what i ate- the blackie burger
came here for a quick lunch. though the restaurant was crowded we were seated quickly. but service after that was a bit slow and our waiter was hard to understand. we ordered immediately since we were on a tight lunch schedule, but 1 person in our group of 3 still ended up having to switch his order to go since it took a while to get our food.
i was disappointed in the burger. mine was overcooked and the onions were undercooked. the meat itself lacked seasoning so i had to use bbq sauce for some flavor. and the bacon was not very crispy and didnt add much to the burger. overall a disappointing burger that i wont be back for a second try.
An old standby, you can't go wrong with Blacks. Â Burgers are excellent, food overall is average to slightly above average. Â Been to many a happy hour here and what stands out most about Blackies is the service is always super prompt. Â They're a well oiled machine when it comes to pumping out food and drinks. Â
It could definitely stand a remodel, but it is what it is, a burger and beer bar.
I took my friend here to get a quick "Birthday Bite." Â We quickly decided in choosing a place, that it could not be anything healthy.
The place was clean, but empty. Â At 2pm on a Wednesday, we weren't expecting crowds, but maybe a few more occupied tables.
The waitress was very pleasant and attentive. Â She even took my friend's phone to get charged by the bar.
We ate a variety of appetizers, including fries, quesadillas, and spuds. Â Everything was hot and fattening, just like you would expect the best bar food to be!
I'd definitely like to try it again. Â This time the regular lunch menu.
I agree with John H's July posting. Â Blackies used to be my favorite place for burgers in Chicago. I used to brag about how amazing the burgers were. Â I have not been there in a long time, however, because my office moved and I'm not close by. Â I was raving so much to a friend that we decided to go for lunch today. Â Wow, this place has really tanked in quality. Â My friend and I both ordered medium rare burgers, his was cooked right, mine was medium/medium well. Â I asked for grilled onions on my burger, and if they had them, carmelized onions (they used to have them). Â My burger had no onions. Â I asked the guy who brought it out if I could get some, he said yes, I never saw him again. Â In fairness, the waiter offered to bring me another burger which I declined. Â I mentioned the onions and asked for some grilled onions. Â He brought raw.
And he also asked if the manager came by to talk to me, I said no, but said not to worry. Â Even so, I would have sent the manager, or maybe knocked something off? Â Nothing. Â The bun was very dry in my mouth, and the overall taste of the burger was just not as good as it used to be. Oh yeah, and we were there for an hour and nobody refilled our drinks a single time. Â I am bummed. Â Switching to Monks.
Had a party of 12 for lunch at Blackie's, and it was an enjoyable one. Everyone got something different, and everything looked amazing. The sandwiches had awesome bread and tons of options. The salads were big and had the general selections. They have a great selection of drinks if you are interested, and the staff was friendly and pretty quick, especially for lunch rush and with 12 people.
No real complaints, it just didn't blow my mind enough to earn 5 stars. It is a bit on the pricier side for lunch but it's the loop, cmon. Overall I recommend it!
Atmosphere: 7/10
Service: 8/10
Food: 8/10
Not too shabby. Met my boyfriend and one of his pals here for dinner one evening after work. It was a little crowded and loud for my tastes, but hey, it was a Thursday after work in the loop a block from the train...I can't blame them.
The beer was cold. The burgers were huge and cooked just the way I like it: A little moo and a lot of flavor.
They were incredibly accommodating, as I had a few substitutes/changes, but they were also really slow on the service. It took 15 minutes to get a beer and even longer for a water. In fact, I never got the water I requested. Of course, I wasn't dying of thirst, as I had my frosty brew, but you know...service and such... important methinks.
Overall, not a bad after-work hangout for a few cocktails and a snack.
This place USED to have awesome burgers, but they've really gone downhill. Â The burger patties are about 2/3 the size that they used to be, look preformed and taste as if they may have been frozen. Â The bun quality has also declined. Â Their 'homestyle" fries, which used to be great, now come out over-fried.
I used to love this place, but am unlikely to return for food. Â They get a 2 instead of a 1 because they had Two Brothers' Bitter End on draught.
I just came from this place for lunch so I need to write this review while it is fresh on my mind considering how HORRIBLE the experience was. It's a beautiful day outside (which every Chicagoan knows is few and far between) and Blackies seemed to single handedly ruin my great summertime mood.
