged me there. I had driven by this nondescript bar too many times to count and never even noticed it. But it's no surprise as its been there literally 100 years so it fit right into the neighborhood landscape. I mean, even though it's technically in a suburb, Forest Park, the L train goes there and the bus goes there and you can easily drive as it's right off of the Eisenhower and Harlem ave. I am ashamed to say I had never been. So we pulled up and there it is this old bar storefront a relic from Chicago's past when politicians were called 'Hinky Dink and Bathhouse John'. When you enter it's like stepping into a timeworn or a museum. You can hear the old voices whispering in the booths. The furniture and decor is clean and well taken care of but attractively aged. I think it's all the original stuff from way back when the brothers Goldstein open a bar in the spot in 1926. I tell ya, being in there immediately made me feel like I was transported back into the past. The dining area is large and with excellent family style seating. The bar is old school Chicago, reminiscent of those I grew up in and the taverns in the neighborhood that the folks would take us to, every barstool filled with a different unique character. The kind of people that all had nicknames they earned for one reason or another. Not like today were people give themselves nicknames. The decor all original. Out back, the patio, is an immense, tree filled courtyard fun to hang out eat in and drink in. I mean, it's hard to put into words the character this spot has, as long as it's survived it deserves more than any words I can offer up to describe it. These days and for the past 4 decades plus it's owned Mike Sullivan and family who i had the pleasure of meeting and chatting with. The menu is straight forward on laminated double sided sheets. That's all you need because the proof is in the pudding so to speak. It's in the food offerings. We started with the breaded and deep fried Cheddar Cheese Balls. Really good with really excellent flavorful breading. But hardcore bar style grub for the hardcore. Yes they are deep fried, yes they are filling and no I won't even go into how heart healthy they may be. But man they're good. They are kind of like last meal electric chair food. That kind of good. They have some great offerings, ham n cheese on rye and homemade potato pancakes and quality Chicago style bar food (not enough props is given to real Chicago bar food, it's a very real food group) to a Friday night fish fry. I went with the original Goldy Burger with cheese. You get your choice of cheese and pickles, lettuce, tomato and a healthy side of house cut steak fries on the side. The burger is excellent, a good old school diner burger. Believe me they're not that easy to come by. A burger and a side of character even harder to find. The cheese is nicely melted and covers the patty. The LTP is fresh and crisp and just enough so as not to disguise the beef. The beef patty is what stands out, thick, juicy, cooked correctly. Now this isn't a smash burger, no, this is old school diner or picnic burger. The kind that brings you back to being a kid, the kind a lot of love goes into. Goldyburger's is that kind of burger. You can tastes the love they put into it. You feel like you're on a picnic in your own back yard on their large, airy patio. The fries are really good and stand up to any fry I can think of. If you could see my belly you would know I'm not afraid of a fry or two. I washed this excellent lunch down with my go to an unsweetened Iced Tea. My friend washed hers down with a couple Vodka Tonics which are available as it is a bar. That's an added benefit for many folks. A few folks on the patio were enjoying beers with their burgers. I think what does it for Goldyburgers beside the fact that they have great burgers and enough really good offerings to keep everyone happy is the love put into it. This place is obviously labor intensive and Mike the owner holds old school service and neighborhood in high regard. It's about the generational business they do here. I noticed he knew most everyone who walked in. As a side note, it's no surprise his daughter Bailey Sullivan is a huge hit on America's Top Chef. Growing up at Goldyburger I am sure didn't hurt. You gotta try it! read more
Where have you been all my life. Great patio and even better food! The fish fry was spectacular and a total surprise, am I in Wisconsin?! Mild white fish in a nicely seasoned and crusty breading, 8.6/10. We ordered the potato pancakes as an appetizer and again after the meal, holy moly it doesn't get better, 9.6/10. Curds also very solid, well seasoned cubes with a thick batter. Wow. Great local spot! read more
1 year ago
Best burger for miles and miles and miles. Every time we visit we Live it even more. Come on a night when they have live music and make it more special! read more
4 months ago
4 months ago
After wandering the zoo (and refusing to pay $11 for a hot dog) we were ready for some grub. My husband loves burgers so we found a well reviews dive bar (which tend to have the best burgers) and headed towards Goldyburgers. It's evident this place has been around for awhile just based on how it looks, but I was surprised to see based on the reviews this restaurant is over 50 years old and has been creating quite the list of patrons. As we entered we realized they only take cash or check, no cards, but thankfully they have an ATM inside the restaurant. My husband ordered the royal burger and I got the turkey club, both ordered with a side of fries (sandwiches come automatically with chips but can come with fries for an added $1.50). My husband ate his food right away, comparing the looks of his burger to the Mondo burger from "Good Burger". It was definitely more aligned with an actual good burger when it came to taste though. Service was also great, with the waitress greeting us upon entering, chatting for a bit, and even coming out to let us know our food is ready when we stepped outside for a moment. Even better, when my husband asked if they sold any bottled soda, she admitted they didn't but had ordered herself lunch elsewhere and her food came with a bottle of RC that wasn't opened yet and she doesn't care for it. She gave him it for free just to be nice. I didn't experience the restroom or any of the bar drinks but I am definitely considering coming back so I can experience sitting in to eat and enjoy the bar. The looks of the bar definitely make it obvious it is a dive bar but just like they say not to judge a book by it's cover, I find you can't judge a bar by it's divey-ness. If anything, the more divey it is, the better burger they will have. Goldyburgers did not disappoint at all. read more
