Big Herm's closing

My first post! I'm new to the city, and I gotta say this board has helped me find some good spots to eat.

So I was reading a thread here about good burger spots to hit, and saw a list of recommendations. I decided to stroll around the corner from work, to Big Herm's. I was going to get a double burger and a take-out menu. "No menus," they said. When asked why, I was told that they are closing shop Friday. ( Sadly, I had to cancel my order when I found out they don't accept credit/debit cards.) Needless to say, I'm gonna hit up the ATM and return tomorrow to try it, before it's gone.

So, heads up!

I'm going to assume that you're speaking of Big Herm's in the Equity Office building along the Chicago River at Washington St. I work in the neighborhood but haven't walked by the place in the pasts couple of weeks. I eat at Big Herm's maybe once or twice a month on average, because it's convenient and offers something "different" (and fast). I've never, though, thought anything on the menu worth touting. The success of the place seems to have been the fact that he sells liquor, and it has outdoor seating (lots and lots of outdoor seating) which is a welcome oasis many days when we have good weather - and he didn't hassle people who sat down outside, even when they didn't buy anything from him that day. The owner (and some of the employees) are characters, and I'll miss them more than the food. Thanks for mentioning the closing.

I have no idea what you people are talking about. The Big Herm's I know started out as a little shack on Dempster in Skokie, and then....after a particularly nasty bit of back stabbing became Herm's East/Herms Palace right across the street which still stands (I think). I haven't been there in a few years, but in the past the hot dogs they served were among the best classic (fully dressed style) Chicago dogs that could be had.

I suppose it's not particularly surprising that a downtown branch might have lousy food, but a Herm's with liquor is beyond my comprehension. Surely this is some bizzare jest!?

Same. I was always amazed when I would place a large order for the family when I was a little kid - and then have one of the brothers (owners I believe) rattle off numbers in his head real quick and give me a total with tax and all that.

Thinking back on it, he could have been just guesstimating.

Big Herm's will close after today and the space remodeled. Potbelly will be the next tenant - or so that's the word "on the street" today. If you're having difficulty placing this location: it's on the W. side of the S. Branch of the Chicago River at Washington St. - the old Daily News building at 2 N. Riverside Plaza (across the river from the Civic Opera House and also opposite the Boeing (formerly Morton Salt) building).

That totally stinks. It was best hot dog within easy walking distance of my office, during which I pass at least one Potbelly. . . .

On another note, I too, am fond of Herm's Palace. I fondly remember bringing their chili polish to my brother when he was stuck in the hospital. A great lunch retreat for truant ETHS students.

That's really depressing to hear it's going to be a Potbellys. Whatever your opinion on the food, it was an enjoyable after work bar hangout for many regulars, complete with people playing that beanbag game and drinking outside on summer days.

It was packed today with people saying goodbye.



The owners had a sign up saying goodbye too.

That's the one. Apologies for the vague-ness in my original post. I did indeed return to purchase lunch the next day. Serviceable burger, but (by what I've read here) I should've got the hot dog.

Anyhow, if there is indeed a Potbelly going in there, that will make one on each of 2 corners, across from my office (one just opened on the corner of Clinton & Madison). Like I said, I'm new to city life, and this seems very strange to me.

Another Potbelly's? Geez, the one on Randolph & Wacker moved to the AT&T bldg at Franklin, there's one on the SW corner at Madison & Clinton, & now one at Big Herm's at Wash. & Canal? Do we really need that many?

Awesome! We need another Potbelly's down here, there's only 5 in a .2 mile radius...what the hell.

I've worked in the area for 8 years and stopped going to Big Herms about 3 years ago after a coworker witnessed cochroaches in the kitchen. I would still get beer there though.

Pretty soon there will be more potbellys that starbucks. Is Potbellys listed on the stock exchanges?

cjchaps wrote:Pretty soon there will be more potbellys that starbucks. Is Potbellys listed on the stock exchanges?

No, Potbellys is not a public company

Big Herm's was a place that you knew was dirty going in there, but were willing to take the risk. I give myself one day a week to eat unhealthy food, and that was often my choice. Now I am not sure where I will go for food that tastes good but may clog the arteries.

I ate there on and off over about eight years and never got sick once. That's a pretty good thing to say for a hot dog place.

The Gold Coast Dogs in the train station closed a year or more ago also. Now, the only place to get a decent hot dog in the area is at the place on Randolph and Franklin, which is way too expensive. There is also the place in the basement of the State of Illinois Center, but the dogs there were not very good.

