Get Your Gourmet Burger Fix at Neighborhood Joint Butcher & the Burger

BY WHITNEY HEWITT

I’d heard from multiple people how tasty the burgers at Butcher and the Burger were, and after the restaurant won the Time Out Chicago Eat Out Award for Best Burger Joint, I knew I had to give it a try.  Lincoln Park’s Butcher and the Burger has the feel of an old fashion neighborhood burger counter with a chalkboard menu and diner-style seating.  This is a step up from the typical burger joint in Chicago, offering specialties like grass-fed beef, fresh salmon, shrimp, house raised pork and seasonal game such as boar, venison and ostrich.

If you’re planning to eat in, don’t wait for a server to come to your table – everyone places their orders at the counter.  Ordering is easy with the step-by-step menu hanging on the wall.  Once you select your protein (I indulged on the grass-fed beef patty) choose to have it prepared with a variety of spices like “Chicago Steakhouse” or “Curry-Coconut-Honey”.  With help and explanations from the cashier, select from simple salt and pepper or chose from house-blended, all natural seasoning mixes.  Top your burger off with a variety of toppings from locally made artisanal cheeses to bacon to a fried egg to black truffle aioli.  If you’re feeling extra adventurous, have your burger topped with foie gras.  The ordering process is over after you choose from five bun options and add optional sides (the hand-cut fries were amazing).

Be forewarned that there are only eight tables for dining in, along with diner-style seating against a wall near the kitchen.  The food is served swiftly and inhaled even faster, so tables have a quick turnover.  My party of four waited around 30 minutes for a table on a Saturday night, just enough time to walk a few blocks to buy some brewskies for this BYOB restaurant.

Hoping to indulge in your own home? Butcher and the Burger doubles as an old fashion butcher shop.  Pick up some fresh ground patties for a cookout, meatballs to add to your pasta, or meatloaf ready to pop in the oven and serve for dinner.

Butcher and The Burger, 1021 W. Armitage. For more information call 773-697-3735  or visit www.butcherandtheburger.com.

Whitney Hewitt is the founder of Gatz Optimize, a social media consulting and marketing agency.  With over eight years in marketing and communications, Hewitt puts her skills to work for both small businesses and Fortune 500 corporations. She is also the President of the Chicago chapter of Femfessionals, a professional organization dedicated to connecting and promoting savvy women in the Windy City.  Follow Whitney @GatzSocialMedia.

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