Quirky and cool local burger joint. Â It was pretty crowded Saturday mid-afternoon which was a good sign. Â We ordered a double burger and some fries. Â Note, everything on a burger doesn't include ketchup. Â You need to ask for it. Â But I like that they're changing up the standard set of condiments for a burger. Â The burger itself was quite tasty and the fries were good. Â Root beer was also delicious. Â I'd definitely come back here if I was having a craving for a good non-chain burger.
Review Source:A neighborhood institution -- my wife was walking there for pizza puffs with her sister 35 years ago. Haven't tried the burgers yet, but I've heard they're better than the hot dogs (which are pretty good, though not the best Chicago dogs I've had). And the fries are very good (and you get a load of them).
Looks like they have a big menu, though -- I'm looking forward to trying a bunch of stuff.
QUICK UPDATE: I forgot to mention -- if you're looking for a very good Chicago dog, you can't do much better in south Evanston than the little cart inside the entrance at Home Depot on Oakton. I think Bill's is great for other things, but those Depot dogs can't be beat.
Hadn't been here in years. I worked there briefly in high school and actually remember the original owner Bill. They used to have a slogan "No fries just chips" crazy that they added fries after all these years. I have to say though having a pretty nasty pizza puff perhaps they should've left the fryers alone. Still a really good greasy cheeseburger that hasn't changed which is why I'm giving them 4 stars. Also looks like they expanded somewhat I remembered it being really cramped on the other side of the counter. LOL!
I also would like to point out what another reviewer already mentioned. They use "Leon's" hot dogs, in Chicagoland that should be outlawed. They're really not that good. Stay away from the hot dogs.
This place far exceeded my expectations. People who say it's a great institution to have in town are absolutely right. We ordered doubles with everything, and the grilled onions. Mine also had hot peppers. I strongly suggest getting grilled onions; the ungrilled onions are fine but the acidity they add is almost overpowering after the mustard and pickle go on. Grilled onions is 0.05 extra. Yes that's right, five cents extra. I thought I wasn't reading the sign right until I got closer but that is indeed what you're going to pay for those onions to be grilled. If you want to get out cheap, just order a burger and bolt, maybe add fries. The double itself goes for an easy $2.60.
The burgers are amazing in their own way. I find it difficult to explain exactly how. Between the bun and the patties and the cheese it's just a great, high-density deliciousness per bite burger. The fries are on the meatier side and very well cooked.
Good burgers, great fries, excellent value! Â This is a mainstay and they deliver a consistently good product. Â This is not a big, thick, juicy burger- these are the thinner, flat-top variety which I love! Â The fries are hand cut and you get a HUGE order of them. Â Don't go to Bill's for the decor, but it's a definite slice of Evanston history!
Review Source:I have been going to Bills for years and can say with certainty that it is the best establishment in the area. The burgers and dogs are made fresh to order, and the service is quick and friendly. The french fries have improved over the years, while the cost has barely increased during that same time period. They also make milkshakes the way they're supposed to be made - with ice cream and milk. Delicious. I return to Bills every time I'm back in south Evanston.
Review Source:One day after being sick for over a week, my boyfriend actually had an appetite and it was for a greasy burger. It wasn't a taste for a gourmet burger on a pretzel bun. It was something that only a diner could deliver. We went to Slim's (which I'll review later) but they were closed for a private event. No big deal. It's Chicago, so there are other places to get a good burger.
Did you know that the majority of stand-alone burger/hotdog places are not open on Sundays? We didn't either, but we found that out the hard way by visiting 6 other places and driving by at least another one. Our ride down Western Avenue took us to Bill's Drive-in which looked promisingly greasy. Plus, it was open.
We went in after running across the street to CVS to get cash (cash only, folks) and were surprised at how inexpensive the burgers were, and that they offered quadruple burgers. That seemed like excessive burger, so he got a double, I got a single. We skipped on the tamales.
We got back in the car to eat and opened the wrappers. The fact that they offer quadruple burgers for less than $5 should have tipped us off that the burgers are thin, but that still wouldn't have prepared me for a burger 3/16th of an inch thick. The burger was ok in terms of flavor, but it was bad bun-to-burger proportion.
This probably was one of the few places I'd never gotten around to eating at in the Howard St. area, and finally got around to trying it while driving inbetween where I was assigned to work in Evanston and Chicago. The burger was very decent, but the fries were the type where there was something that was slightly lacking about them, but were tolerable. (but they are better than Steak 'n Shake's crappy fries) Tried a chocolate shake on a whim over getting a soda(and not knowing when I'll ever be back here), and I did like that. It felt in the end like an improved version of McDonald's, and it's ironic to think McDonald's started as a walk-up burger stand with no seating, just like this place is.
Walking in felt like going back several decades in time, but I loved how cheap their prices were. I'd be very open to coming back here in the future.
Must admit that this is the closest restaurant to where I live and I love old-school diners and hot dog stands, but this place always leaves me hangin' a bit. Maybe I get there at the wrong times or wish they were open past 7pm, but the dogs have always been fairly mushy (I need that snap) and the burgers pretty ordinary. Doesn't hold a candle to kings like Wiener and Still Champion (dogs) and Mustard's Last Stand (burgers) for my Evanston dollar.
Keep on keepin' on, though. I love the old-school vibe and the constant lunchtime crowds. It's a party at Bill's every day!
I cannot see this being run by the original owners. Are you kidding me?
Nowhere like the food TV show filmed it back then. Must have been in the 90's
I recently had a 'filler-dog' that was just blagh. The previous poster I believe is confused or repping some other place.
