Au Cheval

I cannot stop thinking about this burger, even a month down the road. I tried to recreate it the weekend after we got back, but obviously I failed miserably.
The warm cheese and minced pickles with the sauce melts in your mouth along with the juicy, perfectly cooked burger.
The wait is worth it, but be smart and show up by 10:45 AM or you will have to spend some time getting drunk in a nearby pub waiting on your table. I hope we get to visit Chicago again soon to experience this amazing dining experience again.

Ok, so I know people talk about the wait being crazy but I lucked out or just timed it perfectly. I got there around 3:15 on a Wednesday and was seated at the counter immediately. It took about 35 – 40 minutes to get my burger but it was well worth it. Sitting at the counter was also great because I got to see them work their magic. I got the single and added bacon and cheese and an order of fries. The burger was cooked to perfection, the pickles nice and crisp, and even tho it was a little messy towards the end (especially with the egg) the bun held up nicely since it was toasted. The fries were cooked perfectly, nice and crisp, with a solid garlic aioli dipping sauce. While it might be a little crazy to wait 3 hours for a burger I was extremely happy with my visit and will be making another visit soon.

This is a review strictly for the burger. I am going to say it, I was not impressed, I actually did not like the burger at all and would not recommend it. It was soooo beyond salty, I couldn’t even finish half of it because the salt was overpowering. I would admit if I thought it was good but just over hyped, but I truly thought it was bad. Maybe we got a bad batch, idk because I have obviously only heard amazing things about this burger, and after last night, I would never eat that burger again or recommend it.
We told the waitress we just wanted the burger, exactly as it should come base on the rave the burger gets… prob a mistake as I hate horseradish and it has horseradish mayo on it… although the menu does not tell you that or give any description of what comes on the burger. Regardless of that, even not eating the bun and scraping off as much of that mayo as I could, it was still way too salty.
Minus my obvious disappointment, the service was good, the atmosphere was great and the menu looks like it has a lot of other great things, I just don’t know if I would wait over 3 hours to try something different here. I would give small cheval a chance, but if we are talking about amazing burgers, hands down the Trencherman has the best burger I have ever had in my life. So I would go there for a burger over here, shorter wait time too.

Wait Time: Went Friday 1÷29÷16 at 2:20 pm. Was a 45 min wait. You give them your number and they text you when your table is ready. That gave me time to walk up and down Randolph and adjacent streets, doing a little exploring. It’s a cool area. I came back with perfect time to be seated, almost 45 minutes on the dot.
Service: A little slow since it was still very packed with a long line. Got seated instantly but had to wait 10 min to be served. After ordering, took 20 min or so to get the food. I don’t mind the wait though, since the ambiance is awesome.
Ambiance: Amazing. Very tiny and intimate diner feel. I sat at the bar and was able to watch all the cooks do their thing. Nice to see your meal get cooked in front of you. Was able to ask questions to one of the cooks and he was really cool. Very loud so a little hard to have conversation with my party.
Food: The hype is real. Single burger with bacon and egg — the only way to get it — best burger of my life most likely. Meets the hype. 2 slices of thick cut bacon (maybe bets bacon I’ve ever had?), perfectly cooked egg with an oozy yolk, amazingly delicious and moist beef, creamy melty cheese. Even the bread was good, with some sauce they put on the bun. There was nothing bad about this burger. After devouring half the burger in less than a minute, I decided to try the fries. I thought that since the burger was so good, that the fries, though probably still good, would just pale in comparison. I was so wrong. PORK FAT FRIED FRIES!!! Maybe best fries I’ve ever had in my life. I know that duck fat fries are trendy now, but pork fat fries taste so much better. Garlic mayo dipping sauce good with it too. Portions are good size too. 2 burgers and 1 fries good enough to share between 2 ppl.
Price: a little expensive for a burger, but considering that chain restaurants like Red Robin cost just as much and taste much worse, it’s really actually very fair. Quality to cost ratio is very good here.
Summary: so basically if you’re in the West Loop you have to try this place at least once. Cons: LONG wait since it’s so popular. PROS: best burgers and fries of your life.

