I am obsessed with this smash burger! We walked in and were able to get seated at the bar. The bar itself feels a little like a dive bar with a chill atmosphere. We ordered a beer and each had our own burger. Yum yum yum! I can't wait to come back and have this burger 20 more times. read more

Hands down best smash burger. Perfect size, perfect amount of sauce! Love that they're open super late. Will be back for sure. Their curds are also top notch. read more

Easily the best burger in Chicago. This place is wonderful, a cozy bar with a great beer selection and fantastic food. Will be back very soon! read more

Charming neighborhood bar with a solid vibe. We walked in for the first time and felt right at home. Workers were very welcoming. Cannot go wrong with the smash burger selection. Made with pride by the staff. Excellent selection of beverages. Nice little outdoor patio for the warmer months too. A feel good place in a dying breed format. read more

Small Bar - The vibe on an early Tues eve - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great neighborhood bar! I would love to come back for the food as the burgers looked, and smelled, delicious! Drinks came out fast, bartenders were helpful, and everything tasted great. The back patio was a great space to drink even when it was cold outside. Cute decoration for the holidays and a nice cozy feel all around. read more

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Yes the bar is small but they have an above average-sized patio in the back with TV's set up so def visit while the weather's still nice. Accidentally sat right in front of the TV w my beer like the gaslighter I am. Food is courtesy of Patty pleaser. Great beers on tap. What we got: 1. The Pleaser (double) - Griddled onions, American cheese, pleaser sauce, pickles on a potato bun. Charred to the gods. You have the option of getting a single or a double 2. Cheese Curds - served with jalapeño ranch read more

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Small Bar is a corner bar at the obscure corner of Albany and Wellington. Despite its random residential location, this joint was loud and crowded by the time we departed. Peeps are lured here by the weekday Happy Hour (4 to 7 PM) and its smashburgers, which you can order with one or two patties. I ate The Pleaser, featuring griddled onions and "Pleaser Sauce" among its toppings. My lovely wife went with The Classic, which had the mayo-ketchup-mustard trio. I stared at the menu and the two burger versions seemed very similar. I liked my burger but was not wowed by it. My love ate hers in two servings - she said the leftover burger portion was pretty good the next day. My pick was the tasty cheese curds, with a jalapeno ranch dip that was not spicy at all. You can get a full order of fries, or a side of fries with your burger for a reasonable $3 upcharge. Our party of four had a variety of adult beverages. There is a water dispenser with little cups at the end of the bar. There is also a covered outdoor patio space. The servers were pleasant and efficient despite the steady buildup of the crowd, though there was a snafu with the final tab as our orders were charged onto one credit card rather than split between two cards. Technology! read more

Went on an Avondale bar crawl like a month ago for a friend's birthday and I am still thinking about the Small Bar smash burger. It's the BEST IN THE CITY. I'm so for real when I say that. Eating that burger on the patio with my friends and fries was everything. The Patty Pleaser is my new girlfriend like it's so real. The food comes super quickly and honestly was the perfect percursor to more drinking and debauchery as the night continued on. Very cute bar and super Avondaley. read more

Really good!!!! This smash burger was BOMB!!!! We have been trying to get here for like 3-4,months and finally dropped by. We were seated in a booth and ordered at the bar. The food came in 10mins and it was PIPING HOT. Baby they know what theyre doing in here! Perfect smash. Decent service. The drinks were $12 each and they were tiny, but taste good. I shall return! read more

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Small Bar has been on my list for a minute now and I was excited to gather up some friends and go. I sold them all as soon as I said it's supposed to have the best burger in Chicago. When we arrived around 8pm on a Friday, the place was PACKED. And I mean, PACKED. It was january and even their patio was filled to the brim!! Turns out they were at capacity so we had to wait for some people to leave before we could enter. I was shocked how busy it was! Overall, our group had a joke going the whole time that everything fit the small theme inside small bar... the booth are small, the drinks are small, the kitchen is small... but it was pretty great, regardless. We also found it to be loud but maybe we're just old now :P Definitely a pretty fun but chill hang spot, and the smash burgers were quite delicious! The fries left more to be desired, I think because they were so thin there wasn't much inside the crispy exterior. Loved that the drinks were reasonably priced unlike everywhere else these days, and they had a good assortment of options. My friend was surprised by their selections of amaro. Oh! And one other thing to note. It strangely pretty much cleared out by 10 pm. So if you're looking for a busier spot, maybe it's better earlier in the evening, if you want a quieter spot, maybe go later? read more

