Cortland's Garage



(Cortland Street Burger)


I’m embarrassed to say I lived in Chicago for so long and had previously never visited Cortland’s, aside from one random (and somewhat inebriated) stumble upon a handful of years ago. Voted as having one of the top burgers in Chicago by Chicago Magazine in the ’09 mega-burger breakdown, as well as possessing quite a strong WOM following, the Fiend had to make it one of the final stops in the city before jetting away.

In addition, this little venture was also quite groundbreaking as I’m pleased to introduce a Chicago burgering comrade in crime – the Burger Banshee – who is the first featured guest blogger on the Fiend.

Alas, the menu options are quite vast at Cortland’s, so it was decided beforehand that we would each pick a cut and then collectively decide upon a third to sample. The Banshee picked the 18th Street, The Fiend chose the Ashland Avenue, and the Cortland Street would prove to be the wildest of wild cards.



(Ashland Avenue Burger)


The Ashland Avenue was the first item that jumped out when I first perused the menu descriptions, however I knew from the start that I was treading in murky water with that decision. Overall it was pretty tasty, however I’ve had similar burgers with the same toppings and ingredients (BBQ pulled pork), including the infamous and beloved Led Zeppelin at Kuma’s, so the bar had somewhat been established. The Banshee agreed: “I’ve had better versions of this concept.”

The next was the 18th Street, the choice of the Banshee, which sounded amazing on paper (carne asada, pico de gallo, guac, tortilla strips, chipotle mayo, etc.), but never really followed through in execution. The Banshee exclaimed: “I liked all the ingredients, but thought that in the end there was just too much going on and the real flavor of the burger got lost in the shuffle. And it was a tad messy/hard to keep together.”



(18th Street Burger)


And the Fiend couldn’t concur more, something that’s been lamented numerous times before. So let’s take a few seconds to revisit that school of thought.

In the world of the burger patty – which let’s be honest is the reason why you’re actually eating a “hamburger” to begin with, or at least in theory should be – nine out of 10 times working with less is so much more grand and exactly why a simple burger will typically win in the end. Less confusion; pure mastication.

Driving home that point is the third choice, the original Cortland Street, which was by far the best of the three that evening – thus proving that one shouldn’t wander far from the signature sandwich upon first encounter. Especially if it’s an award winner and it’s stupidly simple (see aforementioned rant above).

The toppings of the Cortland Street (white cheddar, smoked bacon, onion strings, etc.) were fresh and perfectly in chorus, including texture. “It had a nice combo of ingredients, especially the bacon and onion rings, which gave the right balance of flavor to accompany the burger itself,” said the Banshee.

Regardless, the beef across the board is extremely good quality and the reason why Cortland’s burgers are top-shelf. Rich, velvety, seasoned to perfection – a prescription for repetitious abuse.

Ohhh, and the Banshee wanted to note that the parmesan fries were a wonderful companion to the meal. The frosty craft beers certainly didn’t hurt either.

All in all, the Fiend and the Banshee both agree...if you’re looking for a good Wicker Park watering hole and jonesin’ for a burger fix, the Garage will be there and waiting to please.

Cortland’s Garage
1645 West Cortland Street
Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 862-7877
www.cortlandsgarage.com