Burger Bar Chicago – South Loop

Burger Bar Chicago was a pretty great lunch spot. The service was super super super slow, but our waiter was extremely apologetic and brought us an order of fried pickles to make up for the wait. The fried pickles were bomb, so good.
Everyone in my group loved their burgers and most took advantage of the build-​your-​own option. I got the shrimp burger, which was a bit of a ballsy move (I mean… shrimp burger?)… it was interesting, it tasted good, weird texture but I ate the whole thing! Their fries were great and the truffle fries were even better.
Overall, it was a cool spot to grab lunch on Michigan Avenue.

Pretty good burger spot.
A girlfriend and I decided to check out Burger Bar randomly one night and it turned out to be a good choice. We talked in just after 5:00 or so and was seated immediately. The staff were pleasant and efficient.
I wasn’t feeling particularly adventurous so I decided to build my own burger. I stuck to the basics and just went the burger, lettuce and tomato route. I ordered the half pound angus burger and it turned out to be more than enough food. I actually had a hard time finishing it. The burger was decent. It wasn’t the best burger I’ve ever eaten but it was good enough for me to be a return customer. I liked the fries too.
The burger was only $ 10 which is more than decent for the area. My only complaint is that the restaurant was a little loud. We had to practically yell to ear each other over the other patrons and loud music. But I guess that’s to be expected in a bar on a Saturday night.

I decided tonight that I was going to try this joint out. due the wonderful smells of a grill from this place.
Placed for an order to go.
Ordered — BYOB (Build your own burger)
Grass fed beef with Caramelized onions with white cheddar cheese.
I was so so disappointed with the burger. it was definitely Not worth the money! I was expecting the burger to taste like it was actually cooked on grill (which I was told the burgers where cooked on grill).
This burger was so salty and HAD no taste of being cooked on a grill!
If I were you, I would go to Reggie’s of Chicago for an AWESOME burger!

We split a prime burger and sweet potato tater tots. That was more than enough! Great, juicy burger with generous amount of toppings. Bacon was thick cut. Tried the beer of the month and that was a perfect choice. Service was attentive and sociable. Experience was truly worth the chilly walk from out hotel.

Absolutely LOVE the craft beer selection. The burgers are some of the best that I have had, and the experience was overall wonderful. The real magic began when I ordered the Poutine appetizer and asked for the Terracotta cheese curds instead of the Mozzerella. You HAVE to try the Terracotta Poutine, it’s the greatest appetizer I have ever had, and you will be blown away. Make sure that you ask for the Terracotta cheese curds when you order the Poutine, it will change your life.
Edit: make sure you ask for Amber, she was an incredibly knowledgeable Server and she was the one who recommended the Terracotta Poutine.

We came here on a Wednesday night a few weeks ago. There were 6 of us and we were seated right away! The music was bumpin’ and the restaurant is spacious (definitely good for groups!). Their brewed beer is actually really good and they have a wide variety of options (and even specials depending on the day) depending on what you like (dark vs light beer). I personally love IPA so I got the Great Lakes Burning River and loved it.
My friends ordered the fried pickles and they couldn’t stop talking about how good they were. I’m so sad I didn’t get to try them, but looks like that’s enough of a reason to go back! The sweet potato tater tots were delicious as well.
I got the Fire House burger for my meal and loved it. It was chipotle spiced and had the right amount of flavor with the jalapeños and scallions. And it came with fries on the side! The portions are huge so come with an empty belly. Definitely coming back here again.

Fantastic friendly and efficient service, our burgers and fries were outstanding — great quality and so tasty. Perfect Friday night family night out.

Come visit madison she will take care if you! Her suggestions are really good and shes completely honest! Im from Minnesota and she showed me a good time here. food is amazing try anything you will love it.

Visited burger bar for the first time last Saturday. I had an amazing experience. I built a bacon burger with smoked cheddar and BBQ sauce; it did not disappoint! Will definitely be back. A nice gentleman walked around twice to see how everything was, I assume he was the manager… very nice touch.

