******Update: Last night I received an email from the manager scolding me for 'bashing' the restaurant in the time of COVID. I hardly think a 3 star review is bashing. It is unfortunate because I really enjoyed this place the first few times and may have given it another chance at some point, but now I will never go back--hence the updated 2*. We made an effort over the last year to support small businesses, and to be honest, I could have called out other issues during our experience. But the fact remains that as a restaurant- you still need to deliver at the very least- a delicious meal, which the Bad Apple failed to do. A recent return trip was disappointing. We started off with fried cheese curds which were fried perfectly. I ordered the Fig Is In burger - medium. It came out medium rare. I HATE to send food back, but it was really red in the middle and I couldn't eat it. I knew the burger was going to be over cooked because it took so long, and sure enough-this time it was a hockey puck. The server never asked how everything was. A manager did stop by & he totally passed over my comment that the burger was now cooked too far in the opposite direction. I only ate half. My husband had the bears burger, which he had asked for medium & his came out much better. The overall experience was average. Unfortunately, this is one of those times when a repeat visit didn't live up to the original experience and with so many options in the area, I'm not sure I would return. read more

Great burgers! They have gluten free buns. I had the veggie tale burger and it was delicious! read more

The Bad Apple - Veggietale - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Yes, this place is that great. I have always heard about this place, but never stopped by since I don't normally hang around this area of North Center. My friend Kyle D decided to pick this place for our monthly restaurant club. I'm glad he picked this place as it was one of the best burgers in the city. While the burgers are the main events, this place has a great drink menu. I tried the Danny Trejo and a Bloody Mary. The Fanny Trejo has a smoky taste with a creamy cinnamon top. Very good! I liked the Bloody Mary more as there are at least five alcohol options. I went with the Habanero vodka and loved it! Our table started with the cheese curds which I rally liked. They were crunchy, but also gooey inside. They also came our nice and hot which is always a good sign. I went with the Southern Dandy cooked medium with chipotle dusted fries. I cut it in half to see if it was cooked right (not a dealbreaker for me) and it was cooked perfectly. The onions and sauce were in good proportions and added to this perfectly designed burger. I would argue that it was one of the best burgers I have ever had! I'd be remiss if I don't mention the fries. By far the best fries I have ever had. No joke. I will certainly be back and will bring my other friends and family! It was that good! Well done! read more

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8/10/18 The owner wants to sell this restaurant with it's masterfully cooked medium rare burgers Anybody have $829,000? Just Beyond the Thunderdome - topped with braised short rib. white cheddar. beer battered onion rings. horseradish sauce. on a pretzel bun. Fries with curry seasoning. read more

The Bad Apple - Just Beyond the Thunderdome - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went to the new location in Lincoln Park on Belden opening day. Easily the best patio in the city. Service was great, accommodating for my little kids. Got the Bad Apple Burger and was just as impressed as when I tried the original location 10+ years ago. read more

Overall really good. A great burger. A LITTLE on the greasy side for my taste but would definitely recommend. I tried ordering delivery but it was a massive fail read more

The burgers are always killer. Michelle took care of my buddy and I at the bar, she was outgoing and hospitable. Upon Michelle's suggestion I tried the Fat Elvis Burger and a Smoked Cherry Old Fashioned, both were excellent. Had a great conversation about cats during this visit. read more

The best burger place in Chicago. I think most restaurants and bars don't serve real medium rare meat even though I request, but The Bad Apple has never disappointed at me. The ketchup sauce was a perfect match for the crunchy fries. I'd like to come back here to complete all the burgers. read more

The Bad Apple - Just Beyond the Thunderdome - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Food, Services (Margaret and Pat are awesome!), Price, Space and Atmosphere. Parking tight but worth it.

