Charlie Beinlich’s Food & Tap

Tried them for the first time a month ago. It reminds me of a spot in northern Wisconsin built a long time ago and I love it. Burgers are great, beers are cold and staff is awesome.

Too expensive, cash only, not kid friendly, for my money better places abound around here.

Went in Saturday night with girlfriend and as people mentioned it has cool atmosphere with older days laid back vibe. Sure it’s a decent place to grab a drink and hangout.
But lets get real here Unilocalers… BEST burger joint around… hardly the case. Yes the burger is better than average. I had the bacon cheddar with grilled onion and all the trimmings, quite tasty.
But for 2 cheddar burgers and 1 Stella Artois at $ 30 and that does not include a tip… it was my first visit… and also my last.

Went here based on recommendations from others. Yes, the atmosphere is cool and it’s a local place. No credit cards accepted here, so bring cash! My biggest problem was the food menu with no listed prices. I think I’d like to know if the burger I’m ordering is $ 8.00 or $ 18.00. How much extra is it for those fries? Or the bacon you add to your burger? You don’t know until you get the bill… and they write them in a very cryptic fashion. We actually had to ask for clarification from our server because I thought they charged us $ 8.50 for bacon (it turned out to be soda and 1 beer combined).
The servers are a bit odd too. Any one of their 5 servers can help you, so you don’t really have a defined server. Makes you wonder how the tips are figured out.
Total bill for 2 burgers, a soda, and 2 beers was $ 45.00. Nice place to try. Would I go back? Not unless someone else I was with really wanted to. I feel like I could go to Carson’s or Hackney’s for a comparable burger.

Ok, so here it is. I love it for what it is and their burgers.
No frills. Think small town pub ‘n food restaurant in middle of Wisconsin. Only you are in the heart of north shore chicago burbs across the mall.
Cash only (they have an ATM there)
Slightly pricey, but very very good and fresh. Not sure of the actual meat weight, but I would guess ¼ — ¹⁄₃ lbs. You’ll have to sacrifice with no fresh cut fries, but they do theirs right.
I was just there last friday. I brought a coworker who had never been there before. I told him «it’s the best burger in that area». We both got bacon cheddar burgers, fries, and a beer. About $ 16 per person. I know… a few bucks more than Chili’s or something, but Beinlich’s is so much better.

Perfect Burgers and waiters are helpful!
try out excellent service and food is Amazing
they only take CASH

Best burger in chicago. Folks saying the meat is frozen must’ve smoked their taste buds into oblivion at a chili tasting contest the rest of us weren’t cool enough to attend.

Been going here since 1960’s Best Cheddar Burger anywhere Best homemade fries, Ice Cold Beer, Great Seafood Salad & Barque Chicken. Old Fashion Bar (Cash Only)
No Credit Cards *** I’ enjoy a small local family owned special place feels like home ! FisherMan always are Welcome ! Great Collection of Beers

Great for a tasty (if somewhat pricey) shrimp cocktail and a cheeseburger with krinkle cut fries. Everything tastes fresh, served in a clean environment by nice people. You have to ante up, but it’s worth it.

Horrible place! I tried the burger with cheddar cheese and hated it. The burger had no flavor and seasoning and way too messy. I don’t know why people like this place, it’s so overrated. The fries that came with it, I could tell they were frozen. Had no flavor also. I don’t care how many awards are on the wall. It’s 2016 and there are awards from 2001, 2002, and 2003. Pretty much all they have on the menu is burgers. Also tried the chili and it was dreadful. Had no flavor and a really weird aftertaste. The «famous» shrimp cocktail is nothing special. It tastes like any other shrimp cocktail I’ve gotten at any other restaurant.

BEST BURGER IN THE BURBS PEROID! The quality is the greatest, made to order, always at the perfect temp. gripes about price and cash only? Fugehtabbaddit. word to the morons, carry a C-​note everyday. they are not the «only» establishment that takes cash!
The only problem is unless you study & master alorithims, you might pull up to a rope of flags, the place may be closed for a week or so at a time… just poking fun, they tend to take some ‘personal days’ between the holidays and when the fish are biting! We all have our faults!
Try it, I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Cash only? Seriously? Get with the times. I walked in and walked out based on this. I would have loved to try the food and have a few beers otherwise.

