Au Cheval's Double Cheeseburger named Best Burger in America 2015 by Food Network.

(per chicago.eater.com Jun 29, 2015)

Roger Ramjet wrote:Au Cheval's Double Cheeseburger named Best Burger in America 2015 by Food Network.

(per chicago.eater.com Jun 29, 2015)

Oh good, now the crowds will be even worse...

Roger Ramjet wrote:Au Cheval's Double Cheeseburger named Best Burger in America 2015 by Food Network.

(per chicago.eater.com Jun 29, 2015)

I'll agree the first time I had it, I thought it was awesome. However it is so darn rich, I cant have it often. Maybe once a year now.

long101 wrote:

Roger Ramjet wrote:Au Cheval's Double Cheeseburger named Best Burger in America 2015 by Food Network.

(per chicago.eater.com Jun 29, 2015)

I'll agree the first time I had it, I thought it was awesome. However it is so darn rich, I cant have it often. Maybe once a year now.

Frozen Sysco patties . . . good but nothing special. Each time I have it, I like it less. Leave it to Food Network!

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:

long101 wrote:

Roger Ramjet wrote:Au Cheval's Double Cheeseburger named Best Burger in America 2015 by Food Network.

(per chicago.eater.com Jun 29, 2015)

I'll agree the first time I had it, I thought it was awesome. However it is so darn rich, I cant have it often. Maybe once a year now.

Frozen Sysco patties . . . good but nothing special. Each time I have it, I like it less. Leave it to Food Network!

=R=

I can't believe Au Cheval uses frozen Sysco patties. I know Brendan Sodikoff, and also his former corporate chefs Jeff and Jason, and I just can't imagine they would use frozen Sysco patties.

Do you know this for absolute certain?

"The burger starts with prime beef from W.W. Johnson Farms (by way of Sysco) "
http://chicago.eater.com/2015/4/15/8393 ... sh#4716834

ronnie_suburban wrote:

long101 wrote:

Roger Ramjet wrote:Au Cheval's Double Cheeseburger named Best Burger in America 2015 by Food Network.

(per chicago.eater.com Jun 29, 2015)

I'll agree the first time I had it, I thought it was awesome. However it is so darn rich, I cant have it often. Maybe once a year now.

Frozen Sysco patties . . . good but nothing special. Each time I have it, I like it less. Leave it to Food Network!

=R=

This is a shocking statement, I just can't figure out why. Either it's true, in which case I spent way to much time at the bar next door, because I thought that was a damn fine burger, or it's not, in which case it's a very irresponsible statement. I'm hoping there is a third possibility, as either of the above two are not welcome revelations.

Pursuit wrote:This is a shocking statement, I just can't figure out why. Either it's true, in which case I spent way to much time at the bar next door, because I thought that was a damn fine burger, or it's not, in which case it's a very irresponsible statement. I'm hoping there is a third possibility, as either of the above two are not welcome revelations.

Heard it from more than one acquaintance who works (worked) there.

=R=

Maybe I'm oversimplifying this but why is frozen an issue--doesn't most meat come frozen for everything from the boutique producers at the farmer's market to most everything served in a restaurant, particularly ground beef. Or Sysco for that matter? Sysco sells everything--from complete crap to high end. Shouldn't what matter most be a) the actual quality of what is served and b) the taste, not necessarily in that order. I think to generalize that serving frozen ground beef from Sysco is automatically scandalous is a bit of foodie panic...

boudreaulicious wrote:Maybe I'm oversimplifying this but why is frozen an issue--doesn't most meat come frozen for everything from the boutique producers at the farmer's market to most everything served in a restaurant, particularly ground beef. Or Sysco for that matter? Sysco sells everything--from complete crap to high end. Shouldn't what matter most be a) the actual quality of what is served and b) the taste, not necessarily in that order. I think to generalize that serving frozen ground beef from Sysco is automatically scandalous is a bit of foodie panic...

Ditto.

I've heard Sysco has some respectable prime beef but still. I'm throwing a Fourth of July party and serving La Freida burgers; guess I could have called Sysco LOL

jordanhojo wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:Maybe I'm oversimplifying this but why is frozen an issue--doesn't most meat come frozen for everything from the boutique producers at the farmer's market to most everything served in a restaurant, particularly ground beef. Or Sysco for that matter? Sysco sells everything--from complete crap to high end. Shouldn't what matter most be a) the actual quality of what is served and b) the taste, not necessarily in that order. I think to generalize that serving frozen ground beef from Sysco is automatically scandalous is a bit of foodie panic...

