Smash Burgers in Chicago

-Grubbing in Chicagoland
Five of a Kind: Smash Burger Special 

Happy 4th of July week to my fellow Americans. I’ve been watching a lot of soccer this summer with both the Euro and Copa America Cups going on at the same time. The topic of food has come in broadcasts and online as is commonly the case when two countries go head to head in sports. You know the drill, silly generic comparisons like Pasta vs Paella when Italy plays Spain. Then just recently there was a viral tweet from someone in England who claimed the USA has no cuisine to call its own. First off how about having a little self awareness as an Englishman - what they call food is more like slop. Haha. Ok not entirely but let’s be real nobody is naming English food when it comes to the world’s best cuisines. What the f-ck are mushy peas?! I’ll tell you what American food is - it’s fried chicken, it’s bbq, and it’s hot dogs and burgers among other things and it’s all very regional. The bbq is different in Texas than it is in North Carolina. In New Mexico they put green chiles on burgers while in Oklahoma they smash balls of ground beef into thinly sliced onions. Have you ever had a burger outside of the United States? They’re never as good despite the fact all you need is ground beef, a bun and some cheese. Yet that hasn’t stopped people in other parts of the world from making burgers. In fact the biggest trend in food right now is the smash burger which is a regional specialty from right here in Illinois. I’ve seen ads and or posts about smashburgers everywhere from Paris to Jakarta. They’re so big right now we went from having a few spots in Chicago that make them to an innumerable number. I can’t keep up. But here’s five I’ve tried over the last six months or so.

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The Leavitt Street Inn & Tavern (Bucktown)

This corner bar tucked away in a residential part of Bucktown is commonly mentioned when the city's best smashed burgers are discussed. They got on the train early and have been serving them for a good while now. Although it's on the expensive side ($15 with fries) the patties are smashed to perfection and a bit larger (1/3 lb) than your typical smashed burger - think Schoop’s in terms of size. Burgers come served with sauce, grilled onions and pickles in a turn back the clock tavern setting.

Leavitt Street Smash at The Leavitt Street Inn & Tavern
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PrimeTime Bar & Grill (Albany Park)

This family owned sports bar on Lawrence opened about six months back and has stayed relatively under the radar despite putting out a fantastic burger. They smash ‘em crispy here by which I mean the edges are as crisp as a potato chip. I feel like these are closest in-style to the ones you’ll find down in Central Illinois. The price is about as close as you’ll get too at just ten bucks for a double which incl. grilled onions, pickles, PrimeTime sauce. Visit on a Thursday and all burgers are $2 off.

PrimeTime Burger at PrimeTime Bar & Grill
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Small Bar (Logan Square)

Believe it or not I had never been to this recently revamped tavern in my neck of the woods. I don’t think I knew it was there until I read it was coming back at Eater and Block Club. According to that press the corner tavern itself is over 100 years old and was recently rehabbed by new owners. They’ve upgraded the interior, fixed up the patio, added a new sign and teamed up with the couple behind Taco Sublime who despite the name are well known for smash burgers served up at spots like Marz Brewing in Bridgeport and Desert Hawk in Wicker Park. They’re calling this outlet “Patty Please” and just like the bar, the menu is small with a couple smash burger options, cheese curds, fries and a grilled cheese for the kids. “The Pleaser” is their version of an Oklahoma Onion Burger meaning fresh balls of beef are smashed into wafer thin onions and dressed with pickles and pleaser sauce on a heavily steamed bun. I tried a double ($12 without fries) and it tasted like they’ve been making them as long as booze has been served at this address by which I mean they tasted old school. 

The Pleaser at Small Bar 
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Big Star (West Town)

At some point Big Stars West Town location ditched its mariscos forward menu and added a Monday only burger special ($8) that's been so well received I wonder if their next move at this location is to go from a taco spot to a burger place. They tap into not one but two popular food trends with a cheese skirt crust mashing well with the lacy edged patties. Lettuce, diced onion and special sauce round it all out and although it looks like a mess and you need two hands to hold it, it’s actually rather sturdy.

Smash Burger at Big Star 
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Centro Burger (Lombard)

For our last stop we head out to the suburbs where there’s numerous smashburger specialists. Centro is a no frills spot sitting in a Lombard strip mall. It opened a few years ago so it was one of the first out there. They make burgers, dogs and shakes all of which is halal. The namesake includes two nicely smashed patties with cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato, jalapeño, and Centro Sauce.

Centro Burger at Centro
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See ya next time @chibbqking