ILuvParis

Five best burgers according to the Tribune:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/featur...-nonmmxent-utl

What happened when their story came out:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/featur...-nonmmxent-utl

I am on a mission to eventully eat the five top burgers listed. #1 was the burger at Rosebud Steakhouse (Rosebud has several restaurants in Chicago, the original in Little Italy). Since the story, each of their restaurants has started offering this burger. Today, jockdAAddy and I went to one of them, Carmine's on Rush Street - a beautiful day - and sat outside. This was the best burger I have ever had. 12 oz. of juicy joy, served with fried onions (a guy sitting nearby had a slice of raw) and fries! Just like the article above says:

The burger is a massive 12 ounces, and so juicy the kitchen should consider issuing bibs. The burger, cooked precisely to order, arrives on a soft but chewy pretzel-dough bun that handles the juicy meat without falling apart, and the flavor --with or without melted cheese -- is sensational.

(Carmine's serves it on a egg bun and it is JUICY, not greasy.)

A worthy stop for our weekly lunchfest in Chicago.

Sweet Willie

Rosebud Steakhouse
192 E. Walton St., Chicago
312-397-1000
Name: Hamburger
Price: $8.95
Size: 12 ounces
Meat: 80 percent lean prime ground beef Bun: Pretzel roll
Comes with: Lettuce, wide tomato slices, pickle slices on the side, plus thin, crispy fries
Options: American, swiss, cheddar or bleu cheese ($1), sauteed mushrooms ($1), bacon ($1)
Flavor: Like a buttery steak
Texture: Medium-firm
Comments: So juicy you'll want a bib. Burger perfection.
Burger available: Dinner Mon.-Sun., opening at 3 p.m.

If you can get past the eerie feeling of ordering from a tuxedoed captain, this Streeterville steakhouse is Burger Heaven. The burger is a massive 12 ounces, and so juicy the kitchen should consider issuing bibs. The burger, cooked precisely to order, arrives on a soft but chewy pretzel-dough bun that handles the juicy meat without falling apart, and the flavor --with or without melted cheese -- is sensational. All this in an upscale steakhouse atmosphere that is superior in every way except attitude; you're treated the same here whether you order one of the $30 steaks or the $9 burger. And if you dine solo at the bar (perfect when you want to watch the ballgame), the bartender sets your place with a tablecloth -- actually an oversized napkin, but what a cool touch.

Naha
500 N. Clark St., Chicago
312-321-6242
Name: Angus beef burger
Price: $10
Size: 8 ounces
Meat: 80 percent lean Certified Angus Beef Bun: Onion brioche
Comes with: Caramelized onions, soft lettuce, tomatoes, house-made fries tossed with sea salt and chopped parsley
Options: More than a half-dozen cheeses (no charge), applewood-smoked bacon (no charge)
Flavor: Rich, beefy, juicy; perfectly seasoned
Texture: Dense
Comments: Fine cheeses and top-quality tomatoes make this burger the gourmet's choice.
Burger available: Lunch only, Mon.-Fri.

The second-best burger in town can be found in a restaurant that nobody considers to be a burger destination and that offers the burger only at lunch. But, says Naha owner and chef Carrie Nahabedian, "Even a fine-dining restaurant can put out a great burger," and indeed Naha does. The half-pound of Angus beef is cooked over wood (hickory and cherry) and arrives on a soft and sweet toasted onion-brioche bun. The flavor and texture are outstanding. And Nahabedian puts a lot of effort into the accompaniments; cheese aficionados can top their meat with such exotic choices as Hudson Valley camembert, Spanish manchego or Great Hill bleu (along with the more-familiar varieties). Tomatoes range from good Romas (now) to heirloom varieties (late summer). And the fries! Hand-made every morning from huge Idaho potatoes and tossed with sea salt and chopped parsley.

Park Grill
11 N. Michigan Ave, Chicago
312-521-7275
Name: Park Grill Burger
Price: $9.95
Size: 8 ounces
Meat: 80 percent lean Black Angus ground chuck
Bun: Poppy- and sesame-seed brioche
Comes with: Lettuce, beefsteak tomato slices, grilled red onion, pickle spear and fries
Options: Cheese ($1), bacon ($1), balsamic grilled onions ($1), sauteed mushrooms ($1)
Flavor: Luxurious and robust
Texture: Firm; good "bite" to the meat
Comments: The signature Herkimer white-cheddar cheese is not to be missed.
Burger available: Lunch only indoors, lunch and dinner in outdoor plaza, Mon.-Sun

As if there weren't enough reasons to visit Millennium Park already this summer, now add the Park Grill burger to the list. Another half-pound vision of ground-beef Nirvana, this one wrapped in a soft multi-seed bun and packed with Angus-beef flavor. Various cheeses are available, though the signature choice is the Herkimer, a white cheddar from upstate New York, whose sharp flavor is a perfect complement to the beef. The fries, cooked in beef fat ("the right way," says chef Bernie Laskowski), are crisp and delicious. FYI: In the dining room, the burger is available at lunch only; at dinner there's a fancier (and much pricier) Kobe beef burger that, frankly, we like less than we do the lunch version. But when the outdoor restaurant, Park Grill on the Plaza, is open (i.e., if it's not raining), the regular burger is available lunch and dinner.

