Reviews of Small Cheval (Restaurant)

Z A

Loved it! Burger was as delicious as expected. Went at 11:45, a few ahead of me but not a long wait. Line out the door shortly after though. Beautiful day, sat outside.

עדילי ערמון

Delicious burgers, good service. They have on the menu only two types (

Stephen Hadley

Great burger, and even with a long line you get your food fast!

Jeremy Smolik

I'm ruined. Can't eat a burger anywhere else now.

Theodore Osorio

Great burgers greater service. The fellas really took care of me tonight. Thank you Louis and Aaron. I'll be back

Natan Kaplunskiy

Best burger aside from the loyalist and big cheval you can order ahead way less waiting. Better thenkumas

Mikael Thames

One of the best cheese burgers that I've had in the city!!

Alex Berryman

Excellent burger. Don't let the long line at lunchtime deter you, it moves quick.

Michael Lipkin

Excellent food and service. Very easy in and out restaurant at this location. Very great quality ingredients and unique home made burger toppings. The ketchup and mustard are of the sir kensingtons brand and taste so fresh. Garlic aioli is do amazing with anything they serve you and you can squirt it in a cup! Highly recommend this place.

Tim Peterson

I really enjoyed the garlic aioli. Like any other of the current crop of burger places: it's good, but doesn't make me want to rush back. Very clean.

David Nicolau

Sooooo good

Daniel Jones

Smaller and quicker version of the iconic Au Cheval burger joint. This is a Chicago legend when it comes to burgers. Location is perfect if you work in a the loop and crave a quality burger. Menu is super simple- what do you want on your burger and do you want fries? They have great shakes and fries also. You have the option to booze up your shakes if you are trying to get wild. You are going to spend about $18 if you want a burger, fries, and soda. It’s not cheap but it’s worth it if you enjoy burgers. Great view of Chicago river and outdoor seating area in the summer.

Doug Wilhelm

The burgers here are of average quality, nothing special and no notable seasoning or flavor. The lunchtime wait duration was about 15 minutes total. Personally, I don't see how the food is better or worse than Burger King.

Rick Wojciechowski

Why isn't every menu this smart? Please go if you want an awesome burgers. Don't go if you want an avocado.

Mike Fleming

Small menu but everything was really good. My burger was cooked perfectly. It was so tender and juicy. I got the dijonaise on the side because it was my first time trying it. Next time I will leave it on because it was tasty. The fries were also delicious and they had garlic aioli that you could get and that garlic aioli was also very good. I would absolutely recommend this to everyone!

Sean

Like McDonalds but amazing

Tracy Guzman-Barron

The burger was great. Loved the fries and chocolate shake.

sharif ford

That's a good burger!!! Not great... but good, not disappointing and not something i'd write home about or but great for a quick decent lunch.

aaron kruse

17 for an alright burger and fries. The only true thing that shines through is the garlic aoli. With out the aoli I wouldn't come here.

William Badnaruk

Not quite as exceptional as the parent restaurant Au Cheval but for a quick and fantastic burger there's no better option.

rob fischer

While it's not quite as tasty as the burger at the larger Au Cheval, Small Cheval delivers on a quick, delicious burger and fries. If you need a burger fix and you're in the loop this double burger and fries will completely satisfy. Even at peak lunch time, there's sitting and standing room.

Chris McKerley

Super delicious burger and cheap bourbon. What more can you ask.

Luke

Quick and tastes amazing. Definitely not the restaurant for you if you're trying to eat healthy.

Frank Harris

Best Burgers in Chicago

Geoff Crego

Great burgers, I always ask for no added seasoning salt because the patties can be a bit salty otherwise. House style is a great flavor, try it out!

Peter Michael

Great outdoor area to eat.

Lakieta Edwards

Those fries are perfect & the burgers are delicious EVERY DARNED TIME!

Trenner Meuret

Awesome Burger. Show up at 11 and avoid the line

Thomas Kay

The place is loud and claustrophobic, but the burgers are magical.

Ioannis Sotirakos

Ive been waiting years to have a burger from here, was not disappointed. A great assortment of condiments

Zach Pillsbury

What else is there to say? This *is* a tasty burger. No screwing around.

Kauhane Akiona-Ray

Solid burgers. Great view.

Jon Tetlak

This burger is the second best in the city, right behind Au Cheval of course! It is so good you just keep coming back for more. I always get the cheeseburger with bacon. The small cheval burger is normal patties and normal bacon, it's big brother at Au Cheval has thicker patties and the bacon is pork belly. The fries go great with Sir Kensington ketchup and the garlic aioli. Get the burger house style with pickles and mayo. So good. Grab a shake while you're at it to complete the meal.

Robbie Brown

The food was very good.

Family Chicago

Burger had cartilage bits and chewy. Not worth the money. Fries were not good.

