Our burger club always ventures a little further out during Thanksgiving and the summer when our…read moreschedules are a little lighter, so in 2025, we ventured out to Kenosha for The Garage. It was a weeknight, but the street we were driving up to get here was a little dark and run down. But don't let that deter you. They have a nice sized parking lot for their location. Then we walked inside and found a narrow room with a bar running the length of one long wall and counter height tables and chairs perpendicular to the opposite wall. They really jammed in as much as they could in the space that they have. The ambience was dark and moody. They were playing hard rock and the bar had a couple of regulars sitting inside. At the end of the bar at the far end, was a cubicle of a kitchen. That's where the magic happens. Their menu is simple: appetizers, burgers, and build your own burgers. That's it. We all built our own burgers and they have a LOT of options. However, the build your own may start at $9, but each topping adds to the cost. But who cares? The burgers were phenomenal! Their website clearly states, "Best burgers, ever." And they're not wrong. The burgers were juicy, flavorful, and delicious. Probably one of the best burgers I have ever had. And everything is made in this tiny area at the end of the bar. We were the only people in the place after about 20 minutes, but again, who cares. The staff were extremely friendly. Their playful banter and bickering when they cleaned up was hilarious to listen to, and they were lovely to talk to as well. One of our group wanted to pick up some Spotted Cow beer (you can't get it in Illinois) and asked about a place to get it nearby. They suggested Shenanigan's with a drive-through just a couple blocks away. We have to make another trek back. They are awesome and their burgers are great, too!

Such a great find. The burgers were great, reasonably priced. Melissa the server was phenomenal. We…read morewould definitely eat here again.

Literally the best burger and fries I have had in YEARS. I generally don't review and rarely eat…read morethis type of food but the next time I do, it will be from here

We came by for some ice cream after dinner and with it being our first time we weren't sure what to…read moreexpect. When we walked in it was total chaos with 4 different lines, some folks waiting to order food, some waiting on take out and others just not sure what to do. We had about 10 people cut in front of us to order ice cream because we weren't sure and they just kept helping people next to us. After about 20 minutes of waiting we finally got our orders only to be totally shocked that each cone with 1 small scoop of ice cream was about $7 each. When the ice cream didn't even fill the cone. We should've just gotten a point for that price since the pint was $8.50. The ice cream was really good, but perhaps we'll try an off time where it's not full of people to visit again.

I've been wanting to try this place for a while. I got their Nikki burger, which is a burger with…read moreeuro lettuce tomato onion could have ketchup and mustard if you want and a toasted bun was good and then I had a order of small cheese fries with Mertz and a glass of water. It was 1755 and then I just rounded it off to 20 thought it was a little expensive for what you got the food was good. I'm glad I did get to try it.they don't have prices on the board. A little steep

Not too many dives like this around here..... I guess Health Departments close them down! I enjoyed…read moremy lunch here with a buddy. My son spent his teen years consuming Nikki Specials so I figured I'd give it a try. Decadence as promised.... Too much gyros on a thin cheeseburger on a griddled bun....what's not to like here? Can't say I'd have another but am very glad I've had one! My friend had gyros on a pita. He was happy. Service was pleasant and definitely a Dive Vibe. Glad I visited.....

The claim of world's best burger may have been slightly embellished. If they would claim #2 I'd…read moregive it more credibility because it's dang delicious. More than that, they should claim the world's best bartender because from the moment we walked in Maya was attentive, engaging, and accommodating. Can't recommend this joint enough. Stay away from the lettuce though. But only because I heard on the news that will give you the mud butt.

The food is delicious. Made to order. The fresh burgers…read morewere exceptional. The homemade chips were served warm. Onion rings were fantastic.!!

The ice cream and service was great. We were the before for dinner and the food was great too!!read more

A few years ago, my friend wanted to check out this location but there was a very long wait. I have…read morebeen here a few times but I finally decided to make a review since it has been a few years since I have visited. The drive was very easy. Parking could be a little issue since, while they do have a little lot, it is shared by a lot of other buisineses. However, there shouldn't be a huge issue finding somewhere to park depending on the day and time. I arrived here for lunch on Sunday and we had no issues parking. Inside is very clean. The building was bigger than I imagined.... I don't know if they expanded or not but I always thought it was small especially since I normally at near the front door. For lunch, I tried "Fire in the Cairo"... it was a burger with bacon, cream cheese sauce, jalapeños and a jalapeño jam, and I upgraded my fries to their loaded baked potato fries which came in nacho cheese, sour cream, bacon, etc. The burger itself (as well as the fries) were delicious. The jalapeño jam was not spicy at all to me but my tolerance is very high. Overall, I would get the burger and the fries again. Overall, the visit was great. Clean building. Server was nice and friendly. And the food was delicious.