Ditto.

Well, there you go. Apparently it's true, and still a damn fine burger. Will wonders never cease! That said, I still prefer Owen & Engine's offering, especially since I've never had to wait for a seat, let alone drink next door for 90 minutes before sitting.

BTW...Sysco has acquired European Imports from the Binstein family, and the 3000 best selling items in the EI Catalogue are now available from Sysco.

Pursuit wrote:

jordanhojo wrote:

boudreaulicious wrote:Maybe I'm oversimplifying this but why is frozen an issue--doesn't most meat come frozen for everything from the boutique producers at the farmer's market to most everything served in a restaurant, particularly ground beef. Or Sysco for that matter? Sysco sells everything--from complete crap to high end. Shouldn't what matter most be a) the actual quality of what is served and b) the taste, not necessarily in that order. I think to generalize that serving frozen ground beef from Sysco is automatically scandalous is a bit of foodie panic...

Ditto.

Well, there you go. Apparently it's true, and still a damn fine burger. Will wonders never cease! That said, I still prefer Owen & Engine's offering, especially since I've never had to wait for a seat, let alone drink next door for 90 minutes before sitting.

Couldn't agree more; both burgers are outstanding, but I definitely prefer O & E's (best burger I've had anywhere - especially with the aged cheddar addition) and prefer the vibe and service their too. Certainly wouldn't turn ever turn down Au Cheval's burger though.

boudreaulicious wrote:Maybe I'm oversimplifying this but why is frozen an issue--doesn't most meat come frozen for everything from the boutique producers at the farmer's market to most everything served in a restaurant, particularly ground beef. Or Sysco for that matter? Sysco sells everything--from complete crap to high end. Shouldn't what matter most be a) the actual quality of what is served and b) the taste, not necessarily in that order. I think to generalize that serving frozen ground beef from Sysco is automatically scandalous is a bit of foodie panic...

This is especially true when you consider that any meat needs to be very close to frozen before grinding to get the best texture. Freezing will change the texture of anything, but beef holds up pretty well to freezing (certainly for one time) and decent grind cuts that are put in the freezer right after grinding will hold up really well. I grind my own meat and freeze it all the time. I haven't noticed any degradation in quality, even in a head to head test of frozen and unfrozen from the same batch.

And this place is now officially a nightmare, with the additional press. Thought I would try stopping in mid-week for an early-ish (5:30p) week day dinner and was greeted by the indifferent-as-usual host, who let me know the wait for two people would be 3 hours.

I wonder if the alleged "burger pop-up" in the Roxie's by the Slice space will feature the same burger.

Gonzo70 wrote:I wonder if the alleged "burger pop-up" in the Roxie's by the Slice space will feature the same burger.

I live right near Roxie's and this is my hope. Hogsalt, I know that you read this. Please replace your shitty pizza with the best burger I've ever had.

DClose wrote:And this place is now officially a nightmare, with the additional press. Thought I would try stopping in mid-week for an early-ish (5:30p) week day dinner and was greeted by the indifferent-as-usual host, who let me know the wait for two people would be 3 hours.

Thats insane. I havent been for nearly a year, but never waited for more than 30min, and would typically be able to walk right in at off peak hours.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

long101 wrote:

Roger Ramjet wrote:Au Cheval's Double Cheeseburger named Best Burger in America 2015 by Food Network.

(per chicago.eater.com Jun 29, 2015)

I'll agree the first time I had it, I thought it was awesome. However it is so darn rich, I cant have it often. Maybe once a year now.

Frozen Sysco patties . . . good but nothing special. Each time I have it, I like it less. Leave it to Food Network!

=R=

Don't forget the Kraft "cheese" on top of those Sysco patties!

Just proof that it simply has to taste good in order to be successful. The Au Cheval cheeseburger isn't as much as showcase of great ingredient as it is a perfect combination of basic tastes for--- but overwhelming for some of us at that!

I didn't mean to rip too hard. I've enjoyed their burger, albeit a bit less each time I've had it. But I just thought it was a somewhat weak choice for "best" burger, in any category. But given the ingredients, they do a great job with it. It's a solid munch.

Ironically, my favorite item at Au Cheval is the Shaved Vegetable Salad, which they're now serving at Maude's Liquor Bar, too.

=R=

At the very least I think that it was a bit predictable to choose Au Cheval, given the amount of press that not that restaurant, but that *burger* has gotten, on a national level. I would've loved to hear about some fantastic ma-and-pa joint in the middle of nowhere serving great burgers. Those kind of joints are the kind of joints I personally think of at least, when I'm thinking of "the best burger in America."

