DMK Burger Bar

Love this place, always good fast service and great food

Was looking for a place for good burgers & beer, and settled on DMK. They don’t take reservations, so there was ~30 minute wait, but this was largely due to the recently ended Cubs game (plan accordingly if you’re planning to eat on game days).
We got table-​sized Sweet Potato Fries + Lemon Tabasco Aioli & the Wisconsin Cheddar & Scallions for 3 of us (including 2 men). Definitely could have done the half size– THESE ARE HUGE. The Sweet Potato Fries were some of the best I’ve ever had– very salty and cooked just right! The Lemon Tabasco sauce had a small kick at the end and was very lemony. Wisconsin Cheddar & Scallion fries were great, but pretty standard cheese fries. You either like them or you don’t.
The veggie burger was delicious. The Portobello added an extra level of flavor, and all the veggie flavors blended together perfectly.
My brother got the double patty bison burger (each patty is 5 oz) and said it was delicious. The blueberry BBQ sauce added something just a little bit different.
My boyfriend got the #2 double patty which was a little dry, however the flavoring of the beef was great. Perhaps could have used some more ketchup or an additional ingredient?
I‘d definitely go back /​order delivery if I was craving a burger.

When I come to Chicago I always have to stop at this place this is by far my favorite burger place in town. I highly recommend the following :
1. The grass fed bison burger was delectable.
2. The turkey burger was Gobble Gobble. (Translation good As f**k.)
3. Must try the watermelon soda which is made fresh there.
And you absolutely can’t leave without experiencing the best truffled fries I have eaten from coast to coast.
Service was nice and friendly.

Myself and three other people believe this DMK locations has gone downhill as of late. I think there are too many people to service and thus, quality lacks. Last time I was there the burger lacked flavor and was small. When you compile that with a 1+ hour wait, it’s just not worth it. I used to bring anyone in from out of town and have all said it was, «the best burger they’ve ever had.» Unfortunately that is no longer the case, hope they can go back to the perfection they had a few years ago.
All this said, still an excellent burger spot, just not worth the wait anymore.

Best burgers in the city! I lalalalalove DMK and their funky fries. I always take out of town guest here. They are awesome options like truffle fries and at one point they had a Lucky Charms shake. Excellent craft beer selection too!!!
This is a bar so music is loud. I took my parents, but never could I take my grandparents even though I think they would love the food. To go is an option if the atmosphere isn’t your jam.

Burgers. First, let’s take a moment here and remininsce about the time in my life where beef was not part of it, which as a reminder, is most of my entire life until I moved to Chicago, Illinois. Living in DC was full of Unilocal reviews about salad chains (I will always love you, sweetgreen!) and tapas and burgers were consumed appoximately five times a year. My, how times have changed. What. Has. My. Life. Become.
Hashtag midwest life.
DMK was pretty busy on this sunny Saturday. I suppose the only logical explanation is, ‘shit, it’s a sunny day in Chicago and that’s linked with beef and beer.” Something like that.
The wait was expected to be 40 minutes but was only about 15. There may have been a baseball game today drawing the crowds. We started with cheese fries (to be polite) and they were drenched in cheese sauce which I typically do not like. These were great, but very saucy. We tried the Aged Cheddar (with Smoked Bacon, Charred Balsamic
Red Onion, Rufus Teague’s BBQ Sauce) and the Roasted Hatch Green Chile (Fried Farm Egg, Sonoma Jack, Smoked Bacon). These were amazing. Huge. It is annoying if I say I could tell they were grass-​fed? So be it.
Beer selection was pretty good and I ordered what was likely the first beer I’ve ordered since college (farmhouse ale).
They have a few kinds of fries, incl sweet potato, and shakes. Didn’t get any of these.
Good casual spot.

Disappointing
Not worth the $$
If I’m gonna spend almost $ 12 on a burger I would like to at least be able to taste the flavor of the meat.
First, we walked in n all we could smell is dirty wet rags. At first I thought it was the runners on the floor (cuz it was raining outside) but as we sat at r table we can smell it on the table as well as the menus. Then I saw the busboy cleaning a table with what looked like the same type of cloth napkins that our silverware was wrapped in. He first wiped the seat of the chair n then wiped the table n put the menus on top of the table. So basically someone’s nasty ass was on the table n menu. Gross!
The food…
We got the bison, lamb n bacon BBQ with sweet potato fries and onion strings. I like my burgers a little on the plain side so I can taste the flavors of the meat (especially with new burger places) However with the bison n lamb all we could taste was the salt n the toppings. With all the different flavors from condiments we couldn’t taste the meat at all. Prob also because the meat is super thin! (May need to get double patty if u wanna taste the meat!)
Kids like the sweet potato fries n onion strings. It was just a little too salty.
We were in the hood so we decided to try it. Maybe we ordered the wrong things but most likely won’t be back.
One star for my wheat beer n 1 star for the sweet potato fries. But you can get that anywhere.