This is a dive bar. It is "Cash only." There is an ATM in the bar. They have a dining room with 6 booths and a few tables. The menu is basic burgers, sandwiches, and fried foods. They also have an iceberg lettuce salad. We got the traditional Buffalo wings. They were served in a paper-lined plastic basket, and our plates were paper plates. They are dripping in Buffalo sauce, so you are going to go through a lot of napkins. Our burgers came out on Styrofoam plates, so it's a little more sturdy. I got the 1/2 lb Royal Blue Burger (blue cheese and bacon). My friend got the Big Daddy a 3/4 lb patty with mushrooms and bacon, and your choice of cheese. The burgers were substantial and cooked to order; mine was medium, and my friend's was medium-rare, just like we ordered. The bacon was crispy and thick, not fast food bacon. It is served on a soft hamburger buns. The fries were thicker cut than McDonald's. We were surprised the soda pop was $4.50 each; we felt that it was high. The burgers were $14 - $15. There were two families with kids there, they got the chicken strips and burgers. The decor was dive bar OG. There was an antique tin ceiling (the Marque said "Goldyburger since 1926" the ceiling could be original. ) and various Retro Irish bar signs. One Miller sign said Céad Míle Fáilte (a hundred thousand welcomes). Our server was good but not attentive or friendly. Two burgers, two Cokes, and a small order of wings were $54. Parking can be a crap shoot. We did not have trouble finding a spot, but there is a bowling alley and two other bars within a block or two. Another patron got a parking ticket while at the bar, so the city is ticketing. read more
6 months ago
2 years ago
What a great find this was. Thanks to the other Yelp reviewers recommending this place. We came here with 15 people (baseball team) on a Saturday at lunch time. Service was great, the burgers were big, messy, and delicious. The food came out quicker than what we expected. Wings and onion rings were good too. Don't let the "dive bar" atmosphere steer you away. Better than a chain burger place. Had to drop a star due to the bathroom condition. But otherwise, give it a shot. read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
The burgers here are good. This is the burger on rye bread with cheese. I sat at the rail so the service was pretty quick. There was sports and memorabilia on all the TV's and walls around. read more
2 years ago
1 year ago
3 years ago
2 years ago
2 years ago
5 years ago
Cheeseburger with bacon and grilled onions. Simple and always pleasing. 13 years since my last still "Never had a bad one". Top it with a choice brew... they were out of Guinness... Add Redbreast 12 Irish whisky and a delightful meal it was. read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
9 years ago
Checked my bookmarks for a lunch date and bam this juicy looking burger spot pops up. Since it was nearby we dropped in. There were 2 other patrons besides myself and my friend dining in and doing take out. We ordered burgers & chicken wings. Our waitress was very friendly & accommodating. She gave us advice on good options. While waiting on the food I played a dollar on their gaming machine, and yeah I lost my dollar. HUGE SIGH... Took the food about 15mins. The wings were fresh and cooked well, but lacked flavor & the sauce on the side wasn't good. The burger was good! They give you a 1/2 lb patty, w/fries. Very good!!! My mushrooms could've been sauteed better, but it was a really good burger. read more
4 years ago
3 years ago
8 years ago
Great old school pub. Friendly staff. Great food. Just don't be a jerk. Low key vibe. A little gem hidden in Forest Park read more
4 years ago
8 years ago
This place has been serving burgers since the 1920s, but have they ever had good service? I went there twice in a week to make sure that it wasn't just a fluke. Wednesday: I ordered the Hawaiian Burger. It was solidly good, but nothing to write home about. The story here was the long wait! I had to wait 45 minutes for a server to come to my table. To his credit he was very apologetic once I brought my wait to his attention. He explained that they were unusually busy. Between waiting to place my order, getting my food, and paying, it took two hours. Friday: I went with my dad, brother, and friend. They all ordered food and I just got a drink. None of them had anything to say about the food except that it was filling. This time the server (a different one) was pretty timely, but we each had to repeat all of our orders a couple times. I had to ask her on two different occasions for water. It was really weird. I'm not sure if those two times were service flukes or not. Maybe they were. I just know that I've had better burgers and better service elsewhere. read more
12 years ago
BETTER HAVE CASH!! No credit cards accepted. Decent beer/drink prices, burgers are good but are underwhelmingly small and overpriced. Basically a greasy spoon burger that can be had for under $4 at just about any diner. Little or no atmosphere...mostly locals or those who have come for years. I would pass this one up and go to any other burger joint. read more
19 years ago
This place is a hole in the wall with the best burgers and cheese balls I've ever had. The outside is just your average tavern and so is the inside for that matter. It reminded me of my childhood since my grandfather owned one over by Humboldt Park. The food is what makes the place though. The Goldyburger, The Hawaiian Burger, the Royal Blue Burger, the Mushroom Burger, and not let's forget the Big Daddy. They also serve fried shrimp, soup, chicken and other things but it's the burger that will keep you coming back. The neighborhood is slowly changing but I hope this place never does. We have introduce many of our friends to this establishment. I hope you like it as much as we do. read more
4 years ago
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More info about Goldyburgers
7316 Circle Ave
Forest Park, IL 60130
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(708) 366-0750
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