Walking into the bar is like walking back to the twenties. The decor is very old and the place has the hole in the wall vibe. Not to mention terrible lighting. The tables have those old, durable picnic table table clothes, you know the red and blue kind. They have a fish tank but I'm not sure if the fish are still alive because the light was not on and I did not see anything moving. They serve all their food on styrofoam plates, which can be small and a little annoying.
For food, we ordered the Armadillo Eggs, which are jalapeno peppers stuff with cheese and fried. They give you a side of BBQ sauce to dip them in, they were nothing spectacular. As for the burger, I ordered the Royal Burger which comes with bacon and cheddar cheese. I ordered it medium but the burger seemed a little too dry for my taste. Most places when I order it medium, it's still very juicy but this place reminded me of cooking burgers on the grill. The fries were basic steak fries.
It is a pretty quiet place as well, seeing as how there was a lot of old people in there. It seems like a decent place to grab a beer and burger if you want to be low key. I'll probably be back because my friend loves this place. If you like a dive bar, this place is as dive as it gets.
I've put off reviewing this because I really want to like this place...and I do like the place for a casual beer-the staff is great but the 3 times ice eaten there-fail. I had a burger the first time - it was so dry and over cooked-almost tasted like it had been cooked earlier and then recooked but had that awful char taste (not the good char taste). My bf however LOVED his burger so I just chalked it up to bad luck. Second try same for me -burger wasn't good/bf was excellent. Third try I tried wings - they were ok. Some reviewers suggest ordering burgers one level rawer than you like it - I 100% agree. We will probably go again because it is a cool dive bar but it isn't my first choice for a burger.
Review Source:Until recently, I had lived my entire life only a few minutes from this place in one direction or another, and never tried it. Spent many a night running up and down Madison, but never went a few blocks north.
Until yesterday.
I had the Roquefort Goldyburger. Â Pretty good; the praise for the burgers here is well-deserved. I was happy as a clam washing it down with my $4 Corona special while a soundtrack played that would have put SXSW to shame.
However, this place is not for everyone. It's OLD. It's been in business since 1926 and looks like it was last updated in 1956. I'm cool with character and authenticity, but some others may not be ok with Styrofoam plates.
Reminds me of my dads burgers on the grill, which is good. Also reminds me of every hidden camera kitchen news special ever. This place smells of smoke, is dirty as hell, serves on styrofoam plates and disposable plastic cups and has a mysterious back kitchen.
Not for me. Probably for elderly bar flies.
What's with some of the people panning this place????????.
This place is great, When it comes to burgers, shrimp cocktail, appetizers (side orders), etc..........With the exception of the Chicken Tortellini soup, Which was rather tasteless & disappointing. Â But the rest of the fare is rather tasty.
The staff IS friendly, They weren't snobbish to me or any of my acquaintances. Unlike the one that posted such.
The bar area is rather classic, The jukebox is rather unusual. Where else could you find great & rare British Invasion tunes like "In The Hall Of The Mountain King"-Sounds Incorporated, "I Love You"-The Zombies, "Do The Freddie"-Freddie & The Dreamers, etc.?????????.
The place is wall-to-wall with sports memrobilia.
Also, The 1950's-60's painted over Coca-Cola fishtail logo sign highlighting the place "Goldyburgers".
they just don't make 'em like they used to......except at places like Goldyburgers. Simple, true, real & good. No high-falluting pretentious patrons in here; just real folks eating tasty grub & pouring cold suds.
I grew up on the northshore where spots like 'The Cypress Inn', 'Charlie Beinlichs' & 'Grandpa's Place' were staples. Goldyburgers is kindred spirit with those gems!
Went their once (30 min drive) because of the reputation. Â Disappointed. Â Went back a year later (Groupon) (30 min drive) to give it another chance.
Disappointed. Â Food just ok, in dank, stale beer smelling environment. Â Have had a hundred burgers as good or better. Â Oddly, on second visit, I was only one in the place at 11:30 a.m. and my plump Goldyburger whisked out about 3 minutes after I'd given my order to the barmaid and she'd walked back to the kitchen with the order. Â Burger was (just) allright, but still wondering if it wasn't pre-cooked since it sprang from the kitchen so fast...
Don't think I'll be back for another bite at this legend!
I have 2 words for you: CHEESE BALLS! Â Oh how I want them for every meal!
