The Vitals:
the spot: Au Cheval 800 W Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60607
the eats: Single Cheeseburger with bacon and a fried egg
the bucks: $16.99 + $2.99 for the egg and $6.99 for the bacon
the full nelson: an over the top bacon cheeseburger done with class but comes at a price
As soon as the Au Cheval burger landed in New York City back in 2019 that question landed in the burgerverse. If I was going to answer that question there was only one way to do it. And that would be the Chicago way.
Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.
Fellow burger freak, James Beard finalist and architect of one mind blowingly decadent burgers I’ve ever had was in Chicago and joined me on this burger escapade. He had already been there a few days earlier and decided to come back. That speaks volumes.
You have indulgent options with the Au Cheval burger order. Single patty or double? Feel like adding an egg? How about a serving of bacon that eats more like pepper crust pork belly steak than backup to a stack of pancakes? I went with all of the above which resulted in a magnificent, over the top bacon cheeseburger experience.
Chef Cullum told me “the single is a double” and based on this review it would appear that Au Cheval burger starts with two five ounce patties. That means a double would be three and that is kind of insane to me.
As far as the bacon and egg went, it was for the sake of indulgence and while that was clearly delivered, I don’t think I would repeat this order on a second visit. That also means I’d go back for a second visit
But the biggest question you should be asking yourself is this burger worth the $27 you are about to fork over for it?
The egg was delicious but I suspect superfluous . . . the burger is plenty rich without needing a waterfall of velvety egg yolk. The bacon was probably one of the most impressive takes on America’s favorite pork product. Meaty like a smoked pork belly and as peppery as a great steak au poivre you definitely need to experience this on your first Au Cheval burger experience.
So skipping the egg means we can deduct $3 from my next Au Cheval experience for sure. That leaves us at $24 to try the burger again. That’s an easy yes on my part. But I would actually want to try the burger as a straight up single to see if the beef can stand on its own. If the Au Cheval burger is worth the impressive hype it gets, I’d absolutely go this route for visit #2.
Yes, Au Cheval is absolutely worth a try and a second visit to tweak the order to your liking. Sure, a $27 burger is a commitment but so is eating something this decadent. Whether it is price or calories, I wouldn’t mess this burger more than a couple times a year but I’d definitely consider a visit every time I’m back in Chicago.
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