Holy cow! This is one of the best burgers I’ve had in a long time. Got a single cheeseburger (2 medium patties) with pork belly, fries & a perfect Tito’s martini. Super satisfying, delicious, juicy, perfect, mwah! Flew in for a long weekend. Locals couldn’t stop recommending this place. Happy we came. About a 30 minute walk from downtown. Totally worth it. If you have to wait for a seat (typical) go to any of the nearby bars for a drink. I love this town!
Top 3 burgers:
1. Corner Bistro NYC
2. Le Tub Hollywood, FL
3. Here

Before arriving in Chicago, I asked a friend for some restaurant suggestions. She said eat on Randolph St. «Anywhere on the entire street?» I asked, and she said «…yes.» And so I DID.
You guys, this is not the best burger in the world. Everybody calm down. However, it was quite delicious. We arrived right before opening and had no wait, but the restaurant was full within 15 minutes. There were groups of teenagers, older couples, and men in business suits all chowing down. It seems risky to take a lunch break at a joint that often has 2 hour long waits, but good for them. The bar itself is unassuming. Seems like it could be a dive bar with the high windows, shadowy environment, and cramped spaces. I had to visually plan out my escape route when going to and from the restroom. The service was quite kind and efficient. You can tell they are used to dealing with high volumes of customers.
I opted for the single cheeseburger, but I probably should have had the double. I generally expect a slightly thicker patty, but it was cooked nicely and there were two. The cheese was great and melty, and the bun was good too. I did not opt for any add-​ons in order to experience the classic. I thought it would be more filling and juicier, but I still enjoyed my meal. I was sad when the lady next to me discarded half of her burger. I guess, she takes New Year’s Resolutions seriously. If I come back to Randolph St. I definitely would like to try other menu items as well.

I think this place is over-​rated by all the app. The burger is not worthy for 2hrs waiting. This is why I only gave 3 stars for this restaurant cos I was expected more…
Honestly, this place is cool, good music, good environment, nice drinks/shots.etc but not good for big group of party which over 5 ppl. Maybe nice for hanging out with a buddy or a romantic date although the music volume turn on too loud after 10pm.
The appetizer was amazing. Roasted marrow bones with toast was very unique and beef cheek marmalade was very tasty. They only have single and double cheeseburger options which was just okay. We added bacon and fried egg made it looks good. It’s good but it really tastes like normal restaurant burger. And French fries was just alright.
I don’t think I will come or bring friends here again for the long waiting line. But maybe grab some drinks here when it’s not crowded. Cheers!

Well bugger me sideways, this is a truly great burger. I flew in from LA on the red eye, and basically came straight from the airport to here, waited around for an hour, and had ‘America’s Best Burger’ for breakfast at 11am. Expectations set so high are seldom met, but this place exceeded them all.
Ridiculous. I even dragged back a few friends on our last night in town, so I could selfishly indulge twice on one trip. The burger is richer than Bill Gates so don’t expect to feel light as a daisy afterwards, but if you’re seeking divine indulgence, this is your Huckleberry.
Go get in line right now! (There was a line both times I went but they take your number and call when your spot is open, not like you need to stand there for an hour or anything. Go grab a pint over the road.)

Let’s just say this right now… the hype is REAL.
There are very few places that live up to ridiculous hype like «the best burger in America». But as I asked all my friends who have had the burger at Au Cheval, none of them told me it was a let down. I thought, this can’t be true. I LOVE cheeseburgers, but can this place be that good? I’ve tried other «best burgers» in Chicago and a couple didn’t live up to the recognition.
The reason I didn’t try this burger 6 month ago was because of the wait. I foolishly tried to go on a Friday night at 7:30pm – 4 hour wait. Went on a Saturday at 10pm – 1 hour wait. Finally, my girlfriend and I went right when it opened at 11am on a frigid Wednesday and we finally got in without a wait, although the restaurant was packed in 15 minutes.
Now let’s get to the burger. You can go with the single (2 beef patties) or the double (3 beef patties). It comes with cheese and dijonnaise sauce. You can add on egg and/​or thick cut bacon. I got the single with egg and bacon. Okay, so this is why I think it’s by far the best burger I’ve ever had. The beef was well seared with great crispiness and had great flavor. When I bit into the meat, the crunch and the juiciness mixed with the melted cheese was aaaaammmaaaazing. Also, the bun was perfect with the perfect density and flavor. The dijonniase sauce was a great surprise and added a much-​welcomed amount of zing. The egg was perfectly cook and the bacon was soft and sooo savory. It was an amazing experience and I was so happy afterwards. Even though I loved everything, the burger was pretty heavy and filling so when I DEFINITELY come back, I think I’ll just enjoy the single plain.
If you’re in Chicago, or if you’re a cheeseburger fanatic, or if you just have taste buds!!! Go to Au Cheval. The hype is real, and I am a proud hype man.

