The Bad Apple Bar / Burger Joint / Restaurant

Lincoln Square, Chicago –

A haven for beer and burger lovers, neighborhood favorite The Bad Apple combines a sizeable drinks list with a gut-busting menu of gourmet beef sure to satiate even the hungriest hipster, college student, or area yuppie.

Sure, there are a few fancy sandwiches available like seared pork belly and braised brisket, but most of the casual young professionals who crowd the bar in the front room are there for creative hamburgers like El Chupacabra (topped with goat chili) or the Wagyu, a forty-five day dry-aged prime rib of marbled oleaginous awesomeness.

Nearly 180 different beers can accompany a meal, so whether patrons stick to the bar or venture into the pair of dining rooms in back, they can sip everything from basic PBR to Wild Blossom Apple Cinnamon Mead.

Lined in exposed brick and full of earthy colors, the entire space is minimally decorated, though revolving art displays regularly change the tone of the rooms, and pinball, shuffleboard, and free board games get ample use by children and children-at-heart alike.

The late dinner crowd packs in every evening when both the sheer number of people and the jukebox are sure to raise a ruckus, especially on Fridays and Saturdays when peak hours can mean an hour wait for a table.

But with so many beers to try and such a distinctly laid-back vibe, waiting inside The Bad Apple really isn’t that bad at all.