Small Cheval- Old Town Reviews

If you do something well, then do heaps and heaps of it. They just offer burgers, fries and drinks. And the burger is probably one of the best I’ve ever had. The bun really makes it. delicious meat with just the right amount of sauce. I would absolutely go back here and recommend venturing out of your way to get here.

What took me so long to make this discovery? I wasn't aware that Chicago's celebrated Au Cheval restaurant had a smaller location only a few blocks from our home on the city's Gold Coast until I saw a neighbor receive a delivery. Yes, Brendan Sodikoff, owner of Au Cheval, home of the best tasting cheeseburger in Chicago, has launched a chain of seven siblings--Old Town, Wrigleyville, Fulton Market, Riverside, Hyde Park, Wicker Park and Rosemont. I couldn't wait to sample the burgers at the 1345 North Wells Street location in the Old Town neighborhood. Open from 11 to 10 Sunday through Thursday and 11 to 11 on Friday and Saturday, this Small Cheval offers indoor and outdoor seating, takeout and delivery. Yes, the menu is limited but a burger never tasted so good. What's the difference between Au Cheval and Small Cheval? The beef patties feel a bit smaller at Small Cheval but the flavor is equally as great plus the pickles, sauce and bun are identical. The major difference--and maybe Brendan will give this some thought in the future--is Small Cheval doesn't serve Au Cheval's signature thick-cut pork belly-like bacon. But I wasn't disappointed. I ordered a signature double cheeseburger with dijon, pickles, onions and American cheddar cheese and a Wagyu truffle cheeseburger with black truffle cheese sauce melted between two Wagyu beef patties topped with American cheddar cheese. With golden fries served with garlic aioli. And a chocolate milk shake. It all adds up to a four-star lunch.

Burgers are amazing!! They are truly delicious!!! The shakes are good too! I love the dipping sauces!! The aïoli hits the spot! The reason I have this as 4/5 is because the fries are way too salty! I have been here 4 times and each time the fries were over the top salty!! I do not like over salted fries!!

We loved this lunch stop. After being near the river most of our trip, it was nice to head uptown and find this great burger joint. Cool location with indoor/outdoor seating options. Lunch done right!!

We ate outside in the patio area. I had plant based burger, shared fries, water. Others had beef burgers. All made fresh, delicious. If you like burgers, I recommend! I will definitely return. I especially like this location, too!

I got a cheeseburger and fries at Small Cheval. The burger was really tasty and I'd definitely go there again, when I visit to Chicago next time.

Really love this addition to Wells. Getting into Au Cheval can be difficult, but this place is super quick and the quality is just as good! I love the concept they have with the quick-service burgers and drinks to compliment. Patio is very large and just a great overall atmosphere. Highly recommend!

As you stroll through Old Town Chicago, do consider a stop at 'Small Cheval'. There, you should overcome your dietary considerations and opt for one of their burgers, which are excellent. The people at the counter are friendly, and they know how good their food is. Then, fortified by the experience, continue enjoying this slightly 'off the beaten path' neighbourhood of the 'Windy City'.

This place is set back from the street and even at that and newly opened the place was half full when we got there. It was after the lunch hour. They serve alcohol and milk shakes but the food is only burgers, cheese burger and french fries. The burgers are very good burgers that is why the place was full of locals. They sell a lot of burgers.

I wasn’t fully impressed with Small Cheval. I love Au Cheval, so I was expecting to be blown away by this concept of limited menu, quick service. It fell a little short of my expectations. They only have three things on the menu, burgers and fries. They don’t even have the duck fat potatoes that are so popular at Au Cheval. We got there before the lunch rush, which was good because they only have two round tables for 6 people a few long high tops that maybe fit 10 people and window seating around the restaurant. There isn’t a lot of seats here. The burgers are good, but I think they are better at the main restaurant with few more options.

I would recommend to come here from April thru November where there is indoor and outdoor seating. Once winter comes.....good luck. There are three things on the menu...hamburger, cheeseburger and french fries! But they are fantastic!

