I have tried a lot of burgers but nothing has topped Au Cheval. I can never quite finish one but…read moreevery single bite is packed with flavor. It seriously hits every taste bud. Adding the pork belly and egg takes it to another level. The space is cozy and intimate but be prepared to wait. It can be anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple of hours. Your best bet is to put your name in and wait for the text alert. Thankfully Small Cheval spots are around when I need a quicker fix. As for parking it is a bit tight with valet street parking and nearby lots as your options.

We were heavily recommended this place by a friend and boy it was worth it…read more We showed up on a Sunday around noon, only had a 45min wait, which was not bad at all compared to our original attempt on Friday night! We were seated near where I could watch the line work, which I appreciated as someone in the food industry. Our server was extremely friendly and helpful, explaining the quirks of the menu as well as his own suggestions for us to try. The burgers themselves were amazing. Easily in my top 5 favorite restaurant style burgers of all time. The tender peppered bacon is the perfect touch for these burgers. If you can withstand the wait, it's truly a wonderful time at Au Cheval.

Being a California boy (born and raised) my only way to get a Fish & Chip meal was at a fast food…read morefranchise called H. Salts Fish & Chips; and it was fairly good. Several golf trips to the U.K. (Britain, Scotland, Wales) I got my fair share of excellent Fish & Chips; the best being in Ullapool, Scotland at The Seafood Shack I have never had better! But, leave it to Chicago to deliver some of the best fish and chips I've ever had in the USA, here at The Dearborn restaurant in the Chicago loop. Everything about The Dearborn's signature dish just worked in every way: The fish was fried perfectly The fish itself was moist and delicious The chips (fries) were excellent The coleslaw was the perfect side dish The tartar sauce was scrumptious My Krobacher Pilsner paired perfectly with my dinner The service was spot on And sitting at the bar watching the NBA playoffs didn't hurt either. I did have a scoop of delicious salted caramel gelato that finished this meal perfectly. Having such delicious fish & chips a few blocks away from where I live is certainly better than flying "over the pond" (a British term for the Atlantic Ocean).

This is an excellent spot for a special occasion! I visited recently with a large group for brunch…read moreand we had a great experience all around. Regardless of the time of day and especially during peak hours, I would definitely recommend making a reservation to air on the safe side. The staff prepared our table super quickly and was very attentive- they really went above and beyond throughout the meal. I do not recommend skipping the drinks! I ordered the seasonal Si Se Puede, Tia mezcal cocktail, which was quite spicy and perfectly sweet. For appetizers, we shared the parkerhouse rolls. The rolls were soft and buttery with a delicious whipped butter spread. For the main dish, I ordered the Dearborn Burger. It was solid overall and the portion size was very generous. I tried the fish and chips as well which were excellent. Would definitely order this next time! For dessert, we tried the sticky toffee date cake. I liked that it was not too heavy, and the Heath bar crumbles added a nice crunch. My only wishlist would be to have more of that delicious sauce to scoop up! We left with ample leftovers and in high spirits. Definitely looking forward to visiting again and trying more of the menu!

We stumbled upon Trivoli Tavern quite by accident. Walking…read morethe streets, Thank goodness we made a right when we did. This is a sheer delight! Everything from the music to the leather booth to the chandelier and the wallpaper it's like a gorgeous hunting lodge located in Tuscany somewhere. We loved the meatballs and marinara sauce. Great wine list. And the music... the music is just everything here. It's romantic it's nostalgic, a little dark and sexy. Great for a date night or a family gathering, birthday. I would come back here again and again. It is the perfect spot to be in the midst of a modern city.

What a vibe. Doesn't look like anything special from the outside but boy was I wrong…read more Place runs like a well oiled machine. From the hostess to the busters. We ordered the crab Rangoon. Clam chowder and Caesar salad. Rolls. Steak frites and the vodka pasta. Date cake for dessert. Everything was 10/10 except for the Caesar and the clam chowder. Those two left a lot to be desired. However it allowed us to keep extra room for all of the food. Our server Maggie was on top of things and made us feel like the only table she had, yet the place was packed. Joked with some fellow Chicago friends that we loved the place and it's probably a tourist trap. They were quick to correct me and say no even the locals love it. We can see why.

Manny the bartender was amazing, so attentive and gave the best recommendations. The manager…read morechecked in which made everything feel really thoughtful and showed they truly care about the experience. Food, drinks, and ambiance were all 10/10. Thank you for such a great experience!

Went here for their daily happy hour which includes weekends, 4-6pm. Was happy with our drinks, the…read moreespresso martini was a highlight loved the little toasted marshmallow. Fries were also delicious and the 1$ oysters were a good deal, not the best oysters but for a dollar I was happy. Burger was also good. Staff were very nice and attentive. The host was sweet and sat us right was and our server was amazing. Constantly checking on us and was so friendly. Very cute vibe on the inside, nicely decorated a lot of seating. Honestly a little pricey but the happy hour made it worth it.

