Custom House Tavern: The Burger

Posted by Edmund in Chicago, Featured Articles, Gastropub, Restaurants | 0 comments

Jan 05, 11

Cuisine: American, Bar Food.
Location: 500 South Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60605-1532.
Price: $14 for a burger, $6 for fries.

When I think of “tavern,” I always think of a run-down, outdated pub serving up dirty grub in a shady part of town. I know that’s a little bit stereotypical, but a bar’s typically just a bar, lacking the refined cuisine and fare of a restaurant.

Thus, Chicago’s Custom House Tavern is somewhat of a playful misnomer. While it serves up a whole menu of “tavern fare,” that fare is anything but tavern-quality, instead being high on presentation and taste. That fare, moreover, comes in one of the nicer-looking casual eateries in town, located centrally right in the loop, with full restaurant-quality service. That to me sounds like a recipe for success. When I also heard that Custom House Tavern serves up one of the “best” burgers in town, I just had to see for myself. It was just too good to be true.

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I headed over for lunch during St. Patrick’s Day. I thought it might be a bit crowded, considering the day, but nothing really hits the spot like good bar food on St. Patty’s. Surprisingly, though, as I walked in I noticed that the restaurant was completely empty. In fact, never during my meal were more than a couple tables filled. I’m not sure if the ongoing festival had drawn the crowds away, but it was still surprising to see an acclaimed restaurant in the center of the city practically deserted, and I began to fear that the restaurant wasn’t quite as good as I’d heard.

Regardless, the ambience is quite jazzy, especially for a restaurant serving tavern fare. What I especially like is that Custom House Tavern is the type of place that’s both formal and informal at the same time, so you feel comfortable regardless of how you’re dressed. The dining room is very small, with only a few tables and a long, 10-seat bar. For what it is, though, it’s very tastefully done. The walls can be a bit bland, boasting very neutral colors, like grays, and very few paintings. However, the bar area is so large and placed so directly in sight that you don’t feel like the place is so empty, since the dining area is rather confined. Plus, the music is jazzy and very trance-like, with a lot of energetic beats. In turn, I can imagine this place getting very lively, especially at nights.

As for the service, it’s nothing to brag about. My waitress was amiable, would make some conversation, etc. My one big problem was just how slow everything was. I was seated in a very, very small room, to the point that you have to try to avoid someone not to see what’s going on. Yet, I couldn’t even get my waitress’s attention for a single beer. I kept on waving, but my waitress just didn’t look at all in my direction, afterwards going to the back for a good 5 minutes or so. I actually had to call the bartender over to get some service. And then, just as the bartender brought out the beer, my waitress suddenly showed up. I really don’t know what was going on, but it felt like I didn’t even have a waitress for a while.

Regardless, I actually enjoyed the Tavern Burger, an extremely simple burger that comes with Wisconsin cheddar, sourdough brioche, a house pickle, and a few vegetables. The meat is extremely thick and juicy, and it was actually medium as I asked it, with just a small bit of redness on the inside. It’s not mushy or clumpy, and it doesn’t crumble, though in the very center it may not be cooked exactly perfectly. Still, it has a great smokiness and is very nicely seasoned with a lot of pepper.

The other major ingredients are just as good, too. The bun is very thick, helping to support the weight of this massive burger with ease. The inside of the bun seems like it’s cooked in some oil (olive oil I’d presume), which gives it a nice, flavorful softness, even though it’s also very nicely crisped. Moreover, the cheese is so good that it just steals the show. It’s perfectly gooey, so it gets all over the burger. The flavor, too, is right on. It’s aged cheddar, so it has a mature semi-bitterness and a very moderate taste. I love how smoky it is, really complementing the beef. Finally, the sauce just brings it all together, with a slightly sweet chili (?) spice. It tastes a lot like a combination of BBQ sauce with peppercorn, in a very satisfying way.

There are just a few problems here: The burger has a pretty oily aftertaste, you don’t really get any of the freshness of the veggies, and the meat can at times be cooked imperfectly at the very center. The other ingredients don’t really come through so much, either, though the arugula does add a slight, refreshingly herby quality. All in all, though, this burger is a success. Score: 4.1+/5.0

No burger would be complete, however, without some fries, and luckily Custom House does a very good, though not fantastic, job with its version. The fries are not too thin and not too thick, so you get a lot of potato starch without being overwhelmed. They are also very nicely crisped, even golden, giving you a good crunch in every bite. As an added bonus, they’re very nicely seasoned with some fresh herbs (parsley I want to say) and salt (even though it’s overdone), which give them some flavor to counteract their extreme oiliness. That salt is the major problem, though, as the fries are so heavily salted that you can even see the salt! These fries definitely do need the ketchup to balance the salt. Score: 3.3/5.0

The price is a bit of a turnoff, too. The burger and fries combined come out to about $20, a pretty normal price for restaurant food but still pricey for a burger, especially when that burger uses almost no truly gourmet or costly ingredients. Nor do the ambience and especially the service make up for that price tag.

Custom House Tavern, then, thrills in some ways but disappoints in others. While the burger is nearly as good as they say, the setting, the service, and the price cannot match the excellence of that burger. The idea of a classy tavern sounds great on paper, but I’m just not sure it comes together as planned. Regardless, I’d still come for a good burger.

Scores

Ambience: 3.0/5.0
Service: 1.0/5.0
Taste: 3.8/5.0
Value: 2.5/5.0
Overall Score for the Burger (value included): 4.0/5.0
Overall Score for the Restaurant: 2.5/5.0