I'm a bit conflicted about my star rating for Small Bar. The service is really friendly and they have exceptional smashburgers. The fries and cheese curds are great too. Food prices are reasonable. My issue is with the pours on the drinks. The $12 drinks are deceiving. At first glance one might think is a great deal though the glasses and pours are at least 1/3 smaller than average. It's like an intentional optical illusion, lol. Maybe there's a triple entendra at play between the literal small bar, cups/pours, and seating options. The Old Fashioned might be less than than 3 oz. After a burger, fries, curds, and a couple drinks don't be surprised if you're set back $80!! All in all still worthy of 4 stars. read more

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Best burger in Chicago hands down. Great staff, great atmosphere, and the best place to be on a Friday night. Cannot recommend this place more! read more

Cozy neighborhood bar, friendly staff, and delicious thin patty burgers! Truly the best burger I've eaten in a while. Decent amount of seats indoors (bar and booths), and a secluded outdoor patio too. Great spot in Logan Square! read more

This spot is great for both food and drinks. It's in a very nice area as part of the neighborhood. The food is delicious as that's why we came here after grabbing some drinks after work. The food did not disappoint. The burger was delicious with the cheese and sauce. The pleaser fries had a lot going on but I was very impressed with how crispy the fries remained even with all the toppings. After awhile, the sauce and meat became a lot but those first few bites were delicious. I think next time, I would get the fries and sauce on the side but I loved how crispy the fries were. I highly recommend coming here whether if it's for food or drinks. You can't go wrong either way. read more

Small Bar - The Pleaser Fries ($10) - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Burgers and fries are absolutely delicious! Has a laid back dive bar vibe with a large out door patio you can bring your dogs to! Grew up in Southern California & have been searching for a burger that ca. hold its own compared to a burger from In N out & small bar gets pretty damn close!!! I highly recommend it to anyone who will listen read more

Delicious burger, fun drinks, cool vibe. The burger is a smash, I got one with onions smashed into it. It has a great crisp and some delicious flavor. Overall one of the top 5 best Smash Burgers in Chicago. We got French fries and cheese curds, the fries were shoe string and crispy in the right way. The curds were less cheesy than I wanted but good crispy shell. They also had frozen banana daiquiris which were so tasty, a great beer, and liquor menu. The staff are fun, welcoming, chill. Definitely not kid friendly but it does have a bunch of Xmas decor which is cute. read more

Small Bar - Smash Smallbar Cheeseburger - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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I went for the smash burger and wasn't disappointed. I had the pleaser. It was delicious. Simple but great. The grill onions just gave it the over the top factor. read more

Small Bar - This is a - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I can't speak for the bar itself as someone else went inside but they mentioned great drink deals and a laid back vibe. What I can speak on is how damn delicious those patty pleaser burgers are. These guys were slinging out burgers like no tomorrow and after about 45 mins of them grinding mine came out and it was absolutely rocking. Hot, fresh, and well seasoned. Well worth a visit for the burger and a beer and maybe a shot while you wait. read more

Small Bar - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Burger was burnt today and it didn't taste as good as last time. Think I'd rather go to Leavitt Street. Their smash burger beats Small Bars. Still like this spot and they have great cheese curds, but the burger left me dissatisfied today. read more

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This place is aptly named Small Bar. But what's inside is anything but small on taste, service, or ambiance. From the Hamm's sign as you enter, to the orange glow of the bar, to the dartboard stuck in the back corner, it's a step back in time to a place that your parents hung out at. It was packed when we arrived on a Tuesday night so we found a spot to stand along the wall while we waited for a booth or a bar spot to open. They eventually did about an hour later. Went with the classic smash burger and cheese curds with the jalapeno ranch dipping sauce. Everything was A+ and we were so impressed we got the Pleaser burger to-go to split as a late night snack. This place is fantastic, I don't even have any recommendations to make it better. Keep it up Small Bar! read more

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We've been making our way through the classic "best Chicago burger" lists, and Small Bar is the first to blow me away!! So crispy and flavorful! And the sauces they offer are also 10/10 Cocktails are fun bar cocktails, and the fries and cheese curds also exceeded expectations! We weren't able to get a patio table on a weeknight at 8:30pm, but grabbed an indoor table after ordering while waiting for food. Service was also amazing - Bartenders and wait staff were super kind and gave recs!! Perfect dive bar! read more

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A great bar food spot with a fast casual food feel! The set up is indoor booths & outdoor tables. The burgers were perfectly smashed, onion forward, evenly pickled, & well sauced. Everything was about $45+tip. I thought it was a great deal during happy hour. You order at the bar & they serve it to you wherever you sit. Definitely recommend the jalapeno cheese curd! Love that the batter also had cut up jalapenos. Great local spot! read more