I guess there's some hard-to-quantify element of "Americana" a joint should have, in my opinion. All that said I'll probably eat an Au Cheval cheeseburger at least more than once again...

Royal Lichter wrote:Just proof that it simply has to taste good in order to be successful.

Honest question to everyone following this thread and not trying to argue, but is it proof that it simply has to taste good in order to be successful, or is it proof that marketing can convince people that generic food service beef is better than it really is? Perception is often reality. If the same exact patties and cheese were used at a 24 hour diner, would they be written off as "over cooked, frozen hockey pucks?"

Telling people they're eating the #1 burger in America gives a certain perception. Telling them they're eating a burger made by this company would likely lead to a different perception: Founded in 1946, WW Johnson Meat Company provides ground beef products and patties to the food service industry -- such as hospitals, elderly care organizations, and restaurants.

Sorry if this is OT, but it's something I've been discussing with friends since the eater article months ago.

Royal Lichter wrote:At the very least I think that it was a bit predictable to choose Au Cheval, given the amount of press that not that restaurant, but that *burger* has gotten, on a national level. I would've loved to hear about some fantastic ma-and-pa joint in the middle of nowhere serving great burgers. Those kind of joints are the kind of joints I personally think of at least, when I'm thinking of "the best burger in America."

I guess there's some hard-to-quantify element of "Americana" a joint should have, in my opinion. All that said I'll probably eat an Au Cheval cheeseburger at least more than once again...

Here's the place that you've been looking for! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGkBilF6GU8

CSD

Max wrote:

Royal Lichter wrote:Just proof that it simply has to taste good in order to be successful.

Honest question to everyone following this thread and not trying to argue, but is it proof that it simply has to taste good in order to be successful, or is it proof that marketing can convince people that generic food service beef is better than it really is? Perception is often reality. If the same exact patties and cheese were used at a 24 hour diner, would they be written off as "over cooked, frozen hockey pucks?"

Telling people they're eating the #1 burger in America gives a certain perception. Telling them they're eating a burger made by this company would likely lead to a different perception: Founded in 1946, WW Johnson Meat Company provides ground beef products and patties to the food service industry -- such as hospitals, elderly care organizations, and restaurants.

Sorry if this is OT, but it's something I've been discussing with friends since the eater article months ago.

I think this is an often overlooked but very accurate point; perception plays an immense role in this.

Here's the place that you've been looking for! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGkBilF6GU8

that link is fantastic - WELL DONE!

chicagostyledog wrote:

Royal Lichter wrote:At the very least I think that it was a bit predictable to choose Au Cheval, given the amount of press that not that restaurant, but that *burger* has gotten, on a national level. I would've loved to hear about some fantastic ma-and-pa joint in the middle of nowhere serving great burgers. Those kind of joints are the kind of joints I personally think of at least, when I'm thinking of "the best burger in America."

I guess there's some hard-to-quantify element of "Americana" a joint should have, in my opinion. All that said I'll probably eat an Au Cheval cheeseburger at least more than once again...

Here's the place that you've been looking for! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGkBilF6GU8

CSD

Unfortunately calling it the "best burger in the world" made Moonshine Store a near guaranteed letdown. Good burger but hardly the best in the country, or even in Illinois. Though truth be told it's impossible to name just one as the best. That said, it's not hard to call Au Cheval's social media driven burger overrated. That's exactly what it is.

I'm not defending Au Cheval--just saying that it's kind of silly to trash burgers made from a frozen ground beef delivered by Sysco without any other info--such as what type/grade of beef, what the fat content is, how they season it etc. --is just as likely to be an overreach as automatically anointing it because it's prince Sodikoff. I had it once. It was great. So was that shaved veg salad. Haven't been back. Hosts are devil spawn. Anything more than a 15 minute wait for a table to eat a burger ain't my thing.

chicagostyledog wrote:

Royal Lichter wrote: ... I would've loved to hear about some fantastic ma-and-pa joint in the middle of nowhere serving great burgers ...

Here's the place that you've been looking for! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGkBilF6GU8
CSD

Ha ha ha! I thought of the exact same thing when I saw Royal Lichter's post. Moonshine, population 2.

Thanks for posting the link. When I clicked on that page, I saw I already had it bookmarked. Someday I'm going to take a road trip there in honor of my dad, who watched that show with me and wanted to go on that road trip too. (ETA:) I'm not searching for the best burger in the country, I just like road trips with food stops and nice people.