Came here the other day with some friends, there was 5 of us and unfortunately we had to wait. However, they informed us on an app that can see how many people are waiting before us that made a huge difference and the wait much tolerable. As for the burgers… THE BEST. We’ve been on the hunt for the best burger in the Windy City for a long time and Au Cheval simply killed it. You may have to wait in line, but every minute is worth it! In my opinion, they have the best burger in the nation, but what you don’t hear about is the fries. The fries are fried in duck fat and served with a garlic aioli, which might just be the best sauce I’ve ever tasted! The bacon and egg are a must! You might as well not come if you skip out on those. It’s worth the wait, the money, and every calorie! Just go!

A must-​go-​to spot in Chicago. It would get 5 stars if it weren’t for the unavoidable long wait. There are only 5 or 6 seats at the bar that are available for «first come, first served» customers. Some people can be so rude and sit at those seats for literally 2 hours ordering drink after drink while people behind them have been standing up waiting for their spot to have dinner. That’s what happened to us, lol. Wish there was a time limit on those seats! Otherwise if you want to put your name on the waiting list, you’ll probably get a 2 – 2.5 hr wait.
But, it’s so worth it! I’m not even a burger person but those things are delicious. The single for burger has two beef patties on it, so eating the whole thing is a real accomplishment. Loved every bite.
The waitress was soo nice and you can order drinks while you wait for your seat or table.

First, if you’re coming here during happy hour & beyond, the wait time will be at least an hour. Download an app called NoWait; you can use your phone to reserve a place in line.
Next, this place is awesome. Crowded, dimly lit, with an undercurrent of tribe called quest coming from the speakers. Great beer selection; try the penrose. We had a few cocktails; the Punch #3 is pretty good.
Finally, the food. You can’t go wrong with the fried bologna sandwich as a starter. Thinly sliced & piled to a near towering height. The sauce & cheese play-​fight each other on that delicious bun. Trust me: you will not regret this decision. Eat this. Then there’s the burger (I had a single with thick cut bacon & no fried egg) and I can confidently say this is one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. The look, the cook, the flavors. Top marks across the board. I will be back.

The famous Au Cheval — named by Food Network as the #1 Burger in the United States for 2015. Since then, waits are consistently 1.5 — 2.5 hours — especially for parties larger than 2. What makes things worse is that the kitchen is closed from 3:00PM — 5:00PM so you won’t be able to enjoy their burgers then.
In terms of actual burger patty, Au Cheval is not that special — the single has 2 thin patties and the double has 3 thin patties. What makes the burger delicious is the intricate process utilized by the team of cooks to mass produce. The buns are toasted with a flame from a top grill. The buns are then spread with aioli and topped with diced onions and pickles. If hungry, you can pay extra for a sunny side up egg and thick slices of bacon. The patties are heavily seasoned with salt and pepper with cheese slices in between. As a whole, the burger is very flavorful and is quite the mess to eat.
I shared an order of fries with a friend and it was more than enough with my double cheeseburger. As a whole, the food was definitely delicious but it is not something I can eat everyday given the long waits and overwhelming flavors. I feel it’s always a coin flip on whether you’ll be able to eat it or not. I would recommend eating a late breakfast and then settling for a 2 — 3PM lunch. It’s worth a try and definitely is an experience!