Pros:
Great food options. Bar foods with a twist. Decadent and not for the health conscious. Great beer options, too. The Founders IPA was the special at $ 5 each. The décor is great.
Cons:
Parking is a problem. We circled the blocks for 20 minutes to find a spot 3 blocks away in the dead of winter. Brrrrr! The seat was dirty, and the menus had food stuck to them inside. Super nasty. The water glasses were not clean. Everything else was fine.
They say an unkept bathroom means an unkept restaurant. The women’s bathroom had a roll of TP on top and not in the dispenser. This is unsanitary and a definite no-​no in my cleanliness restaurant ratings book.
The waiter started off strong but disappeared when we got our food. I had to ask the hostess for a second round since our glasses were completely empty. This upset me because I didn’t want to eat half my burger with no beer and a dirty water glass.
I would have given this place a 3 star rating had the food not been so delicious.

Super gourmet burgers. We had the elk. It was enough for my husband and I to share. We finished licking our lips. It was phenomenal. Fresh ingredients, hand pattied, lots of gourmet things you would never think of putting on a burger that may make you nervous at first but are delicious!
Truffle fries… is your mouth watering yet? Because mine is just thinking about these beauties. fantastic.
Pricey but worth it. Cant wait to eat here again.

Love the ambience here!
It was so windy, so my boyfriend & I stopped in. We sat at the bar to chill before we head to our next destination. He got two beers & he loved it, while I got a delicious milk shake. I got to try the sassy chicken wings & they were good too. I’d recommend you to stop by after visiting the Agora Sculptures in South Loop!

The atmosphere is nice. Kind of trendy and hipster. Waiter was great. The food was good except the burger was really salty. We got the fried pickles as an appetizer and the urban sauce was delicious. It’s right next to the museums if you want a quick lunch.

Ate here on Saturday after visiting the Field Museum. I ordered their burger of the month which was an elk burger with Andouille charred pepper-​onion relish, smoked gouda, guajillo aioli + spicy crispy onions. It was excellent. My girlfriend ordered the cheese curds which very tasty with the sauce as well. The only reason I did not give this 5 stars though was because of the temperature of the beer we ordered. I ordered a Cold Snap and my girlfriend ordered a cider and both should have been colder than they were.

Had bbq wings and a cheesebuger with fries. Hit the spot! And a great bloody mary. If you like beer they have over 30 on tap. Seems like it would be a fun place to come in the summer when they open the garage doors facing the park. Perfect place to eat if you are in the south loop.

Love the food but the service is always sooo slow, even when it’s not busy. Not the place to go if you are on an hour-​long lunch break.

Really delicious. I love that I can order a burger that has exactly what I want on it, but I still have the option to have some of the house creations. The sweet potato tater tots were delicious. And, they had house made ranch not that hidden valley junk.

I really like Burger Bar! Conveniently located just about a block from the Roosevelt Red, Green, and Orange line station, it’s a great central happy hour location. If you’re driving, you’ll have to park at least a block away, but it’s kinda worth it.
The space is a lot bigger than it appears from the outside and is not too small for a group. The staff is super friendly, the place is clean, with typical bar décor.
The menu is reasonably priced and accessible. They have a pretty good beer list, they have beer flights, and a full bar. I was very excited to try the burgers. They have beef, veggie, and turkey burgers which made me happy. They have some pre-​designed burgers that are listed as beef but you can substitute with turkey or veggie burger patties. You can also build your own burger and they have some pretty good options. I chose a turkey burger with bacon, and was really happy to find that the burger was well seasoned and delicious and my bacon was crispy. I didn’t have the French fries, so next time I go that will definitely be my side of choice.

Nice service except for the waiting time. The place was almost empty (middle of the week) 30 min for one burger is a little too much

First time ever on a Saturday (January) around 2ish in the afternoon for lunch, my boyfriend and i stopped in. It wasn’t very crowded (im sure due to the weather that day). Service was fairly quick, however not the best. By this i mean our server was polite and somewhat attentive, my thing was i like to be asked if we had ever been there and get some suggestions. Maybe this wasn’t the case because it’s a burger «bar». All in all my experience was good and the food tasted great!
FOOD: We started off with appetizers (bratwurst corn dogs) tasted great along with dipping sauce. My boyfriend ordered their burger of the month. I took a bite and it was very yummy and spicy. I ordered a grass fed burger with provolone cheese and lettuce, tomatoes & red onion. I like to keep things simple. Along with their sweet potatoes fries. Very good and filling. I stuck with water because i don’t drink. However my boyfriend ordered one of their beer’s (don’t remember which one) but he had no complaints.
DECOR/​ATMOSPHERE — Nice décor and atmosphere. Feels like a bar low key & chill. Seemed clean from what i saw.
$$$ — It’s about average pricing for a good steak burger.
STAFF/​SERVICE — i pretty much explained this above. I dislike judging from a first experience from one person because everyone is different. People have off day’s, people have different attitudes and personality’s etc. I don’t judge harshly so i overlook this type of things most of the time unless it is a really bad experience. That is why i still rated this 5 stars. I like to look at the overall picture of my experience and if positive outweighs the negatives then I’m sold.