Food is consistently good here. Ordered the TRADITIONAL…read moreBREAKFAST* 2 eggs your way, choice of bacon or maple sausage, hashbrowns or fruit, choice of toast. The hash browns are really rich and I feel like I could have shared them. The servers made sure I was good on my coffee and water. Love the vibe here, the restaurant is beautiful.

Tried them out during restaurant week. Had such a wonderful…read moreexperience, we decided we'd 'spin the block' and made another reservation for 4 weeks later before we even left the 1st reservation. We went for brunch both times. Yum! Our server Tim was top tier so we asked to sit in his area again yesterday. He rocks btw. Gives honest opinions and didn't stear us wrong. I love an honest wait staff! Only thing I was sad about was they didn't have the pork belly bites () this time (must've been specifically for restaurant week) and the shareable bacon was just a side order(3 slices=not shareable for bacon lovers) I'm pretty sure we're going back again next month to try their dinner menu. We can't wait

(Kari's Rating 7.75/10)…read more Came here on a Friday for a quick happy hour bite and was happily surprised with how everything was. They had a nine dollar sangria, which was really delicious, it didn't really taste like there was a lot of alcohol, but was refreshing and sweet. The burger was relatively average (a good sharing size) it came with this pimento cheese sauce -which I thought really put it over the top. Unfortunately, the chips that it came with didn't really taste like potato, but just pain oily. The pretzel wasn't that bad, but it also came with a side of the pimento cheese and I thought it was pretty heavy and repetitive because it was on two items. Overall, I think this is a great place and I can definitely see it being crowded over the summer when the patio is open, but I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to come here.

Looks are deceiving!…read more High hopes for this one, but was let down at almost every turn. Ordered an old fashioned, and it took quite a long time. Especially for a closed patio, and maybe 70% occupancy. However I will say it was good. Food: We ordered the Burrata, which had hazelnuts. We were intrigued and then quickly disappointed. The burrata was okay by itself, but the hazelnuts added an odd sweetness to the dish, that just didn't work. We both decided to order the Steak Frites, and somehow got two different looking plates. Both cooked medium when asked for mid rare. One was smoothered in chimichurri, one barely had any. I would say the quality of the beef seemed great, but overall the dish was sloppy. Lastly, I would feel bad if I did not mention the overall cleanliness. With an open kitchen concept, you would hope what you can see is clean. It was not. The floor and counter tops matched closely to a waffle house on a friday after midnight. I understand things get busy, but if you can't keep it clean, dont show it off!

My friends and I have started a burger crawl throughout the city, and we had to have Gretel on the…read morelist! First time here for all of us, but definitely will not be our last! We started with a bunch of cocktails (I wish I remember the names.. but they were all so good!). Food to start, we ordered the Charcuterie, and the House Made Pretzel. We were obsessed with both! The charcuterie did not skimp out like some cheese/meat plates do.. it was a satisfying amount that we kept going back for more. The pretzel was outstanding, twisted and hot, perfectly soft and salty. To eat, I split the Gretel Griddle Burger and the Fried Chicken Sandwich with my friend because although we were there for the burger, I kept reading about the chicken sandwich being fantastic. Booyy they were not wrong!! As much as I loved the burger, the chicken sandwich was my favorite! Perfectly crispy, with this sweet and spicy glaze and the crunchy Asian pear slaw... OMG. I'm still dreaming about this! One thing we were excited about were the Elote Riblettes.. but I wouldn't order these again. I accidentally bit the whole thing and didn't realize they kept the core in, and I had to spit it out. And even after eating it properly it didn't feel like I got enough of it from those little bites. Loved the fries though! We didn't see a dessert menu but we would have definitely been interested in that. After all the drinks apps and the chicken sandwich I was feeling so full so I couldn't finish the burger so I got it wrapped to go. But let me tell you even when I reheated that burger the next day.. it was fantastic!! Overall we may have been the loudest and most obnoxious group (we get a bit excited haha) our waiter and the vibe were all matched! Genuinely loved this place, and looking forward to coming back soon.