Apparently this place always had a wait, but that has only magnified since becoming known as the nation’s #1 burger. We came here on a rainy evening, meaning the wait was only…1 hour. Or was it 1.5? Not bad. As a side note, there’s an app called NoWait that lets you check on your estimated wait time and how many parties are ahead of you. quite useful.
It’s pretty damn crowded, dark, and noisy inside, and there are three tables situated in the waiting area — awkward. Yes, I was seated in one of those tables, and people were literally leaning on our booth and hovering over while we ate. I’m not sure if people usually are waiting inside or if it was just due to the rain. Onto the food!
single cheeseburger 10.95
What I’m told is the single cheeseburger is a lot like a double, and the double is a lot like a triple. This is true. The burger also comes with pickles and microgreens. I also threw a fried egg on it because that sounds just damn good. While I won’t deny by any means that the burger was fairly good, I have trouble justifying that it was the nation’s best.
foie gras, scrambled eggs & toast 18
This was probably the more interesting of the dishes. Scrambled eggs topped with foie — a rarity for this Los Angeles tourist (California had a ban for a while). The toast is what I would do at home, nothing special there, but dolloping the ingredients on top and eating them all at once? I’d want it for breakfast. As a side note, the foie was quite a bit squishier than the foie I’ve had in the past — less thick and creamy, more bone marrow-​y.
house root beer
Interesting. Slightly different. Mind-​blowingly so? No, it’s still root beer, not a molecular gastro reconstruction or anything. Still, it was worth checking out if you like root beer.
Conclusion:
Would I ever come here and wait 3 hours? No. Nope. No way. But does the restaurant care about my opinion, or heck, do you? If you’re even thinking about it or coming from out of town, you’ll probably disregard all Unilocalers and give it a shot. Because it’s been called the best. Hey, I would probably consider it too.

Burger aficionados would put Au Cheval on a pedestal for dishing out a praiseworthy all-​American gourmet meat in a bun. Simple as it may seem, it takes skill to master this classic creation. A SINGLE cheeseburger ($ 10.95) comes with two patties and a DOUBLE ($ 12.95) comes with three. A fact you should know especially when you plan to add that thick slab of bacon perfection ($ 3.50) and a beautiful «cheval» (sunny side up egg/​$ 1). That, by the way, is a no-​brainer. Aside from the juiciest burger you’ll probably get to try, this open-​faced sammich will blow your socks off when topped with those two items. Everyone knows bacon and fried egg makes everything taste better. This is no exception.
The burger being a massive and filling item, we decided to get just one order of that and a totally different dish from the menu to share. Enter FOIE GRAS, SCRAMBLED EGGS and TOAST ($ 18). Such delicate ingredients come with robust and hearty flavors. Talk about getting stuffed! Not sure how we wheeled ourselves out of there but that meal was good for an entire day. We seriously didn’t need that basket of thick-​cut FRIES ($ 5.95). Take heed and easy on the ordering.
Another tip that would go a long way: avoid getting there at peak hours. The first time we went there the wait was 2 hours on a Saturday lunch. No, we didn’t wait and no, they don’t take reservations. They will however, get your cellphone number so they can contact you when your table is ready. Our 2^nd attempt was on a Monday at 11am and the said wait was 30 minutes. We got seated within 15 minutes. And if you can, sit at the counter to get a full view of the chefs in action. It’s the best seats in the house. Enjoy!

