Thursday, August 4, 2011

Billy Goat Tavern -- The Verdict

With a daily menu that includes a single burger for $2.85, and a double for $4.55, the legendary Billy Goat Tavern was a natural for our $5 Burger Challenge. Sometimes a famous tourist stop can get to a point where it's overlooked by the locals, and that was indeed the case for our crew -- it was the first time visiting the original Billy Goat location for half of our reviewers. In our defense, with their remote lower Michigan Avenue location, it's the type of place you only end up on purpose. And yet, it was packed, and it's definitely not hard to understand why. The staff is friendly and funny, the price can't be beat, and the cheeseburger, despite being served with absolutely no frills, is "surprisingly delicious." Served on a perfectly fresh kaiser roll ("hearty enough to soak up twice the grease" said one reviewer), it comes with (say it with us, folks) no fries, only chips, and a DIY toppings bar (only the basics). Our reviewers all raved about the insane value, and if you consider the fact that they basically handicap themselves on presentation, creativity, and sides (one reviewer: "Look, I get it, but I wanted fries."), the final score indicates that they rocked almost every other category. It's a classic for a reason, people. Low 70; high 74; average 72.

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