Jury’s

It’s hard for me to witness the slow and painful death of what was a venerable institution. It was a place where the owners knew our names, and were there to greet us as we walked in the door. We would show up at least once a week. Anybody who loved this place and was able to make it for Dan and Pete’s farewell evening will never forget. That was what the accumulation of 30 years of goodwill looks like. For anybody who wants to start a business, that was a powerful image.
I went back for my burger and fries and iced tea yesterday afternoon. The burger seemed slightly amiss. Not a bad burger, but after having had 100 of these before, I could detect a difference. The burger was the initial draw for a lot of people. The beloved steak fries are no more, either. Nowadays it’s seasoned curly fries. They’re okay, but they seem a bit out of place. No more white cloth napkins, either. I think they did make a few little improvements to the place, to be fair. I remember the bread being better with the new owners, and the wine list had some new life injected into it. TV viewing is easier, too. The minor improvements don’t make up for the big picture that was in place before, though. This was a neighborhood spot with real character.
I know that a transition period can take time. Following a legend is never easy, either, of course. I have seen the new owners try to be a Badger bar already. Now they are putting the color of copper into the place. I think they are even going to change the name of the bar. The competition in the area is stiff. Bowman’s across the street, and Bad Apple a few blocks south of there. Further north in Lincoln Square, there are plenty of other restaurants as well. I certainly root for them to get everything right in the end, anyway. When I see the ratings trending upward on this site, that will be a good sign.

This is a great local place that has great food and a friendly atmosphere. The service here is always terrific and I LOVE the veggie burgers!
What also makes it so great is it is sometimes hard to find a place to go out to eat with 3 sort-​of hyper kids. Thank heaven the service is fast and they LOVE the food also. it doesn’t cost me an arm and a leg to take them out for a treat once in a while!
Thanks Mike and Michelle. You know we will be back!

How would I describe Jury’s in just a few words? Hmm, I think «Frozen in time» says it best. The place claims to have been established in 1979 and I suspect much of it hasn’t changed since then. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to learn that our waitress had been working there since opening day. That’s not a bad thing; there’s a lot to be said for old fashioned charm, and keeping things simple.
I went here because it’s on my famous Burger List… and Sola, which was supposed to be open for Friday lunch, was closed. No worries, all’s well that ends well.
When we walked in we were greeted at the door… and I felt like I took a step back in time. Other than the newer flat panel TVs over the bar, I could have been in the 1980s. OK, I would have been a child, but you know what I mean!
I went for a burger, and a burger is what I got. I decided on «The Judge» (get it?!) which is: «½ lb burger, topped with Cheddar Cheese, Bacon, Sliced Avocado, Sliced Raw Onion, Roma Tomatoes and Romaine Lettuce» for $ 13. (Their basic ½ pounder is $ 9. All come with choice of steak fries or pasta salad, cole slaw, onion rings, sautéed vegetables, or baked potato… Hurray for options!)
It was a good, solid, old school burger. Much like the rest of the place, I imagine their burgers haven’t changed much in 32 years. And there’s not a reason to. Plenty of places offer fancy, trendy burgers. I think there’s a market for a neighborhood place with a solid, traditional hamburger (and probably other stuff, but that’s all I tried).
And that’s what Jury’s is. A good neighborhood place. I’d certainly go back if I was in the area, but now that I’ve marked it off my List, I wouldn’t make a special trip over there just to go to Jury’s.

Two women at Jury’s, famous for its hamburgers, had the weird hamburgers. My friend had the salmon burger, and I the vegetarian burger. Yep, that’s right, beef, the foundation of all that made Jury’s famous, was a stranger to our table.
I see, more and more, why this women is my friend. We seem to have similar tastes, at least in food. We both ordered dark rye instead of the typical burger bun; we both had the sauteed vegetables instead of tater tots or french fries; and neither of us really likes (or eats) beef burgers at all.
My veggie burger was one of the best I’ve had. I had a slice of Swiss cheese added, and, when offered raw or grilled onions, I took the grilled. There was lettuce and two big slices of tomato. Delish. As Ambrose Bierce once described the perfect lunch: «all the food you can hold in one hand.»
My friend said her salmon was cooked perfectly. We both thought the sauteed vegetables were delicious.
Cost ended up being about $ 8.75 for both of us. I am still in a bit of a food coma, so can’t be entirely sure. We both felt we got a good deal for our money.
Jury’s does not have many vegetarian selections. If you eat eggs/​dairy, though, you won’t starve. Vegans might have a rough time finding something that meets their dietary requirements.
I still like the old-​fashioned, traditional Chicago look of Jury’s. The TV’s above the long bar, the unfashionable seating, the tin ceiling — I like it all. Besides, I don’t think Jury’s wants to get too modern. An updated menu, with vegetarian and vegan selections, or maybe heart-​healthy menu items listed, might not fit the character of this place.
Going to Jury’s is like going to visit your elderly aunt and uncle, who’ve lived in the same house for fifty years without much updating, or without buying any of that crazy modern stuff like computers, cable TV, or answering machines. It’s a visit to 1975 — although Jury’s, it should be said, does have newer TVs.
You may not want to live there, but it’s kind of nice to visit once in a while, and see that somewhere, at least, the old way of doing things, of eating, of relaxing, are okay. No dress code. No bottle service. No pressure. It’s comfort food in a comfortable setting. Works for me.

Atmosphere: With its carpeting and tin ceiling, this place is definitely somewhere you’d bring your grandparents to dine. It’s cute and cozy, and love that they always have fresh flowers on the cloth-​clad tables; a nice touch. However, I suspect this place has seen better days as it looks a bit outdated, or maybe that’s the look they’re going for. On our last trip there we even met a lovely centenarian who was out dining with his family — awesome.
This place has ample seating, including an outdoor patio in warm months which we’ve yet to dine in. One plus is they can accommodate a wide variety of group sizes.
Service: Unfortunately the last couple of times we’ve been there, service has left a lot to be desired. In our most recent visit, I’m not sure if it was the waitress’s first day on the job but service was horrible. We literally asked for a basket of bread 3+ times, only to have her say she’d get it and… we never did.
A reason we kept asking for the bread was because it took forever to get our food and we were starving. All around us people had bread on their table. She never came by to refill my drink and our waters were also dry. No luck flagging her down. Even getting our check took forever. Also, we unfortunately saw one of the waitresses being very rude to one of the bus boys out in plain view; not cool.
Food: You can’t go to Jury’s and not try one of their famous burgers. They make it clear their burgers have won national awards and I don’t question them — really delicious.
Perfectly seasoned ½ pound of beef cooked to perfection. Burgers come with your choice of sides such as steak fries, pasta salad, cole slaw, onion rings, sautéed veggies or a baked potato. I love getting the steamed veggies as a side (although apparently does everyone else; a few times they’ve run out of them).
As for drinks, they have a full bar and have a fun list of martinis.
If you are willing to sacrifice on service but get a great burger, then hit up Jury’s. I always feel like I’ve gone back in time when we stop by here and eat.
Unfortunately, based on the service we received the last couple of times we dined here, we haven’t’ been back and have going elsewhere in the neighborhood to get our burger fix.