I live right be there, have never been, and am now wondering whether the burger is better than Moody's.
Is it?
moody's might be the most overrated burger i've ever had, and that's saying something. i have and will never understand the allure of the place. it stinks something awful, it's hot, and it's greasy.
for my money, the best burger in chicago, hands down, is the twisted spoke. jury's is consistently a solid burger, but it does not measure up to the spoke's, imho.
Posted by foo d at June 3, 2004 12:47 PMI eat have eaten quite a variety of burgers around the Chicago area, and the one I always come back to is Charlie Beinlich's in Northbrook. Something about the way it's like an adult version of the White Castle slider really makes it #1 in my book. Jury's is just fine (try it on a Monday - 2 for one entrees) and I don't think Moody's is THAT bad. For an overrated burger I'd nominate Hackney's.
Posted by Paula at June 3, 2004 01:07 PMThough you mention that that Moody's, in your humble opinion, is an over-rated burger experience, you do nothing to testify to such.
Exclaiming that the place "stinks something awful," is hot and greasy in no way elucidates your dislike for the burger. (and where did you eat your meal, inside the confines of the Fry-daddy?)
Regarding Moody's, I agree with foo d that the INSIDE dining room is not pleasant. Actually, I sometimes feel scared being in there. It's like Vulcan's foundry, lit by flaming grease and covered in layers of soot and ageless filth, like a Viking longhouse. The beer garden is a completely different story, a lovely retreat. It's like heaven and hell to compare them. Too bad you have to walk the gantlet of the dining room to get there, Oh, and I really don't much care for the burgers. Too thick, a bit meally in texture. I also agree that Hackney's burgers are vastly overrated (dry and tasteless, overwhelmed by the rye bread; just stick with the onion loaf). I'll go out on a limb here and say that the best burger, day in and day out is either Steak & Shake or White Castle. Old fashioned approaches that are really the best IMHO.
Posted by JimInLoganSquare at June 3, 2004 09:45 PMthanks to jimlogansquare for his support ;-). re his favorites, i'm inclined to agree that both are good burgers. that said, being a self-proclaimed burger aficionado, i think there's a difference between a steak & shake type burger, and one like those prepared by moody's, twisted spoke, jury's, ... it's hard for me to compare the two.
i might also make special mentions for the burgers at john barleycorn's (city) and at the country house (suburbs).
Posted by foo d at June 6, 2004 03:39 PMI had the Jury burger tonite, so i could see for myself, and I agree that it is a very tasty burger.
I can't decide which I like better, Moody's or Jury's. They are different; I view Moody's as something in between the great charred, fat burger that is Jury's and the greasy, pre-made burgers at countless Burger joints, both types of which I enjoy heartily.
I seem to recall having an awesome burger at Blackie's on Grand some time ago, but I don't know if it's still up to snuff. Anyone been recently?
Blackie's, Moody's, and others are on my list for review in the coming months. Stay tuned.
Posted by eatchicago at June 6, 2004 09:17 PMI also went to Jury's over the weekend and was a little disappointed by the burger. While I lack the skills to properly elucidate my opinion I can state that I did not enjoy the texture nor the absence of pink in the center, despite my request for medium-rare. The back patio and service will bring me back to Jury's. I would like to try the steak the guy behind me was eating. Well, not the same steak, but a similar one.
I can recommend the burgers at Fat Willy's and, surprisingly, Superdawgs.
I've tried Jury's burger several times and haven't liked it too much--it's been consistently overdone. Just the same, I live nearby and go occassionally for the 2-for-1 burger deal, yummy steak fries, beer and neighborly feel of the place.
Oh--and I third Hackney's as most overrated burger. Hate it.
I look forward to future burger reviews....
Posted by Fraggle at June 7, 2004 04:16 PMI have 2 nominations for Chicago's Best Burger, but they're both located in the north 'burbs. I'd like to contribute a few ideas for good burgers in Chicago itself, but I haven't had too many worth writing about.
1) Lincolnwood's own Myron & Phil's -- 3900 W Devon -- serves up what is probably the best burger I've had in the last 15 years. The meat is fresh-ground then pressed together with just enough force to hold together as a patty, so the burger is tender and juicy in ways no Lincoln Park bar will ever be able to attain. There must be some kind of genius working the grill at M&P's because the burgers always arrive steaming hot, perfectly charred on the outside and done EXACTLY as order inside. I've been there with a crowd at lunch and we must have ordered burgers cooked to 5 different degrees of doneness and yet they all arrived at the same time perfectly cooked. Mine was charred and smoky on the outside and still bleeding on the inside, just the way I like it, while the one my boss ordered (medium-well) was cooked just enough to suit her without drying out the meat.
Myron & Phil's is the kind of steak place your bubbe and zayde (that's grandma and grandpa for you non-Jews) used to splurge on back when your parents were little pischers and the decor and crowd reflect that. The fact that it is in Lincolnwood doesn't reduced the average age of the crowd, either.
2) I've got to add an "amen" to Paula's post about Charlie Beinlich's. I'm a big fan of the kind of greasy-meat, squishy-bun burgers found in hole-in-the-wall beer joints. Maybe it's because we used to get just that kind of burger back when we were underage, sneaking into the good ol' boy pool hall back home, but that's another story...
If you've got a car, and you're willing to drive a half-hour for an amazing (if no-frills) burger, point your ride north to Charlie Beinlich's -- 290 Skokie Blvd (Northbrook). Again, fresh ground meat (ground and delivered daily by an honest-to-God, real-life butcher shop) and a grilling-savant are keys to the show-stopping flavor. Just don't expect any of those fancy, yuppie-friendly extras (like say, lettuce or tomatoes).
Oh hey, I just thought of one more -- Boston Blackies (the real one down at 164 E Grand, not the knock-off's, chain-wannabes in Northbrook, on Printer's Row or Riverside plaza, etc.).
Posted by Gimminy at June 9, 2004 10:48 AMI would recommend adding Duke of Perth on Clark to your list for review for best burger contender. It's been a while since I've been there, but it's burgers have always been consistently good, with a unique flavor that's closer to British burgers than American ones. It's a great place with a great patio and underrated burgers.
The only other comment I have is regarding Blackies on Grand. I think it suffers from the fact that it's a popular place to grab a burger. The last time I ordered one there it came to my table in about two minutes and was waaaay too pink inside for something ordered medium. It seemed like the kitchen just grabbed a burger off the grill as the orders flowed in, instead of preparing each burger as ordered. But if you get one cooked right, they're pretty good, though not up there with Jury's or Duke of Perth.
This is a great subject to have on your page. Looking forward to the next installment...
Posted by John at June 13, 2004 07:20 PMI'd like to chime in again with another way to eat cheap at Jury's (and quite a few other places in Chicago). Look at eBay under the new heading Gift Certificates or under the seller restaurants.com. They put gift certs of usually $25 on for a minimun $5 bid (with a $1 processing fee). Most don't have any restrictions on how they get used. I just picked up 3 certs - Jury's, Platiyo, and Grizzly's - each for the min. bid of $5 - so I wound up with $75 worth of dining dollars for only an $18 outlay. Not a bad way to eat on the cheap!
Posted by Paula at June 22, 2004 09:34 AMThanks Paula! Restaurant.com is a great way to get a discount at Jury's. Look for the post titled "Free Money" in the "Cheap Eats" section for more info on restaurant.com.
Posted by EatChicago at June 22, 2004 09:59 AM
I've eaten burgers at Jury's on all days of the week and there is no difference in size on Wednesdays. They really are great burgers. They also have a very nice patio in the back if summer ever really arrives.
Posted by Jamie at June 3, 2004 10:47 AM