Best New Fast Food on the Northwest side? Beef & Burger

Having been to Susie's Drive In on Montrose often for a fast food fix - I would notice a huge crowd inside the Beef & Burger joint which is a store front just West of Susie's. I am not sure when they opened but for several weeks now, I wondered what the draw was about. I recently made the effort and visited B & B when my fast food craving hit me in the middle of the morning. I got to the place and notice how small it is. No tables, just ledges where you can sit or stand to consume your meal. The grill/kitchen took up half the inside space.
The basic name of the joint says it all – Beef and Burgers- is what they do, but other choices varies from grilled chicken, steak sandwiches, hot dogs / polish, gyros, fried chicken, shrimp, some salads, shakes and Greek styled desserts- little of everything to hit all my cravings-the best part is that they hand cut their fries and the fries comes free with all sandwich orders.
I couldn't decide what to order - so I played it safe and ordered an Italian beef combo with peppers. The fresh and hot fries were the best- the fries were so hot and crispy that you just want to devour them right away but can't because your mouth is burning from the hot oil. The sandwich had great flavor and the size was overwhelming- it was a mistake for me to try to drive home while trying to eat this thing. You definitely have to use two hands to take on the sandwich. Prices are very cheap (I think I paid $5.65) for my combo with fries and hot peppers).
One set-back was that I ordered my sandwich "dry"-not dipped-and they had dipped it which made it more of a challenge to keep the "thing" together and not made a huge mess in the car. After the meal - I couldn’t eat anymore for the rest of the day.
I will be back, and next time I am dining in.

Beef and Burger
4148 W. Montrose
Chicago, IL
773-685-4960

Is this place on Montrose or elston? 'Cause Montrose is an east-west street, Susie's is on the north side of Montrose and just north of Susie's would put it on Elston.

Beef and Burger is just West of Susie's. Practically, next storefront from Susie's.

Ank 68 wrote:Beef and Burger is just West of Susie's. Practically, next storefront from Susie's.

That would put it at the site of the former Golfo's. That is good news, because Golfo's was horrible and perennially empty, due to being located directly across the street from the much superior Susie's. I'll have to get over there and see if they can (hopefully) give 'ole Suz a run for her money. A bit of competition can be a good thing!

On another note the new gyros place next door to Susies has pretty limited hours but the fries are oversized fresh cut double fried. They are always very well done and crispy with a nice thick potato center. I really like them and have had pretty good luck with the standard fare on the menu.

I originally posted this on the Susies thread.

I have been eating here regularly now for a few months and like everything from the tacos to the pepper and egg sandwich. The portions a generous the fries are great and everything on the menu is pretty solid with no price gouging for extras like onions or giardinare.

Did I mention the large cut, always well done fries are really good?

It's a bit embarrassing that I live a few blocks from "Beef & Burger", have driven by dozens of times since they opened last year, and am only now reporting on it. Sometimes, I find myself driving all around the metropolitan area to try foods, when all I really need to do is walk a block or two.

I stopped in at BnB for lunch today. The tiny place was jam-packed with customers (many of whom seemed to be Streets & San workers--a good sign, in my book). I ordered a cheeseburger and fries and wedged myself into a seat (there are only about 8 seats lined up against two windows).

The burger was good. A wide, thin patty, cooked properly, served with fresh ingredients on a fresh sesame bun. A perfectly good example of a hot dog stand burger.

The fries were better than good. Fresh-cut, skin-on potatoes fried crisp that easily pass my "does this fry taste like a potato?" test.

Excellent, highly recommended fries.



In the time it took me to eat my lunch, BnB served about 20 customers. Susie's was empty on my way to lunch and empty on my way home, and I don't think I saw a single person go in. BnB appears, based on one visit, to have captured a lot of attention of the weekday lunch crowd.

On the way home, I stopped at the four-month-old Pomera Bakery, an Algerian Bakery on Pulaski. There were few Algerian specialties available, but I did pick up a few sweets to bring home, including a super-sticky-sweet almond baklava.



Beef and Burger
4148 W. Montrose
Chicago
(773) 685-4960

Pomera Bakery
4304 N Pulaski
Chicago
(773) 545-6411

Best,
Michael

Michael,

Based on my (so far) one visit, I completely agree with you. The burgers are good, but they really have a way with fries. I neglected to order mine crispy (my normal M.O.) yet they came out exactly as I would have wished for them to be. Nicely brown and crispy on the outside, soft and potatoey on the inside. I'll certainly be back. Next time, I'm going to try a beef, which looked good based on what I saw being delivered to other diners.

