Tasty burger. Next time I'll be sure to order some lemonade with my $5 cup of ice. :) read more

Small Cheval- Old Town - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

After two nearly spiritual experiences at the original Au Cheval in West Loop, I was disappointed after my first time with Small Cheval. The staff was extremely friendly and welcoming, but I came for the cheeseburger, and it did not deliver. The Golden Fries were great - perfectly crispy, but couldn't make up for the lackluster cheeseburger. I ate at the restaurant on their outdoor patio. The bun didn't taste fresh and the patties were lukewarm. It was 15 minutes to closing time, so they probably rushed the meat off the griddle. All the cheese was pumped up on one side of the burger. I also don't know how much the fries cost, but they weren't cheap! The total came out to more than $18 for a burger and fries, which seems obscene to me for a counter service restaurant. It really bothers me that there's no prices listed anywhere for their menu that has only three items. I realized after I paid that it was an extra 53 cents for lettuce and another 53 cents for tomatoes. Wow! There's another Small Cheval location, so I will give it another try, but it's sad to see this place bring down the overall Cheval experience. I'll be moving to the north side of Chicago soon and was worried about my waistline with the proximity of their burgers. Luckily, my wallet and belly won't take too much of a hit here in the future! read more

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Very, very good with giant portions...so prepare yourself and come hungry. But the CINNAMON ROLLS! To die for. Like an old school diner. Excellent staff too! read more

This is the kind of burger you get when you've had the roughest night and have a violent hangover the next day. The outdoor seating is refreshing and the burger is thick and greasy, perfect to bring you out of a coma. read more

Small Cheval- Old Town - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Cute spot, cute to-go bag, mediocre burger. Fries are good but nothing special. 2nd time trying and had the same experience. Deducting a star for the rude 'too cool to be there' guy working the cashier. "You two are going to split one burger? Okay..." mind your own judgmental business. Back to the burger, A double at shake shack is much better tasting, flavor and cheaper than the $10 plus tax here. Starting to think people rave about these places to justify living in their expensive hipster neighborhoods or they all grew up on hamburger helper read more

Small Cheval- Old Town - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Best burger & fries around. Burger is cooked perfectly and the fries awesome! I wish I lived closer so I could eat there more often!!!

I was due into Chicago because I (God-willingly) won the Goose Island lottery to be able to attend Prop Day and booked a quick 2-ish day weekend getaway to Chitown for a craft beer bonanza. Being a foodie, however, there were clearly eleventy-billion places I wanted to hit up while in town. Cheval was obvious one of them - but my college roommate at advised me that reservations over a weekend were..staggering. But, not to be disheartened, to fuel my just-off-the-plane hunger, we opted for Cheval's little brother restaurant, offering the same epic burger concoctions in a less-stuffy, fast-casual setting. Glorious. I opted for the double with everything...and it was everything I though it could be, and more. It's hard to describe the nuances that make this burger superior to most, but they are noticeable. Pair with some crispy shoe-string fries and a tasty, local craft beer...complaints were the furthest thing from my mind. Do I want to eventual hit up Cheval-proper next time I'm in town? Yes. Did Small Cheval satisfy my immediate burger cravings and then some? Yes. If you lack patience, or just want a damn fine burger without much wait for a delectable lunch, hit up Small Cheval. read more

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Great burger, the fries had the perfect church while still being soft on the inside. Highly recommend getting the aioli as well! Only outdoor seating, it was a little chilly as not all the heating lamps were working. read more

Small Cheval- Old Town - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great vibes - casual and cute. Love the outdoor seating with the lights! Tried their plant based burger for the first time and was happily surprised. Simple but very tasty - good bun! No fancy toppings/add in but good. read more

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As a Los Angelino I have high standards for a burger and this place lives up to the hype and then some. Is it saltier than most burgers? Yes, but the greasy buttery burger, the garlic aioli, and the fries are enough to make me coming back. Not to mention the vibes with the kind people working there, the awesome music they always play, and the outdoor seating in the alley. Will be returning and bringing all my LA friends here read more

Pretty nice outdoor place to get a burger quick. Lots of large picnic tables. Went at 940 pm on a Sunday for a burger to split with my friend after the second city show. Really great flavor on the meet and have a nice caramelized crust. A little too much bread and needs more pickles and sauce but other than that very good. Meat flavor is top notch. A bit on the expensive side too just for 1 burger was around $11. It's a double patty. Would come here again read more

JUST YAAAAAS. Please see my other review for Small Cheval, but it's a simple, effective burger. There's really no need to add lettuce, tomato - don't do it! The standard two patties of deliciousness is PERFECT. I felt the need to write another review for their Wells location because: *The location is primo! I walked here from a friend's apartment and then had Jeni's Ice Cream after. *The folks who work here deserve gold stars! They acknowledge you and are so friendly! I haven't been to Au Cheval yet, but Small Cheval is wonderful + this location is no exception! 216/365 read more