Stumbled here while walking around old town. Very cute place with picnic tables and very limited menu (in a good way). The hamburger was ample and we also shared the fries, which were surprisingly very good (my husband, who loves fries, said it was one of the best he has had). Service was prompt and friendly.

I popped in on a Monday for lunch and had a delicious meal. I got the cheeseburger house style, fries, and a chocolate shake. The buns they use on the hamburgers are to die for! I also love that they have multiple dipping sauces (ranch, garlic aioli, ketchup, and mustard) for fries.

If you can’t wait the 2+ hours to get into Au Cheval and really want a good burger in Chicago, their spin-off restaurant chain around the city is a great alternative. This location has shady outdoor seating with a very friendly neighborhood environment. The burger is just a solid burger, good flavor, good value, not too greasy, very filling.

We had flown to Chicago for a deep dish pizza and hamburger trip, and during the course of four days, that is basically all we ate. We tried six burger joints, and Small Cheval turned out to be our favorite. Au Cheval, the sister restaurant, is more famous, but the burgers at these two joints are basically the same, but I still preferred Small Cheval. Here, we didn't have crazy long lines and waiting times, the interior atmosphere was more relaxed, and the burgers somehow tasted a little better too. The burger is simple - just buns, patty and cheese, topped with slices of pickles - but all the ingredients were top notch and the flavors combined so beautifully well. We enjoyed our burger here so much that we actually ate at Small Cheval twice - once at each of their two locations. Also don't forget to try their special mixture sauce of ketchup, garlic aioli, and hot sauce. It is amazing!! Dip your fries in it, and also the burger. You will be amazed!

Menu includes hamburger, cheeseburger and fries... but it eases a damn good cheeseburger with bacon and a wonderful brioche bun! I LOVED the garlic aioli that was self serve by the condiments! Mostly I was impressed with the beautiful, professional and genuinely kind woman behind the register! I wish I had gotten her name but I dined the at approx noon on 3-14-19 (thursday) Give that girl a atta girl, cuz she took you from a 4 to 5 stars!

Stopped here for a quick dinner. I loved the easy menu. We had a delicious burger and delicious fries with garlic aeoli. We will go back if we have the opportunity. Nice atmosphere too.

In Chicago for a vacation, and a friend took us to Small Cheval. I wasn’t sure what to expect but what I got was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. You choose from cheese or no cheese, and you get maybe one or two other choices in topping, but you will get an outstanding meal. Fries were great, too.

We came during a rainy day, but the covered seating and heaters kept us comfortable. The burgers were delicious, the fries perfectly crisp, and the vibe casual but cool. It took a bit longer than expected to get our order, but it seemed there were a few delivery orders ahead of us. Still totally worth the wait — probably even better when the weather’s nice!

Small Cheval is a fantastic place to grab lunch. They have a small, but mighty, menu! A cheeseburger, fries, and a shake is the way to go. Seating can be tricky, but typically if you have someone look for a place to sit while you order then you'll have a seat just in time as your food order is ready for you to grab. Enjoy! I've traveled across 4 continents and eaten at (and reviewed!) a ton of restaurants, hotels, and things to do. I would love to continue to share my knowledge about restaurants, things to do, and hotels with you as I travel to new places. Be sure to follow me on Trip Advisor to get my latest updates! Just click the 'Follow' link under my profile beside the review!

Great burger joint with outdoor tables for better weather. Wagyu burgers were to die for. Carry out. Burgers between $10 and 20. So good.

I don't like rare meat. I knew what I was in for since there were signs indicating that you might be served raw burgers. I found this to be disgusting and unsafe. My coworkers thought it was OK. I gave it a 3 only because they gave us a free beer that was poured accidentally.

Allegedly the place for the best burger in Old Town! Mine was delicious in every way and I kept it pretty simple. Easy to create a wild and crazy burger at Small Cheval!

We discovered this place as a result of asking locals for restaurant recommendations. The menu is simple -burgers and/or fries. Burgers are fresh, never frozen and cooked when ordered. My husband and I enjoyed our burger with no cheese. The bread is also cooked on the grill. You can also get it wrapped in lettuce if you don't want bread. If you don't want two patties, let them know (the price on the menu is for two 3 oz patties). Nothing special about the fries but if you enjoy garlic, get the garlic aoli sauce. You place the order, you get a buzzer, and while you wait, you gather all your sauces. The staff is really friendly! They have clean restrooms, small space for seating on the inside but plenty of seats on the outside.

