Made the trip down to Big & Little's from Albany Park today. I had the mahi taco (perfectly cooked, very tasty, and a great value), shrimp taco (nice, but overshadowed by the mahi), and half of my companion's crab tostada (bright, citrus flavors mixed w/crab on a crispy fried tortilla). We also split an order of truffle fries. After ca. 20 minutes the fries turned mushy, so I recommend eating them sooner rather than later. We considered the foie fries, but we did not feel like splurging at $10/basket. Maybe next time.

Outdoor seating is backlot communal urban chic--these guys are doing it on a budget, but I'm happy to return many times to help support their purchase of additional outdoor furniture. Note that tables are available both north (enjoy the shade) and south (work on your tan) of the building, but that parking is in the lot north of the building.

I'll definitely be back.

Regardless of all of the posts about the seafood, this is really a burger destination for me. The burgers are awesome. A burger and an order of fries is all I need to keep me watching next weeks Hell's Kitchen.

Big & Little's is not far from my office and so I've eaten there about a half-dozen times over the past couple of months. They've really done a great job with everything I've tried, from the fish tacos to the foie gras fries to the fantastic burgers. Today's requested medium rare burger, unfortunately, ended up being a bit more like steak tartare but it was still delicious.

This place is simply amazing! I've gotten take out over ten times now and it's always consistent. I hope people know you can get any of the seafood fried (except for the mahi mahi which they dont recommend obviously) and today I got a fried squid, shrimp and fish taco, which were amazing as usual. Also, as other's have realized, their burger here can rival anyone's burger in all of Chicagoland, it's that good! This place needs to be a GNR asap! Also, for those that may want a bit more of a kick to the often discussed crab tostada, I've found a solution. I simply ask them for a small bit of extra B and L aoli sauce which seems to be some sort of mixture of mayo, hot sauce and lime, and slather some of that on the tostada. Before I would douse some lime juice on it but that gets it too wet and it starts to break apart, so this creamy sauce they make in house and put on their tacos makes a great compliment to the snow crab on their crab tostada.

I ducked out of rush hour traffic and hit Big & Little's for a post-lunch pre-dinner bite. I ordered the mahi taco. Very fresh tasting with a hint of heat from the sauce. Satisfying. Smelling my bar-mate's fries sorely tempted me back up to the counter. I resisted. Dinner better be worth it.

Don't overlook the portabello mushroom burger at Big & Little's. While I find the various tacos to be outstanding, for a change I tried the p'bello mushroom burger today for the first time and it was outstanding.

Also let's hope the kidney bean salad returns to the menu. I found this salad to be a good side dish alternative when not in the mood for fries.

ronnie_suburban wrote:

Cheeseburger with Egg at Big & Little's

one of these and a crab tostada for me on my first visit tomorrow. Don't know how well I will sleep tonight from anticipation.

Nice sunny weather today meant a perfect time for a lunchtime walk to Big & Little's.

I decided to try something new and go with the fish sandwich, on hearing it was tilapia I hesitated but did not regret my decision when the final product came out. Same excellent batter used for the fish and chips surrounding juicy tilapia, combined with housemade tartar sauce and slightly charred bun made me forget fast food "fish sandwiches" ever existed. I knew an order of fries would not be able to fit in my stomach but I ordered them anyway. It seems like they get better every time, but maybe my mind is playing tricks on me.

Line was out the door when I left, but Gary & Tony were keeping it moving at a steady pace. Glad to see these guys are getting the recognition they deserve.

Really glad I finally got down to BnL's for a light lunch yeserday before the pig roast @ Toon's.

Plenty of parking, nice small space. Focused menu, and nice staff. I went with a hamburger with a fried egg topper, and a crab tostada.

First the crab tostada, I thought it was just ok, too much going on imho in regards to the crab, lime was the overpowering flavor, a large portion of crab, a crisp tostada, and topped with red cabbage & green onion. The crab salad mix they are using is just ok, really covered up the crab, and like I mentioned above it was overpowered with lime. The crab, I eat alot of Alaskan snow crab(probably 25+ lbs a year), the crab seemed different(taste, appearance) than the snow crab I usually have, thats all i will say about it.

The burger, excellent, hand formed patty, perfectly cooked (rare), grilled bun, lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup & mayo. Plus a fried egg. Took over the my "best burger ive had all year" titile from The Rootbeer Stand burger that held that spot. he BnL burger was in a different league, flavorfull meat, perfectly seasoned, etc. The folks from Graze up in Madison need to come here and take some notes on how to season a burger. If I was to nitpick, the egg could have had some more runny yolks going on.

Inexpensive, good, and a place I will hit every chance I get.

crab tostada:




burger:

jimswside wrote:First the crab tostada, I thought it was just ok, too much going on imho in regards to the crab, lime was the overpowering flavor, a large portion of crab, a crisp tostada, and topped with red cabbage & green onion. The crab salad mix they are using is just ok, really covered up the crab, and like I mentioned above it was overpowered with lime. The crab, I eat alot of Alaskan snow crab(probably 25+ lbs a year), the crab seemed different(taste, appearance) than the snow crab I usually have, thats all i will say about it.