Ryan Kelly

One of the best burgers I've ever had and the fries are even better

Drew Ayling

Fantastic burger. One of the best I've had. The red onions are chopped so fine and blended with the sauce. Meat was cooked and seasoned well. Good alcohol options.

Brendan Segraves

Burger, cheeseburger, fries, and drink. That's the entire menu. Their burger is excellent, though. Two stacked smaller patties deliciously seared.

Kaylee Swanson

Good but expensive.

Courtney Lewis

I'm sitting outside trying to enjoy the sun and the view of the river. But the smell of Small Cheval is distracting me, calling me. How does one not go in? You don't not go in. You can't not go in. Order up.

John Hernandez

It's a good flavored basic burger, the fries are a little too crispy for me but I'm sure a lot of people like them that way.

Harshit Mehta

The fries were soooo good!

Jason Pon

Nice little clean burger joint. The burgers are great! Almost as good as a real South African beef burger :-P staff were friendly!

Sal

Impeccable burger! Good as Au Cheval with quicker service. Perfect lunch spot.

Issam K

If you ever want to try an awesome burger, I suggest stopping by this place. The fries are great and the sauces are a must try.

terri konow

Food is delicious.

Sinan Tunc

Best simple burger I had in a long time. Not a lot of seating available inside so prepare to eat standing next to the window but the river view is awesome.

Eric Fitzgerald

Insanely good burger. Also insanely good condiments selection. Love this place

Marly Guzman

Great burger and even better fries. Though a long line we were able to get in and out in under an hour. 100% recommendation!

Ernesto Ramirez

Delicious Food and great view

Jason Knauff

This is the (almost) smash burger you’re craving in (almost) the loop.

Wilson R

Great place to grab a burger and it’s one of the best burgers in Chicago ! But this is not a place you take more then one person to during the winter as it’s darn small inside (hence the name) and trying to get a seat for more then 2 people can be a task when it starts to get busy even doh people tend to move fast.

Alba Navarro

This place was a recommendation and I was told that it had the best burgers, however, they reminded me of The Habit from Cali. They're burgers are good, but the best.

Mitchell Arends

Excellent hamburger! I grabbed a bacon cheeseburger with everything on it - made fresh and tasted great. Also grabbed a vanilla milk shake which was also tasty. I would eat here again.

Liv Gomes

Fun location and solid burger. Not cheap, but definitely good!

Bryant Sanchez

They get swamped during lunch but they do a great job of getting everything out in a timely fashion and it's the same great taste I've come to expect from this franchise.

Robert Schuster

Great quick double stack burger! Is it the best in Chicago? You decide ...

Erik Riggenbach

Got in, got out. The food was really good. The decor is nice. The folks who worked there were really friendly.

Matt McKinney

Wow that's a diner burger on another level

Andre Walker

The best cheeseburger I've ever had

Sara Swinehart

Ridiculously good burgers. Would rather swing by here for a meal than wait three hours at au cheval.

Josiah Jones

Awesome burger and fries for a good price. The space, the view is spectacular and the service was quite fast and polite. Will be coming back soon.

Holly

Great burgers without the outrageous wait time at au cheval

Tyler Gross

Best burger ever

Andrew Hua

Great place to get Au Cheval burgers at a much quicker pace. Wish you could get an egg on the burger though.

Leonard Schwartz II

When you only do one thing, do it right, and they do. Burger was well executed and delicious plus the fries were crispy and good. If there had been a seasoning option for the fries this would have been perfect. Well that and it being a bit cheaper wouldn't hurt.

Kate Gronstal

Same great burger as Au Cheval, but with a much shorter line! You can still get milk shakes, a beer or even a shot of malort. Make sure to try the garlic aoili with your fries - you won't be disappointed! Also, love the location right off the river. Convenient stop before heading to theater.

Warbe _

Fast turn around for the volume of people. Great tasting food and shakes. Very little if anything to complain about.

Mario Arellano

Made a visit around noon big mistake huge wait time. Order ur food at 1pm and pick it up. Lunch time is super busy.

Mark Dingley

Nothing wrong, just a burger joint. Would go back for a quick meal.

Eran Dromy

Good cheeseburger

Hugo Salcedo

Burgers as they should be: juicy and flavorful - lettuce wrapped is a good option as well.

Michael Odenweller

Best burger in town

Hugo Villalobos

This is a case of less is more, the focus on just the burgers means you know you are gonna get a grade A burger. Highly recommend

Karolina Jaroy

To celebrate getting our marriage license at town hall + our 6th year dating anniversary, we grabbed burgers here! Wait is much shorter than at au Cheval ,but the burger does not disappoint. Honestly I might like it even better because it's a bit less heavy and less messy to eat. Limited menu but great food and awesome view of the city .

Hazim Jokhadar

One of my favorite burgers in town. This branch is great for its location, really close to my school. Try the garlic sauce

Kat Leaks

Pricey but worth it!

