Umami Burger Wicker Park
| Address: | 1480 N Milwaukee Ave, Chicago, IL 60622, USA |
| Phone: | +1 773-423-2005 |
| Site: | umamiburger.com |
| Rating: | 4.3 |
| Working: | 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–11PM 11AM–12AM 11AM–12AM 11AM–11PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 6
WI
William Hunt
Pretentious but the food is decent. I went there just a few minutes ago for a quick lunch on the way to a clients office. I was seated and the waiter came by and asked if it was my first time there. I said yes and he we welcomed me, thats where it got annoying. He then proceeds to tell me about the meaning of the word Umami, says that the chef only likes to provide food the way it is on the menu and does not accept substitutions and then adds in that all their burgers only come medium rare so hopefully I like medium rare. I didnt ask any questions or prompt him for any of that he just spouted it off. I asked what he recommended and ordered sweet potatoes fries and a burger with green chilies. The food was decent although the brought 4 different sauces and a plate with some Asian style flat bottom spoons, Im not sure if the sauces were intended to be put in the spoons or what but it was just a little odd. The burger was decent cooked rare (not medium rare) which I didnt mind but if your going to make a point that the burgers only come medium rare then it should probubly have come that way. At the end of the meal the server handed me a token and asked that I place the token in a jar near the door, the jars are red yellow and green so they can figure out how the servers are doing. Its a weird system. I also overheard other servers giving the same blurb about what they could or couldnt order so I know it wasnt just my guy. Anyway the odd choice of staff training and the token thing is enough for me not to return for a $11 burger with $6 French fries (which was the cheapest burger). This place is no better then five guys but with an attitude.
RA
Raj Desai
Great beer selection and short wait. The restaurant opens up to a small bar with 2 TVs incase you want to watch a game while you wait for your table. The beer selection is top notch and they have "Golden Monkey" which is a personal favorite. The tempura onion rings are great and cooked to perfection. Its enough to share. The truffle fries are ok... nothing special in my book. I suggest asking for the "spicy" sauce... it has great flavor but wont knock your socks off. The ahi tuna burger was not worth the hype... the tuna was definitely fresh but the burger itself was nothing special. It was fairly bland and the pickled ginger/carrot combination was a bit overwhelming. It ended up being sushi on a bun without any wasabi mayo. I ordered the Manly Burger "medium" but it came more "well-done" and therefore disappointing. The burger itself was flavorful and i asked for a side of the hatch peppers which truth be told was nothing more than the feeling of overly-cooked bell peppers with a smoky taste. This burger was tasteful but in all honesty it felt more like an upscale version of a house burger at a late night bar. My wife ordered the black bean burger which was a nice option for vegetarians but the black beans itself were very overpowering. Im surprised they dont offer any true advice or any sauce pairings which I think would have definitely added to the taste. In all honest I am not sure if I would go back... as a big burger fan and considering so many other burgers on the menu I am tempted to return but no guarantee... I would go to DMK burger over Umami.
MI
Mira Serrill-Robins
Its one of my favorite LA burger places (a micro-chain, more accurately), and I was happy to see one come to Chicago. Short version, I like it and am glad its here, but it wasnt as good as I remember it being in LA, although maybe theyll get it worked out. One issue was that the burgers werent piping hot when they came out and cooled very quickly. The service was great: friendly, attentive but not overbearing, and quick with the food. Also very tailored to your preferences, from how they cook your burger to the order in which the food comes out and the sauce options. We tried the throwback and the Umami (because when in Rome). Both were good, there was a bunch going on but it worked. The throwback is supposed to be innout style, so its two thin patties with their twist on mustard, ketchup, pickles, onions, and cheese. The Umami was cheese and mushrooms, and maybe caramelized onions. Theyre willing to customize, take things off, put things on the side (unlike Fathers Office, for those familiar with the LA burger scene). The sweet potato fries tasted fresh, and like real sweet potato, with sugar and salt sprinkled on. The pickle plate is six different pickled items, so its interesting and a great way to start. Theres not a huge draft beer selection, but decent options. They werent exciting or new, but there was something to meet most tastes. Its got nice high ceilings and big windows, a bunch of tables, and a long bar.
AL
Alex Rauch
The bartender greeted me promptly with many well rehearsed lines as he thanked me for my first visit to Umami Burger. After getting my Mexican Coke I tried to substitute cheese on my burger - they dont do that. I thought that was very strange and didnt really get me pumped, so I asked the bartender to come back shortly. I ended up ordering the HATCH BURGER as it was on special for $8 instead of $11. The burger came out and it look every part as good as the picture. The beef was very high quality and was dripping a dark brown sauce, "The Master Sauce" I am told. The patty itself tasted like a blend of soy-sauce and worcestershire sauce. It was covered with a house American Cheese and fired green chillies. The bun was very wheat-like in consistency leaving a lot to be desired. The burger overall was good but isnt on my top 5 in Chicago. And after so many well rehearsed sales pitches from the menu I felt rushed - I guess that it came from the complete lack of real social interaction. All in all I will probably go back but I will not wait in line.
DI
Diana Grossman
I thoroughly enjoyed my truffle oil infused burger with truffle oil cheese melted in. I am a huge, huge fan of truffle oil and if you cant resist truffle oil you will be completely satiate and satisfied after enjoying your sizable portion. My burger was warm, extremely juicy and moist and I am glad I ordered it medium rare. I was sort of in shock with the price of my burger because it did not come with fries. It was served on a plate all by its lonesome so if you wish to try a plate of truffle fries go during their "happy hour" during the weekdays and truffle fries will be $3 because everything here is sold separately. Normally I do expect to pay $12 or more for a gourmet burger but most restaurants will include a side for FREE for that hefty price. I will be back in the future when I have more of an appetite and more cash to spend. Today there was live music and she was quite a good singer so I had a great experience here even though it is quite pricey.
ZA
Zack McBride
The wife an I stopped in before a concert. We had never heard of Umami Burger before but it looked like a nice place from the outside. We sat at the bar because we didnt want to wait for a table. The bar tender was awesome! We told him it was our first time there and he explained everything to us. The philosophy behind the food and drink pairing was really interesting. I had the manly burger and my wife had the black bean burger. We also split a full order of fries. Before our food came out the bar tender brought out a few sauces and their house ketchup. He explained what each was and their flavor. Then the food came out. Now Im not easily impressed but I have to say my burger was probably one of the best burgers Ive ever eaten. After my first bite I instantly knew I was going to devour the whole burger. I did and it was awesome! The fries were great as well and the sauces were amazing! We are definitely going back here whenever we are in that part of town.
