Cheeburger Glenview: Thumbs Up

Looking to break our mold of the usual half-dozen restaurants, Mrs. F and I decided to try Cheeburger after a favorable report from one of her Curves cultists (why someone who goes to Curves would brag about a burger and shake joint I don't know, I'm not going to try to figure out).

So we loaded up Thing 1 and 2, and headed for the Glen.

This is what Steak and Shake dreams of when it goes to bed at night.

Is it the great pub-style burger we've all been waiting for? No. While very juicy, and never-frozen, I didn't get a strong beefy flavor off my burger (the Things' 10-oz "1/2 lb" burgers were pinker, perhaps the flavor came through, although they claim to only go down as low as Medium).

On the other hand, they've got 23 free toppings, plus seven kinds of cheese which are standard on all Cheeburgers, and some other 'specialty' toppings such as bacon and sauteed shrooms and onions that cost extra. They also make a big deal over their 'generous' sizes: The Classic is 5.5oz, the Semi-Serious 1/3lb is 7oz, the Serious 1/2lb is 10oz, the Delirious 3/4lb is 14oz and the Famous Pounder is 20oz, ranging from $4.75 to $10.50. That's without sides.

Sides, on the other hand, are quite good: A basket of Frings (fries and onion rings) for $3.95 or $4.95 was outstanding: crisp light onion rings, almost tempura-like, and fresh-cut crisp skin-on fries with great potato flavor. The fries are dusted with black pepper (which Mrs F. didn't like so much, it's less of an impact for us ketchup freaks), but not salt (a nice touch if you ask me -- too many places oversalt).

And then there's the fountain: cherry, chocolate and vanilla syruped colas, old fashioned egg creams, and 78 flavors of shakes based on Edy's ice cream. (Peppermint Oreo sounded better than it came out, just not minty enough. Thing2's Chocolate Mint was mintier and more chocolatey).

Also featured are chicken and portabello sandwiches, BLT, Grilled Cheese and salads.

Value is OK (a little high priced for a burger and fries)
Taste is above average
Ambiance is kitschy (old Pepsi signs "Same Day Service Available" etc.)

Cheeburger 1839 Tower Drive, Glenview 847-729-3340

We went there last Sunday, the place was mobbed, huge line. I thought the menu was creative and had tons of options. However, the burgers were ok, nothing special. I still like Steak and Shake's, while not as big, definately more tasty and seasoned better.

brschwartz wrote:We went there last Sunday, the place was mobbed, huge line. I thought the menu was creative and had tons of options. However, the burgers were ok, nothing special. I still like Steak and Shake's, while not as big, definately more tasty and seasoned better.

And probably a fraction of the price, too.

Is this place still open? I heard that it shut down. Has anyone been there lately?

This is a chain with locations here in NY as well. My wife and I had an enjoyable lunch at the Port Washington branch last Sunday, the fries were a little mealy, as steak cut fries tend to be. On the whole it was a nice lunch, if a bit on the expensive side. The lack of Steak and Shakes on the East Coast is a depressing reality. If you can eat the pounder and the fries it comes with, you get a polaroid on the wall (at the Port location, anyway).

I was upset because the size of the shakes had decreased significantly since I was in high school. You choose between a 'full' and a 'half' shake, the half used to be a 24 oz glass and the full was that glass plus the metal shake-making cup (what are those called?) that had the rest of the shake in it. On Sunday, the half was a very unsatisfying 16 oz.

But, the burgers were hot and the onion rings were crisp, so I can't complain too much. It's not like I can drive up to the Brewster Red Rooster for lunch on a Sunday afternoon.

I think most of the Cheeburger location are in Florida, at least that is what my perusal of the menu map led me to believe. I didn't realize there was one in Chicagoland. Seems to me the midwest never lost all the places that have been doing this kind of food since before it was a 'concept.'

Cheeburger in The Glen is definitely closed. There is a Gold Coast Dogs one or two storefronts down.

magpie1140 wrote:Cheeburger in The Glen is definitely closed.

So their one and only location allowed within 125 miles of downtown Chicago is closed already. I only went there once right after it opened, and the burger was just ok. The huge number of shakes on their menu was amazing though - bigger than Susie's Drive Thru shake selection.

Cheeburger or Cheeburger Cheeburger? I'd never eat there anyway as i like my Cheeburgers med rare, or at Hackney's-rare. Steak N Shake owns the fast-food world IMO.

grant wrote:Cheeburger or Cheeburger Cheeburger?

It's Cheeburger, but only because of the agreement they came to with the Billy Goat Tavern not to use their full name.

magpie1140 wrote:Cheeburger in The Glen is definitely closed. There is a Gold Coast Dogs one or two storefronts down.

Sorry to see them gone. The kitch, shakes, burger customization and onion rings made it worth the trip and the cost.

It wasn't nirvana, but it was well-executed and fun.

In the same genre, I still have to try Cheeseburger in Paradise, just a couple miles down the road from me on River in Des Plaines.
I've also heard good thing about Dick's Roadhouse around the corner from me on River, but MrsF has heard the "I like Dick's" raunch factor in there is not particularly family-friendly, so we haven't gone. Probably should check it out on a Scout weekend when MrsF and Thing2 go camping.

JoelF wrote:In the same genre, I still have to try Cheeseburger in Paradise, just a couple miles down the road from me on River in Des Plaines.

Cheeseburger + River Road + Des Plaines = Paradise Pup

the pic on the left looks like some prehistoric creature having his jaws forced open

After my first, somewhat too-gloppy experience at Paradise Pup a while back, we stopped in there last weekend and I made an attempt at ordering a somewhat more minimalist, one-patty, less than overflowing burger.

Here's an actual recording of my reaction:

http://www.dlc.fi/~frog/wavs/tasty.wav

Ahhhh, Cheeseburger In Paradise, where they only cook it their way.If Dick's is in the same place as that biker bar a few years back, i'd take a pass on that too. I give CIB a year, and they'll be gone.

JoelF wrote:

I've also heard good thing about Dick's Roadhouse around the corner from me on River.

went there a while back. I believe Monday is/was $1.00 burger day. Big burger, i'd say 8 oz, but lacked flavor.

Place is smoky, so bring along an oxygen mask.

JoelF wrote:I've also heard good thing about Dick's Roadhouse around the corner from me on River, but MrsF has heard the "I like Dick's" raunch factor in there is not particularly family-friendly, so we haven't gone. Probably should check it out on a Scout weekend when MrsF and Thing2 go camping.

It probably depends on what time you go. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night. In the evenings, it turns into a raucous, smoky mating club, but it's more staid earlier. I've only been there a couple of times, but the wings were pretty good and the deep-fried Twinkies were much better than I'd have expected. They have a lot of inexpensive specials. The seating seems to be all at high tops, though.

Dick's River Roadhouse
847/298-7200
www.dicksriverroadhouse.com
702 N. River Road
Mount Prospect, IL 60656