DMK burger is definitely in my top 10 burger joints. I asked our waitress what are the most popular choices when it comes to burgers and one of the options that she said that caught my attention was the bison burger. My table also got the fries with parmesan, truffle cream.
The bison burger was good but did not live up to the hype. The meat was too dry for me and I felt like it was lacking a few ingredients to make it over the top. I tried my friend’s #1 & #2 burger, which I enjoyed better & would recommend. The fries were good as well. Overall, great quality burgers but I would not say the best burgers that I have tasted ever as some people hyped it to be. Great chill place to go grab a bite with some friends. I will sure come back when I’m in the area again.

I could give this place nothing less than 5 stars! The burger was dare I say one of the best I’ve ever had. They had so many interesting types of burgers and toppings and concoctions. I got the basic burger, which shows just how good delicious and juicy the meat was. AND THE FRIES. Don’t get me started, I am a sucker for anything truffle. The truffle fries are insane. Overall, great food, great vibe, great people, and I even met a cutie in line for the bathroom, so maybe I am alittle biased for DMK.

Oh man. What a let down.
The service was great. I’ll start with that. The chocolate shake was good and the truffle fries were fantastic but I’ve never had a truffle fry I didn’t like.
Their burgers… their poor poor burgers. I love me a small patty. But this was such a let down. I got the #4 and I’m sad to say that with other burger joints so close by this fails in comparisons. Not even in my top 10. It was just blah. Meat didn’t have flavor, the only flavor that came through were the peppers on the bottom bun.
Try Au Cheval, 25 degrees, Kumas, or even Shake Shack before here.
And that’s all I have to say about that.
Jackée

ALWAYS the bison burger. Always, always, always.
Been here a few times and it never disappoints. The burgers are amazing and the truffle parmesan fries… they are the real deal. Even though the burger doesn’t come with fries, ORDER THE FRIES. Very hipster/​casual vibe, great service, and even better food.

Came here with my cousin after attending an improv show. We were in the mood for burgers and we stumbled upon this place. For a Sunday night the place was packed and music was blasting. The vibe was great. The very dark lighting made it hard to read the menu but after we ordered we enjoyed it. They played 90’s music, so of course everyone was in a good mood. I had a special burger which they only had for that night. The burger was dipped with buffalo sauce and had a few surprises on it! The food is AMAZING!

I have zero bad things to say about this place other than I wish their food was fat/​calorie free and didn’t cost money so I could eat here every single day.
What I get:
#4 Burger — Roasted hatch green chile, fried egg, sonoma jack, bacon.
Fries: Parmesan served with truffle cream dipping sauce that is so good, you could slather it on a flip flop and I would probably eat it.
Also good:
#6 Burger — Chorizo, guacamole, sonoma Jack, chipotle aioli, cilantro, onion.
Truffle mac & cheese.
Sweet potato fries with lemon tabasco aioli.
There will be a wait if you come on weekends but I got here at 5:30 on a Tuesday and we sat down immediately — just depends on the day/​time.
TL;DR
100% worth the wait /​cholesterol

I’ve been to the Lombard DMK and finally made it to the Lakeview location which is much closer to home for me. However, it’s not so much my speed — the food is the same and tasty but service leaves a lot to be desired here. When we walked in on a Friday night, we were quoted 45 minutes for a table and were sat in about 30 so that was a good start!
The front of the house was insanely crowded and loud and when we walked towards our table in the back I was thankful as I thought it’d be a bit less of each. I was wrong. Servers kept bumping into our table, we were next to the server station as they smashed dishes around (including on the ground), and music was still insanely loud in the main dining section. It was so loud, my voice was hurting by the end of our meal from constantly shouting at my man who was about a foot away.
Non-​food things aside, I’ll get to the nitty gritty. I started with the Dark & Stormy which wasn’t as sweet as I’m used to with this cocktail. However, it was a nice drink that went down smooth and I guzzled it down.
I love that they have a Paleo burger option! I have cut carbs from my life so this burger was perfectly suited to my new lifestyle. One strange thing is they didn’t ask me nor my partner how we wanted our burgers and both came out well done. Not ideal, but I get not everywhere cooks meat to a specific person’s liking.
My guy ordered a burger with lettuce instead of buns and when the orders came to our table after an excruciatingly long wait, my Paleo burger had lettuce around it, no mushrooms and he received a normal burger with buns. Seems they mixed up our orders. They took them back and apologized but that meant us waiting an additional 10 minutes to re-​prepare our corrected dishes after waiting nearly 30 minutes for them to come out in the first place.
All the waiting and mixups aside, I liked my burger just fine. It would have been better if it wasn’t well done but the portobellos were done perfectly! We also ordered the truffle fries which were delish.
I honestly don’t see myself coming back to DMK in Lakeview… service, ambiance and food all fell a bit short for me. Too many burger places in the city to revisit this experience again.