I was already bummed that all the tables were full on the patio (which is expected for a nice Friday afternoon), so were were seated in the over air conditioned table right under a vent in the back of the restaurant. Fiiiiiine, I guess this will do. Our waitress was pretty prompt with taking our orders, but why exactly does it take 45 minutes to make a shrimp wrap and 2 chicken sandwiches? No one came to our table and apologized for the inconvenience, no compd appetizer or drinks, I mean COME ON 45 minutes? And for those who think I am exaggerating, we ordered our food at 11:55am and didn't get our plates until 12:42pm. Seriously?
Not to mention that my diet coke was flat and when I got my shrimp wrap, the shrimp was ice cold. So you had my food sitting there for 30 minutes and refused to get it to my table? It was flavorless, bland, cold and disgusting. I will never (and when I say never, I do mean NEVER) come back to this establishment again, go at your own risk.
I have been to Blackies several times and always leave thinking that everything was just okay, not good or great. Â I have had the chopped salad which is very good. Â The most recent time I went I had a patty melt and fries and an iced tea. Â The patty melt was awesome. Â I highly recommend it! Â The fries which used to be so delicious were not the same. Â They tasted like they were not fully cooked through - gross! Â The service was okay but that is never great. Â Good burgers and salad but that's it.
Review Source:The location is great (office and customers in same & neighboring buildings) and there is plenty of room at the bar.
After that the place is sort of average. The beer selection is pretty much all macro stuff although they occasionally have New Belgium which makes up for this. The prices are low, but the service is below average so you get what you pay for. The burgers are good but they are a bit on the pricey side. There are other places nearby that have much better ones for the same price or slightly lower.
So when feeling lazy and ok with average beer this place is ok. If you have time and want better beer keep on walking.
This place has SUCH promise - so close to the metra and Union Station, so close to my work, they sell beer....
Unfortunately, they decide to mess up this perfect equation with the ambiance. B96-esque music blasting and breaking up conversations makes it tough to calm down after a long day of work. If it's sunny outside, good luck on finding some comfortable seating that is not near a loud bunch of people.
Perhaps this place is only meant for those hard of hearing?
I work in the building where this restaurant is located.
Used to eat here often and was reasonably satisfied with the product - it makes for an easy lunch decision when it's snowing and cold outside or you have little time to eat.
The burgers are now much smaller, and cost $10 - no fries - just cole slaw a slice of tomato and a piece of lettuce. Â Ask for your burger to be cooked medium and it will come back dripping blood. Â
This place has changed and not for the better. Â I hate McDonald's, but the next time I want a burger I would consider a quarter pounder before I get Blackie's again.
Had the Tough Guy, the double burger on the menu, with no bun as usual and blue cheese (one among their impressive cheese selection), and they covered the bastard in it. I even ate a french fry for science. It was a broad, slim chip and freakin' delicious.
I like the dark pub atmosphere. Would definitely try the Blackie's burger next, though I'd order it with double the grilled onions my dining companion's came out with.
Although I'm now sitting at my desk at the workplace, borderline coma from this heavy lunch, I'm still happy with the food here.
I have to say, the cod sandwich I ordered was bangin! The homemade tarter sauce was yummy, and the damn coleslaw stole the show! The steak fries were like, "we're not actually cow, but please believe, we're just as good". This place was banging, and definitely not expensive for the amount of food they bestow upon you.
Good eats, here, good eats.
What a travesty! Â What a miscarriage of justice!
No, I'm not talking about the recently "concluded" Rod Blagojevich trial. Â I'm talking about the case against the former owner of the Boston Blackie's chain. Â I mean, the guy might be guilty as sin, but if it takes relieving him from legal purgatory to improve the chain, than I hope the system fails.
Seriously, though, if you want to talk about injustice, one needs only look to the drink sizes at this location of Blackie's. Â I was recently having a bad week and a wise girl told me, "if life gives you lemons, drink vodka lemonade." Â So on a post-work outing, I tried to do just that. Â For $6, they might have tried to put just a smidgen of vodka in my happy maker. Â I mean, the beer specials aren't horrible (though the choices are basically Miller Lite and Miller Lite), but isn't the old saying, "if your life's in the clear, then you should drink beer?" Â I need a little bit stronger a drink sometimes!
The food is better proportioned. Â That is, except for the appetizers (which are the only vegetarian choices on the menu besides salads). Â And these are full meal priced. Â For four small potato skins, I would not expect to pay almost ten dollars after tax. Â But here I did.
Maybe the new owners are funneling the pure profits on food and drink to the old owner's legal defense of something!
