Trying the New Burger Place that I Didn't Know Existed

I was over at Old Orchard, heading in to Crate and Barrel when I noticed a new burger joint right next door.  I had never heard of Epic Burger before, but by the time I was done shopping, I was ready for red meat.  Also, my friends, family and colleagues expect me to know everything about every place to have lunch in Cook County - I am still in trouble for not trying Smashburger yet.

So.  The motto is "a more mindful burger" and while I was standing in line, I noticed the ketchup bottles on the table were Heinz Organic.  I knew not to bother asking for fries with cheese sauce.  When I reached the front of the line, I asked how big the burgers were.  I may have mentioned that since I gave up the giving up of junk food, I have gotten serious about kid-sizing.

The regular burger is 1/3 pound (there is an option for a double) and a junior is 1/4 pound.  I ordered a junior cheeseburger.  The cheese options were "blue, cheddar and havarti".  I went with havarti.  They also have a fried egg option (which seems to be getting more popular these days) and nitrate-free bacon.  And plenty of other stuff, although now that I think about it, I don't remember seeing avocado.

Avocado makes everything better.

 The bun appeared to be fresh made and was grilled with butter.  The havarti involved horseradish, which I would absolutely not have done if I had known, but it was only one slice so it didn't overwhelm the meat.  Overall, it was very tasty.  The fries were crispy, which isn't always the case when they are fresh cut.  Along with the organic Heinz on the table was a bottle of Grey Poupon, but they make you walk over to the condiment display to get a shaker of salt.  That's just not normal.  I'd call it hardcore, but they aren't really hardcore because they do have a soda fountain that includes phosphoric acid (even if it is Pepsi products).

I paid what I would normally pay for lunch out..$8 or $10.  The seating area was clean, but I could see it being very cramped during the lunch rush.  The staff was pleasant.  My table was bussed before I had my coat on, which turns some people off.  But again - lunch rush.

Then I came home and checked out the website.  It includes nutritional information, so I plugged in my meal.  1279 calories, minus whatever the difference between a regular and a junior burger and the fact that I didn't eat all of the fries.  Not tragic for a burger and fries, and I was hella full.

I think I can recommend it.