YES!!! I meant to mention this place!

My girlfriend and I went for a nice long bicycle ride in late summer and stopped by here for a hot dog & fries, excellent. The owners are a really nice Greek father & son team. I'll have to try their burgers and gyros, which I've heard are very good as well from a friend who lives right down the street from there.

And I agree, the fries are very good fresh cut fries.

eatchicago wrote:It's a bit embarrassing that I live a few blocks from "Beef & Burger", have driven by dozens of times since they opened last year, and am only now reporting on it. Sometimes, I find myself driving all around the metropolitan area to try foods, when all I really need to do is walk a block or two.

I also live a few blocks away. I assumed, incorrectly, that this was still Golfo's. A good burger AND good fries? Yeah, I'll be there Wednesday.

eatchicago wrote:On the way home, I stopped at the four-month-old Pomera Bakery, an Algerian Bakery on Pulaski. There were few Algerian specialties available, but I did pick up a few sweets to bring home, including a super-sticky-sweet almond baklava.

I mentioned this place to a few people at the Paczki Extravaganza. No one had heard of it. I have been in a few times. The owners are friendly. Nothing is marked, but they are happy to share any information you ask. They have great croissants (almost as good as Vanille, and about 1/3 the price. $1.25/each!), I've have the plain and the chocolate (they use a very good quality chocolate), some of those jam filled cookies, some sort of cakey custard thing, and, the best thing, these lavosh type pancakes filled with tomato and onion that were spicey and addictive.


Everything is priced very reasonably. They had Brioche the first time I was in there, but I did not get any.

That burger looks as if it could forever end the question, "Why isn't Chicago a great burger town?"

Enticed, no, COMPELLED, by eatchicago's fine photo of the burger, I made a lunch trip to Beef & Burger yesterday for lunch.

Fresh bun, toasted on the grill . . . check.
Good, crispy, flavorful fries . . . check.
Cheeseburger nicely garnished to order; good, friendly service . . . check.

Burger itself? Don Rickles came to mind with every bite . . .
"Hey, hockey puck!"

The patty reminded me of the 'hamburger' patties they used to dish out in high school [a major reason why I was a 'bring lunch from home' kid]. Chewy, flavorless, and in this particular sample, over-grilled to toughness. [No, I didn't ask for medium rare or anything. It's a flat patty & there only two ways to grill those in my mind - done and well done.]

Disappointing. Not the second coming of the fast-food burger.

And just to add a further quibble, my fries tasted as though they'd been in the oil just after an order of fish had been cooked. Several fries had a jarringly fishy taste. [It was a Wednesday, not Friday, so this can't be attributed to high fish demand in Lent.]

Now, I'm not trying to say that this was a completely bad experience. More of a B, B-. Clearly this place is run by people who want to do a good job with their food and [pretty much] the ability to do it. But the burger patty itself was terrible. I can't imagine cooking it less would have made it significantly better. [I'm assuming that there's been a change of patty since the above raves.] I would be entirely willing to have a hot dog there, and they have pepper & egg sandwiches on the menu as an everyday thing - I look forward to trying one of those.

While I was there, I saw the most amazing thing being used on the gyros cone: what can only be described as an electric gyros shaver. Didn't know that a long knife wasn't the only tool used for this job. Surprised no-one has mentioned such an astonishing tool before now.

Giovanna

I'm sorry I compelled you into such a disappointing experience. My burger and my wife's a few days later were both fine, perfectly good examples of a hot dog stand burger. Certainly nothing to make a trip for, though.

Giovanna wrote:While I was there, I saw the most amazing thing being used on the gyros cone: what can only be described as an electric gyros shaver. Didn't know that a long knife wasn't the only tool used for this job. Surprised no-one has mentioned such an astonishing tool before now.

This implement is also regularly in use at my favorite Greek restaurant, Central Gyros. See the 5th photo on the page for an example.

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:

Giovanna wrote:While I was there, I saw the most amazing thing being used on the gyros cone: what can only be described as an electric gyros shaver. Didn't know that a long knife wasn't the only tool used for this job. Surprised no-one has mentioned such an astonishing tool before now.

This implement is also regularly in use at my favorite Greek restaurant, Central Gyros. See the 5th photo on the page for an example.

The Whizard Power Knife has been mentioned on this forum several times in the last few years: here, here, here and here (the Whizard action photo!).

Giovanna wrote:Now, I'm not trying to say that this was a completely bad experience. More of a B, B-.