Perhas the yuppie and douchebag crowd that frequents here is used to being gouged but I'm sure they're not as fond of being ignored. Â And that's just what the servers will do. Â It doesn't matter the time of day, either - a crowded lunch or a less crowded set of after-work drinks will be equally poorly attended.
Now there are not a lot of places to congregate after work in the West Loop so it's certainly understandable (to a point) that Blackie's takes advantage of the law of supply and demand. Â But they better watch it or they might end up on the wrong side of a more physical law - charged with a case of highway robbery!
Came her with a friend for a chat/ catch-up session on a Wednesday evening about 5:30. Â Empty. Â Filled up about 6pm. Â On the inside, it could be any bland chain place. Â Wood tables, some booths some chairs, bar. Â Really plain. Dim light and good music was a plus. Â And there are PLENTY of tvs around if you're trying to catch a game.
Ordered some drinks, and 2 burgers. Â Burgers came and it was a burger on a plate with a side of cole slaw. Â I don't think much of places that really think you come to restaurants to get cole slaw. Puh-leease.
I had mushroom burger. Â Was good, really really dry. Â I had homed maybe fries came with it, (I think their called home fries here,) but they didn't, and waitress didn't mention "do you want fries" or anything. Â Although she was friendly and did stop by regularly to ask if we wanted new beers.
This place was about $40 for about 5 beers and 2 burgers. Â So we'd go again because of its CLOSE proximity to Ogilvie train station, and the price, but otherwise- I'd have no reason to be back....
Boston Blackies is a fairly cliche place with American food. Â The burgers are decent, but nothing to write home about. Â The interior is a little old, but fairly nice and the service is fairly normal.
I don't "not recommend" this place, but I rate it down a little bit because I have had much better from other similar establishments. Â Not a terrible option though, just nothing to write home about.
Atmosphere: Lunch rush, burger joint
Price: Fair
Service: Typical old school cold and rushed, no personality
Food: Above average
I arrived late for lunch with a small group of people, when I arrived they were being served, so I asked for a diet coke and chicken sandwich, they said it would be quick.
It was it arrived within 3 minutes, WOW! and it was delicious. Coleslaw was good too.
I'm a fan....
Lunchtime mediocrity.
My lunch companion and I arrived around 12:30 and managed to get seated at a booth fairly quickly. Â Unfortunately, that was about the only big thing Blackies had going for it.
It took far too long to get drinks ordered. Â Apparently I missed a posted sign somewhere about a water shortage because neither one of us were offered any from the beginning nor got any refills once we did get glasses. Â Mid-lunch, I was ready to go outside and get a drink from the river. Â Yeah, I was that desperate.
Our server was mostly absent. Â We only saw her enough times to order food/drinks, grab her attention for another empty plate to share some food, and get the bill. Â It was busy in there, though I'd guess no more so than any other lunchtime.
The burgers are pretty good, though not even close to great. Â I'm not sure what the hype is over them. Â I tried the Oliveburger, which is a burger piled high with chopped pimiento green olives. Â I ordered it medium, and it was actually cooked medium, which was a pleasant surprise. Â
We split a side house salad, and I'm glad. Â For just under $3.50, a big pile of iceberg lettuce, one slice of tomato, and a dish of dressing seems like rip off city. Â Yes, it clearly states on the menu that the salad is made of iceberg lettuce, I realize that. Â It seems a bit steep when that's one of the only healthier alternative sides.
The location to my office is convenient and you can get out of there without doing major damage to your wallet. Â I'll leave Blackie's as an substitute to a lunchtime sandwich joint. Â However, I'm certainly not rushing back, unless I bring the camelpack as backup.
My friends took me to Boston Blackie's on my last day of work. Â The place was packed, but we managed to get a table for the 6 of us pretty quickly. Â We all had burgers. Â They were excellent.
The restaurant itself is a typical in-town lunch and drinks place. Â I haven't been, but I would guess that the happy hour crowd is pretty good, too.
I don't work in the neighborhood any more, but I am looking for an excuse to get out there and try Boston Blackie's burgers again.
Four words: cut up hot dog. Â
Here's the back story. Working late, needed food, Boston Blackies close by. Â I didn't want that much food so I got two appeteasers. Â So, I choose hot dog bites and spuds.
What the heck kind of decision did I make? Â Hot dog bites.... CUT UP HOT DOG! Â There was a pint of bbq sauce, and 10 pieces of cut up hot dog. IT WAS CUT UP HOT DOG!!!! Can you feel the level of WTFness I am feeling right now? I thought there was going to be something around the hot dog, some bread, something! I got nothin'. Just cut up hot dog.
