Crazy good burgers. Just crunchy enough fries. Enormous patio. What's not to love!

A number of locals recommended this place and their reviews were spot on. This burger is divine. Tasty meat and cheese with a nice special sauce and fresh pickle slices. read more

It was okay. I've had burgers all over the world and this was nothing special, especially for the money. The fries were just okay too. Spending $30 for a generic bacon cheeseburger, fries and a beer is not a five star experience in my humble opinion. read more

I went here when it first opened at this location and thought the burger was the best I have ever tasted. However went back again a month ago and the quality is not the same. Its just an Ok burger with lots cheese to cover the BAD quality of the beef. read more

The burgers here are mediocre at best, but the vibe is excellent for hanging out after work, sporting events, etc. The only real downside I can think of is the fact that the L passes right behind the outdoor seating area, so you'll have to (most likely) pause your conversation lol. read more

One of the best places in Chicago to get a good burger, fry and milkshake from. I'd choose this place over Au Cheval. See for yourself.

I can't figure out why this place is considered to have the best burger in all of Chicago. It is just OK. There are better burgers in Chicago with better beer and soda list, probably even down the street from this place. they have crazy long lines on weekends so we went during a weekday with no lines. Meh. Seems like it got hyped up by young hipsters who think negronis are the newest cocktail invention. read more

Excellent food excellent service great people working there....shakes outstanding....

I'm a huge fan of their burgers and fries. The shakes are not so great though so I would say skip out on those. One of the perks is they have super cute and spacey outdoor seating for those beautiful weather days. read more

Can someone please explain to me what all the hype is about??? The burger is just okay. I feel that portillos makes better hamburgers than this place. The customer service is not that good. The workers act cocky, but I feel that they act that way because of the culture of the restaurant. You can't even call in an order which is stupid. When you go in there and place and they act like they are doing you the biggest favor. The workers act like a bunch of trendy jerks who think they better than you. Fries are a bit too salty for my taste. Piece of advice be more hospitable. read more

Delicious food, great music and they even serve you beer in line while waiting! The patio is a lot bigger than you think. You must go in and experience it yourself! read more

This is my favorite burger in Chicago (though Au Cheval's is amazing). Fries are great, good beer list, and the patio is nice in the summer. It's a bit expensive but not shockingly so for both the area and the great food. read more

Really enjoyed the House burger, added cheese and lettuce. Excellent ketchup and garlic aioli. No wait when we went but known to have a long queue sometimes. But burgers are worth the wait. Some nice beers to, Ommegang was very nice. read more

Burger connoisseur's such as myself can be delighted by the simple tastes found here. I had heard rumors of its tastiness. Finally, I had to come check it out on my own. A vanilla bean whiskey milkshake and golden fries make the perfect accompaniment to this stunning burger. This burger met and exceeded expectations. I come from cattle country. I take beef and burgers most seriously. This burger had me driving back through the city in traffic just to come back for another round. No joke. I drove to the city, a 3 hour adventure just for this burger. You will not be disappointed. You may become addicted. This is easily my favorite burger spot. Au Cheval is probably great, but I'll never know because this is what burger heaven is like. No frills. Just thrills. Make sure you try the Garlic aoli and sir Kensington ketchup. read more

Small Cheval- Wicker Park - Burgers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Hands down the best burger that I've ever had. The fries and garlic aioli are amazing as well. Top it off with a beer or a milkshake. So delicious. read more

Best burger for your $$ in Wicker/Bucktown. Only one thing on the menu and they do it right! Classic burger, house style, skip the bacon. Perfectly crispy fries with the best garlic aioli. Hits the spot. read more

Burgers and fries done right. Chocolate shake is amazing. They also have a nice beer selection. Price is a bit high, can be a bit of a wait, and parking can be a challenge, but very worth it. Fabulous outdoor patio. read more

Best burgers in Chicago! Staff is also super friendly! A great place to chill and hangout with friends or yourself :)

Quick, speedy and helpful employees. I suggest sitting outside, because inside can get hectic and loud. Outside seating on a nice summer day is the way to go. One of, if not thee tastiest burger I have ever had in Chicago. Fries and Milkshakes are also delicious and should accompany your order. Will definitely be back. read more

The place was small indeed, and extremely crowded on a Saturday evening, as I had expected due to the establishment's popularity. The service was fast, I ordered a cheeseburger, fries and a pop, and considering all the customers ahead of us, I didn't have to wait long for the food to be ready, the food was ready under 10 minutes. However we had to wait longer to get seating. So the cheeseburger was fine, it was either going to be good or going to be bad. It was definitely not bad. Will it be my favorite burger from now on? No. Will I go back? Most likely. The cheeseburger reminded me of a burger joint that I had from a well known franchise known for good hamburgers, and with that being said, Small Cheval did not make me feel that their burgers were special, awesome and unique. But it was a decent burger. I wasn't going to order fries as I am trying to lose weight, but I did anyways haha. Wished I didn't order the fries because I didn't really like them, nothing spectacular with the fries. So in summary, yes I would go back again, and no it was not the best burger I had that "wow" me to want to go back again soon for another Fast service, hard to get seats, 9.95 for the cheesburger, 2.95 for fries, don't know how much the pop was. read more

I went here on Thursday I had tried au cheval on another day but the 1 1/2 hour wait was too much so I heard smaller cheval on Milwaukee and tried it wow one of the best burgers in the city I've tried. Small cozy employees were super friendly food was great can't wait to go back! read more

Super good and delicious! I wish they had like two diff burger options instead of just THE ONE, but it was sooooo good either way! Their bar menu is a bit more extensive compared to the food menu. read more