Christopher Bradley

Excellent burgers and fast for lunch

Eric McGraw

Greasy but good.

Dwayne Frazier

The food was fresh and very tasty. Will be telling my peers about this place.

Dave McCall

Prepare yourself for a menu with limited choices, but you can't choose wrong. Very close to the burger I ate at au Cheval (the best burger I've ever eaten) and I didn't have to wait for 2 hours for this one. Seriously, if you love burgers, this might be the best place in Chicago because you can get in. Note that you'll eat at communal tables or a standing bar. There is limited seating, but I got a seat on a weekday at noon without issue. Having eaten here twice now, I find myself thinking about whether it is worth the 45 minute train ride each way from Palatine to just eat this burger since this is only a 10 minute walk from the train station.

travis randal

We have been fans of the Cheval Burger spots forever. This new location on the river might be the best one. The view and the location is magnificent. The burgers and fries are better than the Small Cheval on Milwaukee. Maybe because it's not as crowded after the Loop lunch crowd leaves the place empty for the night.

Jaime V

Amazing burger and GREAT VIEW of the river Expensive, once in a while it is worth it.

Will Biby

Quick service. Beautiful outdoor space and river view. It's hard to find a better burger in the loop, yet alone in the whole city.

Mr Mok

Burger is good but value is not there. I'd rather go to Blackies and get more food for the same price.

Dustin Simon

Not quite as good as the real thing, but still very good. Burgers melt in your mouth. Quick service in a fun setting.

Ethan Guzman-Barron

Best burgers around!

Patrick Moorhead

Amazing! These are the best fries I've ever had. Period. Thier burgers are also incredible. It's such a simple menu, there is not a lot to say. The quality of what they are doing is exceptional. It's really great to have this downtown, and its actually in the lobby of my office building (dangerous) so I'll definitely be back. This is a must lunch spot in the loop.

LEONARDO LAYTON

Food is delicious, service is excellent. The best burger in Chicago

Matthew Ivancic

Small (pun-intended), laser-focused place focused on short order hamburgers. If you don't want a hamburger, too bad, there is literally nothing else on the menu. But if there's a better steamed ham in the Chicagoland area, I haven't had it.

Diane Weist

Hogsalt/AuCheval has @ Small Cheval it's continous commitment to outstanding quality. It is further embellished by the customer experience that Luis,Esmira,J,& Diego deliver. On a cold, rainy windy Chicago day they were ALL about making me feel warm and welcome. My chocolate was never brighter......Small Cheval should be on everyone's must eat - often list.

Chet Barber

Best burgers I've ever had. Bacon was fantastic.

Marlene Harris

Very good burgers

Eric Martz

I was told this is one of the best burgers in America. I was told correctly.

Saad AlQahtani

Burger was good and juicy, fast service, but the fries was toooooo salty we can’t eat it , I like their sauces , specially garlic sauce

G Samuel

Good burger.

Seth Bruce

I had to try out the new Randolph St location and as expected, they did not disappoint. A great spot on the river, plenty of indoor/outdoor seating, good music and tasty treats. Keep flying high 5⭐️

Nefthy Bobadilla

Need a burger with a shake in the loop? Small Cheval is the place to go! Simple, juicy, flavor perfected, silky shakes, and yummy all around. Make the trek to this place if you want to happy with your lunch burger.

grizzly2bear

A tasty burger..

Becca D

Excellent burgers, great fries. Everything cooked fresh!!

Michelle Ruan

It’s definitely not as good as Au Cheval but still better than any other burger joint around. My only wish is that they have an option to add an egg like they do at Au Cheval. Hopefully management will read this and make some changes.

Alex Elias

Tasty spot to grab a burger right off the Riverwalk

Eben Via

Great burger, but a little on the pricier side

Bill Hoole II

Awesome burgers and fries! Service is quick, expect a line though due to the popularity. Liquor selection is available if sodas and water won't cut it for lunch.

Elias Lutfallah

Tasty, but nothing compared to Au Cheval. The bacon is not the same and no fried egg. It's still a good burger, but if you're thinking it's Au Cheval, you'll be let down. Plus side: they have Melort.

Michael Lehet

Great burger, lots of flavor, lettuce tomato and bacon cost extra, fries were ok. Didn't try the shakes, but they looked really good. Get there early, expect to wait on line..... But it's worth it!

Serge Kadanian

Great food and atmosphere

Trevor Hoogendoorn

Small Cheval is my favorite lunch spot in Chicago. You get a "small" version of the amazing Au Cheval experience in a fraction of the time. The burger is unbeatable and the fries pair extraordinarily well with the garlic aioli and Sir Kensington's ketchup.

Steve Mudd

My son told me this was the best burger in Chicago and it did not disappoint. Straight forward menu made the decision making process simple and the staff was super friendly.

