Places serving house-made ketchup

Friends, I'd like some help creating a definitive list of restaurants that serve their own house-made ketchup. I'll make do with Heinz, it's nearly inescapable, but I appreciate the extra attention to detail shown by a place not settling for the standard.

I've tried Kuma's and the Bad Apple, and have heard that Wiener & Still Champion and the Bristol might make their own too. You guys know of any other places that take the time to serve a tastier, presumably more natural product than Heinz?

I've had it at Vie, although they change their burger accompaniments frequently so I can't guarantee they always have it. I also recall having it at C-house. There's also a chance I had it at the Three Floyd's brewpub, but I'm not certain and it was a while ago.

On a side note, it is one of a few homemade creations I prefer less than the mass-produced variety.


(edit - posted from phone; fixed a spelling error)

milz50 wrote:On a side note, it is one of a few homemade creations I prefer less than the mass-produced variety.

I agree. That said, I'm pretty sure they serve a version at the Bad Apple and I recall having one served with the duck fat fries at the Bristol but that was some time ago.

=R=

Bad Apple
4300 N Lincoln Ave
Chicago IL 60618
773 360-8406

The Bristol
2152 N Damen Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
773 862-5555

Perhaps it's just me but every time I get to a place that serves home-made ketchup it always has way too much sugar, way too much cinnamon, or both.

Bristol definitely has its own ketchup (as Ronnie says, it's served with the duck-fat fries), and it's pretty darn good. Not too sweet, very tomato-y. Personally, I prefer some acidity.

It's interesting to me that although house-made food is almost always better than mass-produced food, catsup is one of those items that seems, in the mass-produced version, at least acceptable and maybe better than many homemade versions.

With Heinz, as Gladwell explains, the generally pleasing flavor may be attributable to amplitude: http://www.gladwell.com/2004/2004_09_06_a_ketchup.html

The only house-made ketchup I've ever preferred over Heinz was at Luxbar. I haven't been since we moved out of Gold Coast 8ish months ago, so I can't guarantee that it's still the same, but it had a really nice balance between the sweet & sour, an up-front tomato flavor, and a rich texture. I was a big fan.

In addition to the stellar ketchup, they also make a decent burger, some nice salads, and great fried chicken (it's the same recipe that was a "secret", call-ahead menu item at Gibsons...Luxbar is owned by Gibsons Restaurant Group), and have a dependable brunch menu.

LUXBAR
18 E. Bellvue (right behind Tavern on Rush, across Bellvue from the Sutton Place Hotel entrance)
Chicago, IL 60611
(312) 642-3400

I'm not a fan of most house made ketchups. Owen & Engine has one as well, and I didn't like it at all - from what I remember it tasted strongly of bell peppers. If it's good, it's good, but if it's a bad ketchup, I'm stuck with it. At least have some Heinz in the building as a backup.

I should also say I'm just as annoyed by inferior bottled ketchups, and the worst offenders of all - when they re-fill bottles of Heinz (already annoying), but then there are some that don't re-fill the bottles with Heinz!

Ram4 wrote:the worst offenders of all - when they re-fill bottles of Heinz (already annoying), but then there are some that don't re-fill the bottles with Heinz!

I don't mind restaurants marrying bottles, but when restaurants refill bottles with anything other than the product on the label it's not only dishonest but it can also be dangerous.

I happen to be married to someone with an allergy to red dye. Heinz is fine. Many other ketchups are not. It hasn't been a major problem in the past, but it has been a problem.

That said, if Heinz is good enough for Paul Kahan, it's good enough for me.

Tiny Lounge just a bit north of Bad Apple serves a tamarind ketchup w/ their fries. I don't know if it's 100% homemade or just mixing tamarind pulp w/ commercial ketchup. Regardless, it is super tasty on their excellent fries.

Had some at Rootstock the other day. Not too sweet, or over-spiced. Their burger continues to bring me joy.

Rootstock
954 North California Avenue
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 292-1616

Three Aces on Taylor Street serves a house made ketchup. It has the consistency of a cocktail sauce(not sure from what ingredient) and I don't find it overly sweet. Rather, I find it more acidic than most. It goes very well with the Ace Burger and fries but much like previous posters, I prefer mass produced ketchups to the house made ones I've come across.

Three Aces
http://www.threeaceschicago.com/

The last time I was at Meli Cafe on Wells, they mentioned that they're recently switched to their own ketchup.

Meli Café & Juice Bar
540 N Wells St
Chicago, IL 60654

Well, they're not switching to house-made but McDonalds announced recently that they're dumping Heinz . . .

In what is sure to be the divorce of the century, McDonald's, the world's largest quick-service chain by sales, is ending its longstanding relationship with Heinz, the world's largest producer of ketchup.

McDonald's Drops Heinz Ketchup

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Old Town Social serves a house made ketchup with their frites.

Bad Apple is now selling bottles of their housemade ketchup.

Source: https://twitter.com/badapplebar/status/ ... 45/photo/1

Smalls does it, but it's not what I would think of as ketchup, being made from bananas.

Banana catsup is a common SE Asian/Filipino thing. Long ago, a group here did a catsup tasting that I believe included a Filipino banana representative. They tend to be pretty sweet and not very complex, but not bad. Though the ur-catsup is from SE Asia, as I understand it, and, like "pickles," can be made from any number of things (thus, "tomato ketchup" on the Heinz label), I assume the Filipino banana condiment is meant to look and taste like American tomato catsup, since it is unnaturally red and generally has the same spice profile. So it's a perfect match for Smalls, the Filipino/American BBQ place. Remarkably, as many here know, Smalls is not the first well-regarded Filipino BBQ place in Chicago. NN Smokehouse on Irving made a mean pancit with the odds and ends of the BBQ meats.

Milts Barbecue for the Perplexed makes their own apple and ketchup they server witheir sweet potato freis that is great

Dmk, Owen & Engine

Scratch Kitchen&Lounge in Forest Park
Mustard too
Giardiniera too.
Generally everything is made from, well, you guessed it...scratch.

http://scratchfp.com/

Three aces

We serve house-made ketchup at Acre and its usually about a 75%/25% split between people that love it and hate it. So, we always keep the Heinz at ready. BTW, kids usually hate the house-made stuff.

2Sparrows has housemade ketchup that they serve with their incredible tater tots.