Jim,

I agree with what you said here about the crab tostada. One note and very ordinary in flavor. But for $4, it is worth every penny.

I've been three times now. Love the fried shrimp and fish, as well as the mahi and squid tacos. I didn't like the burger at all. But I just don't enjoy char burgers...and then to char the bun...??? Had a better burger the other night at Steak and Shake!

Just came back from Big and Littles today, and they have a new item, soft shell crab sandwiches! For 8.00, I ordered one and it is well worth it. They said they're going to see if it becomes a regular item, so check it out asap when you can.

Also, for those complaining about the crab tostada lacking some flavor, just get some of that B and L orange aoli sauce and slather it on, for me it does the trick.

FoodSnob77 wrote:Just came back from Big and Littles today, and they have a new item, soft shell crab sandwiches! For 8.00, I ordered one and it is well worth it.

Not quite sure how Big & Little is getting fresh Maryland soft shell crab a few days from October, but fresh they are, I asked. Toasted bun, concentric ring of spiced mayo (cayenne/Tuscan chili oil), shower of shredded lettuce and a plump juicy well fried crab. Terrific sandwich, for one slight second I thought I was on the Maryland coast, until I crossed Orleans dogging cabs, buses and a guy in a Prius with a cell phone, Starbucks and iPad in each hand.

B & L fish and chips remain among the best in Chicago, lightly battered cod, moist and meaty. Perfect with a squeeze of lemon, dunk in house made tarter sauce or sprinkle with malt vinegar.

Big & Little, count me a fan.

Enjoy,
Gary

Went to B and L yesterday and they have a new special, crawfish po boy for 10.00. The soft shell crab sandwich for 8.00 I get every time I go now, I'll try this new po boy next time.

G Wiv wrote:Not quite sure how Big & Little is getting fresh Maryland soft shell crab a few days from October, but fresh they are, I asked.

I'm not sure where they are coming from, but Fresh Farms also has live, fresh soft shells right now in the fish department. I tried the soft shell sandwich at B&L's yesterday. It didn't do too much for me. I thought the crab was over breaded in a rather tasteless batter. It was good I suppose, but not something I'll order again given their other, much better offerings. Once again the crab tostada was fresh, sweet and very good.

The soft shell season actually goes from may until september. After that, crabs continue to molt, but fewer are available making it unprofitable to harvest them. As the season goes on, the crabs get less flavorful. This time of year, the crabs must come from warmer waters, like from the Gulf of Mexico rather than Maryland or Virginia (where the best crabs come from earlier in the year). Apparently, soft shelled Mangrove Crabs are now harvested year round in Asia. I am not sure how they get them to the US, as the crabs start to grow their shellls back within 4 or 5 days. Within a week, they are too crunchy to eat. Maybe they ship them when they first show signs of molting. At any rate, everybody seems to agree that the best soft shells are from Maryland and Virginia and available late may-early June. My parents used to occassionally catch soft-shelled dungeness crabs in the Pacific Northwest. They are hard to find because the crabs hide in the sand until their shells harden. Unless they are harvested right after molting, they are not that good because the crabs feed off stored energy while their shells are hardening, which makes the meat skimpy.

Must agree w/SteveZ. As much as I like and support Big and Little's the soft shell left quite a bit to be desired w/o any discernible crab taste to go w/all too much in my opinion overcooked crunch. For me, besides a burger the fish and chips are the way to go.

Jazzfood wrote:Must agree w/SteveZ. As much as I like and support Big and Little's the soft shell left quite a bit to be desired w/o any discernible crab taste to go w/all too much in my opinion overcooked crunch. For me, besides a burger the fish and chips are the way to go.

Ended up trying the fish and chips last night for the first time. Wow they were good.

And with some Merkt's cheddar for the fries, it was quite the tasty meal.

Drove around a few times today, couldn't find a parking spot and didn't remember about the lot . Next time I'll know better.

These guys continue to impress, new offerings, cod sandwich, oyster po boy, etc. Also don't forget they grind their own ground beef and their fried egg burger rivals anything in the city imo, and for 6bucks too.
I always order mine medium well and they cook it perfectly.

Big & Little's got the Tribune's Cheap Eats restaurant award last week. The result: when we were there on Friday, a group of four walked in and left when they discovered there are no tables, and I was told that they had called earlier to ask about making a reservation.

With respect to the food, I can highly recommend the portobello burger. For those of you out there who like this kind of thing, this one was about the best I've had.

Jonah

After a co-worker wouldn't stop talking about Big & Little's and how he thought I was nuts for not yet visiting, I went with him yesterday for an early lunch. I have to say, this place is great! I ordered a Mahi Fish Taco, Crab Tostada, and Truffle Fries + a coke....for ~$14.

The fish taco was essentially a nice sized fresh filet with a nice spicy sauce and two tortillas. Very good.