One of the best burgers I've ever had. The bone marrow was really tasty too, I've never had it…read morebefore

Often times in my reviews, you hear about emphasis on service and how I have repeatedly said that I…read morewish service in this country would improve (my comparison point being India). A brief background; been in Chicago for about 15 years. Heard of Au Cheval back in 2015 or 16. Took a while to give it a shot and went; wait for 2 hours. Hmmmmm, didn't work out. Tried a second time 2 or 3 years later. Still didn't happen. Tried a third time when I had a friend visiting from overseas....wait time was just so long and just didn't have the 'desire' to wait that long. I think for the first time in my life, I had to kick myself as I wish I would have waited the very first time. Had my nephew visiting me from out of town. While I did want to take him to Au Cheval, with the limited time I had, I did not want to wait. I happened to go on their website and noticed that they now offer reservations. That was one of the most beautiful sights I had seen in a long time. Not only do I get to take my nephew out to Au Cheval, but I myself finally get to try the burgers here that have been the talk of the town and were rated the best burger in the United States of America for many years. My nephew absolutely devoured and loved the burger. He was in heaven. I cannot say I was not in heaven myself because the burger was absolutely epic, but that's not just what this review is about. This review is about one of the few joints in America that I have come across and that provided the level of attention to detail and went way above and beyond what I would have ever imagined in my wildest dreams to make this a memorable lunch. She had gone with my mother-in-law as well, so it was my mother-in-law, my nephew, and I. My mother-in-law is a vegetarian, and we figured we would go ahead and get the fries. What we did not know was that the fries are in beef tallow or have some beef seasoning (I forget), so in the end, she was not able to eat anything. My nephew and I just ordered each a burger. Our server proactively brought a house salad, which was vegetarian, and he said, "This is on the house. You guys enjoy the burgers." That, honestly, is a level of service that goes beyond usual service, but there was human empathy involved here. After a while, the head chef comes out, super friendly, and asks how everything was. He then says, "I heard you've been waiting 10 years over here, and I hope it was worth it." He made sure my mother and I were comfortable, and he made sure my nephew was comfortable. The level of service and care here was very special, and I personally appreciated it from the heart. For me, it was a memory built with my nephew and my mother-in-law, one that is going to stick with us for the rest of our lives. Not to mention, I am getting hungry right now, so I need to make a reservation and go down there tomorrow.

I love their burgers so much Just Delicious…read more I drive all the way here Worth it every single time One of my favorite spots in the city I highly recommend them

Normally I enjoy Small Cheval so I was little disappointed for this visit!…read more We came late on a Thursday evening and it was pretty busy, there weren't any open tables inside but luckily it was a nice night so we were able to snag one of the few tables outside. It's very cute inside so it was a little disappointing to miss out on that. I think the soda machine was out of carbonation because my soda and replacement soda were both completely flat. They were busy so I didn't want to bother going up a second time. On this visit, the bread was slightly stale and I didn't feel like the burger had enough fixings on it. I asked for everything on it but I would've been better with lettuce, onion, tomato IMO. Mind you, I don't think EVERY burger needs those in it but this one didn't have enough flavor to go without. It do enjoy that they have self-serve garlic aioli for your fries and burgers though!

I love this breakfast place! The food is always delicious, and the service is excellent…read more The first dish I ordered was the shrimp and grits, and I was really impressed by how good it was. Since then, I've been coming here regularly. I also recommend the lox bagel, skillets, sweet crepes, and the steak and eggs. The pancakes with coconut and macadamia nuts are a must-try from the menu. The coffee is good too. I highly recommend this place!

I ordered Nutella Crepes and Eggs & Corned Beef Hash. Not bad but they cut corners. Based on the…read moretexture, crepes are not made-to-order fresh and corned beef hash most likely premade in a can. At least the fruits were ripe and eggs were properly cooked. My friend liked his country fried steak and I tried another friend's Mexican Omelette and that had good flavor. Good portions and service. I like the clean and large interior space. Quality is hardly above average but it's a decent go-to neighborhood spot.

I tried the lunch special - which included a burger, fries and can of pop - and with the discount…read morefor cash - it was about $8. Not a bad price for -- smashburger - thin, griddled patty, not juicy but not dry, nicely flavored, Halal, with grilled onions, cheese and special Smash IT sauce (spiced mayo?) on a soft bun; seasoned fries that were hot, crisp and generous portion; and drink (Pepsi products, water). I thought this was a good value, nothing gourmet, but made fresh, a step above fast food, and a nice portion. There are other lunch specials -- and as I mentioned, a discount if you pay cash (it's unusual that I have cash). There were no customers inside the restaurant when I stopped in. As they took my order, prepared it, and brought my food out to me, no other customers stopped in, and no Door Dash/Uber Eats drivers came in either.

IMHO these are the best burgers available in Morton Grove and I've been patronizing Smashit several…read moretimes a week for months now. I don't know if it's the Halal beef that's used or the always fresh condiments but their prices are righteous and the burgers are superb. I'm not big on fries myself but I did try them once and they're very good.

Sat outside today ! I enjoy the feta spinach dip …read more I like the atmosphere. I don't drink alcohol per taste but I love the nonackohol twisted drinks I enjoy coming here monthly for my

Classic American Fusion…read more Food is good but not mind blowing. Service is great. They are always checking up on you and make sure you have a good experience Family, friends, pets? Bring them all! This place is great for large gatherings as well if you call in advance.