Au Cheval — Restaurant in West Chicago Township

It has been a couple of years (pre-pandemic) since we went to Au Cheval. We decided after work to head over to go back for a visit and a burger.

The wait even at 6pm was about 45 minutes. So if you plan to come here, it is still very much popular and will require a wait. Come early and be sure to get your name in and have your entire party be present.

We decided to get the roasted bone marrow with beef cheek jelly as a shared appetiser. It was rich and decadent. The beef cheek jelly is amazing! Our server told us to save some to go with our fries with a mix of the garlic aoili. And let me tell you...that was a game changer! The bone marrow could have been roasted and caramelised a touch longer, but that's a personal preference.

We had the kale ceasar and I loved it! I was worried it would be bitter and fibrous. It wasn't! It was flavourful and crunchy. And the ceasar dressing was slightly citriusy. I loved the salad to help brighten up the heaviness of the bone marrow and the burger to come!

As for a burger, I went with a double (3 thin griddle patties) with cheese and their burger sauce. I also added the fried egg and bacon. And oh my was this as good as I remembered it! I loved the buttered toasted bun and the griddle seared patties give some textural crunch in the burger. I wish we could get lettuce, red onion and tomatoes. But that's more of personal desire for burgers. I do love that they garnish the fried egg with chives!

This burger is a hefty meal. I washed it all down with a tapped root beer float. Needless to say, don't come here if you are watching your weight.

We ended the night with an amazing dessert at the advice of our server, Spencer! I have to give him a particular shout out. He strikes the perfect balance of being attentive but not coming by constantly. That's such a tricky balance and he did it great! We also loved his recommendations throughout the meal. And knowing we'd want a light dessert, this cream filled pasty dough dessert (can't remember the name) was spot on!

I also want to give a shout out to the rest of the staff. The staff made sure to clear plates and provide water bottles whenever we needed. They also did not make us feel rushed. At such a popular place with long waits, everyone there made us feel welcomed and waited on - and did so in a way that never felt like they were trying to rush us out so they could seat another table. We very much appreciated they made us feel like they wanted us to enjoy our meal and dishes and our company. Which we appreciated because we definitely were there with a friend from out of town. And we definitely were there for a multi-course experience with a long time friend from out of town.

Thank you to the staff and, in particular to our server Spencer for making our night special at Au Cheval!

We will be back again soon - this time not letting it go so long before we return!

So if you're looking for a great burger that lives us to its reputation, with amazing service, and good drinks - be sure to visit (or come back to) Au Cheval. It is worth the wait even after all...

Since everyone around me has been hyping this place up, I was thrilled to have grabbed a table at around 10:30pm after about 45 minutes of waiting on a Monday night. I thought the food was great, and I enjoyed a lot of aspects of everything my partner and I had ordered. It didn't live up to the hype, but I would still recommend it to those who visit Chicago.

To begin with, I chose not to add eggs or bacon to the burger because I wanted to see how good the burger would taste without additional reinforcement, and my conclusion was that it was juicy and flavorful, complemented mainly by the sharp cheddar cheese rather than the dijonnaise. However, since in Minneapolis we have the jucy lucy, which I could see what this burger here was aiming towards in terms of standards of juiciness, I thought it was just a great burger and that was it. As for the foie gras, it had very good flavor that complemented the scrambled eggs, which by themselves also had very nice consistency. The foie gras was very rich and relatively salty, so together with the toast, which was only slightly buttery and plain, along with the scrambled eggs' texture, it was an excellent culinary experience.

My partner and I were both relatively critical of the fried chicken, which we both thought had way too salty exterior crisp, and the chilaquiles, which I thought had too many corn tortillas stacked at the bottom of the dish rather than balanced around. I thought the chilaquiles overall had good ingredients, especially the avocado slices, which were fresh, but could use some improvement in ensuring that the corn tortillas were at least evenly spread so one can enjoy a good culinary experience with each bite. The fried chicken resembled Korean fried chicken in terms of style, and had enough chili to demonstrate its spiciness. But the saltiness was so much that when we packed the chicken to go, we left the juice at the bottom behind.

Waiting for 30-45 minutes was acceptable to me in allowing me to try the restaurant, and as much as I didn't feel like it met the hype, I was still grateful to have tried it. Food aside, I have two extra points to give: 1) They gave wet towels along with the fried chicken, which I thought was a very considerate move as eating the fried chicken could indeed turn messy, and as their bathrooms always had a line. 2) Whoever was controlling the playlist was playing a lot of excellent 90s rap music, explicit versions as well, ranging from Nas to Mos Def to Wu-Tang Clan, and I was fully...

Au Cheval is a name that has been on many lips, generating a lot of buzz and excitement. However, my personal experience left me feeling somewhat disappointed. While the atmosphere was charming, the service was decent, and the food presentation was impressive, the famed burger did not live up to the hype.

From the moment I stepped into the restaurant, everything seemed to move slowly. I struggled to get any attention from the staff, and the most disappointing part was when they forgot my order. Watching the kitchen in action was quite impressive; they operate like a lean assembly factory, with different stations handling various components of the burger assembly. However, when I finally received my burger, it had been thrown into an oven instead of being freshly cooked on the griddle like the others. This made me feel like my burger was an afterthought, quickly reheated rather than given the same care as the others. Additionally, I did not receive a napkin or cutlery like the other guests, forcing me to wave down the waiter repeatedly for these basics.

The main attraction, the burger, was a letdown. The patty was dry and the taste did not appeal to me at all, to the point where I did not even want to finish it. The presentation was fantastic, reminiscent of a burger I once enjoyed in New York, but that was where the similarities ended. The meat was overcooked and lacked juiciness, making it an unenjoyable eating experience. I cannot remember the last time I left a burger unfinished.

The atmosphere at Au Cheval was one of the highlights of my visit. The restaurant has a lively, yet comfortable ambiance. The interior design and overall vibe are well thought out, contributing to a welcoming environment.

In summary, while Au Cheval has a lot going for it in terms of atmosphere and concept, the execution, particularly with the food and aspects of the service, fell short for me. Perhaps my expectations were too high given the hype, but my first restaurant experience in Chicago was, unfortunately, more of a disappointment...