Small Bar - The Classic, The Pleaser, Fries, & Fried Cheese Curds - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place was perfect!!! I was in Chicago visiting a friend and we stopped by for a very juicy delicious burger, fries and washed them down with a couple of Hamms!! The atmosphere was spot on! Very friendly people! Service was excellent! I highly recommend it!! Thanks again Small Bar!! read more

Small Bar caught me by surprise. Especially knowing they were closed for a few months due to new ownership and no longer offering the same food menu. I am here to confirm, you have nothing to worry about. Especially if smash burgers and fries are your thing. The bar area is cozy and screams good vibes with the music blasting and the drinks flowing. The bartenders and service was on top of it and helped in making my first time enjoyable. I came to learn Patty Please is a smash burger joint who has an earned a permanent residency inside Small Bar knocking out burgers and then some. And the burgers were a huge hit. And they're knocking em out until 1am most nights! Order your food and drinks at the bar and find a seat at the bar, in a booth or at a table outside. It's giving homey vibes and I'm so happy to have spent my first night in Chicago at a Logan Square staple. read more

My daughter flew into town with a friend and made a request for smashburgers. I quickly hit the internet (i.e. tik tok and google) and Small Bar kept coming up. Although there were lots of positive reviews, there wasn't many pictures. I really did think it was a divey bar with little to no seating. I don't know why, but we took a chance (2 adults and four kids in tow (16, 15, 13 and 9). It was not very divey at all. It's not a big space but they were very accommodating and very nice to use. It's a clean space and simple- drinks, burgers and fries..boom. We could have sat inside (although kids aren't able to sit at the bar) but we chose to sit outside on the patio, because they had overhead heaters. We were very comfortable. Burgers were off the chain! Fries were fire Their happy hour and frozen daiquiris were good. We had a great experience. The frosting on the cake was the service. Those guys were so cool and great to us. read more

Killer burgers, the bun was meh (too soft). Super fun ambience. Definitely a fun place to chill. Super loud but bangin playlist. Great spot to catch up with a friend over food or drinks. Casual service- order everything at the bar tho there are tables. The lighting inside is cool, looks darker in photo read more

Small Bar - Pleaser burgers - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Small Bar is, without a doubt, one of the best hole-in-the-wall spots. We ended our night here almost everyday during our last trip to Chicago. It's a great place to start or end your night. The bar has a good collection of beers on draft, more than what you would expect from a dive bar so you'll be pleasantly surprised. But the real star, the main attraction, has to be the food! The kitchen is an open grill behind the bar so you are immediately hit with the smell of fried goodness when you first walk in. If you can, get a seat at the bar. The burger was perfect with crispy edges and toasted buttered buns. The cheese curds were an extra treat and served with this jalapeño ranch (not spicy). Kitchen is open late and they have an outside space. Kid and family friendly in the mornings and afternoon. All one floor so very accessible. read more

Small Bar - Fried Cheese Curds Smallbar Cheeseburger - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Amazing cheesecurds. The jalapeno dip was great with them. The burger was great but slightly undercooked in the middle for my taste. It tasted raw. The outer edges were fantastic. Eat it fast! It's saucy and messy ( in a good way) read more

yes the bar is a small bar so don't be surprised if there are no seats available. we got both of the smash burgers (single) and they were so good!! i just wish they had more of a crunch to it like some jalapeños. the cheese curds with a side of jalapeño ranch was my favorite item. everyone was super chill and nice. read more

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TL; DR: Solid sauces, get the double burger with sauce on the side Came here at 6:45pm on a Monday and it was POPPING! All the seats were taken, but 2 at the bar (it is pretty small though). The happy hour deals are solid. The burger is made quickly and has a great pleaser sauce. Reminder: it is a smash burger, so don't be afraid to get the double. The curds and fries are a great side to share. They have a great ranch that they mix in jalapeño and cilantro. The prices are great too! read more

burger was delicious! 10/10 the fries were perfectly seasoned! service was great! will definitely return, check out the patio we didn't get to see! read more

We tried Patty Please at Small Bar on a recent Saturday night. It was crowded, but we were thankfully able to find a seat quickly. They have a nice indoor area with the bar on one side and a huge covered outdoor patio on the other side. All seats were quickly filled, and people rotated in and out. By the time we left, people were waiting in line outside, so think ahead this upcoming winter! The food is very affordable for the quality, it was about $67 for 4 beers, two double pleaser burgers, 2 orders of fries and 1 order of cheese curds. The overall vibe is very casual, I think this is a great weekend spot to hangout at or a nice casual vibe during the week as well. No frills, but again, great quality food and laid back, friendly staff. They have a great assortment of beer, cocktails and some frozen drinks as well. For the food, the burgers are great, you can add bacon, egg, but I'd go with the pleaser if I were you. The double is not huge - definitely filling if you have some beer and sides, but it's not overly big since it's a smash burger. The burgers have a nice crispy edge to them, and super flavorful throughout. The buns are nice and warm and the burger is pretty consistent in terms of not being too messy. Overall, it's a great vibe in here. A good place to have a laidback drink and a good time, without spending too much money and there's plenty of parking in the vicinity! read more