DMK is probably the hippest burger bar in town. It’s loud, dark, and the décor is simplistic. My friend and I had planned to grab dinner and some drinks here. We arrived at around 8 on a Friday night and had a 20 minute wait (not too bad!).
We started off with drinks and DMK does not mess around. They are SO GOOD. If you’re looking for something citrusy and not too sweet, get the No Expectations (vodka, st. germain, grapefuit, and lime)!!
For the burgers, I ordered the #1: cheddar, bacon, balsamic red onion, and bbq sauce. I liked the toppings, but the burger patty was disappointing. It was very thin and the flavor of the beef was completely overpowered by the balsamic and bbq sauces. My friend ordered the #5 (bison burger) and sent it back because her patty was so dry. Her second burger wasn’t any better. We also ordered the parmesan and truffle cream fries, which were mediocre.
Although the food was lacking, the service was not. Our waitress was more than accommodating and made great drink suggestions! Other staff members were cheerful and very professional. Food is a 3/​5, but service and drinks bump this up to a ⁴⁄₅.

Hello burger. Meet my mouth. Pleased to meet you. Nom nom nom.
Chicago is littered with burger bars across the city, but DMK should be at the top of your list. You’ll certainly compare it to Kuma’s and perhaps Au Cheval, but it’s probably closer to the former in terms of price, offerings, and interior. It doesn’t have the heavy metal vibe, but rather it’s like the hipster version of Kuma’s.
The nice thing about this place was it’s relatively family friendly, and there are some great options for burger lovers of all ages. I had the Roasted Hatch Green Chile, Fried Farm Egg,
Sonoma Jack, Smoked Bacon burger with a side of parmesan, truffle cream fries and truffle mac & cheese. You can taste every bit of truffle in these sides. While you don’t get the quantity like you would at Kuma’s, the quality is there and perhaps better for your waistline.
DMK’s burgers have a nice soft baked bun that holds in all those fresh ingredients, and I couldn’t have been happier with my choice. This is a solid pick any day of the week, and they have dessert too! I ordered the monthly special — churro milkshake. Had it to go. Warning, it’s thick. You’ll likely use the spoon for most of it, but it was tasty down to the bottom.
I can’t wait to come back and try some of the other burgers on the menu and see what new specials they have on the dessert menu.

It was our first time dining a DMK Burger Bar. When you first walk in the feel is of a cool, hip, vibe and you’re greeted by a friendly host who seats you immediately and you can easily see this place is for everybody from all walks of life. It’s for singles, couples with no kids, and for families. The people who work here are incredibly nice!
When we got seated, a nice waiter gave our toddler a few fries to hold her over in a cute ketchup holder. He has the biggest smile and it warmed my heart and it gave our little one something to do. We order the…
#4 Roasted Hatch Green Chile, Fried Farm Egg,
Sonoma Jack, Smoked Bacon 10.5÷14.5
This burger is off the chain with flavor and heat from the green chile. The flavors blend well with the egg and smoke bacon. It is the burger that has the works and I would recommend this burger over #8 if you want some heat in your burger.
#8 Iceberg Lettuce, Marinated Tomato, Pickled Red Onion,
Bread & Butter Pickles, Mayo, Choice of Cheese 9.5÷13.5
I love me a juicy classic traditional cheese burger and it was great! I had I believe the Fontina cheese which was delicious and cheesy. Over all the burgers were delightful and the bun was light and wasn’t too heavy on carb load.
and we had…
Parmesan, Truffle Cream. .. .. .. .. .. .. . 4.5÷6.5
So good I strongly recommend to get these guys!
Truffle Mac & Cheese
White Cheddar, Peas, Parmesan Crust. .. .. .. .. . 9
Super Mac & Cheese that isn’t over the top with cheese just right. I can smell and taste the truffle in the this mac & cheese. I would also recommend this to all you mac & cheese lovers. I also love the touch of peas in it.
We were able to order most items in a smaller portion which was more than enough food for two adults with a toddler. What I like about this place is that you don’t have this crazy long 3 hour wait for an amazing burger. I really like that everybody in there is socializing and enjoying their food and it is calm cool place.
This lunch isn’t something we do often because we don’t eat out too fancy. This was a splurge for us. I would love to return to DMK again when I can make this another special splurge type of place to eat at.

