Go visit a guy named Charly for some burgers

head west, my friends

Hi, everyone!

A few years ago I caught wind of a spot that opened near us in Hermosa, which is the next neighborhood over from where we live on the Northwest side (we live in Belmont Gardens, which yes, is a real neighborhood!). It’s a burger joint that quietly landed on a best-of Chicago burger list, written by my friend Nick Kindelsperger for the Chicago Tribune, in 2021. This place also happens to be on Time Out Chicago’s current best-of burger list too, but what’s interesting is that there hasn’t been a ton of chatter about it otherwise.

Challenge humbly accepted.

So today, we’re headed to Cicero and Fullerton to check out Charly’s Burgers.

Charly’s Burgers is on the border of Belmont Cragin and Hermosa, and the very first thing you’ll notice about it is that it’s very small.

Three seats small, to be precise. You’re probably not going to want to roll in with a crew of more than three if you want to eat in, otherwise plan on eating in the car or bringing your food home.

The menu at Charly’s Burgers is ultra-simple; there’s six types of burgers (one is a veggie burger), a Maxwell Street Polish, and a hot dog. And there’s something special about these burgers: The meat is ground in-house, and 10% of the grind is bacon. That idea’s pretty fun.

Though I am a huge fan of Maxwell Street Polishes and hot dogs, I stuck to burgers for this trip, since that’s what this shop is known for (it is called “Charly’s Burgers” after all). I picked three to try, and came away with some really pleasant surprises.

The All-American Burger ($8 by itself, $11 for a combo with fries and drink) has the build to match its name.

It’s a six-ounce burger patty topped with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, raw onion, pickles, ketchup and mustard. This is a pretty standard fast food burger setup, but it’s one that someone clearly cares about making. I mean, just look at it, the sandwich is pretty photogenic. It even looks like a burger emoji: 🍔

Good thing it tastes as good as it looks. The burger patties here have a very sturdy crust to them, which means that every bite has charred bits to it. So that means the All-American is a perfect example of a classic burger, something you want to reach for if you want some burger stand nostalgia.

While the 10% bacon in the grind is a really fun concept, I couldn’t quite taste it at first. If anything, it adds a subtle smokiness, but some of you might be able to catch that detail faster than I did, though I did notice a backyard-type grilled flavor to each burger. I’m also guessing the extra fat adds a little bit of moisture to each patty, which is important, considering each one is cooked well. No pink interiors here.

The La Piña Burger ($11 for the combo), has a six-ounce burger patty, Chihuahua cheese, grilled pineapple, grilled onions and jalapeño, along with garlic aioli.

I historically shy away from fruit on burgers, mostly because I feel like sweet flavors are too distracting from the beef, but this burger has me eating these very words. The pineapple rings are aggressively griddled, which wilts the fruit and caramelizes their exterior, and has the side benefit of getting rid of excess moisture.

And though I already knew how well Chihuahua cheese melts in a quesadilla—it’s sort of like a cross between mozzarella and Muenster—turns out it’s wildly underrated when added to a burger. It’s gooey and stretchy with a little chew, but not too sharp. The grilled onion and jalapeños are front and center here, adding sweet and slightly bitter flavors, which counterbalances the pineapple (plus the peppers add some actual spice). Then there’s the garlic aioli, which ensures that each bite has some fat holding it all together.

$11 is an absolute steal for a specialty burger plus fries and a can of soda, by the way. To put this into perspective: A medium Whopper meal from our nearby Burger King is $12.69. You get way more food at Charly’s (a Whopper patty weighs four ounces as opposed to six; Charly’s fry portions are enormous), the quality is miles ahead, and you’re supporting a local business.

Don’t worry, there’s also a behemoth of a signature burger on the menu, called the Charly’s Burger ($13 for the combo).

This one features two six-ounce patties, American cheese, grilled onions, pickles, and secret mayo-based sauce, and it’s a hangover buster if I’ve ever seen one. It’s a sloppy masterpiece and the burger you want if you’ve got a real serious red meat craving. The Charly’s Burger is glorious in a more-is-more sort of way, and it’s Davida’s favorite burger among the three we tried.

(Thank you, by the way, for continuing to support the newsletter—it’s how I’m able to try these places without going into massive debt.)

In terms of favorites, think I’m just barely leaning towards La Piña because the toppings give it a unique personality, plus it reflects the spirit of the neighborhood—Cicero is the blurry border between Hermosa and Belmont Cragin, both of which have a significant Mexican population. But this is like a 51-49 split. Don’t make me pick between my children (okay, cats), you assholes.

The fries (included in all combos; $3 as a standalone order) are unlike any I’ve ever had in Chicago.

They look like your usual hand-cut fries, but when you bite into one, its exterior has an impossibly thin layer of starchy crispness that shatters as you munch away. They’re somehow delicate, blistered, and lacy, with a fluffy potato center. I don’t make bold statements like this very often, but these might be some of the best fries, if not the best ones, I’ve eaten this year.

Dude. This place only has three seats. What the hell.

I ordered a dipping cup of cheese sauce for the fries ($1), somewhat as an afterthought, but this cheese sauce is anything but.

In a word, it’s fantastic. I noticed right away that it didn’t appear to be sauce from a can—it had a slightly thinner consistency than whiz, with a tiny spicy kick to it at the end. Though it’s tangy, it’s more of an American cheese tang than ballpark nacho, and reminds me more of queso dip than anything. There’s even a hint of roasted pepper in it.

As I was leaving, I asked the woman running the register (who’s the namesake Charly’s sister-in-law; Charly was out running a business errand) if they made the sauce in-house. She was delighted I noticed, and confirmed that it was something that they make in the restaurant. Customers love it, she told me, and noted that the day prior they’d run out early and people were very disappointed.

I do have to note something about the location. Cicero’s one of the major four-lane streets in Chicago, and people around there drive pretty fast, which can be a little nerve-wracking. There’s plenty of metered parking, but those who prefer public transit have the option of the Fullerton bus nearby. Just a heads up.

I realize that Chicago’s already a great town for burgers, but there’s something about a burger from a place with three seats in it that just hits different. It’s comforting to know that some people still believe in the craft of a well-constructed burger, and Charly’s Burgers is proof that sometimes you don’t need a whole lot else.

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Okay, everyone, that’s it for now! Think about getting your flu shots and COVID boosters (Davida and I get them at The Jewels, because you get 10% off grocery coupons, ha), and otherwise, have a fantastic week. Love you guys.