This is second location for this great burger place. Outdoor seating at picnic tables, scrumptious hamburgers and fries with beer on tap. Great for kids too. They'll pre-split one milk shake across two kids.

The fries and milkshake were good. The person who wrote the review about the undercooked burger wasn’t exaggerating. The burger was not very thick, yet it was still very pink in the middle and light pink out to the edges. The bun and toppings were good, but a burger that pink was not appealing. It was one of many restaurants lately where we order at the counter and then walk back to the counter to get our food, yet we’re still asked for a tip amount when we pay for our food. The trend of giving a tip before we’ve gotten our food, and especially when the food isn’t brought to our table, is turning us off from eating out.

Wow, this was an excellent meal. The cheeseburger is so delicious. Very juicy and packed with flavor. Fries and very good too. Service was great. Loved this place.

You normally hear people talking about burgers that are unique to places. Your In & Outs, Shake Shacks and Chick-fil-as. If you are in one of the states that has the privilege of having one of these franchises then you must go! Well, at least that is what mainstream people say. A Small Cheval challenges that visit to the regular. There is a great restaurant in Chicago named Au Cheval. One of the most tasty things on their menu is their signature burger. So why not go ahead and create a Small Cheval to make these outstanding burger available without having to go to the fancier restaurant. I mean at the end you will still use your hands to eat the burger and dip the fries into the ketchup, so why not do it at a place designed for burgers. An amazing idea! Definitely recommend this burger. When ordering you have several options on what to add to it. They make the process simple and you wont regret getting fries with it. Oh! If you are of age get one of their cold draft beers to be enjoyed with the burger.

I loved this small restaurant. It has 2 long tables inside to share and a bar at the window plus several picnic tables outside. The Hamburger was so very delicious and my husband had the Cheeseburger . The burger to bread ratio was perfect. We are not bread people so these were perfect. The fries were good too. Shoe sting fries were enough for two to share. We enjoyed this meal very much. This will be a must “ go to” spot on our next trip to Chicago.

A great place in the heart of Old Town to get a great simple hamburger. The staff is quick and very helpful to all that find the hidden gem.

Not sure exactly what the hype is with their overpriced bacon cheeseburger. You get 2 thin burger patties. There was barely any bacon on it?! The bun was very good. The fries were delicious (alot like McD's), but WAY, WAY TOO salty. They were pretty large & we could've just shared 1 order. Despite the super saltiness, they were really good with the aioli dip. The chocolate shake was really good though... how can you really mess that up?! All we can say is we were REALLY glad we didn't wait over 2 hrs. in line at Au Cheval for this! The line/wait at this location was about 20 min. Our meal cost apx. $40. for 2 burgers, 2 fries & 1 shake. Kinda wish we went to Jenni's to get ice cream instead... ;)))

This place was recommended by the receptionist at our hotel. Since it’s Halloween weekend it wasn’t as busy as usual base on review. We went around 10pm, What a cute place to enjoy some simple delicious burger and fries. All they have is burger, cheese burger, golden fries , milk shake and soft drink. So simple yet so delicious. Highly highly recommend for a casual lunch or dinner.

Staff and service is amazing and fries are the best in the city. The type of old school service that makes you excited to head out to restaurants again!

Small Cheval on Wells is a small space with a small menu, butt they do it right! The menu consists of hamburger, cheeseburger and French fries. I had the standard cheeseburger which comes with dijonnaise, pickles and onions and the French fries. The cheeseburger was fantastic. Perfectly cooked patties with melted cheese mixed with the delicious dijonnaise sauce and just the right amount of pickles and onions on a warm, soft bun. Each bite was perfect. The French fries were very good, but fairly basic and a great accompaniment to the burger. They have an extensive condiment station and although I can't imagine adding anything to the burger, I do like ranch with my fries. Top it off with a boozy milk shake and you have a great meal. The lines are usually long, but they keep it moving fairly quickly. The burgers are cooked to order and worth the wait. There is a huge patio space in front of the restaurant which I am hoping they can utilize for outdoor seating when weather permits. Eat in or take out.

