Au Cheval

1 word - AH-mazing! My friend took me here to celebrate my birthday and we started the night with a Clever Clover which was soooooo refreshing! Immediately after our drink came the food was ready (I don't think I ever had my food come out THAT fast)!

We ate at the bar and enjoyed conversations with the cooks Shaq and Ju Ju! They were very conversational and hospitable. Though the food was amazing these are the two that really made our experience wonderful! All the staff was extremely attentive and there is a strong sense of teamwork throughout the restaurant.

Can't wait to come back again and try some of the bone marrow!

Thank you all for a wonderful post birthday experience!

Yeah this place is ABSOLUTELY worth the hype. I came around 4:30 PM on a Friday to avoid waiting in line. The hostess said the wait was going to be 1 hr - 1 hr 15 min. To my surprise, I actually only waited 30 minutes for a table!

First off, you MUST get at least the crispy fries. Holy moly that garlic aioli was one of the best sauces ever. The fries were well seasoned and had the perfect texture.

The single burger was probably the best burger I ever had. Super filling and juicy. However I wish there were lettuce and tomato. The thick bacon addition for $8 was a good add on but a bit expensive.

Cocktails were tasty and strong too :)

Didn't realize how popular this place was until I came back to leave a review. I was visiting from Los Angeles and winging the whole day in Chicago. I saw the star rating on Yelp and decided to come check it out. There was some interesting stuff on the menu that I would be interested in trying later (bone marrow is really tasty when done right), but this time I got a regular single - which was actually two patties - plus an egg. The burger was pretty good, not the best I've ever had. I wish the garlic was stronger on the aoli spread, but the egg was perfect. This place definitely seems overpriced. I don't really know how you can justify $8 for bacon on a burger. It's probably delicious, but there are limits on what I think is appropriate to ask a customer to pay for toppings on a burger that already comes without lettuce and tomato. I figured out pretty quickly that the price you pay is really for the ambience. I sat at the bar and I was completely rapt observing all of the chefs cook each portion of their craft burger. I could see for myself the care going into each element and that was quite a sight. I could have watched one chef cook his perfect eggs all night. It was a damn good egg.

Additional star for service - they let me charge my phone :)

I'm embarrassed to admit that this is my first time hearing about this Chicago staple, but in all fairness, I do live in Houston. Au Cheval is home to America's best burger (2015). I can see why, but to try it at what cost...?

Even on a Thursday night, you're expecting a 3 hour wait. Luckily, you can place yourself in line and move about the city within a 10-minute vicinity. I hear the bar next door is quite nice.

The restaurant is loud--like, stupidly loud. If you enjoy leaning over tables and turning your dominant ear forward to pick up the screams of your friends, you might be in the right place. On the upside, I did enjoy the music choice. This could be introvert heaven. The place has a lovely, suave interior and the seating is comfortable.

Singles are double patties, and triples are triple patties (but apparently, everyone knows that). It's a clever and interesting marketing tactic or conversation point.

Service was pretty slow this night. The wait for food felt close to about an hour.

The added bacon is thick and peppered nicely. The egg is a beautiful sunny side up that runs when the knife cuts into the yolk. Many of our friends would say it's a necessary addition, you be the judge.

Foie Gras is rich and ideally something that is shared between 4 or more people as an appetizer. The Foie Gras is soft and served over some kind of white gravy or mashed potatoes. The bread is nicely buttered, toasted and thick. It's not my favorite way to eat Foie Gras, but I can appreciate elements of the dish.

Overall, a good experience. I'm happy I came, but the experience was plagued by horrendously long wait times. Having recently gone to small Cheval, this is a notable upgrade in overall quality. Maybe I'll come by again next time I visit Chicago. If I do, I definitely won't miss getting the bloody Mary.

Cheers, guys.

I mean what more can I add that hasn't already been said?

My sister and I visited Chicago and I had to come here, as I've heard of this place for some time. We came around 3PM on a Monday to a light crowd, so we were immediately seated. Inside is much smaller than I thought it'd be, it's definitely gave Cheers vibes. I already knew what I wanted so when our server came I immediately ordered the cheeseburger with bacon, a fry and rootbeer. The burger and fries came quickly and piping hot. The burger deserves the accolades, it was seasoned perfectly, juicy, perfectly melty cheese with the right amount of pickles and onions and the bacon took it over the edge, I have no legitimate critique. The fries were some of the best I've had, so crispy but not overly so, seasoned simply and it came with some kind of garlic aioli which was excellent. I was craving that burger the next day it was that satisfying, absolute recommend!