The crab tostada was a little heavy on the lime for my taste, but it was still a nice light dish.

The truffle fries (more like frites) were excellent, and honestly some of the best truffle fries I've had (much better than Rockit and Capital Grille).

I certainly over-ordered on my first trip as I wanted to taste a few different things. But I'll be back as this is a fantastic lunch option on the north side.

I'm glad to see somebody got around to nominating Big & Little's for GNR; I'd planned to this weekend if someone hadn't beaten me to it. (thanks geno55!) This place is about a mile from my office, and I get there at least once a month on average for lunch. I don't know if that's quite often enough to be considered a regular but they remember me and greet me with a smile every time.

I've tried quite a bit of their menu without a dud in the bunch--everything has ranged from good to excellent. The best bet for me is the burger, a half-pound of house-ground meat hand-patted and cooked to order. With a fried egg on top and some of their excellent fries, it's one of my two favorite burgers in the city (the other being GNR Top Notch Beefburger). Their fish tacos, shrimp tacos, foie gras fries... all also amazing.

I think the thing that I find most impressive about them, and what might be the key to their success, is the great balance they strike between the 2 philosophies of "do one thing and do it well" and "keep innovating." They have a small regular menu that is fairly consistent, and a specials board where you can find seasonal or experimental items. A few months ago they started experimenting with po-boys, and eventually had a whole series of them available on the specials board, of which I have tried several and enjoyed them (and I saw they recently had a pork belly po-boy special and I NEED to get there and try it).

I'm 100% behind the nomination of Big & Little's as a GNR.

Big and Little's has been nominated as a Great Neighborhood Restaurant. Please discuss the nomination in this thread. Discussion ends March 7.

Well, apparently I never got around to posting about it, but since starting work just a few miles from Big & Little's at the beginning of December I've made 3 visits, and each time come away very happy with my choices. Hamburgers have been great, po' boys have been just as good, and the only complaint I can even remotely muster is that my mahi mahi taco basically disintegrated due to some poor structural integrity. I enjoyed every last bite of it though, messy as it turned out.

Easily my favorite lunch option near the new office, and the only thing keeping me from stopping by more often is my expanding waistline. Big & Little's would make a great addition to the GNR list.

Definite yes on the nomination -- the battered fish tacos are delicious, i thought the soft shell po boy was tasty as well. the fries are phenomenal -- you can't go wrong with either the truffle fries or the foie gras fries. both are delicious. i also love that they have several good hot sauces on the counter, such as El Yucateco. this place is definitely a GNR to me.

Big & Littles is one of those spots that the GNR's are all about imho.

Great food, great hands on owners, affordable to everyone, etc.

Great burgers topped with egg, fish tacos & fish & chips.

GNR - yes.

Going to Big and Little's always cheers me up if I'm in a gloomy mood. It's exactly what a GNR is to me.

Hi,

Easy peasy place to like because the food is so terrific. When I am in the neighbhorhood, it is an easy decision on where to eat. I only wish it was located in MY neighborhood, then again it would soak up my play money.

Regards,

Ronna and I made our first visit to Big & Little's today and had a great, quick lunch. Even though they were busy when we got there, our food was fried and grilled to order and came out fast, hot, and fresh.

Ronna really enjoyed the Soft Shell Crab Po Boy, with its chewy, grilled bread and zippy mayo. She's somewhat of a po boy aficionado, and after several squirts of Louisiana hot sauce, she was not disappointed with this one. She was eying the smelt po boy, and plans to try that next time.


My Cheeseburger was terrific. Hand-formed, loosely packed, nicely seasoned, cooked to the rare side of medium rare, well-topped, this was about as good as a fast food burger can be.


The fries were a bit disappointing, because we both like our fries to be crispy. Our fries today had nice flavor and color, but were soggy and needed salt.

Just to clarify, nobody should go to Big & Little's expecting a sit-down, full-on restaurant. Service is utilitarian. This is the sort of place where you order at the counter from the menu board, and then someone brings your food in plastic baskets (or you get called to the counter). Do not go to B&L's for the arancini, as it is not available, and in any case, would not be as good as those at Da Riv or Anteprima.

Fun place, good lunch. Ronna and I both enthusiastically support Big & Little's nomination for GNR.

--Rich

I slightly altered my way to work today to drop by Big and Little's for the first time. It won't be the last. I opted for the fish and chips, I thought there are plenty of burger places but if they specialize in seafood that's what I'll go for. It appeared to be a nice piece of whitefish, battered and fried while I waited. The fries came right from the fry basket. Both were excellent, fries crisp with a nice potatoey flavor. But the fish was the real star, crisp on the outside, moist and flaky and cooked just to the point of doneness. The batter was crisp and not too thick; that's the problem with most fish and chips, the batter is too thick and obscures the fish flavor. Not here, and the tartar sauce that went with it was the perfect complement.

Just a first visit but there will be others. Based on this, I'd say a GNR is definitely in order. Oh, by the way, they don't do squid anymore, Big said they haven't done it in a year.