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Sep 2009  |  By Julie Chernoff  |  Comments (2)

Chicago's Hop Haus: One Heck of a Burger

TAGS: Hop Haus, burger, dining, Julie Chernoff review

Sunday nights mean one thing in our house: comfort food. One recent Sunday night, after a long day of rehearsals, meetings, and no grocery shopping, nothing was going to be more comforting that going out for a big, juicy burger.

After some internal family debate over favorite burger haunts, my husband pointed out a coupon from a new joint just south of Howard Street: the Hop Häus. Open just a month at the time (late April), it was—wait for it—hopping.

The original Hop Häus in River North was a big hit, so corporate parent Leona's Restaurants took a chance on the Rogers Park (nearly Evanston) location. So far, it looks to be paying off.

This is a sports bar you can bring your family to. The dining room is separated from the front bar by a large mural wall depicting Chicago sports legends through the ages. On the walls hang hysterical sports blooper shots that had us in stitches and made for great conversation.

The room is ringed by flat screen televisions that play sports and music videos as well as whatever big games are currently on. The vibe is energetic and fun, with cool lighting fixtures, lots of wood paneling and red walls.

The beer list is impressive, and separated into "Draft", "Bohemian" and "Bourgeois". We were pleased with our choice of the locally brewed Goose Island 312, a crispy, fruity draft ale ($5) that paired well with the bar food. There were many app options, including 8 versions of "Wicked Wings" (Spicy Thai, Jamaican Jerk, etc.), but we split an appetizer of Spinach and Artichoke Dip ($7.95), which came with stone-ground tortilla chips, and it was a step up from most, filled with big chunks of artichoke hearts, cheesy and addictive. We scraped that puppy clean.

Thankfully, we didn't try any of the myriad other appetizer choices, because the burgers are a meal unto themselves. After much mulling and waffling over more than 20 possible burgers, including "Wild Miniburgers" of lamb, kangaroo, ostrich, or buffalo, we chose the Mexican (Brickman's pepperjack cheese, sliced avocado and chipotle sauce); the Bistro (Havarti and pepperjack cheeses, bacon, roasted onions, and bistro garlic sauce); and the Sauteed 'Shrooms (sautéed mushrooms, Swiss cheese, and garlic parmesan sauce).

All burgers were $8.95 and were served on perhaps the best burger bun I have ever been party to: a housemade pretzel roll that was the perfect foil for the juicy meat and accoutrements, with just enough bite. They come with pickle salsa, homemade veggie slaw (shredded carrots, broccoli, peppers and cabbage in a creamy ranch dressing), and your choice of mac & cheese, string bean salad or the Häus fries, which are skin-on, seasoned potato wedges.

My daughter was in a pizza mood – not feeling the burger that night – and ordered a 10" individual pie ($7.25 and up), which arrived piping hot, the crispy-thin crust offsetting the oozy cheese nicely. She had her choice of 25 different toppings, including all the usual suspects, along with roasted garlic, bleu cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes. Or choose one of their house combination's, like Buffalo Chicken (buffalo sauce, chicken breast, chopped celery, bleu and mozzarella cheeses) or even Cheeseburger (thanks, but if I want a cheeseburger, I am getting it on that amazing bun).

Service was friendly and reasonably quick. All dressings, breads, and desserts are house made daily. Hop Häus is now open for weekend breakfasts, and the menu looks daunting, with everything from scrambled skillets to fresh waffles and a Bloody Mary Bar. The outdoor beer garden is open now. The price is right, the place is fun, and the burgers are great. What more comfort do you need?