Small Cheval- Old Town - Hamburger house style with added tomato and lettuce - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Order #529 at 10:27pm on 11/8 for takeout. Burger was VERY rare. Found a beard hair in my fries. And my friend (#528) was given the incorrect order, a kids meal with nothing besides a patty on bread instead of the regular cheeseburger she ordered. Crazy work. Who does that.. Will ONLY be going back to the Fulton Market location. This location is awful! read more

I've not been to a Small Cheval location until visiting this Old Town location on a sweltering summer afternoon. Small Cheval is sort of a younger cousin to Au Cheval which apparently has some of the best burgers around town (I've never had them), so I had certain expectations as we entered. This place has a very limited menu (hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries, with some toppings including optional bacon) - funny that the adult beverages list is more extensive than the food menu. Once you place your order, you get a buzzer and then pick your poison in seating and in condiments. There is some interior seating on stools, and picnic table seating in the outdoor patio area that is quite a bit larger than the interior area. You can pump some condiments into little cups or take some packets to go - the garlic aioli is quite good and the Sir Kensington's ketchup looks thick and somehow borderline chunky. Our order of burgers and fries came out quickly enough. Each of our two-patty cheeseburgers were juicy without being too messy. The fries were crisp but needed a bit of dipping help with the terrific garlic aioli and ketchup. While we enjoyed the burgers and fries, I thought everything tasted good and solid but not great. I'm glad we tried out Small Cheval, and would not mind checking it out again on another visit in the area. read more

First, I was surprised that Small Cheval finally offers a veggie burger option. It's been a while, but luckily the chain is finally catching up to the 2020's. So kudos for doing so. I'm wondering if this is the only location that has it, because a plant-based burger was listed in the door dash ordering menu, though not listed directly on the company's website. Then I'll add that the burger with cheese was fine. I don't know brand of plant-based pattie they use, but if I had to guess, I think it's an Impossible Burger. The burger was kinda ok... Nothing special. I'd say the fries were better than the burger... Relatively speaking. For the price and with all the options available out there, it's a great attempt, but it can be better. I'll again give them props for trying. read more

Very good burger! The fries are very thin and not all that special which gives it -1 star. Food is ready pretty quickly though. Plenty of outdoor seating but can get filled up pretty quickly. They give Sir Kensington Ketchup which is great because it doesn't have high fructose corn syrup. Garlic Aioli is also very tasty. read more

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Pretty quick in and out. Au Cheval is infamous for being crowded and busy but I will be honest, I've walked past this Small Cheval on a regular basis and I have never seen it extremely busy or with a line. The outdoor patio is very cute with string lights and seating in the warm months, although the entire location is in a bit of a strange spot far receded from the sidewalk. Menu is very pared down - they have only three food items, as well as alcohol / drinks and milkshakes (with the option to add alcohol). Pricing is a little steep ($10 for a cheeseburger) although the portions are large and the cheeseburger is by default a double. The only options are burger toppings (tomatoes and lettuce) as well as bacon which costs extra. The bacon was the biggest difference for the small cheval vs the au cheval - it was a regular thin type and not the very thick type. There are a host of condiments in very generous packets including ranch and non-Heinz ketchup. The burgers hold up pretty well to travel. Mine stood up 30 minutes of travel without getting too soggy or falling apart. They look rather squished coming out of the package but nothing too bad. The burger was delicious - fairly basic, with a ton of meat in the double patty. Scarfed it down and would definitely recommend. The fries taste a lot of McDonalds fries but not as floppy, which is pretty solid since I absolutely love McDonalds fries. Atmosphere is pretty relaxed, definitely more like a fast casual restaurant than a bar despite the drinks served. read more

Small Cheval- Old Town - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Immediately yes! Dog friendly, check. Great food, check. Booze, check. No reservation needed, check. If you have a hard time finding a table, the trick is to order ahead while you wait for a table spot to free up. Food speaks for itself. Not a huge menu, but they're good at what they do. My only complaint is the white wine was just meh but I knew I was taking a risk. Next time I'll get the burger and beer special. read more