The burger was good, but the wings were amazing. Cannot beat $ 5 Tuesday wings. I am putting it in my calendar to come back next Tuesday!

The burger was delicious. The milkshake was rather strange, and the fries were good. Sports bar atmosphere.

One word. YES! I had lunch here yesterday and it was delicious. The service was great. Our server was very friendly and attentive. He answered all our questions and made some good recommendations.
I ordered the Get In My Belly Burger. Loved it! A burger topped with Potok belly, caramelized onions, pork belly and Brie. Yes Brie. Mmmm The pork belly was tender and juicy… with sweet, smokey flavors. It comes with your choice of selected sides. I chose the sweet potatoes, which were yum-​my.
I also recommend the Sassy Wings and Baja Shrimp. The Sassy Wings are kind of spicy… with hints of ginger, sweet & smokey notes from the delicious charred tips.
I suppose I’m saying I’ll be returning to Burger Bar in the future. I’d like to try other things on the menu and definitely check out the beer list. It also seems like the perfect place to watch the game. It has a sport’s bar atmosphere with lots of flat screens. I see really great food, beer, and sports for my next visit. A must try!

Stopped in here on a Saturday around 3 p.m. to grab a late lunch. We sat at the bar, which was less than ½ full, and yet the ‘tender was slower than molasses in January. He also had the personality of molasses in January. NOT that I need to be chatted up 24/​7, but SOME lightness and/​or observance would be appreciated.
Thought the food might do the work that the bartender didn’t — but, sadly, no. Fried pickles had so much breading you couldn’t even taste the pickles. And everything else was so greasy I could have oiled my car and then done the duty on another ‘mobile. Truffle fries were bathing in oil, burger buns dripping with butter, meat patties over-​seasoned and fried in a pan?
It’d be one thing if the food made up for the service or vise-​versa, but this Michigan Ave. spot is simply relying on its address and nothing more substantial.

Stopped in for a bite before the game at Soldier Field. The bar had solid ambiance — tons of TVs broadcasting college football, lots of fans, big bar area, and a great burger list. It is a longer walk to Soldier than you might think — about 20 minutes depending on your pace /​luck with lights.
Beer list was pretty solid — lots local (Chicago & Midwest) beers on draft and in bottles. My server let me try a few beers to help me decide, which is always a plus. Prices were a bit high, but the place is on Michigan Ave and walking distance to Soldier, so they can get away with it.
We ordered the Hot & Smokey with truffle fries and the Santa Fe Salad. The Hot & Smokey was served exactly as I ordered it and was a massive undertaking. The main flavors ended up being the BBQ glaze and the cucumber-​onion slaw. The slaw was piled on thick, burying the Tillamook cheddar (and its flavor, sadly). The burger overall wasn’t hot as the name suggests, which was a little disappointing. The flavors were more underwhelming than I expected, especially with the lack of heat and lack of cheddar goodness. The truffle fries were seasoned perfectly — salty goodness that was definitely worth the extra $ 1. Unfortunately, a lot of my fries were overdone. And I didn’t order it, but $ 2 extra for sweet potato tots? Come on. It’s cheaper to add chicken to a salad ($ 1).
The salad was large, served with 2 small bowls of the chili-​lime vinaigrette on the side. The dressing was flavorful, albeit a bit spicy (even for my dad who loves spice), beware! It was your basic «Mexican style» restaurant salad — a good option if you’re not wanting to tackle one of their gigantic burgers.
The manager popped by our table to check in on our dining experience and seemed genuinely concerned about making sure that everyone’s table was being taken care of properly. Very customer-​oriented and friendly!
If I was in this area, I wouldn’t hesitate to try this spot again, but it didn’t take over my top burger spots in Chicago list.

