I was visiting family and we wanted a lunch delivered. They said the chicken fingers at Small Cheval (Wilmette) were very good. I took a quick look on Yelp to see the rating and was stunned to see less than 3 stars! I can't remember the last time I ate food at a restaurant with such a low rating. However, family insisted it was the best, so we ordered. The chicken came in a short while and the fingers were piping hot! I want to make a quick observation - these chicken 'fingers' were possibly the largest pieces of chicken I've had that were referred to as 'fingers'! They resembled small chicken breasts! I sliced two pieces of challah bread - put the largest 'chicken finger' on it and drizzled honey all over. I was quickly transported to 'chicken heaven' The chicken was delicious - thick, juicy white meat that was as tender as could be! The coating was crispy and perfectly fried! These 'fingers' were most definitely some of the best fried chicken I've ever had! We returned the following day for....ice cream!! I was asked if I wanted to go with the kids for ice cream. I said 'where to?' "Small Cheval" was the reply. Small Cheval?? Where we got the chicken fingers. I was told yes, they have great ice cream - it's a soft custard. I got the chocolate - it was thick, creamy and chocolaty!! It's as good as custard gets! After the chicken fingers, the ice cream is a must! read more

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Went for a burger, fries, and shake, as I used to love doing when I lived near the Wicker Park Small Cheval. This location is Small Cheval in name only as far as I can tell. Burger patty seemed completely non-seasoned and absolutely none of the smoky flavor I've always associated with a Small Cheval burger. Kind of dry and overcooked, straight off a griddle. The fries were pretty good, best part of the meal. The chocolate shake was, somehow, kind of bland. Not sweet enough, typical fast food soft serve tasting. It's upsetting when you get a place in the suburbs and you have expectations based on what you had in the city. Then you go to the suburban location and you feel kind of taken advantage of. As though you somehow didn't know what to expect because you lived a few miles north. Like there maybe was a presumption you hadn't been to the real deal and the name would just be enough. The price is still the same, though. That part didn't change. Will not be back. read more

I ordered take out from here because I heard great things about this place. The restaurant is very cute with outdoor seating. Food Chicken tenders: Great Cheeseburger: Decent (you have to add lettuce and etc to your burger) Fries: Good (garlic aioli was good) Oreo shake: Good Chocolate shake: Was secretly hoping it would taste like an In & Out shake The pick up process was easy. I'd definitely try the burgers again. read more

Terrible! I'll never go back. We waited nearly 40 minutes for our 2 burgers and fries. Then we were served dry, room temperature burgers. Around the 30 minute mark, I asked for an update on our food and we were told it would still be longer. Okay. Then when we finally did get our food (40 minutes after placing our order), we found two $5 off our next order coupons with our food. That could've been nice, except they were EXPIRED! Just an overall terrible experience. Don't go here. Go to Fat Shallot for burgers instead! read more

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Ok, this place was so aesthetic! Smelled so good, and the staff were very friendly. If it's busy, seating is a bit scarce, but this place is very pleasant to be at! The food is very well salted but very expensive! I will say, the bun of the hamburger is very thick, with a thin patty. I enjoyed but it didn't feel that worth it for the price. I will say- the milkshake was alright, but again expensive. Sadly, I probably wouldn't go out of my way to come here again read more

Great addition to downtown Wilmette. Great burgers! Best quick bites in town. Tenders were great as well! But wow! Milkshakes were Amazing !!! read more

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So disappointing. The Cheeseburger was so small & was 80% bun & 20% burger. Fries were under cooked & cold. The actual location was great but hardly any seating. I would not recommend this place for hamburgers. They need major help. Overated!! Respectfully! read more

Came in on a Sunday afternoon and luckily the line was very short and moved very quickly. The interior seating is very small and limited however, there are two different side outdoor patios with lots of seating. There's also seating in a closed covered foyer is what I call it because it is in between the main door and the second door to get into the primary building. Parking was on a Sunday on the street and free. Everything here is as consistent as it is at the Rosemont location. The only discrepancy is that I ordered a root beer float here and when I went to the counter to get a refill on the root beer soda only they said they don't do that. In fact, two employees had to confer and agree that they don't do that and also had to agree just to give me a little bit more root beer. Please note at the Rosemont location they offer proactively to give me root beer soda only refill on my float. And when I say proactively, their staff walks around to the tables cleaning things up and asking if you want that refill. The wilmette staff also walks around cleaning tables, which is great to see. Whoever is managing these two locations aka the same manager or some district manager get your policies aligned, and straightened out. read more

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Burgers & food were excellent; staff were all pleasant. The lighting in the main dining room could be lowered.

burgers came out "warm" not hot. they are working hard to get better...so i expect this place to be 4 stars by the end of the year. Great outdoor patio. Feels like they will hit their stride soon and this will be a 4 star review by Jan. read more

The food was overcooked very dry. The fries tasted like rubber. The food is very cold and the sauce was barely on any of my burger meat.. read more

Small Cheval- Wilmette - Overcooked dry fries - Fast Food Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