I'm happy I finally got to try out Small Cheval. I love that the menu is tiny. Seriously, you go here to eat a burger and fries. The place is small, but has ample seating. The weather was amazing today so we sat outside. Even though the line was out the door, I never felt like the seating area was over-packed. The service is speedy & the workers were incredibly nice. My friend really wanted a beer, but the line was out the door. A worker came and let him order a beer through her instead of waiting in the line. Both of us loved the burger! It was perfectly cooked and the sauce they use is delicious. I've been to Au Cheval, but I like the vibe of Small Cheval better. read more

Loved the customer service. Condiment bar is a must! Food so good and big i couldnt finish it! Great space for summer time and awesome drink prices read more

This place is my favorite burger joint in all of the USA. I've tried burgers on the west coast, east coast, midwest and THIS is my favorite. I try to go as much as I can. The burgers are to die for. The shakes are just wonderful. The outdoor seating is incredible when the weather is nice. Grab food then hangout with some of your favorite people. It's totally worth it. read more

OMG this is my fave place when I am in the area. I even try to make a reason to go out that way to get this delicious burger. Worth the price :) read more

Best burgers. EVER. WHO HAS TIME TO WAIT FOR A TABLE AT AU CHEVAL?? Get there. Get nice counter service. Sit down at one of the communal tables or 4 tops and eat. Or get it to go. And then be on your way. Burgers are $9. You can add bacon for a few bucks and get that sucker with cheese for another dollar. But what you really shouldn't miss is the condiment station. Their house-made ketchup is boss and that garlic aoili - OH MY GOD. I would bathe in it. And boy oh boy are those burgers amazing. Same Au Cheval burger we all know and crave minus the whole waiting for hours for a table. read more

Obviously not as great as Au Cheval but a VERY suitable replacement if you don't want to travel to the west loop or wait for hours. The burgers are still delicious but don't give the option of the fried egg or the delicious bacon Au uses. But the fries and aoli are still perfect and the seating area outside is very cute and trendy. Thank god for small cheval read more

Fast. Efficient. Fresh. Delicious. 5 star milkshakes are just as good as the burgers. Nice patio to sit and enjoy the meal.

My boyfriend and I are huge fans of Au Cheval but are not huge fans of the long wait. We heard about this place and stopped by as we drove past. First thing we noticed was that the seats were very limited. However, they cleared out fast especially after rushes die down so it's not hard to grab a seat or two. Another thing is that they had unlimited garlic aioli (my favorite at Au Cheval) and other condiments as well. The burgers were really good but not exactly similar to Au Cheval's if you were looking to get an exact duplicate. The fries were too crispy for my liking but my boyfriend liked them. They also sell shakes for very cheap here but only in flavors of chocolate & vanilla ! Overall, nice place and would definitely come back again. read more

First night in Chicago and my daughter took me here for a bacon cheese burger, fries and a chocolate shake. WOW! Best burger I've had in a long time. No wonder it was standing room only. They offer a free garlic aioli dipping sauce that I dipped my fries in which was so damn tasty. A chocolate shake with a shot of Amaretto and what a meal. The staff is friendly and they work hard to get your order to you in a timely manner. When we left the line was out the door. Definitely a place I will visit again and again when in Chicago. read more

Good food, interesting seating. Friendly staff. Would definitely come again. Their garlic aoli is great.

I'm surprised I haven't written a review yet. So I'll just write my review based on my last visit this weekend. It was so nice out that I immediately thought of lunch at Small Cheval since it has a great outdoor seating area. The inside is pretty basic. It's a burger shack. Burgers, fries, shakes and beers. If you want anything else, go somewhere else. They derived from Al Cheval and the best burger in Chicago. I'm not decisive enough to say this is the best. But it is damn good. The fries are okay. The shakes are nice. The beer selection is good. The pricing is rough. You are paying for the name as well as quality. The service is always nice and it's an efficient system with buzzers and the condiment station. I'm a fan. read more

Got a bacon cheeseburger and fries from here, and it smacked harddd. A little pricey in my opinion, and a little cold, but I didn't care. I ate all of it, and I'd happily do it again. read more

This is my go to burger spot. Whether you want to sit down or take out, the food is always great. Simple menu, liquor, shakes... The patio area is huge now, and there is plenty of parking. read more

I've always heard about all of the hype of small cheval and au cheval, I finally decided to stop by small cheval before a bulls game. Got the cheeseburger and fries . They were both exactly what I expected . So good. The garlic aioli was addicting as well. read more

I gave Au Cheval 5 stars for their delicious burger, and as such, I have to give Small Cheval a 4-star rating. Don't misunderstand this as a slight or disappointment because the burgers are still great, but for me it does not come close to the glorious Au Cheval version. This is slightly smaller with slightly more dijonnaise sauce (maybe too much), and the bacon is not as thick/juicy. No egg available here (but this was expected/known). But still very much better than an average burger. I suppose that I would have enjoyed the burger a lot more if I didn't have the original last week :). Fries are good and a sizable portion at only half the cost compared to Au Cheval. Will definitely return here for another burger when the waits at Au Cheval are too long! read more

If what you want is a really good burger. This is a pretty good choice. They seem to have worked out the kinks on inventory and handling the crowds. The lines move fairly quickly and the food quality is consistent. A $3 shot of whiskey is always a bonus. The fries are solid and the garlic aioli is a nice option. Outdoor space is great and people are totally digging the vibe. I'd go back for sure. There may very well be a better burger in Chicago, but Small Cheval can hold its own as a very convenient choice for me. read more

Hits the spot every time!! There's usually a wait but the line moves pretty fast. Don't forget the garlic aioli sauce on the side!

This is the best burger that has ever graced my taste buds. The people are friendly and dam they know how to make a burger.