Reheating the poutine, You could argue that it went cold in transport but there is no way that's the case because the curds weren't even slightly melted on the the fries... just sitting on top rolling around. The gravy in its own container was cold as well... which was weird because it was in its own paper container with a lid which keep things warm really well and only showed up 20mins after the order was sent out (quick! I thought) ... clearly it was sent out and assembled luke warm / cold. This came from their rented delivery only kitchen in wicker/south loop, not their OG location in ravens-wood. I've never had any issue with this dish from their restaurant location which is twice as far as this one to me. Also the fries weren't the same as their actual location and were unsalted and bland to begin with (which is odd because they have some of the BEST fries in town). HUGE miss with this new system. Only ordering from their actual restaurant from now on. read more

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Fun patio, good beer selection, subpar food Similar experience as other reviews about slow service / issues with reservations but not including that in my rating. 3 stars for the food which was just kind of meh. Burgers are loaded with every ingredient imaginable to try and improve a patty and bun that are nothing special. Price is normal for Lincoln park, but I've had better burgers for half the price at something like small cheval. read more

It really breaks my heart to write this...Bad Apple used to be my favorite burger spot in town. I've tired just about every burger and in the past...ALWAYS delicious. It seems a lot has changed since new ownership. Food was incredibly flavorless yet extremely salty. Both my husband and I were up all night drinking water because in my husbands words "we got salted out!" Everything just seemed meh at the bad apple. We were there on a Friday evening wondering why this normally packed restaurant was so empty...It was clear that it was empty because food quality has declined significantly. Sadly this will have been our last visit. RIP Bad Apple. read more

I wanted to give it 5 stars for the ambiance and the food but my burger had too many bones that thank God I did not damaged my molars. I had the short rib hamburger with regular bun so they made it just the way I like it medium well no pink. I loved the hint of wasabi and the huge fried breaded onions made my hamburger very delicious . The fries were amazing. Our server was ok just the fact that many places charge you extra for every little thing you ask on the side is ridiculous because if I wanted a pretzel bread was an extra dollar but I don't like pretzel burger but wanted mayo I was charged extra for flavor salt and extra for mayo. The ambiance is great you can have fun in the patio or a great time inside and have a drink in the huge bar read more

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We had a great experience at the bad Apple! Food: The burgers were good and definitely over the top with toppings which was fun! The thunderdome burger was a real showstopper presentation wise and was also very yummy. We had to try to the Elvis burger (peanut butter and bacon) but were not huge fans of the combo. Still good but an interesting burger to try. The thing we loved the most were the cheese curds as an appetizer! Wow were these good and the portion size was huge! Service: Our waitress was lovely, she even took the time to go over all of her favorite burgers and talk about why she liked which ones. Also, I felt very safe in this restaurant during Covid and felt like all safety precautions were handled wonderfully. read more

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We went to the new location on Belmont this last weekend & are so thrilled with our experience. From the service to the drinks and the food, everything was delicious. I ordered the steak sandwich & thought it was fantastic (I like mine cheesy & saucy). My husband ordered the "Da Bears" sandwich & ate the whole thing. We started with the cheese curds that the table cleared within minutes. Our server was wonderful as well, she was attentive & we never had an empty glass. If you like trying all kinds of martini's, we really enjoyed the "pickletini". Cannot wait to go again & enjoy their patio & try a bloody mary :) read more

Went to the Bad Apple after a day of spring cleaning and SO happy that we did. The burgers here are fantastic and enjoyed it immensely. After a lot indecision due to the many burger options, I settled on the Slow Burn and my wife had the Fig is In. Both of us loved our selections: the Slow Burn had a generous portion of Chilies that had just enough kick but left room for the bacon and patty to come through. I sampled the Fig Is In from my wife and it had an equally great taste from the figs and goat cheese. If you like beer this is also a great place to go. I tried several local beers with my meal and will be back to try other options. read more

Got a recommendation from a friend. Had the Abe Froeman burger. Was excellent.. would definitely come back