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I've been here twice now: 1. During warm weather after a bike ride, the burger, fries, and shake (coffee flavor) really hit the spot, and it was lovely sitting outside. Was it the best burger ever? Probably not, but it tasted quite good. 2. With my family during the cold weather, and there were some service issues. The interior space is simply insufficient when it's too cld to sit outside. They also ran out of buns, and we were waiting about an hour, but I get it. Stuff happens, and it's a new location. It's not the end of the world. My biggest issue overall is that you go in for a hamburger and some fries, you finish it in 15 minutes, and you're left with a tray packed with trash. Everything is served in or on something disposable -- no real plates or flatware. I'm sure this makes the operation easier since no one has to do dishes, but I just can't stomach the amount of trash I'm creating just to have a burger and fries. It's over the top. As a result, I would not come back that often. I would definitely visit more if they could reduce the trash footprint. Or, at a very minimum, have a container for recycling. Does no one care about the environment any more? Is that where our politics are at in 2025? We have just given up? It's dispiriting. We are affluent enough; we can pay a few cents more to eat off of plates that don't get tossed in the trash after one use. read more

Generally surprised to see the negative reviews. Have been to this location twice and have enjoyed it. Love the food, ambiance, and the service was great. Even went on a busy Friday night and things went well. Love the burgers, desserts, and beer selection. Chicken tenders are also suprisingly good. read more

Amazing burger had a really great sauce BUT you'd have to sell your kidney to buy your family dinner lol. Really cool vibe in the restaurant, weirdly they say they are fast food but no drive thru and took 20 min. Additionally there was no soda machine which was odd to me. read more

I lifted the bun to add ketchup & the burger was smaller than a McDonalds cheeseburger and the onions dripping in grease/oil. The bun was huge & that's what you are filling up on. Our table was filthy as were the others. I won't be going back. read more

Dissapointing experience. The burgers are tasty but not great, though don't automatically come with (free) lettuce and tomato and the cashier doesn't bother to ask. The interior is a complete miss in my opinion, very limited seating (it's winter now), and the use of space is incredibly poor. Who ever designed this should be fired. The kitchen takes up so much space that you almost have no choice but to take out on a busy day. They could have easily incorporated some standing table, bar areas with stools to maximize seating a whole lot better. The inside has this wide open space where people are just standing watch you get up from your table. Annoying and designed so poorly. Complete miss. The other complete miss is the sustainability. They obviously don't care. everything in plastic, boxes and non-recyclable materials. I know it's considered fast food but at least make an effort ... but you'd need more seating too (there's no where to sit so you feel more pressured for take out). They made the kitchen that big but can't even bother with using recyclable water cups, etc. even a place like Panera does a much better job. No one wiping down tables or keeping the space clean either. Overall a good burger but poor atmosphere and even more poorly thought through. Don't get the hype. Won't be back. Rather go to Pit & Tap, have a better burger that is a bit more expensive, get some proper service where I can sit down and enjoy a cold GLASS of beer ... read more

Overcooked burger. Website isn't available for takeout orders despite the restaurant being open. Fries were meh. Good chicken tenders and shake. Don't understand the craze. read more

We placed our order through Door Dash. It took a few minutes longer than promised, but not a big deal. 15 minute parking spots right in front. Plenty of seating, both indoor and outdoor. We ordered a Double Cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato and Fries - well done / extra crispy. Garlic aioli, of course. Ketchup was also available. A wonderful addition to downtown Wilmette! read more

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Worst Small Cheval Location. The burger was severely overcooked and nowhere near the standards of other locations. Layout of this new location is awful, didn't have Coke in stock. Won't be coming back. read more

SOOO slow! I'm here on a Sunday night waiting to pick up an order. It is not ready on time and they have one guy taking orders, delivering people their food and handling the take out line. It's not going well. read more

Huge build up by friends and I wasn't impressed. Started my order and they were out of my beer of choice..... strike one! Interior design is inefficient and short of seating, especially in the winter ..... strike two! I'm not a big fan of griddled burgers but these were pretty good. I ate the Classic and chuckled when the chopped onions reminded me of White Castle. I doubt the meat was half pound and the fries were absolutely sub average. The aioli sauce was the only reason to eat the fries. Since my beer wasn't available I was punished and had their water which was room temperature. I won't be back...... read more

The burgers we picked up at the Wilmette location last night were not edible. 3 of the burger patties were very charred. I hate to leave negative reviews but I am shocked someone thought this food should be served. 2/4 sandwhiches ordered were not edible. read more

Small Cheval- Wilmette - Adult burger also charred, but very raw inside - Fast Food Near Me - Wilmette, Illinois

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The location and the interior design inside the store was gorgeous. The warm lighting inside was especially pretty. There were a lot of seatings inside and outside, and even if it was packed with people, I was able to find seats. I waited for 20 mins to order and 20 mins to get the food. I've seen a lot of people getting this on social media, but I personally thought the burger was too salty, especially the patty. I expected the burger to be melty and soft, but it wasn't. It was worth trying for one time for me. read more

