Small Cheval

Have not tried au cheval yet. But this is hands down my FAVORITE burger I’ve had in Chicago. Not really prepared to wait two hours for au cheval so I’ll stick to this. Their garlic aoili is on point. Grab and burger and hang out in the back patio on a nice day. You won’t regret it. Unless your lame and don’t like burgers.

Just went to Small Cheval for lunch an hour ago. It was our second time here, and I just had to put in a five star review for this place! I am not a huge burger person, but after we came here two weeks ago, I really craved their cheeseburger this afternoon! I’m officially hooked on the Small Cheval burgers!
Food:
Their menu is super simple, which I love!
— Hamburger
— Cheeseburger
— add bacon
— Fries
— Milkshakes
— A limited bar
Cheeseburger:
I haven’t had their hamburger but their cheeseburger is the way to go. It’s double patties, and they melt the cheese all over the patty, and the buns are toasted on the grill. Their «house style» includes this dijyonnaise sauce with some red onions — I love it that way, I recommend it. I also dunk my burger in the special ketchup and it’s amazing!
Sauces:
They also have two kinds of ketchup, garlic aioli, and mustard. I recommend the garlic aioli and the ketchup thats not the Heinz kind — taste more salty and less sweet compared to the heinz.
French fries:
They make the french fries out of fresh california potatoes. They are thicker cut and cooked just the right amount, not greasy, just crispy on the outside and moist in the inside. The Garlic Aioli tastes amazing with the french fries.
Shakes:
Recommend the vanilla — they use good quality ice cream, you can see the vanilla bean dots in the shake — super yummy! Comes piled with whipped cream. They also have chocolate for the chocolate lovers — but I haven’t tried that myself.
Atmosphere:
Inside the restaurant is extremely small. The real deal is sitting outside in their patio. It’s much bigger than it seems from across the street, lots of big wooden bench chairs to be used community/​family style. It’s a great atmosphere, with nice lights and lots of people hanging out. It’s very child friendly too — see a lot of people with baby carts as they can just put it next to the table.

Be warned. This is a good burger, but this is NOT the AU Cheval burger. They share a name only. Whatever they do on Randolph to make their magical burgers has not transferred here. Something is missing.
Again, it’s a good, tasty burger, but it isn’t one of the best burgers you have ever had.

Wait, what? I haven’t reviewed this yet after many trips?
I admit, I’ve been to Au Cheval once and i didn’t have the burger, so I can’t compare the Small Cheval burger to it, but this burger is darn good!
I love the atmosphere and the really friendly staff. Everyone is so nice and friendly that when you are smooched in seats (if busy), you still don’t feel too terrible about it.
The burgers are delicious. I hear they are slightly smaller than Au Cheval, and I don’t know if I’d need any burger. The cheeseburger is amazing — juicy, flavorful, perfectly covered in cheese. Yum. I occasionally dip in a nice helping of ketchup. Yum. The fries are also quite delicious. I haven’t gone for bacon, but maybe on one of the next trips.
Good selection of beers and there’s also a giant cooler for water if you’re thirsty.
I highly recommend the outdoor patio, but inside is just as cozy if the weather isn’t nice.

I went with friends on a Thursday night. From the outside, it looked like a cool little joint, and I loved that there was a huge communal table inside where patrons could dine. Knowing it was the highly touted Au Cheval’s «little sister,» I expected there to be a wait despite having read that it was counter service — I was pleasantly surprised to find there wasn’t. The most I saw anyone have to wait to order was in a line of 4 – 5 people, and even getting through that was quick and smooth. The food came out in about 10 minutes.
I had a cheeseburger and shared some fries. The burger was solid. Not bad, not amazing, just good, although on a spectrum between good and amazing, I’d rate it closer to amazing than good. The meat was cooked perfectly (I never opt for two patties, but that’s standard on this burger), something about the cheese was magical, and the bun was soft but able to hold the contents together better than I expected it to. It took me a while to get through the burger (again, not used to two patties), but it didn’t get soggy at all throughout the course of my meal. The fries were cooked to crisp perfection and were especially good with the garlic aoli (do not miss out on that).
I’m not sure I’d go out of my way to go back, but I would definitely pop back in if I found myself in the area.
tl;dr — little to no wait, solid burger and fries, cool atmosphere