Go there and eat for your self.
2 stars only because I survived it.
This is not the original Bills Drive In
I grew up on this place. Simply the best hot dogs and burgers period. I put their burgers up against anybody, including all the high end restaurants the Bozo from Chicago Magazine rated recently.
Yes their triple or quad burger is better than the $15 Prairie Moon bun less "#1 burger in Chicago" as rated by the Bozo.
For $15 you could feed a family of four at Bills.
No there not Vienna hot dogs and that's why they are so good! The family that owned this place has been serving the same dogs since at least the fifties. That's as far back as I can go. I can remember when they didn't have fries and fountain drinks only bags of chips and cans of pop.
New owners a few years ago but the same great food.
The BEST hot dogs on a hot bun with mustard, relish, onion, celery salt and thin sliced tomatoes so as not to over power the taste of the dog. Peppers on request.
The BEST burgers/cheesburgers from a single to a quadruple on a slightly toasted bun cooked to order. The patties are thin and you need at least a double. I love the crunchy edges on the bun and the cheese oozing out of the cheeseburgers.
No there's no place to sit down and eat ...stand at the crowded counter or eat in your car or at a picnic bench outside. Who cares where you eat, it's what your eating that's important.
Priced right, great value and taste.
It is great that places like this still exist. You can say retro, old school, it harks back to days when a hot dog stand was a hot dog stand and everything wasn't so sit down. You drive in on one side of the lot, park, go into the stand that was built along the front of the property, eat and drive out on the other side of the lot. Eat either standing up inside the shack (a counter that faces the street), one of the picnic benches outside directly behind the shack (hold onto your napkins) or in your car (no poppy seeds to worry about).
The items on the menu aren't that great, I mean you are not going to start salivating if you're already familiar with this place when I mention going to it. Well, maybe if you are extremely hungry, your main food staple is a bag of Cheetos, recently lit up a bong or in need of a hang over fix. They have a griddle, no grill, hot dog station, fryer and I believe a soft serve machine. 1.6 oz. frozen hamburger patties, Leon Hot Dogs and frozen fries should say it all.
Every time I've ordered, the service generally has been prompt, courteous and friendly. From what I see, the place is still clean. No Vienna or Red Hot Chicago, they offer a breed of dog that is getting even rarer at stands, a Leon. An authentic Tast-e Hast-e style dog can't exist without them, toppings are similiar to what is offered today at Byon's and Murphy's. Hmm, Byron's and Murphy's use a Vienna and Bill's doesn't offer all those garden style toppings. I hate to say it, I just can't stand those Leon's even with regular toppings and one day I tried it with chili, raw onions and cheese. This is the only thing that keeps me ever so often popping into Bills.
Even though I've had better, I'm not going to give an average or bad rating to a mom and pop operation that tries to give value and is consistent in service. They could do better, a Paradise Pup thing, but the value benefit would certainly be lost.
I love this place! What a great find. There is no seating and if you want grilled onions, you better order them when you put your order in. The burgers aren't the largest, but they are so tasty and for around $2 you can get a triple burger.. Also the fries are huge and the shakes are amazing. If you want a cheap meal that is super tasty this is your place!
Review Source:More like Bill's Walk-In. Fast food at its most old-fashioned. No seating, unless you want to sit outside next to a bunch of cars or wander over to the bus stop or whatever. Solid Italian beef, milkshakes made with milk, and a willingness to put anything you like on your burger, assuming they have it--celery salt, hot peppers, grilled onions, whatever. As long as Bill's is there, I see no reason why anyone should ever go to the McDonald's down the street. Fries just a little better than okay, Â generously served. I haven't tried their hot dog, but my dining companion did and didn't like it much. Looks like maybe they changed management a year or so ago, but I don't think much has changed.
Review Source:I learned today that hot dogs are very personal, and you should be careful about taking friends' suggestions because you could be disappointed.
We were talking with a friend about our local favorite hot dog stand, and he recommended Bills Drive In. Â We have driven past there a few times and always meant to try it, but for some reason never did. Â Today was the day, we decided to stop.
We both ordered hot dogs and fries. Â I was really disappointed as soon as I opened the wrapper. Â The hot dog was large, yes, but definitely not a Vienna, and very flavorless. Â The fries were fresh, and the servings were huge, but again, flavorless. Â
I walked away wishing I had just stopped at my usual hot dog stand. Â I will not be going back to Bills Drive-In.
There's something about a burger that has saturated its wrapper with grease. And has most likely made it through the brown paper bag. Oh yes, that is greasy deliciousness.
And its cheap.
Gotta love those lil' burger stands!
(I've always thought of Bill's as a burger joint. Never tried their dogs.)
This was tough. Â If all they made were burgers, they'd get 5 stars. Â But they're known for hot dogs, and I just don't like their hot dogs. Â Their burgers rock however. Â We call them "rubber burgers". Â Always a treat. Â We just plow through a bag of them. Â In a way, like a larger White Castle burger, with more character. Â
Man, what was I thinking when we left RP for HP?
The first time I went to this place, I didn't think it would be too good. But after I had their hotdog and fries I really liked it. Bills Drive-in is a better than most  fast food places. Their prices are also lower than other fast foos places. Not only that, but their strawberry milkshakes are very good.
Review Source:This place looks like a whole in the wall, but they can make a good burger. Â Until a few years ago, it was family owned and operated since the 1940's. Â They changed hands, but the quality still seems pretty good. Â They have hotdogs, burgers, shakes, fries and some extras. Â It is leaps and bounds above any of the fast food chains.
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