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Business & Tech

Top That: The Best Burger in Lincoln-Way

This week our taster tried burgers at three area restaurants, happily entertaining reader suggestions to try Chicago Blu and Charleyhorse.

See next week's food at the bottom of this column, comment below and enter to win a $50 gift card to a local restaurant. For more rules and details, see the guidelines.

This week, I tackled the most classic of American foods: the burger. For this challenge, I tried specialty cheeseburgers at three Lincoln-Way restaurants.

, New Lenox

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Lots of burgers come out of the kitchen on a Monday night at Charleyhorse (on Mondays, burgers are half off). I ordered the Big Brown, a burger with cheddar, bacon, grilled mushrooms and barbecue sauce. I asked for the sauce on the side (because I don't like a lot of barbecue). The plate spent a bit too long under the heat lamps before it was brought to me; I could tell by the way that the barbecue sauce had separated, and, more obviously, much of the cheddar had oozed off the sides of the burger and got crispy (you can really see this in the photos).

Unfortunately, the bacon was not crispy; it was gray and limp. The exposed part of the bun had a burned rim around the edge. Still, the burger was tasty and the buttered bun was good (once I'd ripped off the burned parts).

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The good: Despite the restaurant's best efforts, Charleyhorse still managed to serve up a decent burger. I think the mushrooms helped keep the burger tasty and juicy.

The bad: Too much work went into preparing this burger for eating: the burnt parts of bun had to be removed, the slimy, undercooked bacon pushed aside, and the dried, crusty cheese run-off torn away. 

, Mokena

The Muskie burger at Stoney Point Grill had most of the same ingredients: bacon and cheddar, but grilled onions instead of mushrooms. The burger itself was great, but the bun was really hard. 

The good: Generous, tasty toppings complemented a juicy burger.

The bad: I like a toasted bun, but this thing was almost burnt. 

, Frankfort

The Southside Blu is served with bleu cheese and grilled onions. I asked to substitute cheddar for bleu cheese because I prefer cheddar, plus using cheddar made this burger similar to the other two. This tasty burger (like all their burgers, unless otherwise specified) came served on a pretzel bun.

The good: Good cheese, lots of grilled onions, and a pretzel bun made this greasy burger delicious.

The bad: This was a delicious, but greasy, burger.

THE WINNER: Chicago Blu. Everything about this burger was spot on. Just ask for extra napkins.

Looking for local eats? Do you disagree with our taster? Head  over to your local Patch Places food and dining directory. Find new spots, read reviews and even post a your own reviews on the profile pages.

Next week, we're getting buzzed with specialty martinis! What place would you like to see compete in the Chowdown? Is there a place you've been curious about in Frankfort, Mokena or New Lenox, but want us to be your guinea pig? Comment below and enter to win a $50 gift card to a featured restaurant.

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