I loved everything about Small Cheval!
It’s such a quaint and small burger joint. You order at the counter and there’s several beers on draft ($ 6 — $ 8 for craft) There’s seating indoors and in the back patio area. Burgers are a little pricy ($ 8.95 for a hamburger and $ 9.95 for a cheeseburger) but the taste and portion doesn’t disappoint!
My friend and I split a cheeseburger and fries and sat outside to enjoy the gorgeous afternoon. The cheeseburger was superb, with oozing cheese and pickles between two juicy patties. The. Fries. Were. So. Good. They came out fresh and had the perfect amount of crispiness to them! Delicious plain, dipped in ketchup, and oh dipped in the garlic aioli… phenom. Which can also be found at the condiment station so you can enjoy yourself garlic aioli for days.
I thoroughly enjoyed the cheeseburger and fries. Would highly recommend Small Cheval for a great burger in Chicago!

Epic. Best. No comparison. This is the definition of a quintessential burger and a blueprint burger shop experience.
Patio. Small dining room. Menu with just one focus. That is your experience. This unassuming little dive will have a line but you’ll move through quickly because the menu, well, is the way I like menus. What do you want? Burger, cheeseburger, fries. Add bacon.
Yep. That is it. But oh that is where it begins.
The burgers are juicy, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. The bun is deliciously soft but holds up under the two patties and cheese that is oozing over the edges. The bacon is a perfect addition! However, skip the house mayo.
Fries are perfectly crisp and fresh with each having slightly different textures. The flavoring is not pronounced so don’t expect a heavy salt or upscale flavoring. Just good ol fashion, perfectly done fries.
Drinks are out of can (grab from cooler), from the tap, or from the milk shake shaker. Seating inside or outside.
The price is heavy but I’ll pay for it with these burgers! They are a five star place if the cost was a bit lower. 4 because of cost.
Tips
1. Garlic aioli is wonderful on fries
2. It is two patties
3. Save the dessert and head around the corner to Margie’s Candies
4. Cheese is great — do it!
5. Bacon is wonderful!
6. Fries are a tweener in terms of size for one or two people. Go with one and get a second order if needed.

I’m straight.
Not to say the burger wasn’t good or anything but there’s JUST a burger. Now obviously I came here already knowing the extent or lack thereof of options but I think I had this exclusive location and their ten dollar burger on a pedestal before ever having it. Maybe I daydreamed that it would have 24k gold flakes or at the least have more fresh onion on it than the little handful of chops. I really feel it missed the crunch and texture of raw onion rings. I also just don’t have mad love for burgers that don’t come standard with lettuce, tomato, and onions. It seems like people sweat the aioli but the gourmet ketchup was better. I had a chocolate shake and it was on point.
Two burgers, one order of fries, one shake… thirty dollars. I’ve had single burgers that tasted like they should be thirty dollars but Cheval didn’t add up for me. Don’t get me wrong, it was an alright burger. I just don’t think an alright burger deserves to be the only thing a dedicated location sells.

We were 7 hungry and finicky ladies trying to find a place to have dinner that would make all of us happy. The requests ranged from, «it must be affordable» «it has to be quick», «It must be walkable», and «I’m tired of Mexican food!». Ugh. How was this Unilocal Elite going to please everyone? And just like that! It was as if the stars aligned and the Unilocal gods shone their light of grace on me and directed me to Small Cheval! There was some hesitation about the menu, the heat and the distance from our airbnb. But as soon as we walked up all the chatter stopped and Oohs and Ahhs began. I heard praises like «Yay, a patio!» «Pretty string lights» «SHOTS!!!» One by one, each member of the gaggle ordered as they wished, they paid for it, collected their light up buzzer and made their way to the lively patio out back.
Mere minutes later our table lit up with good news bearing buzzers and we loaded up on water, napkins and garlic aioli when inside. We all DEVOURED our burgers and I personally snarfed the crispiest fries I’ve ever had — all of them btw. Then washed it all down with Cheval punch that we were handed before we made it to the counter to order to sip and make the wait feel shorter — nice touch!
The feel is super casual and fun, the service is happy and prices are affordable. Most importantly, the food and drink was phenomenal!
If you’re in Wicker Park, this place is a MUST!

Ok so they are different from the OG on Randolph, but different good.
Simple menu. Happy service.
Get the burger with everything.
Get the fries to share with yourself.
Stock up on waters and condiments at the self service station.
Joy buzzer pocket toys to remind you to come to the counter for your noms.
Shots.
Beers.
More Shots
More Beers.
Go über home.
You’ve been here for HOURS!