Now, on to the spuds. Â SOOOOO greasy, but they were good. If you could withstand the amounts of grease pooling on the bottom of the take out container, then you may like it. Â I ate it, but then felt ill.
In all fairness, people that got the burgers were happy with them, and their fries were like thicker homemade potato chips-which were good.
I, however, will probably not go there again. Â
CUT UP HOT DOG.
I'm not sure it really matters which Blackies your review is based on since they're one in the same. I frequent this location more than the others because it's close to my office, but have been to 3 of the 500 locations in the city. Not really 500, but close enough.
If you go for lunch make sure to either go really early or well past the lunch rush, I'd say after 1:00. I went for lunch last week with a group and we were able to make a reservation because there were 5 of us. Not only that, but, they asked if we preferred indoor or outdoor seating (we chose outdoor) and were told that if it wasn't weather appropriate they would have a table for us inside. We arrived right on time and were seated promptly, which I believe pissed off the dozen or so people waiting for a table. It was my birthday so we were treated to a complimentary slice of ice cream cake that was large enough for all 5 of us to share. I went back today with one  friend, got there around 11:45, and we were seated immediately inside. No line, no waiting.
The food is good, but be warned the portions are huge. I'm partial to the jumbo hot dog, which should really be named "Cardiac Arrest on a Bun", and top that with cheese, please. The onion rings are more than a little delicious. My friend, the responsible one in the group, had a salad that looked equally good. My only complaint: we were rushed more than a little during our meal. The waiter/busboy kept coming by every 5-7 minutes to see if we were done eating, so I finally told him to chill out and when we were done we'd let him know.
It's great for outdoor dining and outdoor drinking after work, weather permitting. I like the coziness of the inside, and am already envisioning a fall/winter lunch inside with a nice bowl of soup. And a side of onion rings.
I was honestly surprised the prices were so reasonable for a popular loop lunch hangout. Â I can totally see a restaurant raising their prices because they know there's not very many places to eat, but their food was great and reasonably priced. Â
That being said, I was also pleasantly surprised that we didn't have to wait for a table inside even though it was 12:30, the height of the lunch hour. Â I had the fish and chips and it was fabulous. Â The fish was battered in something unusual (possibly Corn Flakes?) and it was awesome. Â The fries were also great as well as the side of homemade Cole slaw. Â My boyfriend ordered the Caesar salad and it was also great - tons of big, homemade croutons and great tasting dressing. Â
Service was also great; our server was super polite and very prompt. Â He came around when he knew we needed him and stayed away when he knew we just wanted to eat. Â He was also very quick with the pop refills. Â
Only two problems: hard to eat outside (and that's only an issue if you even care about the patio seating) and it was pretty darn cold inside. Â Even though it was about 90 the day that we ate there, I was freezing by the time we left the restaurant. Â It was slightly uncomfortable but I still had a pleasant experience, anyway.
Lunch here is near impossible with the Chads that work nearby crowding this place...so stagger your lunch. I like their burgers, the salads are good but would love to see more than 3 on the menu! Had their Chicago style Hot Dog once and wow- this thing can only be described as mythic. It's the thickest hot dog I've ever seen and damn good. But I swear I got a hangover after eating it, the saltiness sucked all the H20 right outta my body!
Oh, and this place has a great outdoor seating area, and is good for afterwork drinks. Who's joining me Friday??
Ick. Â I don't like this place! Â I have come to believe it is my lunchtime version of hell. Â My reasons?
1. Heavy LP Chad crowd. Â Yes, you know who you are, thinking you're all that in your CDW polo shirt. Â P.S.... A slurred, "heeeeeeeeeyyyyy" does not constitute a pick-up line. Â
2. Uber-crowded. Â
3. Eurotrashy hostesses.
4. Greasy burger + soggy fries = one step closer to a quadruple bypass surgery.
All of that said, Blackie's does have a few redeeming qualities. Â Their chili appetizer is huge and delicious and really cheap. Â If you are rolling into work with a killer hangover, stop in for a breakfast flat. Â They are a greasy delight that coats your tummy and lets you move on with your day.
This is our classic afterwork happy hour spot being that I work right across the street, so I'm here most Fridays...except during the winter. Â The outdoor patio rocks and is a great way to unwind from the day/week. Â If you don't get here (or send a coworker to get seats) early, you're gonna have to wait. Â We always order beer buckets, its about $15 for a bucket of 5 bottles, not a bad deal downtown. Â
The reason Blackies gets 4 stars (and that I avoid it in the winter) is that stuffing people who normally occupy all of the restaurant AND a large outdoor patio into only the restaurant space is not a pleasant experience - way toooo cramped. Â Plus, as mentioned above, the main appeal is sitting outside and enjoying a cold one. Â I'm not an afterwork cocktail girl, but I believe the cocktails and shots are a bit pricier. Â BUT for the convenience and great patio, this place is still number one for happy hour.