Erin E

What a very simple easy menu! But when the burgers and beer are this good, what more do you need?! Don't forget to try the garlic aioli sauce!

Carol Session

Some of the best burgers I've ever had.

francisco javier cisneros gonzalez

The best burgers in Chicago it’s 10000% recommended, flavor unique bread and fries delicious!! I love this burgers! Don’t leave Chicago without eat here!

Henry Nieberg

There is nothing wrong with the burger; it's buttery, the meat has a crispy that adds an extra element to the flavor, and the buns are perfectly toasted. While this might seem trivial to say, the thing that I actually enjoy the most are the french fries. They have the same flavor as McDonald's fries, but are crispier and just better in flavor. Beware, the food makes you VERY tired.

Vincent Meli

Been meaning to try out one of the Au Cheval burgers for a long time now. This probably doesn’t quite compare, but I finally had a chance to give it a shot. While a bit pricey for what it is, the burger is pretty simple and tasty. The patty itself is seasoned really well... not too much that the beef is overwhelmed, but it’s better than a plain patty.

Steve Bonanno

For a simple burger, these people really do it right. Busy at lunch. A lot of younger customers. Good food at a decent price served by happy employees. One of my regular lunch places.

Garrett Neuenkirchen

Nice place for a beer, burger and fries. Nice clean location with nice view. On my way to the train. I'll drop in again for sure. Oh and.. they. have. malort.

Neil O'Rourke

Great food but wait times can be long at lunch

jacob stypula

Great burgers and fries

Lexi S

Paired down menu, but what they do, they do so well! Juicy, delicious burgers. Food comes fast.

Andrea Kim

Salty, average-tasting burgers and fries. You'd do better at Portillo's. Definitely not worth the price.

Chris Duhaime

Loved the simple quick menu, for an easy in and out! The location is awesome as there is limited food options in that particular part of town. Just a heads up, just know, if you get a burger they come with two parties as a default. Also, the fries are awesome. Not much seating space, so if it’s busy, get the order to go.

Ramsin Gabriel

you need to get there early to find a seat and get a burger before lunch is over. this place is packed all the time and rightly so. the burgers are the best within the downtown area. amazing

Kimberly Marquez

If you are looking for a duplicate to Au Cheval, this is not it. However, if you are still looking for an amazing burger this is the place. Great quality and never disappoints.

Polar Bear

Great burgers and fries, but a bit too pricey.

Corey Stefanski

Burgers, burgers, and burgers. That's your choice here. $12 burger, but absolutely delicious! Honestly worth every penny. Filling and full of flavor. Not a smash type by thicker patty. Fries are "McDonald's cut" sized fried and pretty good. They also have some beer and a cool seating area. Other cool thing is that they have an array of atypical condiments that you add yourself. No letting someone else decide how much mustard you want on your burger!

Mark Romano

Garlic aioli in a pump tap, and the best bacon cheeseburger downtown. Can be super busy around noon.

Dane Kantner

Good but skip the bacon it's an unnecessary crutch

Jeff Bethune

Meh. OK burger, terrible fries, slow service. Better options

Frank Lin

The sister restaurant to Au Cheval serving up their famous (yes, as good as advertised) hamburger, fries and milkshakes. The line here gets really long. But even when starting at he back of the restaurant, only about fifteen minutes from getting in line to getting food. The slowest part about the line are people who get up there and don’t know what they want. (You spend ten minutes standing in line and when it’s finally your turn you don’t know what you want? These people should lose their places in line! Lol) The staff is very friendly and works fast to get he lunch crush served. Oh, did I mention the burger is as good as advertised? Moist, juicy, flavorful. Worth the wait.

Molly Voska

The food is AMAZING, but not enough seating!

Loria Hamilton-Field

Great Food and Awesome Location!

Mary Jo Snavely

Fast, just greasy enough, and a great view of Art on the Mart

Symon Shim

Really good burger and day service. Make sure to get back with your burger! Decent for small-ish groups (4-6) with some tables in the back of the restaurant.

Joel Toledo

Great fast version of the original.

Kelly Doyle

Nice to have without the ungodly wait at Cheval. Happy to return when craving an awesome burger! Excited to see the continued expansion of the riverside southward!

Tina Best

Absolutely loved my time there. Had to be one of the best burgers I've ever had. We were greeted as soon as we walked in. Very helpful & friendly staff. Will definitely be back.

Brandy Vital

Perfect fries and tasty burgers. If you order ahead make sure to go inside because they won't drop your fries until you are there.

Matthew O'Brien

I came here just for the shakes and was not disappointed. It was interesting to see they offer shots of liquor to be blended with your shakes. I did not indulge. The menu is minimalist; burgers, fries, sodas and shakes. A cool spot off the Chicago River and definitely gets busy during the peak eating times.