I grew up in a town with an awesome, greasy, extremely tasty burger joint that is my standard for all greasy burgers. Small Cheval gets five stars for being the closest approximation to this burger that I have found in all of Chicago.
It is indeed slightly different than the Au Cheval burger, but still makes me really happy. The settings are simple, as is the food menu. Solid selection of drinks. Indoor seating is pretty limited, but they have a cozy outdoor picnic table patio. Plus, they have a garlic aioli condiment pump. That’s right, a garlic aioli condiment pump.
Slight detractor is that all this tasty food and drink has a sneaky way of adding up and surprising you with a bigger-​than-​expected total amount for burger and fries.
Overall: yum.

How can you not like a cheaper and faster version of «Chicago’s best burger» at Au Cheval?! It’s not really quite as good as the burger at Au Cheval, or so I’ve heard, but it’s one of the better burgers in the city of Chicago! And, this place has something that it’s big brother restaurant doesn’t… simplicity and speed. If you want a trendy, fast, YUM-​tastic burger… Come here now.
There’s a short menu of a Hamburger or Cheeseburger (you can add bacon for $ 2) and delicious house made fries. No frills delicious greasiness! Done deal!
PS– Don’t forget that they have around nine different kinds of beer, Negronis, Margaritas, Peach gimlets, 3 different kinds shots (at least) and vanilla and chocolate shakes!
PPS — You can also order whole pitchers of beer! Yay! =) The more, the merrier!

Oh Small cheval… You try to be like your big sister au cheval but just not there yet. The place was packed when we went but we found seats really quick. The menu is super small. Just 3 items which makes ordering simple. We got the cheeseburger with the home style. The burger was really good. At times it was too salty which made it a bad experience sometimes. If You are watching your salt intake I would look some where else for a burger. The burger were a good size and tasted great. The bun was warm and toasted. The pickles tasted fresh and the bacon was thick. Overall it was a great burger but falls short of au cheval.

It was really good burger and we will come back but it wasn’t the best burger. Me and my date git the cheeseburger and his was without onions but in the end both of ours came out without onions. The place was back for Saturday lunch, but it’s a quick meal so people come and go pretty quick. There are outdoor seating too and the seating inside gave a friendly/​family style vibe with a a big table in the middle. Don’t get me wrong it’s a good burger but it was a little too salty for both of us. I haven’t been to au cheval but this was a good start. It was about 10 dollars per person with a small menu, don’t let the small menu fool you, the bacon is thick, the buns a buttery and toasted and the garlic Aoli was amazing. So I would recommend it.

This is a Public Service Announcement
We all know the burgers are great and the fries are impeccable.
But I want to point something out… I don’t like their bacon.
It’s kinda chewy and tastes more like pepper than bacon.
Next time I get the cheeseburger I’m gonna save my money and opt for no bacon.
As you were

The burgers are almost as good at Au Cheval, but still sooooo gooood.
This is counter service, so the wait is not crazy, only a few things on the menu, quick order and then get to choose where to sit. The outdoor patio is huge, its an amazing atmosphere especially for a weekend lunch.
The wait for food was not too long, which is a great plus.
A must try.

Now you can get Au Cheval’s famous — justly famous — burgers in Wicker Park, and without having to wait in line for two hours to fight for a table. Almost.
It seems to me that the burger here is in the *spirit* of Au Cheval’s, but isn’t quite the same. The whole thing is a little more orderly, a little more assembly-​lined, and has just a hint of fast-​food about it. It’s still an extremely good burger, the pickles and sauce and bun are still very nicely done, but you are a little more likely to think about it competing with Shake Shack.
One other difference from Au Cheval is that you can’t get an egg on your burger here. I’m not sure they should keep «Cheval» in the name if they’re not going to go around sticking eggs on things, but I guess frying eggs to order would destroy their ability to turn these things out at high speed.
Bottom line: It’s not going to replace Au Cheval in my life — but I’m still glad it exists.

The highlights are pretty much the patio and the bun, as the burger was just average for me. The location is pretty cool — situated on a corner, with a simple & open interior and a secluded garden-​style patio that is actually larger than the interior. But, this is a burger joint — so the food is what counts. While the burger was well cooked, especially for thin patties — it was entirely, entirely over seasoned. The overwhelming strong presence of salt was the primary flavor, which unfortunately didn’t let the beef shine. I’m sad to say what I ate was essentially a nice & juicy cheesy salt-​patty. The bun was by far my favorite part, and the savior of the experience. It would be a good sandwich to have for a late afternoon snack when you’re having a late dinner — but double up on the water cups!
The place was quick — both in paying and in preparing the food, and they had some good tunes playing while I waited. But, since the food was mediocre and, per other reviews here on Unilocal,there is supposedly a better version of their food elsewhere, I would just recommend checking the original Au Cheval. Given the high praise for this concept, I’ll have to reserve judgment until I conclude Chicagoans just don’t know a good burger — but this was mostly a let-​down, unless salty Shake Shack was the goal.