I freaking LOVE Small Bar! Such a cute place with a great little patio and incredible food and drinks. The smash burger is to die for... and the wait will let you know others agree. If going on a weekend allow at least 30-45 for food to come out during peak times because this place will be packed- in a good way. Perfect neighborhood spot. No notes. read more

Well, if you're into "Smash Burgers", Small Bar in Logan Square is the absolute place to go! They are very proficient with this particular cuisine. Yes, they have a few other things on menu, but Small Bar is exactly what their name implies: It's first and foremost a bar that whips up very good libations and has an incredible beer and ale list Second, it's has a very small, yet delicious menu Thus you have the name - Small Bar! My wife and I ventured over there for an early 6:00 dinner and it was already packed. This was an immediate "Good Sign". All six of their booths were taken ( I told you it was small) so we found two bar stools and proceeded with our dinner. We had: Two Pleaser Smash burgers - mine was a double and my wife had a single. The construction of these beauties had an onion smashed patty, American cheese, their sauce they call "pleaser", pickles on a really good potato bun. We both loved them. Their French fries were excellent and the staff was helpful, courteous and friendly. This should have been a 5 Star review!!!!! What happened you might ask? While eating our dinner on our stools at the bar, people were coming over to this bar to order their food. Now, I'm not a germaphobe, claustrophobic, or have any condition that wouldn't allow me to have a good time and enjoy my dinner; It's just having no arm room to even pick up my burger to eat got me a little manic. I had no room to move and having someone's elbow in my side kinda turned me off. What I will do the next time I come here, and make no mistake about the fact I am coming back here, I will patiently wait for a booth to be vacant. I really loved what they have going on over here at Small Bar. read more

Such a neighborhood bar that is worth visiting at least once a week. The friendly staff seem to always have smile and truly enjoy what they are doing. The star of the place though is the smash burger. It is so good that I don't want to even think about going back to these burger chain joints. read more

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I feel like this summer has been somewhat dedicated to finding the best burger in Chicago. Recently, Small Bar started popping up on my feed, and the smashburger looked fire. We decided to make our way there over the weekend, and I can say we were not disappointed. We got the burger and garlic cheese curds. The cheese curds were super addictive. For the burger, we went with the Patty Pleaser. If you are a fan of onions and mustard, this is the burger for you. I like both, but I could maybe do without that much onion. One other slight critique would be just a tad more seasoning on the patty itself (eg pinch of salt). Based on this, I think it's a solid 8 out of 10. It definitely is one of the top 20 burgers in the city! I should also give a shout out to their bloody mary. Quite delicious. Beer selection was also on point! read more

Small Bar - Pleaser - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Small Bar is definitely a hidden neighborhood gem! Great vibes and even better burgers and fries. The ratio of bun to patty was a little high for my preference, but still an amazing smash burger. The fries are like McDonald's fries, in a good way! There is no formal waiting system for the booths, so you kind of just have to wait at the bar and keep an eye out. The music was pretty loud but overall fantastic vibes!! read more

This place is a great hidden gem in the Logan square/ Avondale area. Good happy hour and vibes. If you like smash burgers you have to try this place. One of the best I've ever had. Crispy edges! The cheese curds are also amazing. If the weather is nice the patio is a good option for seating, but you have to go to the bar for service either way. read more

Small Bar - Fries - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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The burger was delicious but was it worth the hype? We arrived around 7:30pm slipped into the patio which has limited seating. We ordered around 8:45 we still didn't have our order but they were slammed and when we asked about our order they said they didn't have it. The orders had to be reentered and we had to wait even longer. At this point I'm hangry but tried to be patient. We got the pleaser and classic burger with curds and fries. The curds came with a jalapeño ranch dip, it's great. Fries were good and crispy. The burger was good the pickles did not sit well with me for some reason. The patio was great they have music blasting, if you manage to snag a spot I recommend arriving early and not on a holiday weekend. read more

Small Bar - The pleaser - Bars Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We ordered 4 burgers, 4 fries, 1 cheese curd and 3 cocktails. It came out to $140. There was a lot of hype on social media about their burgers and the employees were also saying it was the best burgers anywhere. They were average burgers. I personally added egg and bacon to my burger. The bacon was floppy and chewy. (My fault for not asking for crispy bacon). Burgers looked better than they tasted. The cheese curds were awful; very chewy with no flavor at all. Fries were standard thin fries. We didn't understand the hype. read more

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