Still looking for the best burger joint in Chicago? Well look no further, because Umami Burger has burgers that will give your taste buds some big time TLC. With one bite into the tender high quality beef, you will realize that all burgers should taste like an Umami burger, leaving you wondering why you’ve been wasting your time eating such mediocre burgers after all these years. That time ends now.

Walking in, you automatically feel a hip and relaxed vibe. The walls are covered with plywood and decorated with edgy and colorful artwork, making you feel like you’re in some kind of high class skater park with your bros, but it’s warm, lively atmosphere welcomes it to anyone and everyone! Their menu is fairly priced, simple, and short, proving that they focus on quality, not quantity. Umami’s appetizers are all of what goes great with a good burger, ranging from melt-in-your-mouth truffle fries, sweet and tasty maple bacon fries, and crunchy tempura onion rings.

They offer three different sauces to dip your finger-linkins into as well, so every bite wows you with flavor! Along with the appetizers, the menu has a strictly “green” section for vegetarians that may happen to get dragged into a burger joint, outnumbered by the rest of their meat eating friends. But Umami’s vegetarian selection definitely doesn’t disappoint like you would expect from a place that is known for making beef. They make this amazing “Roasted Portobello” dish that has sherry vinaigrette marinated portobello mushrooms, piquillo peppers, and goat cheese that basically melts in your mouth. Another item they have is called “Truffled Beet,” which consists of truffled ricotta and goat cheese, smoked almonds, wild baby arugula, and truffle dressing.

As you would assume, what fills up most of the menu are their delicious burgers. Some of their most popular ones being;

The “Sunny Side” burger – It has fried egg, parmesan frico, and truffle galore

The “Manly” burger – Lives by its name – containing house-beer cheddar cheese, bacon lardons, smoked-salt union strings, Umami house ketchup, and a mustard spread (yes, Umami makes their own ketchup! That’s how you know other burger places need to CATCH-up!).

Umami’s “K-BBQ” burger – This has got to be the most exotic burger on the menu, inside is gochujang glaze, caramelized kimchi, sesame aioli, Korean ketchup, and scallion-cilantro salad.

All these burgers have two things in common: the most tender and flavorful meat you will ever taste. So soft it immediately crumbles to pieces in your mouth, AND each and every burger is sandwiched between a warm bun that has the letter “U” branded on top for the name of their restaurant, “Umami Burger.” It’s a smart and cute little touch of detail that will reassure customers of all the love and attention their meal received whilst it was being prepared – and that, no doubt – it’s what has given them such great success.

Alyssa
Pilsen, Chicago
Contributor
Instagram: @lyss_lou