Poag Mahones

I've never heard so much hype about a burger.Oprah,GQ magazine "rated 18th in the country" and three radio shows here in Chicago.Everyone's talking.The owner was on the radio this morning and said they use 9oz 80/20 ground chuck,a little Kosher salt,pepper and put on a very hot grill turning once,and not squishing it.He serves it on a toasted bun.Has anyone had their burger? It's in Chicago's Loop somewhere.

There's a couple threads around here if you search, but my opinion is that it's an above-average pub burger, nothing more, nothing less.

It's strictly in the "meh" category with me.

It's in the Insurance Exchange building at Wells & Van Buren.

it's a very good burger. the hype is pretty amazing, considering....

the building is at 175 w. jackson, across the street from the board of trade. poag's is a bar where a lot of traders hang out.

they clearly respect the idea of The Burger. here is the "burger eater's bill of rights" as seen on their menu:

POAG MAHONE’S BURGER EATER’S BILL OF RIGHTS
1. You have the right to a fresh burger, never frozen.
2. You have the right to a minimal burger weight of at least 9 oz.
3. You have the right to order rare, but you gotta take full responsibility for your actions.
4. Burgers are better with fries. You have the right to hot, crisp fries.
5. All burgers come with a pickle spear. You have the right to have it crisp and cold,
not warm, limp or dehydrated.

IF WE VIOLATE YOUR BURGER RIGHTS, YOUR BURGER IS FREE.

Fun Fact:

"pogue mahone" is the Anglicisation of the Irish "póg mo thóin", meaning "kiss my arse."

My Irish grandma taught my mom that phrase and she taught me. Ahh, family traditions. Anyway, about the burgers. Me and the boyfriend went on a buy one, get one 1/2 off coupon. They were good. But not mind-boggling and in fact, I had forgotten about them until this thread. And we still have valid coupons.

I work in 175 W. Jackson and have the (un)fortunate experience of having lunches and dinners at Poags almost every week. I have eaten almost everything on the menu and can say that aside from not having a Brian-like waiter, the food is the same as what you would get a Friday's. The only thing worth making the trip is the mini-burger's appetizer, but you know what, they taste the same as Butch McGuires.

I've always had a pretty good meal at Poag Mahone's. The burgers are actually cooked as requested, meaning that if you ask for it rare, you'll get it rare. That alone gives it a lot of extra points in my book, especially at this level of dining (bar food in the loop). You can also get a nicely dressed side salad instead of fries w/ your burger.
It's true: the food is not the best the world has to offer. But, IMO, it is the best bar food in the loop.

Well the owner just cooked up two cheeseburgers on channel 7 news in their studio.Looked good.I just can't understand all the hype?