Restaurant Review – Umami Burger

I have a friend, who for privacy’s sake shall remain unnamed here, but he is obsessed with burgers. Since we left Austin, he has been on the search for the perfect Chicago burger. His standards are very high, so going to a burger joint is a journey of anticipation, elation, and potential disappointment. This week took us to Umami Burger in Wicker Park. The menu is mouthwatering, with a variety of appetizers, piles of fries, and of course, a bunch of burgers. After seeing a couple of plates come out, we knew we had to start with fries. For a slight up-charge, you can “Umamify” your fries, meaning, smother them with delicious things. We decided to “Make ’em Manly”. The fries were crispy and salty and came covered in rich beer-cheddar cheese, thick cut bacon, onions strings, and chives. Between the three of us, these disappeared quickly. If you’re a fry hog, I recommend getting your own order or sharing with a date. With so many great burger choices, I knew I couldn’t decide on just one to try. I ordered the Slider Trio, which includes the Hatch, Truffle, and Manly burgers. The Manly burger came with the same toppings as were on our fries and was equally delicious. The Hatch burger was topped with roasted hatch chiles, house Cali cheese, and roasted garlic aioli. This is a sentence I never thought I’d write, but it was almost too cheesy for me. I wanted more spice from the chiles and felt they were overwhelmed by the cheese. The Truffle Burger was absolutely the star for me. Topped with truffled aioli, house truffle cheese, and a truffle glaze, the flavor was rich and intense and the burger was cooked to perfection.  My burger-loving friend also ordered the Truffle Burger and he enjoyed it as well.

While not yet my friend’s favorite burger in Chicago, Umami Burger was certainly well worth the trip. The Wicker Park location is open Sundays through Thursdays from 11 am to 11 pm and Fridays/Saturdays from 11 am to 12 pm. They feature a Social Hour Mondays through Fridays from 4 pm to 6 pm and again from 9 pm to 10 pm. Stop in for $4 draft beers, $3 truffle fries, $5 glasses of wine, $6 starters, and $7 specialty cocktails.  Check out their location in the West Loop too!