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I didn't even know this place existed until a month ago when a friend and I were walking area the area. I must Wells Street was certainly changed in the last couple of years .... to the better. I had stopped in for a late lunch so the restaurant was not really busy but steady. I walked through the patio to get to the restaurant which is not really that large. There couple of rows of communal tables and counter along the wall. As you walk into the place, you will see the limited menu - can't miss it and very self explanatory. The placing of the order was very painless and the counter person was very friendly. I had ordered the Double Cheeseburger, fries and a soft drink. There are other options for drinks :). I had received my food within 10 minutes. Right away, I noticed how large the portions are. You certainly get what you pay for. I had opted to dine on the patio since was it a beautiful day. There are plenty of various sizes of tables. Under the covered portion, there are smaller tables. The burger was prepared just right (medium as requested). The fries were seasoned just right. Oh yes, the music was really upbeat and played wide variety of songs. Even some of the diners were singing. Such a great vibe this place has. Few minutes later, one of the staff members had stopped over to check on the meal. I was impressed. I could not say anything bad about my experience here. I would highly recommend this place and look forward to my return. read more

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A good friend of mine took us here. The burgers are really good and juicy! The regular hamburger comes in two patties too. Really scrumptious!! During Covid you have to preorder online first, show to the staff that you ordered then you can seat yourself in their patio. Four stars because they don't have house water :( I believe all restaurants should have regular water available to customers but that's just me. Otherwise this joint is bomb! read more

Small Cheval- Old Town - Hamburger comes with 2 patties - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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So good! A must if in Chicago! Amazing taste, the aioli garlic sauce with the fries is really good! read more

Small Cheval- Old Town - Cheeseburger - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love me some small cheval. I get the cheeseburger and fries. Duhhh legit simple menu. Can't go wrong. It's so good. All the gooey sauce and two patties. The fries are simple and greasy but good I've tried the choco and vanilla shake. Both delicious. Love going and just sitting on outside benches and having a burger and beer. Reminds me of a better in and out. read more

Small Cheval- Old Town - Outside - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

3.5 rounded up. Food is good, but take-out service/packaging is quite meh. My boyfriend and I love Small Cheval and have loved it since it opened a couple years ago. We ordered on GrubHub/Seamless during this COVID-19 shelter in place. While the food was quality as usual, I do have some comments on their delivery. First of all, their fries aren't well packed at all. They're just thrown in the bag in a mini bag (as you can see by the pictures) and spill everywhere. Kinda disappointing since they could have easily wrapped it in the burger foil wrap to prevent that from happening. Also they charge quite a bit for additional sauces.. this is disappointing as when you dine in, you can use as many sauces as you want! Otherwise, solid meal. Could really improve their take-out services as this is a time of only take out. read more

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Before COVID-19 review: If you're looking for a quick burger and fries for a decent price, Small Cheval is the place to be! I love the patio outside (especially during the warmer weather we have in Chicago) to just eat, enjoy the sun, puppy/people watch! The patio is puppy friendly so a lot of people bring their pets along to stop and dine here. The burger was juicy and the portion was nice! The menu is Simple so you're not stuck having to decide between 50 items. Just a regular cheese burger (option of adding bacon) and an order of fries. I love the fries here (they're the thinner kind in case people have a preference). Can't wait to visit again in the near future! read more

3.5 Decent option for a easy, low-key weeknight meal. Small Cheval is a bit of a misnomer; the burger is obviously more of a fast casual version (think a slightly better alternative to Shake Shack, Five Guys, or Smashburger) than the Au Cheval original, and this one won't substitute for the excellent experience of trying the original. Still, it's great for a fast food burger, and the fries and shakes are pretty good, too! We didn't try it on this occasion, but you can spike the shakes with a shot of your choice. No parking lot, but metered street parking is easy to find nearby. Outdoor seating only, though on this fall night in the 50s, they had plenty of heat lamps keeping things cozy. Last rec: we ordered to-go and waited about 15 min. to get our order; in the future, would pre-order for pick-up, as these orders seemed to be fulfilled faster. read more

Keep it simple and make it great. This place does that, burgers, fries and shakes (oh and they have booze too). With the Covid stuff going on, we ordered and paid online and sat at the outdoor table to get our order. Juicy burgers on a toasted bun with sauce and onions. Get the fries with the garlic aioli and put some of that sauce on the burger and it's even better. You can order bunless with lettuce to hold the burger. Either way, the juice will run down your hand and you'll smile. The fries were crispy and the aioli was a great dip. Overall, I really enjoyed this place. In fact, I am drooling thinking about this burger as I write this. read more

Loved this place! It's a perfect balance of casual with trendy. We came here on a Friday night and it was PACKED! They don't do reservations so all the seating is first come first served. People were rotating pretty quickly though as it is on the more casual side. I love the ambiance of the outdoor patio and the twinkly lights. Definitely a Chicago summer must! They had a plant based burger that was delicious! The sides of fries are huge and I feel like we could have split one bag between the two of us. read more

Delicious!!!! Great beer selection, great burgers, great fries, good beer selection, and nice patio.