Select Cut Steakhouse
2808 N. Halsted St, Chicago
773-244-1500
Name: Half-pound steakburger
Price: $7 lunch; $7.95 dinner
Size: 8 ounces
Meat: 85 percent lean mix of steak trimmings, ground in the kitchen
Bun: Sesame seed, from MaryAnn Bakeries
Comes with: Lettuce, tomato slice, pickle spear, steak fries
Options: American, swiss, cheddar or mozzarella cheese (50 cents).
Flavor: Very beefy, with a tang reminiscent of bleu cheese
Texture: Thick and firm; uniform consistency
Comments: Who needs steak with a burger this good?
Burger available: Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sun.

I've driven by this Lincoln Park restaurant a dozen times without ever stopping by, which is probably why the excellence of the burger was such a surprise. True to steakhouse tradition, owners Tony and Gail Munoz make their burgers from the trimmings that materialize from the hand-cut ribeye, New York strip and filet mignon steaks. The result is a burger that's a smidge leaner than most and has a distinct steaklike flavor; I even detected a little bleu-cheese tang to the meat, suggesting aging. Carpeted floors and cloth napkins add a little formality to a double dining room equipped with plenty of TVs for sports fans.

Paradise Pup
1724 S. River Rd., Des Plaines
847-699-8590
Name: Char burger
Price: $3.49
Size: 6 ounces
Meat: 80 percent lean ground chuck
Bun: Egg challah with sesame seeds
Comes with: "Everything" includes lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard
Options: Grilled or raw onions; Merkt's crock cheddar, American or mozzarella cheese (30 cents); crinkle-cut or Cajun fries ($1.29-$1.69)
Flavor: Plenty of exterior char
Texture: Soft and very juicy
Comments: If you love a real charcoal taste, this is your burger.
Burger available: 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon.-Sat.

If the weather is merely decent, the line snakes out to the parking lot of this tiny Des Plaines burger shack, which has been run by brothers George and Anthony Manos for 22 years. There's plenty of parking but precious little room to sit; there's counter seating for 11 cramped people inside, and a few large picnic tables outside. And yet people line up, cash in hand (which is all Paradise Pup accepts) to order a char burger with various toppings, though the signature version is slathered with Merkt's, a cheddar crock cheese from Wisconsin. The operation is as low-frills as can be, but the burger, heavily charcoaled and cooked to about medium (no one asks how you'd like your burger cooked) has great flavor and is plenty juicy. And under $4. Seasoned or crinkle-cut fries cost a little extra, but if you're feeling adventurous, try the fries layered with Merkt cheddar, sour cream and bacon; it's like somebody exploded a stuffed baked potato.

OTHER TOP CONTENDERS

Here are 11 other restaurants whose burgers made it to our third round of tastings.

Bristol Tap, Bristol
Candlelite, West Rogers Park
Hackney's, Palos Park and other locations
Hunker Down Steaks, Alsip
Jake Moran's, Mundelein
Medici, Hyde Park
Nick's Tavern, Lemont
Rockwell's Neighborhood Grill, Ravenswood
Silver Palm, River West
Square Kitchen, Lincoln Square
Wollensky's Grill, River North

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Sweet Willie

I would like to sign up for this mission as well. ^

#5 Paridise Pup is close to me, guess what I'm having for lunch tomorrow?

Sweet Willie

I did go for lunch today at Paradise Pup, at 11:15am it was crowded already.

Burger w/grilled onions was wonderful, EASY to see why it is in the top 5 listed. ^ The egg challah bun is very good and fresh

The Merkt's cheddar fries, made with REAL CHEESE, not cheese sauce crap were great. They taste better as the cheese cools a bit. I prefer the regular crinkle cut fries as opposed to the seasoned fries.

A black cherry drink was a refreshing change of pace from my usual ice tea or lemonade choice.

I await ILP's next burger stop assignment.

Grasshopper

Let me know when you guys want to hit Select Cut - it's right down the street from me. And I'm all over this Burger-A-Week trend - let's do this instead of Flat Top for a bit!

ILuvParis

Well, since we go to lunch about 3-4 times a month, and the participants vary, there ought to be an opportunity for anyone to join in at a variety of places. However, 3-4 of us will probably continue to go to Flat Top fairly frequently. When we do, anybody else is welcome to come or not.

Grasshopper

Absolutely. Sorry, not meaning to diss on Flat Top at all - I love that place. but variety is a good thing!

Sweet Willie

As traffic was horrible on the Kennedy I was unable to join my FT brothers and sisters at Carmine's. but I did have some burgers from Paradise Pup in a picnic setting today (thanks to the nearby forest preserve) with Mrs. Sweet Willie and our new pup. They were just as good as last time and again at 11:15am it was packed.

DataPlumber

What no one for Moody's?? Yep, its a dive but has GREAT Burgers!!!

http://www.chicagobarproject.com/Reviews/Moody's/Moody's.htm

RickR

OK, the burgers sound great. A bit much in many ways, however.

When in Chicago, the meat/grease food of choice has to be a good, hot Italian Beef sandwich. Other places make good burgers, but there may be no other place that comes close to a good CHI I.B.

Sweet Willie

If that is the case, you may want to voice your favorite on the "Best Italian Beef" Thread here: http://flyertalk.com/forum/showthrea...t=Italian+Beef

ILuvParis

Moody's has good burgers. Try a Rosebud burger, then you'll really know "great."

sonofzeus

Best Burger in Chicagoland? My place. Cooked to order...you bring the Leinie Dark.

cawhite

With the group in Cgo...careful what you offer up...

ILuvParis

Cool. Can we bring Thor and Freja*?



*He's a Maltese. She's a schnoodle.