In other notes, I don't eat burgers at restaurants, so I can't comment on that. But everything else I've had here has been cheap and delicious! I once angrily left another FP bar that was overpriced and had a snobby staff *coughduckfatcough* and came over to Goldy's, where I bought dinner for 3 at the same price the other establishment wanted for one plate of mac & cheese.
Friendly staff, who will occasionally sing along to the juke box with you. Nice patio. Just a great neighborhood hang out. There's also a carpeted front restaurant area if the diner/bar isn't your scene.
Oh, and bring your cash moneys.
Only thing wrong with Goldyburger is that it is not walking distance from my home. Â Since I grew up in the area this was a mainstay for us since it was inexpensive and we were a family of five. Â
I have always been a fan of the Royal Blue Burger and now that I am all grown up I can have beer with it. Â While I might only make it out here once a year...I still really enjoy coming here and recognize some of the faces of the years gone by.
The burgers are just OK. I've had better. They are not seasoned with anything and arent made of more favorful grass fed beef or anything spectactular BUT it is a dive bar and it is certainly better than getting a nasty McD's burger.
For the price and the fast friendly service I'd gladly go back. I can walk there from my apartment, bring a book and sit on the outside patio soaking up the sun, sip a moderately priced Guinness and chomp on a burger.
This might be a bad thing for some but they dont give you a ton of fries. It's probably what a normal portion should be. I like fries but I'm still watching my calories.
This place has been serving burgers since the 1920s, but have they ever had good service? I went there twice in a week to make sure that it wasn't just a fluke.
Wednesday: I ordered the Hawaiian Burger. It was solidly good, but nothing to write home about. The story here was the long wait! I had to wait 45 minutes for a server to come to my table. To his credit he was very apologetic once I brought my wait to his attention. He explained that they were unusually busy. Between waiting to place my order, getting my food, and paying, it took two hours.
Friday: I went with my dad, brother, and friend. They all ordered food and I just got a drink. None of them had anything to say about the food except that it was filling. This time the server (a different one) was pretty timely, but we each had to repeat all of our orders a couple times. I had to ask her on two different occasions for water. It was really weird.
I'm not sure if those two times were service flukes or not. Maybe they were. I just know that I've had better burgers and better service elsewhere.
What is going on with the reviews of this place???!! Â Take the time to read this and let me set it straight....
Now I consider myself to be a bit of a burger aficionado/snob. Â A Burger Sommelier, if I may. Â
Goldy's is a divebar with amazing burgers. Â There are a few things you will need to know before visiting. Â First, bring cash; no credit cards accepted. Â Secondly, if you like your burger medium rare, order rare. Â If you like medium, order medium rare. Â They never fail to cook it a bit more than I would like. Â But I know this, so its no longer an issue. Â A few other details you may find useful.. Â Sit in the beer garden. Â Cubs games are routinely on. Â The interior may turn some people off, but like I said earlier.. dive. Â If you don't like the locals and regulars... Â well, then you probably aren't my kind of person and not very welcoming to different personalities. Â I enjoy it. Â You might hear an interesting story or two. Â
With all of this in mind, 5 stars for days. Â
My ideal meal at Goldy's, and what I would suggest you order:
Royal Blue Burger, rare. (I like it medium rare, see above)
Fired Cheese Balls (more than enough for two or three to share).
PBR.
Perfect.
The Goldy wings are also delicious. Â Order 'em hot. Â
Been coming for 20+ years and hope to for many more.
I've often heard this place called the best burger in the burbs. Â Alas, it is not.
The burgers are good, no doubt, but most bars and hot dog stands are just as good. Â We went when it was dead, but I imagine this would be a good bar to catch a baseball game. Â
Maybe the Styrofoam plates were kitschy and cute in the 60's to the 80's but seriously, get a dishwasher. You can not call this place "clean" even if you are being ironic. Â The Bulls 3-peat paraphernalia is pretty hilarious.
If you're in the area give it a try for yourself, but it's not worth a side trip.
i had to update my review to save face...
this place has taken a nose dive into the one star zone. Â
now, the burgers are HORRIBLE and i'm sorry--to pay more than $50 for a couple of burgers, cheese balls and a couple of beers is WAAAAAAAAAAAAY too much when things are being served on paper plates. Â if the burger rocked my world, i could overlook--no appreciate--this small, old-school detail. Â now i just feel ripped off.