Another of my favorite burger places in the area… first experience was about 45 years ago when I my first real good employer had a division in the area… Charlie’s was the place for lunch… if circumstances permitted, cocktails were in order and first class… Charlie was working the bar at the time and a plethora of his male relatives worked the floor as waiters… got to know many personally… Johnny, Bill and at least one other who’s name escapes me were outstanding waiters and came close to being personal friends…
Burgers were the main choice of our group and I defy anyone to tell me it was not fresh in the AM… other lunch sandwich type items were equally well received…
Other reviews complain about not accepting credit cards or refer to it as a bar type dive… while the credit card issue is true to this day, upon entering, a sign is well placed to inform cashless type patrons… do not complain, you are well informed before being seated…
Exceptionally clean and prompt, friendly service has sustained this unique establishment for many years…
When we are on a Saturday shopping trip, my wife insists Charlie’s is our choice for lunch… and I agree… should you be in the area, we will see you there on Sat. the 19^th… bon appetite…

Very expensive, $ 46.00 for two double cheese burgers burgers and two draft beers. I paid less at a a fancy over priced restaurant. Service was good and the burger was just okay.

Favorite burger ever, and I am always in search of a great burger. The shrimp/​crabmeat cocktail is also a must, but you have to be hungry to eat both.

I… don’t really write bad reviews. Most of the time it’s not worth the bother. But we just spent $ 75 on what I expected to be a $ 50 meal, I am honestly a little flabbergasted because it was simply not tasty enough or an extraordinary enough experience to justify the added expense. I did enjoy the nostalgic Wisconsin supper club feel, and the service was friendly and quick. But the highly touted burgers were underseasoned and weirdly mushy (bacon was well cooked though) and the fries were just okay. Shrimp cocktail was nice. But altogether not worth the dough to me, and I see no need to return.

Looking for the best burger in town. This is the place. Small menu, excellent food. Chili is great, although it needed some serious spice and the fries are excellent. Beer on tap… Heineken. The bar staff has been here for years and although a little noisy, it is by far the quickest meal… don’t forget your cash…(no credit/​debit cards). And the lines on a Sunday are out the door. No reservations accepted here!

Best burgers around, and their fries are also amazing. Great service, you are in and out. Its my favorite burger.

The place reeks of nostalgia for me. The low-​lighting. The lack of phone service. The fact that the menu has not changed in years. The fact that it’s chiefly a dive bar in practice, folks under 21 still have to order at the door. The fact that they still don’t take credit cards! But my favorite of all: the fact that you don’t know if they’ll be open if you show up there. The «Gone Fishin’» sign out front could be up and then you’re out of luck. But I come here for the character of the place more than anything else.
With that said, I will say with confidence argue that this is the best burger in the area, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s the best in all of Chicagoland. And for that matter alone, I don’t mind the $ 11. Sure, it’s expensive for the area, but I find that they deliver on both service and taste. I don’t feel like I’m being ripped off as some of the other reviews here have indicated.
But more so, I come here because it’s where my grandfather would go if he’s getting a burger. I’ll come back and have another Heineken, toasting his memory in the near future.

Great tavern with throwback feel. Burger tasted better (get the grilled onions) because of the atmosphere & bar. No TVs here… tavern… Great place to actually sit & speak with who you’re with. Overpriced $ 11.10 burger, but well worth the nostalgic feel for the price. Cash only.

Just returned from having dinner at Beinlich’s. The burgers appear to be pre-​cooked as they come out gray, thin and well done — more like over done! The french fries have always been a joke — frozen bags of crinkle cut potatoes thrown into a fryer. But when the fries are better than the burger that runs $ 11.00, there is a problem!
When Charlie Beinlich’s son-​in-​law, John, ran the business, it was good.
Since it has been taken over by the newest in-​law — the quality has plummeted. There are many places around Chicago to have a burger. It should be easy to find a replacement for Beinlich’s. What a disappointment — I was a loyal customer for years as was my family!

The quintessential burger place, only critique is it’s a small joint so get there early if you have a big group. This a dive type place near by lakecook road and has been there for years and it hasnt changed one bit. Pure cheeseburger bliss or cheeseburger in paradise are phrases that come to mind in the burgers themselves.