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Located in the former Depot Nuevo train station space, the new Small Cheval in Wilmette feels like a missed opportunity. The old Mexican restaurant wasn't anything to write home about, but it had wonderful staff. Small Cheval, unfortunately, doesn't even clear that bar. The burger I ordered was a letdown from the first bite -- dry, bland, and served on a strangely chewy bun. Even stranger, the patty only filled about 70% of the presumably house made bun, making every bite an awkward ratio of bread to burger. For a place that builds its entire concept around burgers, that's a pretty big miss. The one saving grace? The fries. Perfectly crispy and delicious with the garlic aioli. Unfortunately, they were also the only thing on the tray I'd order again. The burger simply isn't worth the calories, and while the prices aren't outrageous, the value is questionable given the quality. I'm not even a fan of Shake Shack, but for comparison I'd put their burgers a solid notch above these pucks. If all you want is fries, you'll leave happy -- but if you're hoping for a crave-worthy burger spot around Wilmette, this sadly isn't it. read more

Stopped by Small Cheval in Wilmette expecting the hype to live up to the reputation. The burger was hot but surprisingly pale with almost no crust, which is disappointing for a smash-style burger. The fries were also cold. Never again. read more

This feels more like a Chucky Cheese with all the unmannered, North Shore children running around. If you're looking for a restaurant to camp out with friends, this isn't it. It's counter service with a beeper. We ordered our burgers and beer at the counter, pressed our customary 18% tip for taking our order and waited at a dirty table that we cleaned ourselves. (Culvers at least has someone wiping tables down.) The char-grilled double patties on the fluffy bun with American Cheese (not really cheese) were fine. The fries were fine. The saving grace was the garlic aioli dipping sauce. It makes everything taste good. This is a quick gab a burger and depart type of place. Too noisy for conversation and too many people fighting for a table to open up among the screaming kids. read more

Small Cheval is always great. Love the space and the ample outdoor seating. Great addition to Wilmette.

It's a good burger but nothing special. A good burger is a good burger. It tastes similar to Epic Burger. Good fries. Shakes fine.

Our order was 1 double cheese burger, 1 double hamburger, a kids burger, 2 fries. They got almost everything wrong. Luckly the kids burger was right. The two burgers ended up being dry and singles. One of the fries is supposed to be well done, it's not. The fries were well seasoned, tasted good. The banana concrete is decent. Things tasted okay, I just wish we got our order right. I tried to call but no one picked up. read more

When you are a burger place, one would assume they have burgers. Oh no! They ran out at 7:20 on a Wednesday. Was told they hope to have some in 20 mins. At 10.99 you have to have ingredients. 2nd time here and I am as underwhelmed as I was the first time. read more

I was extremely pleased with our Small Cheval experience this afternoon after school - 2 delicious double burgers and chicken tenders - all tasty and hot. Hot fries, cold lemonades, and a delicious salted caramel milkshake. Friendly service. The booths are extremely comfortable and inviting for a late afternoon lunch. I'm looking forward to frequenting their outdoor space in the spring and summer. read more

Food was good but no soda refills combined with smallish cups left a bad taste in my mouth after leaving them a fat tip

Burgers were terrible. Tasted like cardboard. Thin buns. Dry meat. Asked for lettuce and got a salad on my bun. Maybe it was an off night but others in my group said their burgers were awful too. read more

I know what this spot is supposed to serve up as there is a location in my office building. Which is delicious. This Wilmette location is beautifully remodeled and appointed. And the service was very pleasant. But oh my they have some kinks to work out in the food. Everything was insufferably salty. I'd recommending waiting another couple months to see if they can get their game in order in the kitchen here. read more

Poor service, a bunch of teenagers standing around. Cheeseburger wasn't hot (barely warm) and dry (we ate there), fries were not hot and honestly tasted old. On a positive note the strawberry shake was very good. This location needs a lot of work. The Chicago and rosemont locations are definitely the ones you should go to. Decor and cleanliness was pretty good. read more

Cold tasteless burger that had the consistency of a hockey puck Building looks great. Food tastes horrible. read more

Good food, cute interior, unfortunately service was pretty bad and it took 40 minutes for my hamburger and fries to arrive. Was also kind of expensive. I probably won't come back. read more

Tremendous double cheeseburger and chicken sandwich! And this place is dog, friendly inside and out! They have two great patios, one on each side of this perfect downtown Wilmette location. Super nice staff; I highly recommend for a casual and fun setting. Don't forget to have a milkshake for dessert! read more

After two bad episodes (OK first one gets a 'slide' because it was during the first week) we decided to try it one more time, since it is nearby. Fries were terribly salty even though I asked for 'no salt' based on our first visit. Burgers were so-so AT BEST and nowhere near as good as those 1/2 block away at any of three other spots. But the kicker for me was the volume of garbage being thrown away - eat-in generates as much garbage as take-out. I won't be back. read more

We tried the new Small Cheval the day it opened! We ordered everything - burgers, fries, ice cream - the works! The food was delicious, the service was fast and friendly, and we loved sitting out on the beautiful patio. It's a fantastic addition to the neighborhood, and we can see it becoming a great casual hangout place. Definitely try the concretes and milkshakes - still thinking about that butterfinger one. So good! We are adding this to the rotation when we want burgers. read more