CheekyChicago

You don’t need to be a food journalist to know that burgers are all the rage in Chicago. With all the caloric enticement from DMK,  Epic, M Burger, The Counter and others, it’s enough to make a Cheeky girl not only keep her membership to David Barton Gym, but actually use it. Well girls (and guys–we know you’re reading too), there’s a new burger on the block and this one may outshine them all.

Urban Burger Bar, which opened a little over two weeks ago and smack dab in the middle of the North and Clybourn mayhem, is the brain child of Chef John McLean, former Executive Chef of the Levy Restaurant Corporation, and he brings with him that fine Levy culinary sophistication, the Chicago local consciousness but, most importantly, a generous amount of approachability. According to the soft-spoken yet passionate chef, Urban Burger Bar is his lifelong dream, and based on his outstanding and innovative menu, it looks like things are about to come true for him in a big, juicy way.

Urban Burger Bar’s signatures are undoubtedly the “Stacked Burgers”, and standouts include the High Hog, a BBQ pork burger stacked with bacon, ham, white cheddar and an apple cabbage slaw. The En Fuego is for the spicy sisters in the house, with a fiery burger, oodles of jalapenos, pickled red onions, pepper jack cheese and guacamole.  But sometimes it’s the simpler the better, and the Bar Cheese Burger, which is UBB’s delectable standard burger patty, smothered in a homemade horseradish-cheddar sauce could be a contender for one of the best burgers in town.

The vegetarians, pescetarians, vegans, seagans, gluten-free’ers and the other health conscious nuts need not stray from Urban Burger Bar, as McLean has put much thought into what you need to eat, too. The “UBB Alternatives” include the homemade Powerhouse Veggie Burger, stacked with arugula, avocado, goat cheese and chipotle mayo and The Tuna Sashimi Burger, with spicy pickled slaw, eel sauce and pickled ginger aioli. Need a gluten free bun?  UBB has got you covered.

Truffle.  Green bean.  Fundido. Sweet potato. Zucchini.  Blue. Mushroom. Take your pick of how, or what, you want your fries to be. Dip ‘em in anything from pesto aioli, wasabi ginger, lime crema or dijonaise.

And do dessert the  Urban Burger Bar way with the foodgasmic selection of Hand Spun Shakes. Take your pick from the Caramel Mocha-Shaka, Cheesecake Shake, Orange Creamy, Banana Nutella and much, much more.

Sometimes there really is something to be said for a fad. And if  Urban Burger Bar is any indication, the burger mania is here to stay.