Where the Locals Eat Rating
Best Burger
Top 100 Restaurant, Chicago
"Ever hear of the 'Curse of the Billy Goat,' also known as the Cubs Curse? Do you recall the Saturday Night Live sketch in which a short order cook would yell out to incoming patrons: 'Cheezborger! Cheezborger! No fries, cheeps! No Pepsi, Coke!'? All of the above have one thing in common: the World Famous Billy Goat Tavern, a Chicago legend since 1934."
– Billy Goat Tavern website
"We will not tell you that the cheeseburger served at the Billy Goat Tavern is a gourmet's delight. Far from it. It is made of a beef patty so thin that it cannot be cooked rare; the cheese on top is impure, adulterated American. Side dishes? There are none, other than potato chips. If, like us, you are a devotee of hash house cuisine, it is a meal that will quicken your pulse."
– Michael Stern, Roadfood.com
"An artery-clogging breakfast can be found at any greasy spoon, but [Billy Goat II], South Loop outpost of the Billy Goat (brighter and not as historically charming than the [lower level Michigan Avenue] original specializes in slinging drinks alongside plates of steak and eggs. Purists may be shocked to see fries being served, an act that flies in the face of the original tavern's famous 'No fries, chips' mantra, but it's nothing another beer can't soothe."
—TimeOut Chicago magazine
How others rate Billy Goat
Zagat 2008
15 Food Rating (Fair to Good)