Best Outdoor Dining Burgers Restaurants in Chicago
11 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
LUXBAR
A polished Gold Coast bar where truffle fries and burgers anchor cocktails and people-watching.
Notable Picks
#1
LUXBAR
8.6
LUXBAR is a Gold Coast standby where truffle fries and hand-cut fries come out alongside Gibsons-group burgers, steaks, and cocktails. The corner patio and upstairs rooms make it as useful for late-afternoon snacks and drinks as for full burger-and-fries dinners.
Must-Try Dishes:
Truffle Fries, Lux Royale Burger, Classic Burger with Fries
What Makes it Special: A polished Gold Coast bar where truffle fries and burgers anchor cocktails and people-watching.
#2
Mott St
8.6
Mott St is an Asian-influenced restaurant whose cult-favorite Mott Burger has become one of Chicago’s most talked-about burgers, backed by a Bib Gourmand nod and a serious cocktail program. The burger’s double patties, hoisin depth, and sweet potato shoestrings draw burger hunters to Wicker Park as much as the rest of the ambitious menu.
Must-Try Dishes:
Mott Burger, Mott Burger + Egg, King Crab Rice
What Makes it Special: A Michelin-recognized Asian restaurant serving one of Chicago’s most influential burgers.
8.5
Small Cheval’s Riverside outpost is a fast-casual spin on Au Cheval’s famed burger, dropping thick, griddled patties, melty cheese, and dijonnaise into a stripped-down menu. Office workers and river walkers line up for cheeseburgers, fries, and shakes with rare waterfront seating in the middle of the Loop.
Must-Try Dishes:
Cheeseburger, Bacon Cheeseburger, Fries with garlic aioli
What Makes it Special: A stripped-down, riverfront offshoot of Au Cheval focused almost entirely on burgers, fries, and shakes.
#4
Gutenburg
8.3
Gutenburg brings chef Jorge Kauam’s German-inspired smash burgers to a compact Lakeview space with counter ordering and a small patio. Opened in the mid-2020s after a Time Out Market residency, it leans on rich, layered burgers and sweet potato fries loaded with honey brown butter and blue cheese.
Must-Try Dishes:
Egg and Truffle burger, Gutenburg burger, Sweet potato fries with honey and blue cheese
What Makes it Special: German-inspired smash burgers with chef-driven toppings served in a bright, design-forward Lakeview storefront.
8.2
A big-format sports bar that actually works outdoors: the patio keeps the energy high while giving you room to stretch a game-day session into a full meal. The food lane is best when you stay decisive—one fries/nachos anchor plus one handheld main—so everything hits the table hot and shareable.
Must-Try Dishes:
Loaded waffle fries, Burgers, Nachos
What Makes it Special: Sports-bar scale with a true outdoor-seating setup for long hangs.
8.2
Vibes:
Brewery & Beer Garden Republic
Outdoor Dining Oasis
Group Dining Gatherings
Trendy Table Hotspots
The Bad Apple in North Center pairs a serious craft beer list with a deep burger menu that ranges from a straightforward house burger to more elaborate builds like Elvis’s Last Supper and Slow Burn. With thousands of online reviews and a long run as a neighborhood standby, it’s where locals go when they want a sit-down burger with upgraded fries, wings, and patio seating.
Must-Try Dishes:
The Bad Apple Burger, Elvis's Last Supper burger, Slow Burn burger
What Makes it Special: Craft-beer bar where the burger list is as serious as the taps.
8.2
The Moonlighter is a Logan Square sports bar from the Scofflaw team, pairing classic and vegan wings with burgers, tacos, and a large, dog-friendly patio. All-day and early-evening happy hour deals on drinks and bar bites make it an easy neighborhood move for wings with a crowd.
Must-Try Dishes:
Traditional Wings with house sauces, Vegan Wings (Mesquite), Loaded Tots
What Makes it Special: Dog-friendly sports bar where classic and vegan wings share space with a big patio.
8.1
Little Toasted is a coffee-and-whiskey gastropub with a riverfront patio where the LT Burger anchors a menu of toasts, sandwiches, and bar snacks. It’s popular with commuters and office workers who want a burger with craft beer or whiskey rather than a purely fast-food experience.
Must-Try Dishes:
LT Burger, LT Burger with bacon, House fries
What Makes it Special: A riverside gastropub pairing a solid house burger with serious whiskey, coffee, and patio seating.
South Branch Tavern & Grille is a big, riverfront New American tavern built for Loop office crowds, with a sprawling patio, long beer list, and a menu that runs from burgers and tacos to big salads. It anchors after-work drinks, corporate lunches, and game-day gatherings when you want something livelier than a white-tablecloth steakhouse.
Must-Try Dishes:
Bang Bang Shrimp, Buffalo Chicken Wrap, Cowboy Salad
What Makes it Special: A large-format riverfront tavern where New American comfort food, TVs, and a big patio all collide in one space.
Worthy Picks
7.8
A café-market hybrid where the surprise is that the Smash Burger belongs in the conversation, not just the coffee and baked goods. It’s a daytime play—order, grab a seat, and treat the burger as lunch fuel rather than a late-night craving.
Must-Try Dishes:
Smash Burger, Breakfast Sandwich, Seasonal Pastries
What Makes it Special: A coffee-and-market spot where the lunch smash burger actually hits.
7.7
A neighborhood tavern that plays like a hangout first—sports, karaoke/trivia energy, and a broad comfort-menu with BBQ-leaning staples. Treat it as a ribs-and-wings stop with drinks, and you’ll get the most reliable version of the experience.
Must-Try Dishes:
BBQ ribs, Chicken wings, Pulled pork sandwich
What Makes it Special: A locals-first bar-and-grill with BBQ staples plus event-night energy.