One other note, if you plan to go here for lunch, the menu is very limited and basically consists of bar food. Â Great for sopping up alcohol during happy hour, but not a great source of sustenance for the afternoon - Can you say food coma? Â Head across the street to Roti or over to Arturo's for some quality lunch fare.
There should be more places like Boston Blackies downtown. Â
1) Â Convenient location with pretty quick service during the lunch hour (be aware, they do fill up though, so get there early).
2) Â Good food. Â Their burgers are delicious. Â The wings and onion rings are good, but my favorite is the potato skins. Â They are more like little potato cups, and hold much more cheese, bacon, chives, and sour cream than a normal potato skin. Â
3) Most importantly, unlike so many places downtown, they don't close at 5:30. Â So, if you're having a hard day, and want a drink and some greasy food, Boston Blackies is there for you. Â Even if it is after 8 pm.
Very popular loop place. I've been here a ton of times.
Lunchtime: crowded and you are guaranteed to wait 15-20 min if you go during the peak time 11:30-1p.
Afterwork: If it's nice out, you will have a tough time getting a table outside after 5p. But will most likely be able to get one inside. They sell buckets of beer.
Food: Menu is not too large. Burgers are great. Fries cost extra, are large enough to share, and are just ok. I like the hot dog bites appetizer thing.
Good lord. This is the place I go when someone from out of town is visiting me at work for lunch. This is the place I go when something at work went down and I need to eat myself better.
This is the place in the Loop I swear by for my cheese burger, and if I have time to wait through the service.
The meat is a delicious mix of chuck and sirloin (oh yeah, I can tell) and I'm pretty sure there's some bread crumbs and worchestire sauce. You know how I know? Because excellent BBQ-masters and devoted fans of Steve Raichlen alike know that a good hamburger maintains composure without being soggy and gross by imitating meatloaf and meatballs! This is one awesome hamburger and at half a pound, it's not for the faint of heart. It's a minimalist burger without the superfluous toppings of a California style joint.
Then there are the cottage fries they serve on the side. These are the greater and more obese cousin of the potato chip. Slightly thicker and salty while soft and almost creamy in the middle while crisp on the outside. When Governor's Pub used to be open on State/Lake, they had far superior cottage fries, but I can take what I can get when the going gets slim.
You know what is friggin fantastic? If you're a 20-something like me, chances are you know at least 1 vegetarian and actually I have friends of maybe only 4 or 5 meat-eaters as a product of art school.
VEGETARIANS REJOICE! Boston Blackie's for all it's blood and gore about burgers has one of the most amazing GRILLED PORTABELLA sandwiches. It's this cheesey grilled vegetable goodness that is a towering delight to the senses. It's a great change of pace for the burger fan too because these slices of Portabella mushroom are thick and huge.
The onion rings are great! If you visit by even numbers, have an equal number of fries to onion ring orders and you will be so stoked.
Plus, free soda refills.
Good food, but crappy atmosphere. That's the way to summarise this place. We got here at 11:30 today. There was a queue out the door. Since we had a 1pm meeting, my colleagues and I reconvened for a 1:30pm lunch. Even then, it was rather packed, reminding me of the smallish restaurants in Manhattan. No, I wasn't homesick :)
The burgers were very decent, but not special -- they tend to be a little greasy for my tastes. It was quite packed even at 1:30pm, but what can you do? The coke was slightly watery today, but that's an anomaly, not the norm. They were probably running out of syrup by the time we got there -- the other two times I've been, it was okay.
The bar seems to have a lot of reasonable name-brand liquors, but nothing stands out. At night, this place seems to transform itself into a wannabe-sports bar, with TVs that are too small for that sort of thing.
They do have decent service, though, and their fries (kind of like thick, soft crisps) are quite fun.
Like a few f-bombs sprinkled in with your lunch?
Come here and take a seat at the bar. Â Ask for Jaime - her specialty is customer service. Â If she can't make you feel welcome, noone can. Â She is truly one of a kind - five stars! Â Six if she brought her twins out to play :)
Note: NEVER ask Jaime for a new knife. Â If you drop yours or whatever, do without - trust me! Â You've been warned.
-G
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