Permanent smoky smell in the bar area, and now you can smoke on the patio, but I wouldn't recommend sitting next to the door in the winter because people are constantly in and out. I ordered my burger medium but it was definitely well-done, served on paper plates. Everything was pretty "meh" but I gave it 3 stars because there was a large party in the restaurant section but we still got our food pretty quickly and the beers are cheap and cold.
Review Source:Definite dive bar, and not trying to hide it, which is endearing. Â Beer is cheap, food is delicious, and the staff was kinda friendly. Â Went with my girlfriend on a Saturday for a quick stop and the place was dead, only about 10 regulars, but definitely a comfortable environment. Â I'd go back for some beers and some more food.
Review Source:Where to begin?
My father used to take me here about 15-20 years ago. I remember it being very tasty and loving it. My trip back after all this time really destroyed my hopes and childhood dreams.
Firstly, I don't know what anyone who thinks these burgers taste good is smoking before they eat them, but my burger tasted like nothing. Not bad, just like nothing. The only flavor in the burger was the cheese and the ketchup I put on it. The meat was sub-par and I'd bet they're not made from sirloin, if they are it's grade F meat. The fries were typical out-of-the-bag frozen fries.
The 'cheddar cheese balls' were nothing more than frozen Velveeta that gave me a stomachache after I ate them.
Being all grown up now when I spend 8 dollars on a very small, tasteless cheeseburger I would like to have it served on a non Styrofoam plate please.
The bar itself smelled like a combination of cigarettes and bathroom, and the tables and benches were sticky.
No thank you Goldyburgers, no thank you.
With my four star rating, what I'm really saying is that my husband is a fan. Â I do not like burgers, which, I know, makes me REALLY weird, and this place is obviously not meant for people like me. Â The closest thing I can find to something I like is their turkey club, which is very... meh. Â However, I give it four stars because my husband loves their burgers so very, very much. Â He craves them, he raves about them, he can't find anything comparable to the magic of Goldyburgers. Â If you are a burger fan, ignore the way this place looks, it MUST be the best burger around.
Review Source:What the...what is wrong with everyone? Â Sometimes places are great just for nostalgia! Â I embrace that my Royal Blue Burger (yum with crispy bacon and melted blue cheese that literally seeps off the burger and right onto the french fries) is served on a Styrofoam plate. Â I love that I can get pitchers of Miller Lite. Â I love that literally all the appetizers are fried. Â I also love the servers - they are so nice and great, and funny! Â Talk to them, you will be happy you did!
Yes, the outdoor patio is wonderful, too, but the bar is filled with great regulars, who are fun to make wonderful, strange conversation with.
Went here last night to grab a bite to eat and a beer. It's definitely a dive bar/restaurant (restaurant seating in the front, bar in the back) but it has a charming, old school, Chicago feel about it. Â In the back there is a huge circle bar with seating for what appeared to be 30+. Around the bar there are a couple of tvs for sports watching. Hung on the walls is tons of sports paraphernalia: Bear, Bulls, Black Hawks and any other Chicago team sport played here.
We asked what the drink specials were and you'll be surprised to know that they don't have any, ever. Your basic tap beer is $2.75 and bottles are $3.00 so still pretty inexpensive. The bf had the mushroom burger with blue cheese which looked and tasted amazing and filled him up quickly. I had the chicken sandwich...should have gotten a burger.
All together for our meals, 3 beers and tip it was $31.00 so not too bad at all. Note that the bf was going to pay for our meal but they do not take credit card! The only take cash and check! lol. Me being the old lady stuck in a 24 year olds body was more than happy to whip out my check book. I imagine this will be the one and only time I will ever be able to pay my tab with a personal check.
I can see this place being a 4 star once there patio is opened up but for now it's a 3 from me.
This is a dumpy place. Did not try the food that everybody was raving about. i am reviewing the place and it looks like a dump. At least they have a fishtank and a nice patio in summer. Aside from that it looks like any other old bar. i will go again to tryb the food. bar food usually is just bland.
Review Source:It's a dive bar. Â I don't think they will ever get the stale cigarette smell out of the drop down ceiling tiles. Â The burgers are served on cheap paper plates, but man oh man, they are tasty!
I personally love the Hawaiian burger, served with a ring of pineapple and a little bleu cheese. Â My bf orders the Big Daddy. Â Some Armadillo Eggs (cheddar poppers) for the appetizer.
Be warned, it's cash only. Â I always forget and have to run across the street to the ATM at the bowling alley. Â I believe the kitchen closes at 10:30.
