Badhappy! Chicago’s Best Burger? The Race Is ON!

By johnrieber on May 3, 2013 • ( 6 )

Time To Celebrate National Burger Month!

Yep, it’s my favorite month of the year: national burger month! And that means it’s time to look at some of the best burgers being served in America, like this one!

Behold The Badhappy Burger!

Chicago’s premiere Poutine shop has chosen to get into the burger business – IN A BIG WAY! And they are making a case that their burgers are the best in town…let’s see what they are up to!

Chicago has a ton of great restaurants – and amazing burgers – so the title of “Chicago’s Best Burger” is a hard fought battle…I’d like to nominate a newcomer for consideration:

Welcome To Badhappy!

Badhappy Poutine shop at 939 N. Orleans in Chicago has been open a year – and they are known, as the title indicates, for their Poutine:

Poutine is the canadian concoction of fries, brown gravy, cheese curds and more great stuff…more on poutine in a minute…now meet Chef Tom Kern:

I love Badhappy’s Poutines, but now Chef Tom has gone burger crazy, and all of Chicago is celebrating, because his burgers are among the best in town!

Stick A Badhappy In Your Mouth And Bite Down Hard!

Badhappy’s poutines are varied and imaginative, and Chef has taken the same approach with his burgers…

Here is the menu that Chef Tom has designed to get into the burger business:

**Each burger is a 7 oz Angus Patty on Turano Brioche

The BadHappySauce Burger – BadSauce, HappySauce, Bacon, Lettuce, Grilled Onion, Aged Cheddar, Pickles ($10)

Yes, that was my first Badhappy burger: juicy, delicious “happysauce”, everything piled up high – but not an incoherent mess like some burgers that try too hard to be inventive….

Among the other burgers are:

The Aristocrat – Foie Gras Mousse, Pork Belly, Sunny Egg, Caviar, Truffle Mayo ($13)

The Big E – Gyro Meat, Feta Cheese, Tzatziki, Lettuce, Tomato, Kalamata Olive Tapanade ($11)

The Nate: BBQ Pulled Pork, Onion Ring, Mac-n-Cheese, Cajun Mayo, Pickles ($11)

The Hades – Cajun Sausage, Pickled Habaneros, Smoked Gouda, Spicy Kimchi Mayo ($11)

PB & Jerk!

And here is the other Badhappy burger I had:

The PB & Jerk – Jerk Style Peanut Butter, Happy Sauce, Sharp Cheddar Cheese, Pickles ($11)

Folks, this is one delicious burger…first of all, the grill that Chef Tom works on is small, and it’s right in front of you, so you know everything is being made fresh for you:

I always sit at the counter, so I can watch them work – along with Chef Tom, there are other great cooks like Jose as well – they are all friendly, talkative, and focused on giving you great food:

The burgers are full of flavor, the condiments are creative, the sauces are delicious and all handmade…it’s a great great burger – the peanut butter flavor is strong, with a hint of jelly as well – not overpowering, just the right amount of sweet and savory – and a great candidate for Chicago’s best!

In addition to the regular menu, Chef also likes to experiment, so you never know what specials await. To celebrate national burger month, Chef Tom is bringing out all sorts of extra specialty burgers and poutines as well – including this monster:

“The Southern Brawler”!

7 oz local ground patty, BBQ pulled pork, Onion rings, Mac-n-cheese, house-made pickles, and Cajun remoulade. I mean, how can you argue with this?

Poutine! Poutine! Poutine!

Well, there is the delicious poutine awaiting you as well. Look at this thing of beauty below: fries bathed in a delicious brown gravy, topped with Wisconsin cheese curds, crispyt fried pork belly, foie gras and an egg….

I have been to Badhappy several times – the Chef is terrific, his wife runs the social media expertly, and the food is GREAT! It’s currently BYOB, but bring your own vodka and they will turn it into this!

The Triple Double Challenge!

I took my brother-in-law Derek and his Boss to Badhappy recently – and we watched as a guy took on the Triple Double…two full orders of Poutine PLUS a triple cheeseburger – and a shake!