Double Cheezborger - Billy Goat Tavern, Chicago, IL

Below the street along the Magnificent Mile lies the Billy Goat Tavern. An icon of Chicago, it is a symbol of the cities love for sports, and the curses that go along with them. Stemming from an incident in 1946 involving the owner of the Billy Goat Tavern and an actual Billy Goat, the Cubs have not won a World Series since. Perhaps the curse is real, but the burgers definitely are.

To be perfectly fair to the Billy Goat Tavern, they never claim to have the best burgers in the world. The atmosphere and staff personalities are everything. When you walk in you will be wildly greeted with the statement "You want a Double Cheezborger! Double is the best!" Don't even try to order anything else, because you won't get it. In addition you will be served some chips and a drink --> "No Pepsi, Coke!" As you wait for your burger you can look around at the walls and see the faces of fame. Everybody who is anybody has been to the Billy Goat Tavern, and if you are cool enough you get your picture on the wall.

ON TO THE BURGER! If you have been to any home town diner, you have had a Double Cheezborger. The patties add up to maybe 1/3 lbs and they are cook only one way - well done. Now this is not to say they are overly terrible. The bun is crispy and fresh. The 'cheeze' is artificial, but satisying. The burger, while thin, is juicy and tasty. As and overall experience, I would go again. You will get full. You will enjoy your time. But you are not going to be going there everyday for the mythical Double Cheezeborger.

Double Cheezborger - **** 4/10
The Billy Goat Tavern - ******** 8/10

Other perks of the Billy Goat Tavern: Cool atmosphere, lots of history, and on the Magnificent Mile

Cheeseburger - Daddy O's Bar and Grill,Chicago, IL

Located along the illustrious magnificent mile in downtown Chicago, the Hyatt Regency Hotel is both a delight and a comfort away from home. The Hyatt is more than just a hotel...it is an experience. In fact, given enough money you could live quite well without ever leaving the complex. It includes gift shops, fitness centers, access to a subterranean mall, and of course alcohol and food. Just past the golden doored elevators of the west tower sits the cozy Daddy O's Bar and Grill (Irish) which, as any establishment claiming to be a bar, serves a hefty burger.

The Cheeseburger at Daddy O's was an interesting one. Even now as I write this blog entry I am a bit torn as to whether I really liked it, or whether it was just kind of weird. There were several very good things about the burger. It was thick and juicy, but not over the top greasy and just a slab of meat. I asked for a medium-rare, and I definitely got a perfect medium-rare, which unfortunately is all too rare (ha ha, get it?). The bun was great! Toasted and a little bit crispy on the outside, and beautifully white, supple, and absorbent on the inside. Yet the crispiness of the outside did not succumb juices and held strong!!! This burger included one of those "choose 2 of the following:..." statements, which as you know if you read this blog is not a good thing. I went safe and picked cheddar cheese and grilled onion. I was pleasantly surprised by thick cheddar and delectably grilled onions. Now comes the confusing part. It came with a side of mayo, which is always GREAT in my book. However, it turns out that this was not your ordinary mayo. In this mayo was a substance that I still can not define. All I got was the smell and a to a lesser extent flavor. I can only describe it as something that was fermenting. Now, this is not an automatic disqualifier. I love sauerkraut on my brats and I love the fermentation of the field. But this was neither beer nor kraut. Perhaps another kind of cabbage, or something altogether different as only the Irish could do. However, after much debate and thought, I still cannot place it in the category of either great or glop. Perhaps, I shall never know what that substance was, and perhaps I don't want to know. For now, though, I must blog on.

Daddy O's Cheeseburger - ****** 6/10

Other perks of Daddy O's: Awesome (and I do mean awesome) spinach artichoke dip appetizer, cool atmosphere, and you don't have to even leave the Hyatt to get it if you are staying there.