Outdoor seating. Burger looked delicious. Fries were great. Open late. Couple of things dropped ratings.
1) Rats. We definitely saw at least one rat. It was running around behind the potted plants within the patio area. It destroyed any appetite we previously had. This brings my review to 3.5-stars.
2) Attitude. When I got up to the counter to order a drink, I ordered a straight vodka, which they don’t carry (?). So I asked how big the house drinks were. The guy explained it was «a 5 oz pour.» Cool man. I don’t really know how much that is (I don’t think the average person has a really good sense of how much that is.). So I ask how much that fills in the cup — he got flustered and shrugged — which did not help me answer the question. To be fair, he didn’t raise his voice or anything, but I was out with a friend and it was embarrassing for me to ask to begin with. So it only drops the review by half-​star. This brings my review to 3-​stars.
So bottom-​line, last night I had a 3-​star experience. Would’ve probably been 5-​stars on a different night. I’ll probably try it again — and when I do I’ll certainly update my review.

If I’m comparing Small Cheval with all the similar burger options out there, I’d have to say that it’s okay. Don’t get me wrong, a solid burger option for sure, but nothing out of the ordinary.
What I like:
— If you just want a less sophisticated version of the Au Cheval special, you can get that burger with a lot less fuss! (Maybe minus some of the fancier ingredients like the egg, but I can’t remember)
— I also like the casual, communal vibe of Small Cheval
— It’s in Wicker Park, so duh, I like that
On the other hand:
— If you want anything other than beer, burger and fries, you’re pretty much out of luck
Overall, I think Au Cheval is okay and likewise, Small Cheval is too. If you’re in the area and looking for a good, classic burger in a laid back atmosphere, this is your place!

This is my most favourite burger.
Here’s why:
— it’s perfectly cooked, with the teensiest of pink remaining
— the buns are not an afterthought: they complement the burger and toppings, and don’t collapse. Also: are they glazed with butter? I don’t know if I want to know the answer to this question, but also: YUM
— get it ‘house style’ with pickles et al. Trust. Just do it.
There are three options: hamburger, cheeseburger, bacon cheeseburger. Not to get all Goldilocks-​y but I think the hamburger benefits from the cheese, the bacon is gilding the lily too much and so: the cheeseburger reigns supreme here.
The fries are an afterthought in this review (DEM BURGS THO) but really aren’t second fiddle at Small Cheval: they are deliciously crisp, perfectly seasoned, skin-​on taters. You should go for ‘em.
Bonus points: unlimited access to garlic aioli. This ain’t no ketchup-​mustard-​mayo only joint.
Watch-​out: no options beyond fries for vegetarians.
Unilocal note: COCKTAILS ON TAP, whatddup old fashioneds (and other delicious concoctions!).

Small Cheval is the BBE — best burger ever. If you don’t want to wait 4 hours at Au Cheval, especially if you are just going for the burger, switch over to Small Cheval. The menu has three items — Hamburger, Cheeseburger, and Fries. No more, no less. The hamburger is the best in Chicago if not the best you will find anywhere. The meat is juicy, the cheese is creamy, the sauce drips down your hands, and the pickles are crunchy. There is something special between those two pieces of buns.
The garlic aioli pump can get real naughty real fast. Get the fries well done for crispy goodness.