Au Che-​Hell-​Nah. Sorry, but this place just didn’t do it for me!
After about a million people, a newspaper article, and even the TV telling me this place has «the best burger in America», I was stoked to try it out. I went on a Tuesday night around 5:45PM. We put our name down and were told it would be a 45 minute wait. They send you a text message with a link to download an app where you can track your place in line so you can get back in time if you decide to go elsewhere for a drink beforehand. This was a nice feature and I wish every restaurant had this capability. The restaurant was true to the wait time. 45 minutes later, we were sat.
First, the place is SMALL. There are about roughly 10 – 20 tables, at most. For being «the best burger in America», they need to expand — especially when wait-​times are over 2.5 hours.
The menu items were clearly described on their well-​designed menu and though prices were a bit above average for a burger, I would not mind paying these prices for «the best burger in America» — But since it’s definitely not the best, take note that between two people, you will spend at least $ 50 (this included two burgers, bacon, fries, one beer, and one soda).
Now comes my burger — I had cheese, bacon, egg, onions, pickle, and their «special sauce.» The sauce is what killed this burger. It certainly overpowers the burger experience and takes away from the taste of the purported high-​quality meat. The meat was cooked perfectly, bravo. But, again, I couldn’t taste the seasonings of the meat because of the nasty, way-​too-​sweet sauce it was slathered in. I hate the sweet/​salty combo and when I took my first bite, the first thing I felt was nostalgia — the sauce taste just like the one at Mickey D’s slathered on their Big M-​C. It was terrible. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED. Order the sauce on the side if this is your first experience here.
Their fries were pretty decent and I genuinely enjoyed the taste of these. One serving is definitely enough for two people!
The service was good, our server was very nice, and attentive to our needs throughout the time we were dining. The whole meal, from the time we sat down to the time we left, took 45 minutes. There is a fast-​paced work environment here to try to get people in and out ASAP, which I did appreciate.
I’ve had a much better burger @ Lockdown in UK Village but sadly, no Chicago burger has won me over to crown them the best burger joint in America. That, my dear, is still in Atlanta at a place called Vortex.
Nice try, Au Cheval, nice try.

We knew going in that the wait was going to be long, so we decided to shoot for getting there when it opened for brunch. Our über dropped us off at around 10:10 and there was a large crowd bunched up at the door waiting to be seated. We put our name down with the host and was told it was going to be a 45 minute to an hour wait. Guess if you’re trying to make the first seating, you need to show up before they officially open. It’s nice that they have a text messaging system to inform you when your table is ready, so you can wander around the local neighborhood to kill time. We ended up at Little Goat for some coffee and pre-​brunch pastries: P
Probably around 40 minutes later we got a text saying our table was ready :) At this point, the line at Au Cheval was getting insane, was hearing 2 hour+ wait times as we walked by the host. The interior is dark and intimate and feels as if you been transported back in time. We ordered a couple dishes to share: the cheeseburger a’ cheval with egg and the crispy potato hash with duck heart gravy. The cheeseburger was phenomenal, probably one of the best I’ve ever had; the meat was cooked to absolute perfection. The hash was the ultimate comfort food dish with good texture and rich flavor. We got a free order of fries from the kitchen cause they made extra which were very good, but not so good for our already bloated waistlines: P Girlfriend also got a glass of fresh squeezed grapefruit juice with her brunch.
They had a section on the menu labeled breakfast beers that I thought was interesting, never heard that term before but I guess anytime is a good time for beer: P Would love to come back and try more of their food-​coma inducing offerings, perhaps for a different meal to see what the rest of the menu looks like. If you can endure the painful wait times, you’ll be rewarded with an amazing meal that’s bound to make your belly a little rounder by the end of it.

GREAT!!! Went with a friend and we both got the burger with a fried egg and thick cut bacon. It was amazing!!! The bacon easy super thick and juicy. The egg a little runny as it should be. Meat for burger was great. Overall a great experience.
Also ordered an old fashion which was good too. They don’t hold back on the booze, which is nice for Chicago.

Au Cheval basically translates to adding a fried egg on top of something. I’m a sucker for this and would order everything on the menu if my stomach could fit it all.
A burger worth waiting for. This one is definitely up there in my top 5. A single burger really comes with two patties and a double has three. Thick sliced bacon. Don’t forget to top it off with the sunny side up egg. Each egg is individually cooked to perfection in a small egg sized pan.
Hash browns with duck heart gravy and fried egg. Best hash browns ever! The crispness of potatoes was just perfect. I’m still drooling thinking about the gravy.
The wait for this place can be ridiculously long. The Sunday brunch wait at 11a was over 2 hours. I came back on a Monday night around 10pm and there was about a 30 minute wait which ended up being only about 10.
Grab a seat at the bar if possible. My mouth watered every time a dish was pushed out. Everything looked so good!
Great selection of craft beers on tap. Grab a beer while you wait.

