In Chicago? Eat At Kuma's Corner!

It costs upwards of $13 for a hamburger and fries. Their kitchen is the size of my bedroom, and the entire restaurant is not much bigger than my apartment. On the weekends, you are almost guaranteed to wait 2-3 hours for a table. They do not take reservations, and in the summer, you can't even order their food to go. And if you're a vegan...fugetaboutit!

And yet, they are the home of the absolute best hamburger that I have ever eaten in my entire life. Their food is simply that good. Kuma's is easily my favorite restaurant in Chicago.

Kuma's is a metal-theme restaurant/bar, and their food is "heavy metal inspired" -- from the Iron Maiden burger to the Neurosis to even the Mac N' Cheese (which is second only to the Brickhouse BBQ in Madison in terms of Mac N' Cheesiness). Each of their uniquely crafted burgers features a host of interesting flavor combinations. Their barbeque sauce is delicious, their ketchup is home made, and their relish should be put on every burger. My personal favorite dish is the Neurosis burger. The portions are huge and every burger is served as it should be -- on a pretzel bun. I can never finish my entire meal in one sitting and always have left overs.

You can also feel incredibly comfortable ordering your meat medium rare at Kuma's and be confident that they will cook it just right. You do not have to worry about getting undercooked meat when you order your food -- that warning is fluff at Kuma's. The restaurant is so popular, the line to get a table is so long, and the food is just so good because so much love and care and attention is cooked into each burger. Each burger is a handcrafted masterpiece. I've even waited an hour in line at Lollapalooza -- where I shell out $90 a day to listen to nine hours of non-stop music -- just to get a burger because they are so tasty. No matter how long the line, no matter how big the hype, I promise that you won't be disappointed (unless you're a vegan).

Oh, and the beer? Kuma's always features solid every day brews like Gumball Head and a few rotating taps. Those rotating taps tend to feature outstanding brews like Surly Darkness, Zombie Dust, Surly Furious, and Greenbush Anger. They even periodically have excellent beers like KBS in bottle for only $7 if you know to ask for them. So even though you'll inevitably have to wait to eat, at least you'll be doing it with a great brew in hand.

Like I said, the restaurant is a bit pricey, but it is WELL worth what you'll spend. The beer prices are run of the mill for Chicago, and the food is sized large enough that you'll have enough for a small meal tomorrow.

Oh, and did I mention they always play super schlocky movies on the TV? Like Godzilla versus some robot thing. Classic.

The secret to enjoying Kuma's without waiting is to either order carry out during the winter or to go for a SUPER early dinner.

PROST!