9 Bucket-List Burgers in Chicago

Sisters Clodagh and Amy Lawless team up with executive chef Aaron Cuschieri to create a burger with versatility and numerous customizations to make it your own. The base of the burger is an 80/20 (80 percent lean meat and 20 percent fat) blend of local CDK Farm Angus beef, topped with Wisconsin cheddar, special sauce, dill pickles, and bibb lettuce on a brioche bun. The special sauce is a mix of mayonnaise and ketchup, cornichons, red onions, dijon mustard, onion, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice. Cue the add-ons: caramelized onions, Baker’s bacon, wild mushrooms, and a lavish $21 foie gras option.

James Beard award-winning chef Jonathon Sawyer takes the reins at the stunning internationally inspired new American restaurant in the Four Seasons hotel. He whips up two stellar burgers: a dry-aged prime beef burger and a vegan option. The beef option comes with crispy bacon, American cheese, and secret sauce on potato buns with double-cooked fries on the side, while the lunchtime-only vegan burger takes Beyond Meat patty and tops it with house pickles, American cheese, and the same secret sauce also on a potato bun. Pair either with one of four Adorn signature cocktails or choose from an extensive wine list.

Known as a River North staple steakhouse that has been around for 30 years, Kinzie Chophouse whips up a mean burger for lunch. The burger patty consists of a secret recipe of freshly ground beef, topped with vine-ripened tomatoes, red onions, lettuce, and a choice of cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, or Monterey jack, served with thick-cut fries. For dinner, grab a dry-aged steak or try the signature 30th anniversary cut of 21-day dry-aged lamb chops.

Paris meets Chicago at Venteux, meaning “windy” in French — a nod to the city’s infamous nickname “Windy City.” The brioche burger by executive chef Donald Young, the youngest chef in Chicago to run a MICHELIN-star kitchen during his time at Temporis, is an 80/20 chuck blend (80 percent lean meat and 20 percent fat) — the ratio equivalent of a sweet spot for a moist, juicy burger. Raclette cheese is melted atop the patty, finished with fried crispy shallots, pepper butter, charred leek relish, and a herb mix of mint, Thai basil, and cilantro for a kick of flavor. If that’s not enough, add bacon for extra texture and smokiness.

A Lettuce Entertain You restaurant — the gold standard of Chicago hospitality — with four locations and a fifth opening in spring 2022, Beatrix consistently churns out top-notch food, burgers included. At breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you’ll find the prime burger with house-made giardiniera (Italian pickled vegetable relish), and your choice of aged white cheddar, Wisconsin swiss, or havarti cheese. Plus, get it on whole-grain toast or a burger bun. Find the vegetarian option at lunch or dinner, made with a mushroom and quinoa patty, Swiss cheese, baby kale, and sriracha aioli. Both burgers come with Kennebec potato fries.

The interior store RH (formerly Restoration Hardware) makes sure everything in its historic 3 Arts Club, set in the 1914 women’s club landmark building of the same name, is immaculate. That includes its classic, straightforward burger, made with a beef patty, sharp American cheese, pickles, onion, dijonnaise, and the option to add avocado or thick-cut pork belly bacon to the mix. RH recently opened up a second Illinois location in Oak Brook, with a rooftop restaurant and wine bar that has the same ritzy feel as all of its dining establishments. The Oak Brook menu mirrors that of the 3 Arts Club, RH burger included.

Tucked away in the historic neighborhood of Lincoln Park, Willow Room is a new American restaurant led by chef Roldan Flynn. He serves a no-frills, but popular burger with a double patty, American cheese, bread and butter pickles, red onion, and dijonnaise between brioche buns with a side of fries. On Mondays, catch the burger on a three-course menu with your choice of a salad and dessert.

Walk through the eponymous blue door to find farm-to-table dishes at this Lincoln Park restaurant. The farmstand burger is a standout with an Angus beef patty, caramelized onions, housemade pickles, cheddar cheese, and hand-cut fries. But don’t sleep on the veggie burger, made from quinoa, beans, breadcrumbs, and a mix of spices and accompanied by mango chutney, crushed avocados, arugula, spicy garlic aioli, and a salad of mixed greens with apple cider vinegar.

The old-school tavern’s griddled double cheeseburger is a winner, landing a spot on Chicago magazine’s best burger list. The double patty is a blend of dry-aged chuck, short rib, sirloin, and round, all from Slagel Farms, all smothered in “special sauce” consisting of mayo, ketchup, garlic powder, diced white onion, diced pickles, and hot sauce. It’s topped with American cheese and lettuce and served with a side of fries. Wash it down with one of Dusek’s draft beers.