Epic Burger Opens Epic Store at Old Orchard

With three locations in Chicago, Epic Burger has already built up a loyal following in the city. Now, the restaurant is set for a major expansion push, with the company planning 12 burger joints by the end of the year.

The first of these opened at Sept. 26, introducing the North Shore to their menu of all-natural made fresh fare.

The counter service restaurant located next to Crate and Barrel was already doing brisk business Friday night, with a big crowd gathered for takeout orders and the dining area nearly full. While there were some adult couples and groups, the place seemed to be dominated by high school students.

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Our server was friendly and efficient, explaining the menu to us and listing all the topping options. She also was able to offer good recommendations on the drink list too. While there’s a big variety of shakes and smoothies, the food menu is limited to beef or turkey burgers and chicken breast or portabella mushroom sandwiches (all $5.99).

After placing our orders we grabbed a seat at one of the wooden booths. Our drinks came out quickly and were easily the best part of the meal. Made with all-natural ice cream and organic milk, the peanut butter malt ($3.89) was thick, rich and flavorful. The Milk N Honey smoothie ($4.79) was also excellent, with bananas, almonds, fat free vanilla yogurt, skim milk and honey blended into a sweet and very smooth drink, given just a little crunch from bits of nuts.

Our burgers came out soon after. The patties are flattened and slightly charred, but still pink in the middle, served on buns baked fresh daily. I got mine with grilled onions, lettuce and pickles and my fiancé opted for a horseradish havarti cheeseburger with Epic sauce, their signature blend of mayo and Thousand Island dressing. Yellow mustard is against the rules at Epic, so we loaded up on Dijon, which worked particularly well with the horseradish cheese. I’m a fan of thicker patties since I like my meat medium rare, but I still found Epic’s burgers thin patties satisfying. They are messy though, and I quickly found my bun falling apart as the juices from the beef soaked through, leaving me grabbing for smaller bits.

Fries ($1.99) are the only available side, but they’re quite good. Fresh cut and cooked in trans-fat free oil and seasoned with sea salt, they’re satisfying and didn’t leave me with an oily aftertaste or salt-parched mouth the way so many other fries do.

Service was very attentive throughout our dinner. Servers came by regularly to check in, clearing away dirty napkins and plates when we were done and just stopping at all the tables to see how people were enjoying things.

With Westfield Old Orchard’s food court replaced with , the mall was in need of good quick dining options. Epic Burger fills that niche. It’s also one of the best places to get a shake or smoothie around, making it well worth a try even if you’re not a burger fan.

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