And again, another location known for terrible customer service. I was near the location but decided to call in to try to place an order so it would be ready when i arrived. The employee answered the phone and immediately put me on hold. While on my 7 minute hold i had already arrived at the resturant to see, no customers, no lines, nothing! Therefore there was no reason why my order couldn’t have been immediately taken over the phone. Once i arrived to the resturant, the call was disconnected on the resturants side. The quality of the food doesnt even matter at this point because the customer is terrible for it to be on Michigan Ave. Again, I’m sure the Caucasians will receive awesome service, so enjoy!
*put a star because i had to*

I went here for a late lunch. I split the burger w the blue cheese with my husband we also had the sweet potato fries. Both were good and is order them again.
This restaurant has excellent air conditioning and appears to be really clean. Love that all the tables look set with beer glasses turned upside down. The vibe is great and I’d love to go back to try some beers at the bar.

If your coming to a burger bar, you better be getting a burger because they are AMAZING.
I’ve been to this establishment twice and I was impressed both times. I got a build your own the first time with the grass fed beef and it was a very solid. Cooked perfectly, although I did find the meat a tad salty. You can choose between salad, fries, sweet potato fries, or chips for a side. I actually highly recommend the salad if you’re trying to eat clean — *hint* choose the red wine vinaigrette.
Although the BYO burger was good, I recommend you going for their specialty burgers instead. The buffalo bill burger was WOW. The tomato chutney, goat cheese, and arugula packed a nice and original punch to the gamey bison patty.
The atmosphere is great, it’s very trendy with HDTVs all over. They open the windows during the summer, so if try to nab a window seat if possible.

Just ate here today this place was delicious! I loved it! I got a burger called «Hey Shortay» it has shredded rib tips on it and was so juicy, and I had chocolate three way shake which I loved! I recommend this place to anyone who loves burgers.

Yum! We came here after a run at Soldier Field. We were starving and oh so thirsty, and Burger Bar totally came through! We immediately ordered a round of the $ 3 Goose Island Thursday special and perused the menu. The burgers here are fantastic! Lots of options, or a build your own, if you are high maintenance ;)
We started with the poutine, like you do. Pulled pork on top of fries, gravy and melted curds? Yes please! Also ordered the fried pickles which were good, but not great. They cut the pickle into spears and then fry; I prefer the round slices, you get more batter-​to-​pickle ratio. Oh well. Burger-​wise, I had the Big Shoulder Blues, sans blue cheese. The peppercorn added a nice kick and the onion bacon jam and port wine glaze mixed in a surprising sweet flavor. I sprung for the truffle fries (high roller) and didn’t regret it. Others raved about the sweet potato tots. Food was enjoyed by all.
Service was a little spotty, but not enough to keep us away. Nice work, Burger Bar!

So I had a get together with the girls and there is no better way to bond than by eating delicious greasy food and drinking some beer. I found this place on Unilocal and when I asked my friend if it was good (I have been looking for a great burger). She said her husband really enjoyed it and that was good enough for me so we decided to eat here. I loved the atmosphere of the restaurant. It oozes the dive bar vibe which makes you know what you eat is going to be great. The day we went was great out so the windows were open and there was a cool breeze coming in. We asked to sit by the window and they had no problem accepting our request. Overall great atmosphere and service.
The first thing we ordered was beer. While I don’t know the extent of their draft menu, I saw some things on their beer list I haven’t seen other places. Now keep in mind I like sweet beers so I always enjoy a beer that has fruit accents. They had a full list of summer beers with different flavors. They had pear, watermelon, blueberry, peach sour… the list goes on. I have Summer Shandy often so I decided to try one of the more unique flavors. Watermelon made the cut and it was yummy, but my friend ordered a raspberry beer and that was by far my favorite.
The burgers were amazing. I got the hey shortay which had short rib on top of a very delicious burger. The flavor was great. In fact, I finished my entire burger (dont’ judge) and those portions are huge. One friend got the Wild Bill. She was a little nervous about trying bison for the first time, but it came recommended by our waiter. She was very happy with her decision saying it was really great. My other friend got the high hog which is pulled pork on top of a burger. While she only ate half, she kept saying how yummy it was. She took the rest home to share with her dad.
Next time I plan on trying the truffle fries and one of their boozy milkshakes. I wanted to try a milkshake this time, but I was so full I decided against it. I had a great time here and plan on brining my boyfriend here.