The food in itself was pretty tasty, but it came at the expense of quite a lot. I should preface this review by admitting that we were a party of ten, but you should also know that during the 80 minutes we were there, there were a grand total of five other patrons in the entire establishment during primetime on a Sunday night. We were greeted with menus and then an immediate announcement that beer and wine was only available because the bartender hadn't shown up/ called in sick/ was hit by a bus/ whatever. Are you kidding me with this? Nobody was asking for anything requiring a degree in chemistry. A full bar and there wasn't a soul in the building who could pour a vodka soda? Would we like to try one of their three hundred draught beers? No. Especially after watching other members of the party get duped into spending eight dollars for THE WORLD'S TINIEST BEERS. The size of these beers was insulting. Who drinks six ounces of beer? I have no idea who our server was as the host traded off orders with some woman who acted as if she had just been dropped off by a temp agency and told to cross her fingers. Water? Okay! We were each given two glasses per person, which in hindsight was a blessing as they were also roughly the same size as a medical urine sample and at no point were they ever refilled. Six members of our party were given their dinner as four of us were requesting to-go boxes for the leftovers of our now-finished meals. (And again. there were five other people in the entire restaurant.) I can't stand having my dining companions tell us, "Please eat your meals while they are hot." We had three people on one check and the rest of the party requested separate checks. All of this was made clear at the beginning of the meal, but when it came time to pay, you would have thought that we had asked a bag of hair to complete an algebraic equation. In the end, we were just happy to leave. The staff was pleasant, the art was great, the ambience was warm and inviting, and the food was pretty good, but unfortunately the experience was sloppy enough to prevent me from ever returning. read more

Excellent burgers, but don't make the mistake that I made and order them to be delivered. Grease everywhere in the bag everything is a mess. I thought I ruined my pants, but was able to get the stains out. But again, the burgers are really excellent if you grab and go, that's fine, but do not order through GrubHub. I would like to go here again. read more

Pros: Both food and their beer selection were beyond delicious! The house made sauces put everything over the top. They had so many local beers on tap, as well. The service was excellent and the staff was super attentive. Neutral: I thought the fries were perfectly salty, however my fiancé thought they were a tad on the salty side. They were perfectly cooked and crispy, though! Negative: None! The Bad Apple is badass. Great local spot for some great food & beer! read more

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Great quality burger! Was looking for a place nearby from picking up a friend on a lovely Sunday evening in the neighborhood of Ravenswood/North Center area of Chicago. Extremely friendly staff, great indoor and outdoor seating options. Tons of beer & cocktails on menu. And did not disappoint as this is ranked very highly amongst the best burgers in the Chicagoland area and I must agree! read more

The Bad Apple - Chili Palmer Burger and Bad Apple Old Fashion. - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

If I could give more stars, I would! My Reviews are based on the following: STAFF- Immediately greeted by RYAN (Bartender). Super friendly, gave us the option to sit wherever we felt comfortable. We chose to sit in an isolated area, Ryan took the time to turn on all the tv's for us including music to make us Not Feel Excluded. We also observed, that no-matter how busy it got Ryan still took the time to come around frequently to check up on us! Ryan represents the front of the business in a very postive professional way! Andrea- Was our waitress super kind and patient with us. She took the time in explaining what each item on the menu consisted of. She gave us our space, but remained consistent checking on our well-being. We were also very impressed that both RYAN & ANDREA wore PPE allowing us to feel safe. During Covid we understand that the restuarant industry is not an easy atmosphere for staff during a pandemic. However, they were completely responsible in ensuring customer safety and social distance. Thank you! FOOD- I had the "SLOW BURN" burger that lived up to it's reputation recommended by Andrea. Very lean meat, so many flavorful elements into this burger. I will not say what's in this burger until you try it! Fresh cut fries! Appetizer: Cheese curds, very light and filling! Best way to start your way into a meal. PRICE- You get what you pay for, not cheap but definitely worth every penny. CLEANLINESS- For a city restaurant, operating during covid. I was very impressed to see how well maintained cleanliness was. I did not see anything out of the ordinary, minus not wearing gloves so for that I rate cleanliness at a 90% which I deem to be fair. OVERALL SUMMARY- My significant other & I, chose to come to this establishment with high expectations that were met by both (RYAN & ANDREA). This was our first time, and it will NOT be our LAST. Thank you for welcoming us, & respecting the new guidelines regarding PPE. You are acknowledged for working & serving customers during an on going-pandemic. I hope this restaurant realizes it's assets that keeps them operating. read more