A double burger has less meat than a McDonalds quarter pounder. Fries are no better than McDonalds. Grossly over priced and shared tables. Sorry, but 2 burgers, 2 fries and 2 diet cokes for $50 is insane. Not to mention near impossible parking. NOBODY CAN DENY THIS. read more

Great outdoor seating + ambience, makes the restaurant feel more casual and vibey. Burger was simple yet phenomenal, double patty to fill you up with great dijonnaise to taste. Was on the pricey side for how casual it is but DEFINITELY somewhere to try at least once. read more

Fantastic burger! For something more casual than Au Cheval. I like getting the cheeseburger w onions, mayo, pickles, bacon and hot sauce read more

Small Cheval- Old Town - Cheeseburger w everything + bacon - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This place does it right. Nice, compact, no nonsense menu with quality ingredients. We got cheeseburgers house style and French fries. The burgers are doubles and more of the "smashed style" which makes it good for lunch. Beef is flavorful and the bun is buttery and delicious. The bun is definitely a homemade brioche. The fries are shoestring and very crispy. Similar to the old McDonald's style that were amazing back in the day. They have beers and alcohol available too and milk shakes. Very good place and price reasonably. No reason to go to Shake Shack or Five Guys when you have this in town. read more

Very considerate of food allergies and they don't use sesame or tree nuts in their restaurants!

This is a good go to place for a good burger. Can't go wrong with one of their double cheese burgers, fries, and boozy milkshakes! A great way to start the weekend after a long week at work. read more

These are the best fries ive ever had with the best aïoli. Everyone was very kind and had great energy, and the atmosphere is great! Nice outdoor seating with heated lamps :D read more

Small Cheval- Old Town - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I ordered for delivery and I ordered the fries well done since you never know if they will arrive crispy like I wanted. Also got a double cheese with bacon that was really good! I wanted to try it since I had not been yet and I will definitely try there again. read more

The Small Cheval burger is always good, definitely in my top 10 for Chicago. I recommend doubling up on the garlic aioli to go with your fries and getting a shake! Just FYI, if you order a cheeseburger, the default is a double - so make sure you're hungry! This location doesn't offer indoor seating, but there are communal picnic benches outdoors where you can bring your dog! If you're ordering delivery, make sure to order 45 min.- 1hr ahead on the weekends! read more

Small Cheval- Old Town - Small Cheval cheeseburgers, fries, garlic aioli (lots of it) and chocolate shakes! - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The Wells Street location is an amazing spot for a group of people looking for a casual sit down with great food, pitchers of beer and a classic shake! There's a clear walk-up path to place orders and the counter. Then you go out and grab your spot at the picnic style tables. On a busy night, things can get competitive for a spot at the table, so you will potentially play the game where the group splits up to reserve table space while others go to put in the order. Another strategy may be to put in a to-go order ahead of time and claim your spot while you wait. Unlike Au Cheval, this is a simpler burger joint with their classic burger/hamburger option with a dijionnaise sauce. Veggie burger option available AND cheese bun available (their burger bun with sliced cheese, similar to a grilled cheese - not recommending, but it is an option). Golden fries are great if you like a stringier, thinner fry. Be sure to grab the sauces available to you! Keep this place in mind! read more

Small Cheval- Old Town - Exterior - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Let me start off by saying that I don't think I have ever once in my life ordered a burger at a restaurant. Yes I eat burgers but I'm just never one to be craving one when out dining. But I've heard so many great things about small cheval so of course I had to try it while visiting a friend in Chicago The seating area outside is super cute and chill. We got a large picnic bench and sat at the end while a couple sat at the other end. We ended up chatting with them which is why I'll always be a fan of casual seating like this! (If you're not in to random conversations probably wouldn't recommend). The burger itself was delicious! (Served on a perfectly toasted bun) The garlic aioli they have just adds to it making it that much better. I think $8.95 for a burger is reasonable and amazing for the city prices. Super quick to get our food- no issues at all. Would definitely recommend to someone who is looking for a relaxing casual meal! read more

If you are a west coast transplant like myself and you are craving In and Out - COME HERE! Burgers are delish - simple without the hoopla. Counter service was super polite and even though it's essentially take out, staff members still checked on us on the patio during our meal. Speaking of the patio - this is one of the best ones in Chicago. Huge, with lots of tables and dog friendly. It's far enough away from the sidewalk so you don't feel like people are gawking at you while you are eating. The day that we came the ice cream machine was broken :( so we had to settle for beers and ciders (there are worse things in the world, for sure). I would for sure visit again when in the neighborhood - the prices do reflect the neighborhood and the Au Cheval brand. read more