Was voted #1 burger in america so I knew i had to try it one my trip to chicago. Came here on a saturday night at 8 pm and guess how long the wait was… 4.5−5 hours!!! I could have sworn my ears weren’t working correctly cause how is that even possible??? How do you even predict a wait time for that long? I was expecting at most a 2 hour wait but 5??? NO. Thankfully au cheval has 6 bar seats that are first come first serve where you just wait behind whoever is eating and take the seat once they leave. Doing this, I only had to wait a little over an hour which isnt bad.
I ordered the Au Cheval burger with the bacon and a fried egg and comes with a pickle. The single comes with 2 patties which is more than enough to make you full! I feel like double would have been such a battle to eat. I honestly didn’t know what to expect but after my first bite, i was in loveeee. Hands down the best burger i’ve ever had. The sauce that came with it and the way the meat was cooked just made everything PERFECT. The bacon was thick cut and was such a nice addition to the burger. Since it was 2 patties, it was pretty filling. It came out to around $ 20 which is pretty expensive for a burger but was so worth!

Restaurant branché sur Randolph street…
La salle n’est pas très grande et sombre… Donnant ainsi une ambiance particulière à ce restaurant-​bar.
Ici… La «bouffe» est préparé devant le client lorsqu’il choisi de s’installer au bar. Sinon en salle c’est sympa aussi.
Côté tarif c’est raisonnable et dans le bonne moyenne avec une bonne qualité sans pour autant être exceptionnel.
Il y a un grand choix de bières pression… Né pas hésiter à demander conseil à la serveuse pour faire son choix. :-)
Comme la salle n’est pas très grande il y a souvent de l’attente pour avoir une place… Au delà d’un groupe de 4 personnes, il vaut mieux aller dîner ou déjeuner ailleurs si on est pressé et que l’on né désire pas attendre :-)
Pas de réservation possible ! …
Pour un Burger et une bière … Compter environ 20 $.

LA PUREE est ouffissime. Wow.
Un véritable parcours du combattant pour pouvoir tester «le meilleur burger de Chicago» car Au Cheval est assez excentré et dans un quartier peu rassurant. Arrivés vers 14h, on nous annonce que la cuisine ferme à 15h et que les tables né seront probablement pas libres mais qu’on pouvait essayer d’attendre pour manger au comptoir qui fonctionne selon «premier arrivé, premier servi».
A 15 minutes de la fermeture on abandonne et on nous conseille de revenir à 16h (parce que la queue devient vite longue) alors que le restaurant ouvre à 17h (pas de réservation possible).
On retourne dans le centre et on refait un aller retour, on arrive à 16h pétante et le restaurant est rempli «Oh désolé on a commencé les listes d’attentes plus tôt aujourd’hui», du coup, on a dû attendre une bonne vingtaine de minutes avant de voir des places se libérer au comptoir. Le serveur nous dit qu’on peut toujours attendre une table mais à ce stade là, on faire juste avoir notre burger !
Sur les avis de Unilocal,on se contente d’un cheeseburger simple car il vient avec deux steaks. Oui bah en fait, ils sont petits… donc pour moi ça équivaut à un burger lambda. Il est différent des autres burgers dans le sens où il y a de la viande authentique (et non reconstituée). Le burger est bon et on y retrouve du concombre et une sauce maison et ni tomates, ni salades. Avec du recul, pour moi ça équivaut à un shake shack. En revanche la purée est juste incroyable. Crémeuse, avec des morceaux, bien assaisonnée (un léger goût de fromage).
Manger au comptoir c’est très sympa et ça nous a touché que la barmaid nous remplisse nos verres (les serveurs aussi) sans qu’on demande et tout ça avec le sourire !
Le restaurant est super sombre et les photos né donnent pas vraiment justice aux plats mais traverser tout Chicago pour le burger né vaut vraiment pas la peine mais inutile de vous dire que je ferai tout les kilomètres nécessaire pour leur purée.