DMK
DMK
DMK
DEE EMM KAYY
I love this place.
So much
One week I came in on Thursday, Friday, 2x on Saturday and almost on a sunday.
I just love being there, it’s super slick looking, music is good. They make really good drinks. (Bluecheese stuffed olives) saaayy whaaaat. It’s the little things. The servers are SO NICE. The food. ZOMG * drools*
Good ass burgers. I actually had the Portobello burger. (Crispy Portobello, Fontina Cheese, Arugula, Marinated Tomato, Horseradish Sauce) Boyfriend had the bison burger. And he was really into it. Just great take on burgers, a little different from a regular burger place. It’s just good food.

Over the summer, my bf and I were walking around looking for a place to eat before meeting my friend up at the bar. We walked by DMK, and it looked really good but the wait was like an hour so we decided to eat elsewhere. Fast forward half year, and I remembered this place and decided to come here for a casual birthday dinner, since my birthday was in the middle of the week.
So this place is similar to the famous Au Cheval, but much more bar like and less fancy and less pricey. They have an extensive beer menu. My boyfriend tried three beers he had never had before and I grabbed a glass of red wine.
After looking over their menu, we order the Wisconsin cheddar and chive fries to share. They were really good, and the cheese on it was awesome. For the burger, I got the #8 with the special sauce on the side and my bf got the #2. I really enjoyed my burger and thought it was well seasoned. Much like Au Cheval, they use a thinner meat patty so if you are hungry I suggest getting a double. My only complain about this place is that the plates they use are tiny, and I struggled to eat my burger from getting on the table. I should also mention that the bartender was really friendly too.

Holy hipster — I guess I’m used to my grungy, metal burger bars like Kuma’s Corner so walking into this hipster-​infested joint whose roof was literally about to blow off from the obnoxiously loud music was a bit of a deviation. Before coming to DMK Burger I hadn’t particularly known what to expect despite being told by a few people that their burgers were phenomenal… but phenomenal compared to what? Definitely not compared to several of the other burgers that I’ve had in the very recent past. I’m definitely not saying that DMK doesn’t have good burgers — because they do, really — but it falls short in comparison to so many of the others around; in fact of the 7 joints I’ve tried lately, all of whom are known for their burgers, DMK ranks in 7^th place. If you’re curious about my rankings here they are — so you can get an idea of what I’m basing my criticisms on:
1. Kuma’s Corner (Chicago)
2. American Wildburger (Des Plaines)
4. The Bad Apple (Chicagl)
4. Paradise Pup (Des Plaines)
5. The Sandlot (Park Ridge)
6. Lockdown Bar and Grille (Chicago)
7. DMK Burger (Chicago)
DMK lacked that thick patty that I like so much and the thin patty actually reminded me and my fiancé of that which you would get at Culver’s. Granted, the combination with the blueberry BBQ sauce and egg on the #5 bison burger (probably their most popular one) was creative and delicious but it didn’t meet my not-​so-​impossible high standards. I have to say that the blueberry BBQ sauce was a great touch and I enjoyed that greatly as well as the potato bun that the burger came on. Like other reviewers have noted, the burger doesn’t come with any fries which is a bummer, but you get the option of ordering five different fries which you can order with your burger. We ordered the Blue cheese bacon fries which were good, but very strong tasting (with the Blue cheese of course). I’d probably have liked some of the other flavored fries better, but that’s just my preference.
If we want to get down to business, though, and talk about some seriously good stuff then we have to talk about this Peanut butter shake. it’s pornographically good because of its creamy and thick texture. It tastes like they ground up a bunch of Reese’s peanut butter cups and liquefied them into pure perfection. This shake was so good that I kept slapping my fiancé’s hand away when he was trying to snag some of my shake. I didn’t want to part with a single sip of it. You definitely have to get this and forego the alcohol, just this once. However, if you can’t part ways with the alcohol then they have plenty for you to choose from but just know that they while they have several in bottles, they don’t have enough beers on tap.
Be mindful, now, that when ordering your food you’re probably going to have to scream at the top of your lungs (at least if it’s a Friday or Saturday night) because of the extremely loud music combined with the chitter chatter of all the people around you. The music was so loud that it was vibrating my already-​uncomfortable seat so that was definitely not a bonus to eating here.
In summation, the atmosphere wasn’t my favorite and the loud music is on my hit-​list but the burger was still pretty good (compared against my bias for a big patty) with it’s creative flare and that shake is something I still dream about in my dreams at night. I think that this is a cool place to gather with some friends, but perhaps during the week when it’s not so crowded because otherwise you may not be able to hear what the other people in your party are saying. My best advice is to just be weary of when you’re going here because that will make a difference in your experience I believe.

Mac n cheese was killer. Nice staff