For a city and country with a profound love of beef and melted cheese on a bun, the burger represents far more than salty sustenance. It is a beautiful, indulgent, messy, no doubt nostalgic moment in time.
I spent a chunk of 2025 writing a book on this ubiquitous, beloved handheld. Out April 2, it’s called “The Burger Bible,” and it traces the origins, lore and most beloved styles of this friendly handheld, culminating in 80-plus profiles of iconic, mouthwatering, viral and unique burgers from around the U.S. and beyond.
Thus, I should have anticipated my editor at WBEZ/Chicago Sun-Times asking me to whittle down my favorite Chicago burgers — a thorny subject for even the most hardened expert…