I've been back a couple of times since my first post (so far, always without a camera). I've had another burger which did not suffer the problems reported by Giovanna, though I'll say that this burger is not a revelatory experience, just a nicely executed fast food style burger. I've also tried the gyros, which were the best example for several miles around. I'll have to try another to be sure, but I might even prefer this version to the Central Gyros version. The fries remain the star of the show.

Ack! I first encountered one of them damn gyro shavers at a long-gone place across Mannheim from the Horizon, I mean Allstate. It is an anathema to all things gyro-ey. A good gyros knife-man knows how to cut the meat in undulating waves like the sea in which Greece nestles. The other is a hack and no more worthy of respect than government cheese.

-ramon

Rene G wrote:Whizard Power Knife has been mentioned on this forum several times in the last few years: here, here, here and here (the Whizard action photo!).

Oh gee. And here I had such good reading comprehension scores in 5th grade, too.

Giovanna

I stopped in today for a good Friday pepper and egg and spotted the sign in the window. The hours are beginning today.

I've been to Beef & Burger a number of times now. It's pretty solid overall, with the fries being the standout item.

Beef & Burger


I've tried the very good cheeseburger which has been talked about upthread, the Italian Beef which is less than great and tastes like a processed meat product who's cousin's last name is Buddig and the Gyros which, as I posted earlier, is stellar.

On the day I was choking down my less than good Italian Beef sandwich, I caught wind of a secret menu item that, for whatever reason, never made it on to the menu board. Beef & Burger offers 8 chicken wings and fries for less than $4. Sorry, I forgot the exact price, but an order of wings and a medium drink set me back right around $5.

Beef & Burger Hot Chicken Wings

Sorry about the strangely contrasty picture, I had my camera set wrong

Beef and Burger offers these wings in both hot and mild. For the spice averse, "hot" is a misnomer and should really be called "seasoned". The hot version's breading is nicely seasoned with some garlic and maybe a touch of cayenne, but is not hot per se; more like the fried chicken one might get at Hecky's or Izola's. Don't get me wrong. These wings are a pre-made, frozen food service product. They are not breaded fresh in house and they are somewhat on the small side. Still, the hot wings taste very good and at the price point are something that I will seek out again.

Beef & Burger
4148 W. Montrose
Chicago, IL
773-685-4960

I too have visited the Beef and Burger. I think my review will be more about my misadventures than anything else.

I'm a car eater for lunch. I like to listen to the radio. Deal with it. And if my wife is reading this I don't eat in YOUR car, as far as you know. And, by the way, shouldn't every car smell like Hot Doug's duck fat fries? Anyway, back to my point.

So the first time I went to said B and B, I ordered an Italian Beef. I got it back to the car and opened up the styrofoam container and about 6 ounces of au jus spills out and into my lap. This beef wasn't just dipped, it was drowned. Since the die was cast, I ate the thing. I think it kinda rubbery, but I challange Phil Vittel to come up with a good review with six ounces of hot beef stock soaking into his underpants. Fries were good.

I went back earlier this week. I ordered the chicken sandwich on eat pita. Not being very smart, I ordered it to go. Back into the car.

This time I very, very carefully opened the wrapping. Nice seasoning, large hunks of chicken and a very nice pita. It is a bit sloppy for the car but I managed, kinda. Fries were again very good.

Complaints:
Hot beefy underpants - but in good conscience I cannot blame this one on the good people at B and B.

Portions were huge and tempt overeating. Again, more my problem than theirs.

Ketchup was not Heinz and only 3 packets were given. Switch to Heinz and give about six packets - there are a lot of fries.

LTH,

First time at Beef and Burger, thought the burger a good example of fast food burgers, flavor boost from the grill elevating the preformed patty, and really good french fries. Fries were crisp with an almost fluffy interior and full potato flavor, I really liked the fries.

Beef and Burger



Counter man was friendly, seemed to know most of the customers and the place was quite clean with comfortable chairs. Guy ahead of me got a triple and said sure I could take a picture, just don't take a bite.

Beef and Burger Triple



I'll be back for the terrific fries, to try the wings Steve mentioned and a gyro.

Enjoy,
Gary

Despite the photo of the hours posted above, I wish to emphasize, strongly, that Beef & Burger is not open on Sundays.

-ramon

Ramon wrote:Despite the photo of the hours posted above, I wish to emphasize, strongly, that Beef & Burger is not open on Sundays.

As of this week, they are now open on Sundays.