I don't know, maybe I'm just a hater, but I've given Gretel a shot twice now and left disappointed…read moreboth times. It was mainly about the service. Disclaimer that both times we sat at the bar. So this has nothing to do with servers at the tables. It just felt cold and not at the level I would expect for the prices and reputation. For example, we ordered the smoked trout caesar salad once at the recommendation of a friend, and didn't love it. It was very, very fishy. Like not just the smoked trout itself, the dressing also tasted way heavier on the anchovies or something than we're used to. And we love caesars! We didn't say anything about it because it's literally in the name that it may be fishy. The issue was that it was so obvious we only took one bite that the bartender commented on it when he was clearing our plates. "Too fishy?" We confirmed. And then he took the full plate of food away that he himself had just agreed with wasn't great, and returned with our bill that still charged us $20 for a salad. I mean, it's fine. But it's just an example of the kind of service you get there. We were barely checked on, even when drinks were empty. Even when making eye contact. Even when we were obviously done eating for several minutes and the bartenders were staring at our plates.Even after asking for a check and watching conversations happen leisurely behind the bar while we sat there. I know sitting at the bar is a different style of service, but it ventured more into inattentive than spacious. The space is cool. The food is fine. It just doesn't make up for feeling like a burden when I'm paying $100+ for lunch for two.

We stopped in for a night cap and a snack on a Friday evening! We sat at the bar and I liked how…read morebig and comfy the chairs are. We also had front row seats to watch March madness, and more importantly the beer filling mechanism that fills glasses from the bottom! Kinda fun to watch. The bar also has purse hooks, which I am always grateful for. The food came out pretty quickly and was super fresh and delicious. The bartender was sooo sweet, very attentive and quick, and made sure my soda was always topped off. I loved the vibe and the moody lighting! The menu is definitely River North prices -- nothing terribly surprising bht on par for the neighborhood. At the time of our visit, cocktails were $15+ and the fry basket was $10. Again, not terrible but definitely paying to be in River North. If you're in the neighborhood, definitely worth it!

Was craving a burger and a drink, and found no vacancy which did have vacancy on a Saturday night…read more We were greeted and sat at the bar immediately. I ordered the picture me drink, and a burger. The cocktail was sweet and refreshing. Great bartender. The burger came out shortly after and it was huge. It was perfectly cooked and super juicy as well. Fries were hot and crispy too. Overall, pretty good spot for some solid food and drinks. The vibes are dark and quite loud, but to be expected for a dive bar.

Girl and the goat was a menu of delicious after delicious dish…read more The goat empanadas were the crowd favorite and truly the best on the menu. Skirt steak and the dessert were the other 2 faves to round out my top 3 dishes. Service was kind but on the slower side for a Tuesday night Inside is a well designed restaurant that you would expect in west loop

We went in already hearing the hype, and it still exceeded expectations. The standout for us was…read morethe pork shank--perfectly tender, rich, and packed with flavor. It's one of those dishes where every bite hits. The goat empanadas were just as impressive. Great balance, not too heavy, and really well executed. You can tell there's real thought behind the flavor combinations here--it's not just creative for the sake of it, it actually works. The whole experience felt dialed in--food, energy, and service all on point. It's a place you go to enjoy the meal, not just eat. Definitely coming back.

There's just something about a burger that actually lives up to the hype--and Little Bad Wolf does…read moreexactly that. Stacked unapologetically high, this burger is everything you want and more: juicy, perfectly seared patties layered with melty cheese, crispy bacon, and those golden, crunchy fried onions that take it completely over the top. Every bite is rich, savory, and just messy enough to remind you you're eating something seriously good. The toasted bun somehow holds it all together (barely), soaking up every bit of flavor without getting lost in the chaos. And then... the shoestring fries. Thin, crispy, golden perfection--light but addictive, with that ideal crunch that makes it impossible to stop at just one (or ten). They're the kind of fries you keep reaching for without even realizing it, especially dipped in that creamy, tangy sauce on the side. And let's not forget the drinks--just as good as the food. Refreshing, perfectly balanced, and the kind you sip slow while taking it all in (but somehow they disappear way too fast). It's not just a burger--it's one of Chicago's most iconic bites for a reason. Bold, indulgent, and absolutely worth every single napkin you'll need after. The ambiance inside is GORGEOUS!

My husband and I walked in on a Sunday evening for dinner and were able to be seated right away…read more The atmosphere is dark and moody, and it made sense once I realized it was the same owners as Gretel. Loved the 90s female R&B playlist they had going! Little Bad Wolf has been on my list FOR YEARS to try the burger! My husband got the burger with fried onions and I got some Bao because those also looked delicious and were a popular menu item. Honestly the 3 stars are only that high because of the service. Our server was friendly and attentive + the food came out hot and quick. Unfortunately, the food was pretty disappointing. The burger was swimming in a puddle of grease and just picking it up made your hands greasy + was dripping grease. The fries that came with it were floppy, soggy, and sad...but at least warm? I personally wouldn't order this again. The Bao were better, but small for the price and honestly were just okay? It was nice they gave you sauces you could add, but I found the Bao's to already have enough sauce so I didn't need them. Overall I left feeling confused and disappointed. I don't feel the need to come back here - Little Bad Will was a one and done experience for me.