Illinois: Palatine Inn (Suburban Chicago)

PDX Gwailo seeks out the Queen:

It’s not the Billy Goat (someone already posted about), but then nothing in Chicago is. But Chicago is full of good burgers, and one of the few, if not only, places I have ever been that serves the “Queen Burger” virtually everywhere. Too lazy to look up the origin, I am going to take a stab here at saying the Queen Burger is so named because it is covered with a mound of sliced (queen size) green olives, one of my three favorite things in the world to eat.

This one, at the Palatine Inn was done perfectly as requested, medium rare, served dry, with tomato, lettuce and pickle on the side. They will offer you a choice of self-applied condiments.

Bonus Pickle, and (drumroll).....Free Matzo ball soup!

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Chicago: Billy Goat Inn

We never seem to keep up with BurgerBlogger and BurgerHoover:

Burgerhoover and I took a culinary/djing trip our to Chicago. We shared a burger at amongst the hotdogs, Italian sandwiches, pizza, Pierogis and other Polish delights. The place for the burger was The Billy Goat Tavern, where Saturday night live filmed a bit with John Belushi.

The quote from their website is pretty much describes the positioning of this Tavern; "Ordering at the Billy Goat may go something like this: "Cheezborger! Cheezborger! You want doublecheez?!? Who's next!?! WHO'S NEXT!?!" If you take more than one second to answer: "Don't look at the menu, look at ME! I order for you - DOUBLECHEEZ!" If you only feel like a single: No. DOUBLECHEEZ!!!" If it's the end of the week: "It's Friday, doublecheez for everybody! It's payday! Triplecheez for the big guy!" Want French fries with that? "No fries - CHEEPS!" Thirsty? "No Pepsi - COKE!" To drink: "Coke or Diet?!" "

And that's how it went, we walked in and guy greeted us by saying, "You eating here?. Sit on that side. order the Doublecheez." We ordered and the burger was plain and dry. two meat patties with cheeze on a bun. We hooked up the condiments and went to town on it... A bit later the fellow that greeted us came by to ask where we were from..... We were being serious tourist taking pictures and reading everything on the walls..... Then the fellow came back with two souvenir kitchen hats for us and took our picture to add to the dork folder.

Back to the burger..... it's plain, to the point, does the job of nourishing you and you leave with a full belly, but more importantly you leave with another experience that will bring happiness when recalled. Specially if you have a couple steins of the dark beer.

Big up the billy goat massive...

Billy Goat Tavern Original
Near Tribune Towers and Wrigley Building
430 N. Michigan Ave at Lower Level
Phone: 312-222-1525

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