Half Sour — Restaurant in Chicago

To preface this I'm not a bar person, I just came for the food. Had the $15 cheeseburger. To describe it in one word - underwhelming. Nothing wrong with it but for $15 there's not a whole lot to justify the price. Probably would have been better if it was a single large patty cooked to order or several smashed patties but the two generic patties used don't do it any favors. The fries were good if a tad over seasoned but won't hold up well for delivery or carry out (more on this later). For reference my gold standard for burgers in this city is the 1/2lb burger cooked to order with delicious hand cut fries for only $8.25 at the Shamrock Club on Kinzie. I've yet to find any other place that matches that value.

In conclusion, burger hounds should look elsewhere. As for the environment, it was pleasant enough with good service. There was a small crowd of older clientele (as in not a young crowd as opposed to a bunch of geriatrics) on the Monday night I visited and I always see this place getting busy for Brunch on weekends so they're doing something right, just not the burger. Not for me.

Oh one last thing... it's called half sour, and their website specifies that it refers to the half sour pickle, yet they don't serve the burger with a pickle spear on the side??? Do they do it for other sandwiches or not at all? It's in the name! Where's the pickles? I probably won't be back to find out. Also the +$1 for carry out orders is borderline criminal when the prices are already that high and the fries won't make the trip well anyway (I dined in and tipped well for...

As executive director of a nonprofit, I am always scouting business that can offer a once in a lifetime experience for the right price. I found that (and then some) at Half Sour. From the start, I was amazed at the attention I received regarding my event. Upon my first inquiry, I had an amazing lunch at Half Sour and loved what I saw. The restaurant has a great feel, and the private rooms have a throw back to the 1920’s which took it to a whole new level. The way Liz treated me, I felt like I was their only customer! Liz was thoughtful, punctual and always available for my (many) questions and shared her expertise and insight regarding the venue, food choices, and shared experiences in her work with other non-profits. The day of the event Liz, and her entire staff, were professional and ready to serve whatever need there was for our guests. I was made to feel at ease and my guests were quick to point out what an enjoyable time they had. The price point was more than fair and the thoughtfulness that went into the menu was mind blowing. Whether you are there for a private event, or if you want to have a fun night out with an awesome atmosphere and divine cuisine, Half Sour is the...

Called up to order to order the fried chicken dinner for pick-up, but all sold out early!

Kudos for using compostable packaging.

The burger and chocolate cake were recommended by the man on the phone, and then I added the fried artichokes when I arrived - 2/3 were great!

The burger is massive - two perfectly cooked patties. Though I like typically like to have fresh lettuce and tomatoes, the burger was still delicious. Their fries are thinly cut, seasoned, and tasty as well. They were mushy because there were no holes punched in the box.

The fried artichokes were really tasty, probably because it’s heavily battered and really greasy (again, mushy because there were no holes punched in the box). I popped them in the oven to make them crisp.

The chocolate cake was a #fail. It was suggested to me as just made; but if it was, then it was just not for me in terms of taste and texture because it was like eating a Cliff bar with Sculpey clay- textured frosting. I like fluffy, moist cake. This tasted artificial, for lack of a better word. It ended up in the the trash bin. If you like chocolate cake, carrot cake, cheesecake, I recommend Eleven’s desserts, which are good size portions...