A couple more data-points on B&B:

--As stevez mentions, a very good gyros sandwich.
--They serve one of the smallest hot dogs I've ever seen. They're 12/1, at best.

Best,
Michael

eatchicago wrote:--They serve one of the smallest hot dogs I've ever seen. They're 12/1, at best.

Best,
Michael

Conversely, their grilled chicken sandwich is one of the biggest. A full double breast grilled beautifully, served on either a bun, french bread, or pita. The owner says that the burger, gyros, and grilled chicken are his top three sellers. In the past few weeks I have made a point of trying them all. The chicken and the gyros are the clear winners. The burgers are good but not great, and the fries transcend all of it.

Buddy

Tried this place out tonight on a whim. A decent burger from a fast food place. One thing the photos above don't do justice is the size of the burger itself. Way bigger in person.

Then there is the fries...I typically don't even like french fries unless they are done very well. Hot Doug's duck fat fries for example.Great. Even McDonalds fries are good when they do it right and are fresh from the fryer which certainly isn't always the case. These were some of the best fries I've had in a long time. Right down to those crisp, salty nuggets which are down on the bottom of the basket. Awesome.

A good showing of family were there. From the owner on down to a young daughter or neice or grand-daughter.

Two customers came in at different times. One, an older woman ordering for herself. Number two was a tall fellow who had a three-quarter length leather jacket that had words painted in white with seemingly a think house painting brush causing the lettering to be almost unreadable. After a few moments I deciphered it as:

"God told me to peel off you skin"

It's a sad statement of economic times when (suspected) serial killers have to advertise.

I hope I don't hear about this place on the news tomorrow.

And yes, this is a true story.

Or perhaps he lives with a family who are absent-minded when it comes to oranges and bananas...

Returned home from work tonite to find a couple of Beef & Burger fliers on my front porch. They are now delivering (not sure how large an area,) 7 days a week from 11am-11pm. No minimum, but a $2.00 delivery fee applies. Fliers heavily promote "All Sandwiches Come With Fresh Cut Fries Cooked In Trans Fat Free Oils!"

May give this a go soon....

I've been going to Beef & Burger on an almost weekly basis since this thread started back in 2008. I have to concur that the burger is a second rate item on the menu with the fries being the star attraction. However, after the first disappointing burger experience I started exploring the rest of the menu and found some outstanding choices.

First among them would be the grilled chicken sandwich. This is a a full breast, fresh not frozen, marinated and then grilled beautifully to moist and juicy perfection. It is available on a bun, French bread or pita. The typical toppings are lettuce, tomato, and mayo, but I always opt for having them dress it like a burger; ketchup, mustard, tomato, pickle, and onion. That's my quirk, what can I tell you.

My other go to choice is the gyros. They provide a very generous serving of gyros meat on a soft pita that seems to have its own garlicky quality above and beyond the meat itself. They make a very good tzatziki type sauce to go along with it.

I also enjoy their Italian beef sandwiches. A little on the salty side, but still, a very nice portion of meaty slices as opposed to shards and shreds of beef that have been sitting in the au jus for too long. I'm not a big pepper fan, either sweet or hot, so I skip those but do get the sandwich double dipped. It is an unholy mess, but very tasty indeed.

They also make an excellent Greek chicken salad. This consists of a lettuce base with lots of onions, tomatoes, cucumber, black olives, and feta with a sliced grilled chicken breast sitting on top. The fresh, house made Greek dressing is an herby, garlicky delight. The only drawback to the salad is that it is one of the few things on the menu that does not come with those addictive fries.

Finally, although a bit pedestrian, I like their fried fish sandwich. What makes the difference for me is that I skip the tartar sauce and get the tzatziki style sauce used for the gyros along with sliced tomatoes and onions.

The owner is a very nice, friendly man who truly appreciates our business, unlike the attitude I frequently receive at Susie's across the street. And with fries like these, who needs Susie's?

Buddy

I agree, and it almost approaches the level of a Mike G rule: if you think the burger at a Greek place is decent enough, try the chicken, because they may be making it simply and very well from a fresh chicken breast and not much else. I've also tried a steak sandwich there, which likewise had the virtues of simple, unmucked-up cooking of a good quality (for the price) ingredient. B&B is not a great place, but it's definitely a cut or two above the ordinary place.

I'll be sure to try the steak sandwich next time I visit. Thanks for the tip.

Buddy

The fries are the main attraction but the chicken is very good. For dollar value I often got the pepper and egg sandwich as it is made fresh and they will add anything you like including the gyros meat - yum!