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The Bad Apple is so versatile. Great for a date, night out with the girls, catch-up session with the bestie, or a family affair. Lots of TV's showing the current baseball and football games, quirky art scattered all over, and best of all: delicious burgers! Their food menu isn't massive by any means, just a nice, neat one pager, but they certainly have something for everyone, including vegetarians! I ordered "The Figs Is In" burger and my fiancé got "The Southern Dandy" burger, both being too big to finish in one sitting because we started with their totally bomb fried cheese curds. I also completely love their chicken thigh sandwich on homemade ciabatta bread (an autumn offering only. BRING IT BACKKKK!). It is SOOO good with their honey mustard BBQ slaw!!! I'm not a huge fan of their fries (or homemade ketchup), so next time I might try subbing them for another side at just $1 extra. Although their food menu is small, they boast a very, VERY large cocktail/beer/cider menu! We skipped drinks this time, but I have my eye on the Apricot Cider for next time. I'll be back! read more

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Bad apple is always great! The burgers are always fresh and the combo of ingredients are unique and thoughtful. Today I tried the buffalo veggie wrap. I love buffalo sauce! I would have liked more buffalo sauce. But overall it was a nice sandwich. The truffle fries were a nice compliment. We also tried the wrath of Julia child burger. Medium rare. A great combo of salty and sweet. As mentioned, all burgers are great so you can't go wrong. Their patio is also spacious and inviting! read more

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I can not believe I haven't left a review for this place! Many years ago when I moved to Ravenswood, one of my clients told me it was somewhere I had to try. To this day it is my absolute favorite burger place. Not only are the burgers, so delicious, they made their own ketchup that I could pretty much drink, it's just that good. They have really unique burger options. Don't forget the pretzel bun! This is an absolute must every single time we visit Chicago! read more

First post Covid visit and the food is still top notch. I had the Jake and Elwood burger, $17. It has malt-vinegar onion jam with buckboard bacon, Cambazola triple cream bleu cheese, arugula. The buckboard bacon was meaty, porky, tender goodness. I wish the slab of cambazola was bigger, enough to cover the burger patty. Ordered garlic fries and they were righteous. No kissy face for me tonight. The server was attentive and on the ball. He anticipated a refill on my drink without prompting. The host was a little less helpful. We asked to sit outside and he said they were full and could wait. However, he didn't know long the wait might be and we could wait and see. I wish he could provide an estimate like a half hour or hour or whatever. We would've been able to make an educated decision to wait and sit outside to enjoy the weather. We opted for an immediate table inside with his ambivalence. Meter parking available right outside. $4 for an hour + change. read more

The Bad Apple - JAKE & ELWOOD- malt-vinegar onion jam with buckboard bacon, Cambazola triple cream bleu cheese, arugula - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cheese curds are just about PERFECT! They are lightly battered, squeaky, and delicious! Wisconsin, move over, we just might have better cheese curds here in Chicago. The burger was just as tasty. The Slow Burn included some hot peppers that snuck through on some of the bites. The service was second to none! Definitely worth another trip to try more. read more

The Bad Apple - My share of the Slow Burn burger. - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place went from a 5 to a 3 with a change in ownership. Hopefully down the road they will be able to get some of the original magic back as it was a go to place for quite some time. Cheese curds are still amazing. read more

A great place for a burger and a beer. Plenty of TV's to watch a game. The beer list is long and creative with a ton of beers on tap. Order the Bears burger and thank me later. read more

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Pretty impressed with this place food was really tasty great fries options to go with the burgers. Bartender was in it and a great selection of beers. Atmosphere was fun with the funky artwork! read more