At best a halfway decent burger. For over $ 11 dollars. I felt ripped off. Old time
setting, that was cool. The cheese burger I had wasn’t as good as a Wendy’s single.
Then I learned they didn’t take cash. They had NO sign posted cash only. The bartender very arrogantly said, we have only taken cash for 60 years. I didn’t know
that! I refused to use their little private ATM at the place (didn’t want to get further
ripped off), had to leave my watch as collateral and drive to a Chase to get cash.
I will never go back. Stay away!
In fact I don’t like any places that don’t take credit cards. They are cheap! Want to
save the 2% fee or whatever it is these days and screw the customer!

Very good food that gets served very quickly. I had the burger– it wasnt the most astounding, but it was good if you are in a rush or want a quick lunch. The place was a little crowded when we went, but not bad, seems like it is popular. Looks dive bar-​like, which is cool, if thats your think. I didnt really think of it as a lunch spot. They take only cash.

I’ve been wanting to come here for some time. The food was pretty decent but didn’t have that homemade taste. More like a quick backroom greasy flat top burger. Which is honestly fine if you’re selling them for fast food prices. The burger i got would have been fair priced at $ 4 – 5
The fries gotta be from a frozen bag of store bought. The beers aren’t even pint glasses which is weird. They are slightly cheaper than the normal dive price for a miller draft but it doesn’t add up if you’re not giving me a full pint.
The service sucks. Half the time the waiter was just leaning on the wall, which is fine because it is a great view of your tables so you can be at the ready, but it is fucking pointless if you don’t go check your tables. Why do i have to sit with an empty beer and then eventually call you over and why do i need to call you back over to order food instead of you asking.
We called the waiter over 3 or 4 times after waiting a long period and making it painfully obvious that we were ready to go or looking for him.
I don’t think i will be back just because of the service and the fact that this dive chill spot is trying to charge prices that it just shouldn’t. However, i have heard they have good bloody mary’s and i love those so i may try them out and update. I must say all in all i am very surprised they were featured on chicago’s best
Check it out for yourself and Unilocal it

I know that everyone thinks this place is the bomb, but we are over it.
Yes the hamburger meat is very good, and drinks are old school and stiff, BUT
for the money they make, which is ALLOT, the can offer simple things, like tomatoes, cheese on some french fries, and for God’s sake, take credit cards. It is 2014.
Secret for you … the burgers are not THAT good.

Great Old School Neighborhood Spot
This place is an example of a dying art throughout the country. A 70’s style pub that has a small menu and they still make food the old fashioned way.
My wife and I both had the special, the cheeseburger deluxe. Let me tell you this is a fresh ground burger that maybe the best the burger I have ever had. Great crinkle cut fries cooked properly.
To top it off cheap well poured drinks. If you like old school places that make their specialty item perfectly, no frills, you’ll like this spot.
If your in the area, stop and try this place out. It has a charm to it and your not going to be able to beat the deal.
A hidden gem.
Thanks

This place only serves a few kinds of dishes like burgers and some others. They don’t take credit card either. I still put 4 stars with them because I thought their burger was quite good.
I ordered a burger with fries and diet coke. Fries were quite crispy due to good cooking. Burger patty was very juicy and tasty even though it didn’t have much in between the buns. It is a very typical pub food I guess. Nothing fancy, but tastes good. I would come back to this place once in a while if I am around the area.

My sis and bro-​in-​law are regulars here. I LOVE coming with them because they know all the wait staff and can give us great tips (ie «flash fries»).
I’m not a burger person, but this is well known for being the best. It’s a nice toasted, buttery (mmm-​mmm) bun with a nice sized patty. They put on simple trimmings and don’t get too overboard, which is a good thing. Grilled onions, mustard, and ketchup are just fine by me. I have had a bite of their patty melt. OMG. SO-​OOOO good. It drips down your chin. (It’s not really on the menu… but ask nice and they may make it for you!)
I like the barbequed beef with extra pickles. And the shrimp cocktail for appetizer. I don’t get the shrimp/​crab combo because you get nice big shrimp if you get the shrimp alone. Great cocktail sauce! Drinks are always well made.
It’s very crowded at most times. We go on the early side (6pm ish) and don’t have much of a wait.