The decor/operation of Big Herm's never bothered me, and I like to think of myself as "picky." As one example, I won't set foot in Weiner's Circle - because of the filth (and because of bad service/inferior product). As for other hot dog and similar fast food options in that area - Fast Track at Lake St. and DesPlaines is a solid option - if you're already west of the Chicago River.

Some additional words about Potbelly: I read a feature article on that business operation, maybe a year ago now. The present owner(s) is getting ready to franchise the business and the additional stores are part of the pre-offering/franchise plan. Not only will the Big Herm's space reportedly be filled by Potbelly, but a new Potbelly has opened in Presidential Towers - on the SW corner of Madison St. / Clinton St. This makes three or four of the restauran't outlets within two or three blocks of one another. I went into the new one in Presidential Towers a little while ago, and quickly walked out . . . after determining the wait time would be about 20-minutes. I like the sandwiches, but not enough to wait 20-minutes for one. Clearly, Potbelly is popular . . . all of the locations I've seen - and I'm supposing the owners are looking at the successful business model of Subway Sandwiches and saying to themselves "Why not us?" I was a patron of Potbelly at its original - first - location at Lincoln & Belden in the early-1980's - and long for those days once again.

A brief survey of Potbelly's in the immediate Big Herm's area:
1. Randolph and Franklin;
2. Randolph and Wacker;
3. The former Big Herm's;
4. Franklin and Madison.

What the Greater Washington/Wacker area needs is a Burger King or even a Pizza Hut -- a quick place with unhealthy food but that, in small doses, tastes good enough to make you forget the health impact.

On the upside, Hannah's Bretzels is a short walk, which makes up for it.

And I still don't see the point of California Pizza Kitchen Express. Ten minutes plus line wait time is not exactly express.

DML wrote:What the Greater Washington/Wacker area needs is a Burger King or even a Pizza Hut -- a quick place with unhealthy food but that, in small doses, tastes good enough to make you forget the health impact.

At the risk of calling attention to the obvious, there are food courts in both Union Station and the Northwestern Station--all the fast food that could make your cardiologist hyperventilate, only steps away from Big Herm's. With multiple entrances: choose your door of doom!

Re Potbelly's: while I was in one within the last couple of years, I haven't eaten at one in more than a decade.

I recall the original on Lincoln Avenue which I thought was a little pricey, but which had good sandwiches. Then we moved out of the area.

A year or two ago we found ourselves on Lincoln Avenue one afternoon and walked into Potbelly's. It was the new post-venture-capital-Potbelly's. We (wife, son and I) looked at the menu for a couple of minutes, decided there was nothing that any one of us wanted to eat even though we were all hungry, and walked out.

DML wrote:A brief survey of Potbelly's in the immediate Big Herm's area:
1. Randolph and Franklin;
2. Randolph and Wacker;
3. The former Big Herm's;
4. Franklin and Madison.

Actually the location at Randolph & Wacker relocated to Randolph & Franklin b/c the building is being demolished.

To be more specific about the food court there is a pizza hut express at 2 north riverside - across the street from where big herms was.

DML wrote:A brief survey of Potbelly's in the immediate Big Herm's area:
1. Randolph and Franklin;
2. Randolph and Wacker;
3. The former Big Herm's;
4. Franklin and Madison.

What the Greater Washington/Wacker area needs is a Burger King or even a Pizza Hut -- a quick place with unhealthy food but that, in small doses, tastes good enough to make you forget the health impact.

On the upside, Hannah's Bretzels is a short walk, which makes up for it.

And I still don't see the point of California Pizza Kitchen Express. Ten minutes plus line wait time is not exactly express.

The Pizza Hut Express is in the Ogilvie Transportation Center - 500 W. Madison, along with about 12/15 other choices of where to eat - and in addition to the one remaining meal choice in 2 N. Riverside Plaza (Mezza) (if you don't count Starbuck's or Dunkin Donuts). Big Herms was in the 2 N. Riverside Plaza building. The owner of the Pizza Hut Express also purchased the rights to sell Gold Coast Hot Dogs (to use the name) and had put up an Al's Beef sign, then he took it down (a rights fee dispute, as I understand it); the offerings of pizza, hot dogs and house-brand italian beef are rather institutional presentations, IMO - and I don't patronize the place any longer. An oulet of Panda Express will soon open at 500 W. Madison, and there will be a sit-down Thai restaurant on the first floor by the end of Summer.