The Bad Apple - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ordered the Every Rose Has Its Steak sandwich for dinner this evening thru Grubhub. For a total of $30 bucks, I received a lonely looking sandwich with a lump of coleslaw that was hastily dumped into a piece of foil.   Reading the menu, I expected fries would accompany the sandwich, since I was asked to select options for fries and there was no charge for the fries on the menu. I thought I was adding the coleslaw in addition to the sandwich that I thought came with fries. In any case, it was a lot of money to pay for a disappointing meal that I'd rate a big, fat MEH at best. Won't order again anytime soon. Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device Get Outlook for Android read more

The Bad Apple is known 'round the city as having one of the best burgers in town. I have to say I did indeed enjoy it. They have a bunch of different types of burgers though so I feel like I need to work my way through their entire burger offerings. I met some of my Yelp friends up for a bite & a pint last week and had a lovely time. Solid service, solid beer list, solid food. Beer prices weren't too bad but their $18 beer flight did seem a bit silly. $18 is verging on madness. I tried the flight though and did enjoy it, but wished there was more direction on the beers (brewery only listed for most). My friends convince me to get the Elvis Last Supper burger for $11. She's a beast (both me and the burger) with bacon and peanut butter smothered on top. It was real good and I'm glad I started my Bad Apple burger escapades with this one. I *always* have left overs when I go out to eat and though my remaining burger tasted great the next day, peanut butter does not microwave well, ha! So...just a light warning if you get this burger....eat it all fresh & in person! Their burgers come with fries and you can upgrade any fries for 75 cents with cool add-ins like truffle, old bay, curry, garlic, ranch, chitpotle or firecracker seasoning. Awesome man! I've been here a couple of times for drinks but am glad I finally got to try their burgers. I'l l be back, for sure I'll be back. read more

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I love this place: they've got TONS of beer choices, friendly staff, delicious burgers (shout out to the Edmund Figs-Gerald and Old Bay French fries!). They always play good music over the speaker and have a great vibe in the dining room. Try the POUTINE!!! Yum!! read more

The food here is not as good as the reviews led me to believe. The burger meat didn't taste the best, burgers that should've had sauce had barely any sauce, and the fries were extremely greasy. If price was cheaper I could justify it, but I'd rather go to small cheval or another burger place. read more

The burgers are fantastic! Nothing bad about this place. We will be back after we fill our crawlers @ Hop Butcher.

It was my birthday and all I wanted was a juicy burger. Sure Au Chavel is on every foodie list but so is Bad Apple. Everyone I talked to mentioned the wait at Chavel and I ain't got time for that and the reviews for Bad Apple were enough to persuade me. Fun area with Half Acre on the opposite corner. Plenty of seating on a Wednesday night with a great draft list, cocktail menu, and a whole lotta other alcohol including a bloody mary. Didn't order the poutine and I'm resentful for it. If I was more baller, they do have a burger for $26ish that's been aged long enough to make it $26ish. Service was so on point that I can't say we had to wait for anything including table, water, ordering beer, beer, ordering food, check, etc. We did have to wait for our burgers. Speaking of burgers, I ordered the Slow Burn with firecracker fries medium well and the lady ordered The Figs Is In with truffle salt fries medium rare. Both delicious and came out exactly as we had ordered. Note: highly recommend the truffle salt fries with whichever burger you choose. It's just so flavorful. Slow Burn was delicious with all the of the toppings proportional to the size of the burger and it does actually burn a lil bit so go slow with the delicious sauce. The goat cheese on the Figs burger overpowers the taste of the burger in my opinion but the lady loved it and I was not upset tasting it. Overall excellent service, perfect burger for when you're craving a real burger with different flavor options, and stellar beer choices. read more

The Bad Apple - Slow Burnnnn - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