Small Cheval is a pretty darn good burger joint. This younger sister restaurant to Au Cheval is a no-​frills, pared-​down sibling to its more elaborate predecessor. Only serving burgers, fries, shakes, and boozy adult beverages at a marginally smaller size, but doing it oh-​so-​well.
Went here around noon on Sunday for brunch. And just a word of advice: please if you wake up early enough, get there before 12:30 pm, because this small place fills up pretty rapidly. We had new patrons hovering and hawking our corner spot like a predatory bird waiting for mice, prior to leaving. Yikes!
I got the cheeseburger, and my S.O. got the cheeseburger + bacon, tomato, and lettuce for $ 2 extra. We shared an order of Golden Fries and had two hair o’ the dog as well. The cheeseburger at its base had two perfectly griddled beef patties cooked to Medium (my favorite cook for burgers/​arguably the best! Thanks, Small Cheval!), a quick smear of dijoinaise, a smattering of minced red onions, a handful of tangy pickles, and melty, gooey American cheese. As for the double-​fried Golden Fries, they were so mouth-​shattering good. Like as soon as you bite into it, a nice crispy crunch would yield. A pitch-​perfect amount of salt on it, too. Reminded me so much of Hot Doug’s duck fat fries. R.I.P. Hot Doug’s :-(
My only — and I mean only complaint — is that their use of the all-​natural Sir Kensington’s ketchup for their fries was just a touch too grainy and reminded me of flavored tomato paste. Sorry, y’all !!! But I am firmly a Heinz ketchup type of gal.
Revision: There was a Heinz ketchup dispenser! It was just less vivid and appealing than the bright red Sir Kensingon’s ketchup dispenser. Ooops! My bad! :/

Dear Small Cheval,
Thank you for being you. Don’t ever change.
Love Always,
Laura
I LOVE small cheval, would it be fair to say one of the highlights of moving to Bucktown was this fine establishment. I’ve never had Au Cheval, but those who have, have said they’re almost the same (about 90%) there, I like those odds. The burger is juicy and delicious, and the French fries?! I also love the selection of dipping sauces, because what would a great burger place be without a million and 1 dipping sauces.
Warning: it’s small and has communal seating, so it’s best to go during «off times.» Also typically tough for a big group, but nevertheless worth your while.

COST:
$ 9.95 (Cheeseburger)
$ 2.95 (Golden Fries)
$ 4 (Draft Beer)
Let’s cut to the chase, this is the BEST DAMN BURGER I’VE HAD IN CHICAGO. It’s so good and you get so much food for the price. It’s quite literally Au Cheval without the bells and whistles (and WITHOUT 1+ hour waits).
It’s probably good that Wicker Park is comparatively inaccessible via the Red Line because I’d be here every single meal time.
The patties are thick and juicy and beats In-​N-​Out any day. It’s kinda like Five Guys taste wise but much better and fresher tasting. The fries are to die for. They gave you a heaping of these crispy on the outside, soft on the inside french fry gift-​from-​the-​gods.
I believe they do $ 3 shots of various amounts of hard liquor like whiskey or vodka. Also $ 4 – 6 pints of beer. Really respectable prices!
But the dealmaker so to speak? Serve your own condiments! Yes I know aioli is just a fancy term for mayonnaise, but Small Cheval’s garlic aioli is so good you’ll wanna take their dispenser home (not really, that’s called stealing!).
I’ve been three times already, and I suspect — nay — I’ll be back for more!

Not the same… definitely not the same burger as Au Cheval.
I was excited to hear that Au Cheval opened another restaurant that just focused on their signature cheeseburger called Small Cheval. The idea was great since it would have a much shorter wait time and the option of adding lettuce and tomato. Sounds great in theory but after the first bite, I realized that the burger at Small Cheval didn’t have the pure awesomeness and enchantment from David Blaine’s demon magic at Au Cheval. The fries (cooked in animal lard) were still amazing but the burger wasn’t quite at the same level.
Overall, it’s still a great burger for $ 10. It’s just a bit disappointing because I was hoping for the epic signature burger from Au Cheval without the wait. For the location and convenience of being a burger joint, it’s definitely a smaller version of the superior and nationally ranked Au Cheval burger.

Cheaper version of Au Cheval. There’s pretty much only 1 food item on the menu: BURGER. And you can add fries or a milkshake if you want. Prices are basically $ 1 or so less than that of Au Cheval. But there’s not much of a wait because it’s a order at the counter and find a seat yourself type of place. Seating is quite interesting… there are seats around the edges of the small restaurant, and then a huge table in the middle. It can get busy, but I came with 2 friends on a Friday night and only had to wait 10 min for seats.
The burgers of course taste great! I mean, if that’s the only thing they make, it better taste amazing. The meat was juicy and chewy. The fries were real potatoes but way too salty. And the smoothie was pretty good — I got the vanilla one. It’s pretty smooth and creamy. My friend did mention that the chocolate one doesn’t really taste too strongly of chocolate though. I got a burger with fries and a milkshake, which came out to $ 18.
There’s usually street parking available on Milwaukee.