This was a 3 hour wait and I won't lie. Tbh it was pretty worth it!!! It's not too bad of wait only because they let you check in on a waitlist and they'll text you when your table is ready so you can still explore the rest of the city while you are waiting. That was an epic burger. You must add the bacon to it for sure. Egg isn't a bad touch, but up to you cause the bill will rack up fast at this place. This is definitely not a cheap eats, but it is good. I suggest you ask for the fries extra crispy cause they were divine. I'm still thinking of those fries with that garlic dip. The bone marrow was amazing too! Tbh if I came back I would only order the items I just mentioned. The chicken wings were okay, but not as good as the other items. The foie gras and eggs wasn't bad too but so under whelming again when you compare it to their amazing burger and fries and bone marrow.

I would 100% come back.

My biggest complaint though besides the long wait is it's so LOUD. I have to scream for anyone to hear me. And once you're seated it will still take another 30 minutes or more to get your food once ordered. The servers are nice, but they are extremely busy. These complaints are the only reason I'm knocking down a star.

Au Cheval was recommended by a few friends and after visiting, I'll be recommending it to others as well! This was probably one of the best burgers I've had and I'm bummed there isn't a location in California.

The service here was quick even though it was pretty busy during lunch on a weekday. We both got the single cheeseburger, since you actually get double patties in the single and triple in the double. I definitely think you need to add the egg at least, it just adds another layer of flavor and creaminess from the yolk. Such a great meal and well worth it!

After finishing all of my work obligations in the city, I met up with a close cousin of mine who had lived in Chicago proper in the past few years! She had mentioned Au Cheval was her favorite restaurant to visit and bring guests to and how everyone was in love with the burgers here! Not to mention, Au Cheval has the "Best Burgers you've ever had" reputation so I just had to see for myself! I took her up on her suggestion and we had decided to dine here.

One thing to note is that there are no reservations and walk-ins are first come first serve. So please plan around coming here early enough so that you can be seated without much of a wait or spend some time in line. There are nearby bars in the area to help pass time!

My cousin got here before I did and we got seated at the bar! The interior is narrow with dim lighting - I really liked the warm colored lamps, the brick walls and the quaint bookshelves which set up a nice vibe.

We had both ordered the single cheese burger (Note: "single actually means two patties and double means three patties) with bacon! Holy sweet deliciousness, I had no idea what I was expecting but the texture that the patty had that soaked in the flavors of the oil, the cheese, (which was not super sharp), the pickle and the buttered buns. Burgers were very hearty, I was certainly very full around 3/4ths into the burger. They don't reinvent the burger recipe but just cooked everything RIGHT - I was very satisfied with the variety of flavors and textures that just made the perfect burger. Just be sure to add in the bacon if you want that extra crunch!

And of course, we ordered a side of fries. Most restaurants try to DOUSE their fries in aioli sauce which makes for a soggy and unpleasant eating experience. There was such little hint of the garlic aioli sauce and yet it packed in so much flavor along with the perfect crispness of the fries. I couldn't stop picking at the fries even though I was full.

For the drinks, we had two beers and the Dr. Devon's Pickleback shots! When I say the pickleback shot was so smooth - the alcohol itself is strong but it goes down so lightly. Now I didn't expect pickle juice to be a good chaser but whew, I was proven wrong. Goes down so smoothly with no aftertaste from the alcohol! I was also told the pickles are grown in house.

Service here was phenomenal! I wish I remembered his name but he was so welcoming and entertained our conversations about Men's The Gap shirts and always checked in on us.

They definitely understand the burger and I agree, it was indeed one of the best burgers I've ever had. I would not hesitate to recommend this place and when I bring someone to Chicago, this is definitely on the top of my revisit list.

This place was so nice! I heard so many good reviews and wanted to try it myself.

I was shocked that we didn't have to wait at all! They don't have reservations so most people do have to wait.

Overall we all got the single burger with the egg. The server was very attentive and enjoyed the experience.

The burger was huge. Next time I would share a salad with my friend!

The BEST Chilaquiles I've ever had. Omg they were sooo good! I've been craving chilaquiles for a while but putting off ordering it for whatever reason. I'm SO GLAD I order it here. My bestie said she enjoyed her food for sure but she would've substituted the egg on her sandwich for more bacon or avocado. The ONLY food item I didn't really care for were the fries. They were overcooked and hard but still edible.

The service wasn't bad. It took a while to get seated but the deliciousness of the food explains that lol.
Our server was decent, nothing over the top. It took a while for her to come back after the initial introduction.

Although the inside was freezing! They have a really cute ambiance. Kind of dark and sultry. They also have a small patio area with umbrellas for shade. It was a little tight inside and the music was a bit loud but it did create good vibes and helped to drown out others conversations.

I'll definitely be back for more Chilaquiles.