Chicago's Best Burgers
· Updated · BootsnAll
This is the Midwest. Meat and potatoes are kind of a "thing" here, and burgers and fries are just a variation on the theme. Chicagoans like their burgers thin, greasy and made for curing last night's hangover, or big and juicy, or dressed up with fancy cheese. Here's where to get each kind.
The burger scene has turned over since this list first ran in 2010. DMK Burger Bar, the Lakeview burger bar from chef Michael Kornick and David Morton, closed in 2026. The downtown M Burger counters are gone, and both Rockit locations have closed.
The big names
Kuma's Corner
Kuma's (2900 W. Belmont Ave., Avondale) was the mac daddy of Chicago burger joints when we first wrote this, and it's still going, with heavy metal on the speakers and burgers named after bands. The Famous Kuma still comes with bacon, cheddar and a fried egg. The Mastodon adds bacon, cheddar, frizzled onions and BBQ sauce, and there's a Burger of the Quarter if you want something new. The craft beer list is long. The Belmont Blue Line stop is about a 12-minute walk west, or take the #77 Belmont bus.
Au Cheval
Au Cheval (800 W. Randolph St., West Loop) is the burger most visitors have already heard about. It's a diner-style bar with a thing for eggs, and the cheeseburger is the reason for the wait. A single is $17.99 and a double is $19.99, and it's worth adding the egg. It takes limited reservations, but most tables go to walk-ins, so come at an odd hour. The Morgan stop on the Green and Pink Lines is two blocks away. If the line's too long, Small Cheval, from the same restaurant group, is a more casual burger spot with several locations around the city.
The Loyalist
The Loyalist (177 N. Ada St., West Loop) is the relaxed garden-level room under Smyth, which has three Michelin stars. Its OG Cheeseburger with pickled and charred onion is $28, fries included, and there's a French Smash with mornay if you want to go richer. It's open for dinner Tuesday to Saturday, 5 to 10pm. Walk west from the Morgan stop.
Worth seeking out
Petite Edith
The River North French bistro Petite Edith (878 N. Wells St.) makes a burger it doesn't put on the main menu. According to The Infatuation, it's on the happy hour menu, the kitchen makes only about ten a day, and it comes with raclette and giardiniera relish. Ask as soon as you sit down. It's a block or two from the Chicago stop on the Brown and Purple Lines.
Redhot Ranch
Redhot Ranch is for the cheap, one-handed, hangover kind of burger. Order the double cheeseburger, which got a rave on WTTW's Check, Please!, plus fries. The Lakeview shop (3057 N. Ashland Ave.) and the Bucktown one (2449 W. Armitage Ave.) are open every day from 10:30am to midnight, which makes them a good late-night stop. A third shop, 35th Street Redhots (500 W. 35th St.), is near the White Sox ballpark and keeps shorter daytime hours.
Top-Notch Beefburgers
Top-Notch (2116 W. 95th St.) has been in Beverly, on the far South Side, since 1942. The Infatuation admits it's on its list for nostalgia as much as for the burger. Get a plain beef burger with grilled onions and a shake in the metal mixing cup. It's a long way from downtown, so pair it with the Original Rainbow Cone, a few blocks away on Western Avenue.
The old standby
Billy Goat Tavern
Truth be told, most people go to the Billy Goat Tavern for the Saturday Night Live "cheezborger, cheezborger" sketch more than the burger. The thin, greasy cheeseburgers aren't the best in the city, but they're cheap and the room under Michigan Avenue is a piece of Chicago history. Order a double. Our cheap eats page has more on it.
For the rest of the city's classic food, including deep dish, Italian beef and the Chicago dog, see our food and drink guide, pizza in Chicago and Chicago-style hot dogs. If you'd rather bring your own beer to dinner, see our BYOB guide.