Ask for the Truffle Burger. Seriously the best burger my husband and I have ever had, hands down. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible, but the line to order is a little tight in terms of turn radius. Seating outdoors on picnic benches, so plan accordingly weather-wise. The bathroom has a handicap accessible stall.

Fun and friendly staff. Fast service. Yummy burger and Half Acre IPA. Sir Kensington ketchup was a new treat. Sit outside on the patio.

There are eight (at last count) Small Cheval restaurants in the Chicago area, all closely related to their big brother, Au Cheval, located at 800 West Randolph in downtown Chicago, which established its proud reputation by producing "the best burger in the nation." Au Cheval isn't a long distance from my home on the Gold Coast but Small Cheval's location at 1345 North Wells, between Evergreen and Schiller, in the Old Town community, is even closer. Open from 11 to 10 Monday through Thursday and 11 to 11 on Friday and Saturday, it isn't a copy of the original but it doesn't disappoint. I have two favorites. Try the signature double cheeseburger with mayo, pickles, onion and American cheddar. And the single deluxe cheeseburger with mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion and American cheddar. With hand-cut golden fries and a chocolate milk shake. Other Small Cheval locations are in Rosemont, Riverside, Hyde Park, Wrigleyville, Fulton Market, Wicker Park and Gold Coast/Aster Hall on North Michigan Avenue.

A family favorite. Sit outside especially on wooden tables and order hamburgers, fries and beers and enjoy the atmosphere, luscious food and drinks!

I think anytime is a great time for a decent Burger. But, something about a Small - Cheval Burger at midnight makes it special. Something about that Midnight Burger just tastes better, right..? Maybe it’s your body begging for substance after the rough and tumble of Old Town on a Saturday Night. Maybe it’s that fresh whiskey from Delilah’s, cold beer from the Ale House and sweat from a summer night dancing at Burton Place. Something about that moves you down the north side on a hunt for something delicious... Small Cheval is the premier destination to catch a half time snack, catch your second wind and launch you back into a night of rock n roll and bad decisions on the north side. So, wayward traveler. If you’re out there reading this with one eye... begging for a lifeline... head down the alley to Small Cheval. Enjoy yourself a Midnight Burger with Cheese and get back in the game! You’re friends need you! 🤘🏼

We originally planned to visit Au Cheval but when we arrived, the power was out. We were with locals who suggested Small Cheval instead. It's the same company, but not as formal. After the meal they actually said they enjoyed the burger more at Small Cheval vs Au Cheval. It was so delicious that we actually ate here twice during our 4 days in Chicago.

Fun spot for a casual al fresco lunch. The wait staff is extremely friendly. They were very helpful when we inquired about gluten free options. They do not have gluten free buns but were happy to serve our burgers in a lettuce "bun". It was a great way to still get the experience of eating a sandwich but without the gluten. The server offered that their fries are gluten free. Burger was great. Fries were great too. Two ketchup options but the garlic aioli that the server recommended was extraordinary.

This place is great good people & food time & quality was excellent. I just didn’t expect for the atmosphere to be as welcoming as it was. Definitely would come back and recommend to others.

Solid overall burger and experience. We hit this place on the way out of town and the vibe couldn't have been better. Quick service with tables outside to relax and eat at. Double bacon cheeseburger slapped, just a classic burger. The bun was especially good which can usually be a make or break for me. Milkshakes were a perfect add-on with their delicious fries!

Looks like a small, regular burger joint. Food tastes like an exquisite sitdown restaurant. The taste of this burger was unbelievable! I recommend this as a 9.9/10. Be sure to try the garlic aioli, it adds a flavor that is rivaled by none

We stopped here for a quick bite on a cold night. It was crowded inside (it's a very small place), but we decided to stay and take a table outside near a patio heater, which made it doable even though it was winter. The burger was DELICIOUS, and so were the fries! It's definitely worth a visit.