FORBIDDEN FRUIT This North Center burger bar doesn't fall far from the tree. In fact, I'd say this particular apple is the most succulent variety you'll find anywhere in Chi-town. There's absolutely nothing bad or rotten about it. After hearing positive things from fellow Elites (and recommendations from Chicago Eater and Thrillist) I made the trek here on the eve of 4/20 with a hungry dinner companion. We were seated immediately on a weeknight around 7pm at a table in the back. Right away I noticed that the dimmed lighting conditions would make it tough on photos but added to the trendy vibe that Bad Apple gives off. With a solid 4* across nearly 1,300 reviews to date, my gut instinct told me that I was in for a treat, and boy was I right. Once we picked brews off of their extensive beer & cider menu, we shifted our focus to the big draw: their burgers. I counted 13 speciality beef sandwiches, ranging around $10-13, most with clever names like the 'Feta Wap' (whipped feta cheese, pepper coulis) and '#hashtag' (smoked brisket hash on an english muffin). I vacillated between a few options, finally settling on the 'Slow Burn' (stout sautéed hot chilies and onions, bacon, white cheddar). My +1 ordered the 'Little Champion' (chili mac, pepper jack, crispy tortilla strips) and both came with fries; I added firecracker seasoning on mine for an extra 75¢. Having asked for my burger to be prepared 'medium', the kitchen rolled out the most picturesque patty I've ever seen. Cooked around the exterior with a large band of pink and slight tinge of red, you couldn't ask for better preparation. This was crucial, because the burger itself was a goddamn inch thick. lolwut A juicy patty griddled to near perfection with simple yet effective toppings. As tasty as the fries were, the burger was unquestionably the best I've ever had. Better than Au Cheval's, superior to Kuma's, trumping even Lockdown (which now gets runner-up marks in my book). We also ordered the poutine special (bbq gravy, pulled pork) which was delicious. Each of us received a different dipping condiment: a homemade honey mustard (really good) and sweet hot sauce (really spicy). The men's room is slightly larger than your household microwave oven. Even though it's communal, in reality only 1-1/2 people can fit in there at a given time. Also, either the bathroom mirror was some modern art piece intended to be ironic, or it was just some kinda hipster joke that I don't understand (see photo). Our server was nice, but she definitely started off on the wrong foot. Moments after greeting us she blurted out "if you're thinking of getting beer tonight, DON'T GET.......(long pause)". Uhhhhh wtf?? She then listed off a handful of taps that'd run out, which happens, and I get it. But the way she worded it sounded brash, erratic and a teensy bit odd. Not a huge deal but still a peculiar way to introduce us to the beer menu. Bread = 5+ Circuses = 3.5 *TL;DR* Despite a goofy restroom situation and some weirdly uncouth service at the outset, Bad Apple bounced back with a vengeance thanks to their absolutely KILLER food execution. All it took was one bite to know that I'd just encountered the best burger in Chicagoland. If these burgers grew on the trees in the Garden of Eden and a booming voice from above was like "hey listen, plz don't eat that" I'd go "shut it pal, you don't know nothin!" and devour the living bejeezus out of each and every one. Fortunately, dining here isn't a damning offense....but even if it were, I'd commit 1001 Original Sins so long as I got my Bad Apple burger. #going2hell #worthit read more

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I brought the wife with me this time and on this evening we had their $10 Pre-Six Happy Hour deal. This is a Bad Apple burger with fries and a craft beer from their $5 list. You just have to be there between 4:30 - 6pm on M-Tu-W and 2 - 6pm on Th-F. It's a great deal for the quality of their burgers and beer, and the wife is already talking about returning! I was sold long ago and certainly don't need any convincing! She had a Dovetail lager (5.3% ABV) and I had a delectable Noon Whistle Gummy Vortex IPA (7.5% ABV) with our burgers. The beers were also stylishly served in their own branded pint glasses. I'm already looking forward to my next visit! read more

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Great burgers ! Great service, very attentive staff and cute little ambiance. The beer selection is substantial and the burgers are very flavorful. read more

Good beer, Great burger! Great beer, Good Burger! Service dropped off after I got my food which is why I could my give it the 5 stars I always start out with. You should definitely go and enjoy. read more

The Bad Apple - Really good beer - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois