Restaurant Review – The Bad Apple

In my continued search for the best burger in Chicago, this week took me to The Bad Apple. Located at 4300 N Lincoln Ave., this North Center bar is touted by Eater Chicago for having one of the best burgers in the city. As always, I love taking a group with me, so we can all try different things. My best friend ordered the Super Sloth Hawaiian Punch burger. The burger is topped with slices of grilled pineapple, sautéed onions, Serrano peppers, gruyere cheese, and Hawaiian barbecue sauce. My bite of this burger was absolutely mouthwatering. The Serrano peppers added a hint of spice, perfectly contrasting the sweetness of the pineapple. The soft brioche bun almost tasted like a Kings Hawaiian roll, which was delightful. As an added bonus, each Super Sloth burger purchased benefits local athletes at the Serafin Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy. My boyfriend is a burger purist, so he ordered the Bad Apple burger: topped with provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle. To me, the mark of a good burger is one that’s great without fancy toppings, and this one hit the spot. I ordered Even Cowgirls Get The Blues (I love a burger with a clever name). Topped with malt vinegar and onion jam, bacon, arugula, and triple creme blue cheese, there was a delicious melange of flavors. I ordered my burger sans bun, so it came with a generous helping of arugula. Each burger came with house-cut fries, which were salty, crispy, and very tasty. I switched my side of fries for their house slaw. The dressing was vinegary and sweet, which I liked. The slaw included brussels sprouts, which I wasn’t crazy about, but overall it was pretty good.

The Bad Apple does not take reservations. We came in on a Sunday night, right at dinner time and had no problem being seated. The Bad Apple opens Mondays through Wednesdays at 4:30 pm and Thursdays through Sundays at 11:30 am. The kitchen closes at 11 pm Sundays through Thursdays and at 1 am Fridays and Saturdays. The bar closes at 2 am Sundays through Fridays and at 3 am on Saturdays.

RACHEL HOOVLER & DEAN’S TEAM CHICAGO