Randolph Street's Reference Burger
Au Cheval on Randolph Street is the Chicago restaurant most likely to be on a national "best burger in America" list. The format is a properly-built diner with an unusually serious cocktail and beer programme, and a wait that has become a Chicago ritual.
The cooking is American diner at restaurant-grade discipline: a double-patty smashed cheeseburger that has set the modern standard for the format, served alongside considered side dishes, breakfast plates, and bar food.
What to Order
The cheeseburger, single or double, with the optional egg and bacon — this is what the room exists for. The bologna sandwich for the diner who wants the secondary classic. The bacon as a side; the beverage programme rewards a confident order.
The Wait
The wait is part of the Au Cheval experience. The room does not take reservations; weekend evenings can run two hours. The bar program absorbs some of the wait. Off-peak lunch is the sneakier route in.
Best Occasion: Solo Dining
Au Cheval is one of Chicago's best solo-dining rooms. Counter seating handles a single cover gracefully; the format is unintimidating; a solo diner can eat the city's reference burger and leave inside an hour without making any of it feel like an event.