Gimme those Sassy Wings … and Fried Pickles! These two really are a match made in heaven and then some. I think I’ll return just for those items. I’m up to my second visit with one of the two.
So it’s not a 4 as I’ve had some other menu items that were less than delicious. The Baha shrimp burger was actually kind of gross in the grand scheme of things. If you want to check it out, have them put the cole slaw topping on the side. The amount of mayo was ridic. My friend said her burger was tasty, but on her second visit. the burger wasn’t stellar. Says to me that maybe certain items sit higher than others.
The setting is a great sports bars with enough TVs, that you should be able to catch your sport of choice. The volume can be really loud, so avoid sitting under speakers and hoping to have a conversation.
The service is slower than I’d like for it to be. Like minutes before someone takes your order and more minutes before they come back. My advice is to order everything up front, so you don’t get h-​angry in the process of ordering/​waiting.

I laugh that the norm now is to pay around $ 15+ for a burger and fries without batting an eye. Well I still bat an eye… but hope the taste/​quality is at least worth it. I wish it was a few dollars cheaper, but overall I got close to my moneys worth. I went with the lamb burger (house made lamb sausage, manchego cheese, mint chimmichuri (yum!), spinach, tomato-​onion salsa. I thought the chimmichuri and tomato-​onion salsa definitely provided a unique taste and the lamb sausage was tender and juicy. For a $ 1.00 I upgraded my side of fries to truffle fries and they were pretty good, although I wouldn’t have mind if they were a little less crunchy. My friend and her boyfriend ate a big meal the previous night (so don’t judge), but they just went with the cobb salad and sweet potato tater tots which they enjoyed. The sauce that goes with the tater tots was pretty good.
We went on a Sunday around 12:30 and were surprised it wasn’t packed and there was no wait to be seated. The staff was super friendly and I enjoyed my experience and plan to go back to try more burgers and sides.

I passed by here on the way to my hotel in Chicago and the place seemed to be pretty busy, and had a heavily «burger smell» coming from it (that was my first indicator that it would be a epic burger experience).
I came here with a few friends for a early lunch, and was pleasantly surprised by the uniqueness of their burger & topping choices. The server was attentive and explained all of the different burgers to us (i.e. lamb, elk, beef, etc.) I ended up going with the Elk Burger, topped by andouille sausage and chipotle aioli. At first I was unsure of the size of their burgers (that’s never stopped me before) and whether it was smart to go for a Elk Burger (it was my first time trying elk!)
It ends up that the Elk was cooked to perfection, as recommended by the server due to the dryness of elk if overcooked. It was also the perfect size and all the condiments were in perfect harmony! Also, the sweet potato fries were not overwhelming-​ly heavy and the perfect portion of them were served. My friends and I also ended up splitting a oreo milkshake, which thankfully they split 3-​ways and was the perfect end to the meal. All in all, I’d say that the ambiance, service, and food were all great!
I’ll definitely be back if I am in the area! You should too :)

I wasn’t blown away and maybe that is because it was freezing while I drank and ate. Place was crowded for an event so we sat at the bar and sort of near the door (our choice and bad decision). So that contributed to the problem, plus it was below 0 outside. Anyway let’s get to why were are here.
Beer list was great. I will enjoy it more when the garage doors are open.
So we had wings and fried pickles to begin and the wings far out shined the pickles. I think the fried pickles are pre fried or maybe that was just last night with the event coming on because we forgot to order or the bartender didn’t hear me either way the wings come out, I ask about the pickles and they show up 2 or 3 mins later luke warm. Now wings are smoking hot, I mean smoking, I am sure the place being a little on the cold side helped with seeing the smoke, and the pickles you could eat as soon as they came out.
Burger, burgers, and more burgers. Lots of options here and I like options. But went with make my own of Grass Fed burger, friend onion strings, bacon and cheese, ended up being just under $ 20. Burger was good, not that best but good. Cooked perfect and everything came out as ordered. Came with fresh cut fries.
My buddy got a basic cheeseburger and ordered truffle fries, that he said they were outstanding.
I think between the combination of the cold inside and outside, put a damper on the experience, but i will be back as their mug club option ($ 40) is an awesome idea. So I can see a 4 or maybe 5 star in the future.
keep it up Burger Bar and open one of these in the 60 640 zip code, we could use a burger craft beer place.