Burger Crew meeting called to order on Saturday, July 8, 2023, at 8:30p.
Members in attendance: Angela, Trevor, Wayne, DK, Sumana, and me (Innie).
Special guests: Chris, Marissa, and Will
Petit hamburger au fromage: Lucy
I. Ordering
The Loyalist has 2 burger options: The Classic Cheeseburger (smash patty, onion gastrique, special sauce, potato bun with side of frites) for $25, and The Loyalist OG Cheeseburger (pickled and charred onion, sesame bun with a side of frites) also for $25.
Trevor and Angela shared the Loyalist OG burger for their main course, finishing with a dessert course of the Classic burger. Sumana ordered both the Classic and Loyalist (for science). DK, Wayne, and I all ordered the Loyalist. Wayne also supplemented his meal by appropriating a bite of Sumana’s Classic burger.
II. Burgers
Both burgers were amazing in their own rights.
The Classic was smash patty style burger that really lived up to its name and delivered on its description. The members reported a great smash, with crispy sear and edges, and a good balance of savory richness and acid. Wayne declared it to be the peak McDonalds cheeseburger experience, and Sumana agreed that it was thoroughly satisfying and enjoyable. The potato buns had a good chew. The sauce was thousand island style, and it balanced well with the pickled onions.
The Loyalist OG burger came with a thicker patty, still with an impressive sear, and great beefy flavor. The Loyalist (the establishment, not the burger) really delivered on the meat quality, because we all agreed that the patties here were top notch. The Loyalist (the burger, not the establishment) was very rich, but in a satisfying way, much like the famous Au Cheval burger. The Loyalist burger may have even had a step up on Au Cheval, having more pickle and acid to balance the richness of the meat. The sesame buns had multiple rounds of compliments, having a nice, chewy texture and lots of sesame seeds. The chive onion aioli was delicious and added a great depth of flavor. Angela and DK really liked the pickles, which was surprising since they were sweeter than their usual preference.
Neither burger had any lettuce or tomatoes, but no one seemed to miss their absence.
As for which burger was better, that discussion may rank as one of our S-tier disagreements in Burger Crew history (alongside our other long standing Pickle Preferences and Bacon Doneness disputes):
Trev chimed that the Classic was being overhyped.
Sumana thought the Loyalist was a bit too mushy in texture and preferred the crispiness of the Classic, but DK thought the mayo, cheese, and thickness of the Loyalist’s patty combined to be mushy in a satisfying way.
Wayne had a bite of Sumana’s Classic before eating his Loyalist and wished he had gotten the Classic instead.
Angela thought the Loyalist was meatier in flavor than the Classic.
As the documentarian of this review, and having enjoyed only the Loyalist burger without point of comparison to the Classic, I ate some proverbial popcorn and watched the brawl unfold.
Angela posited that there could be an order effect in place that was causing the division amongst our ranks. Trevor and Angela both had the Loyalist first before having their Classic, and much preferred the Loyalist. Wayne and Sumana, who preferred the Classic, tasted that burger first. It really gives credit to the establishment that they created two completely different burgers that magically made everyone fall for the first bite they had.
III. Sides
The fries (“frites”) that came with each burger were of the double-fried Yukon Gold variety, and were very good. They stayed crispy long into the meal, which is always appreciated. They came served with the same onion aioli that is spread on the Loyalist OG burger.
IV. Miscellaneous
The Loyalist served us some well crafted cocktails, and we loved the cool vibe of the restaurant and bar. It seems like a great chill counterpart to its fancier Michelin starred sister restaurant upstairs. They even have a dart room, as observed by Sumana during a quick stroll.
The service was awesome, both by our server, Judy, and who(m)ever was working the reservations. We originally had 2 smaller, separate reservations held by Angela and Sumana due to the limited offerings on Open Table. However, Angela received a pre-reservation questionnaire from the restaurant, which included a question asking if any special event was being celebrated. Angela commented that we were a group of friends travelling from Los Angeles to eat burgers, and that her party was with the Sumana group. They were able to combine the two and sat us all together in a large booth. It’s nice to see that they listen to all those questionnaire responses and try to accommodate based on the responses!
Small Cheval, the secondary location of Au Cheval, is the next block over, making it an opportune place to have a dessert burger!
V. Value/Ratings
The members were asked how much they would pay for their burgers and what their ratings were.
Me: 4.2/ $15
DK: 4.0/ $17
Wayne: 4.5/ $13
Sumana: 4.3
Trev: 4.9/ $17
Angela: 5.0/ $20
Chicago is serving up a great batting average of amazing burgers! Next stop, Owen & Engine.