They have a nice beer garden with TVs if you like that kind of thing (I do!).
The burgers and the atmosphere kind of remind me of a way more Caucasian Casey's in Detroit. Old, beat up, really not that great, makes you feel uncomfortable, and only worth a return trip if you live around the corner. Certainly not anywhere near what it's cracked up to be.
One thing that really got me was the obviously canned, cold sliced mushrooms that came on my big boy. I can understand going that route in a dive-type burger joint, but at least toss them on the grill for a couple minutes, if only to warm them up and not to give them some color.
Not worth a wholehearted pan, but not worth a full-fledged review either.
Best burgers anywhere. They have really good cheddar balls. Way better food then Culver's in which people seem to brag about. I assume they brag about this place because they have never been to Goldyburgers. I take people here all the time and they convert. They love it here.
It is dim inside and very simple. I am actually surprised about the eh type reviews. I have never had bad food here.
We use to go to Goldy's years ago with kids. We decided to go back again. We've been back twice. The place hasn't changed much over the years.
We don't eat much meat so it should be good. They were good burgers.
Fries were ok. You gotta love the old, not up-dated or trendy bars, we did.
Service was good. When hungry for a burger, we'd go back. Prices are good.
Good beers on draught.
This place not so great had a way better burger else where. It is as if they purchase everything frozen and cook it. Fries frozen bland.appetizer: Enlands potato  frozen pancakes ( I purchased thoughs in the frozen foods department at jewel)they were enlands alright. Pickles were jared. Soda was in a kiddie cup from playskool kitchen set. One sip the soda was done. Waitress was straight ignant never came to ask if we needed refills you needed to chase her down. The food came out on dirty strofoam plates. And no credit cards excepted!!  Never again will I go back.
Review Source:Finally had the chance to try this on a beautiful June evening. Another case of making sure your expectations are calibrated. I had the standard Goldyburger, which was, as others have mentioned, overcooked. Order rare if you want any pink at all. Fries were good, service was honestly friendly. And patient: we had 6 kids at our table, so, outside at least, it's kid-friendly (though there are no burgers less than the $6 burger).
But that burger was really thick and tasty, and the outdoor eating area very spacious and pleasant. This is a good, solid neighborhood bar and grill, but not really a destination restaurant. I'll go back
After hearing over and over again how good the burgers were at Goldyburger, my husband and I couldn't wait to try them.
The first time we went we ordered the Fried Cheese Curds as an appetizer. Â We were excited to see them on the menu as we both went to College in Wisconsin and this was something we both had all the time! Â When they came, they were cold and just not good. Â
Then our burgers came. Â We both ordered them medium but we got them well done and very dry....I can't even describe the disappointment.
We left sad and defeated, we were excited to have this gem of a burger joint in our neighborhood but then we thought, OK  - everyone gets it wrong once in a while, after all several people we know and trust have recommended this place to us so we opted to hold out our judgment after a second  go at it.
About 2 months later we went again. Â We both went in with an open mind and hopeful that this would turn into a staple in our dining out regimen. Â
We did not get an appetizer this time, we just headed right for the main event. We both ordered burgers with Cheddar. Â When the waitress asked us how we wanted it cooked, we asked if medium would have a slightly pink center and she said yes. Â So we both ordered ours medium.
When they came out they lwere way over cooked and dry. Â
All in all, I will not be going back to Goldyburgers. Â I think it is a nostalgic restaurant to those who grew up in the area but now is just plainly not good.
I am sorry - I really tried!
This place is SERIOUS business for anyone who enjoys a good burger. Goldburger's has everything I want in a burger: good size, great taste, consistency, etc. I won't even mention the bun because I didn't even taste it. You know it's a good burger when you don't even care about the freakin' bun or that it's being served to you on a paper plate. And no, I was not drunk. Let me tell ya, this little dive will surprise you. The fried cheese balls were also a big hit. They served them with what tasted like cocktail sauce, but it was actually a great flavor with the deep fried goodness. I'm giving this place 4 stars because I know the next time I go, it can't be as good as the first. It's good for what it is: a grubby little joint in the near west suburbs of Chicago that serves the best damn burger around. Bring enough cash for you and your loved one to get pregnant with a food baby! Thanks.
Review Source:This place is a hole in the wall with the best burgers and cheese balls I've ever had. Â The outside is just your average tavern and so is the inside for that matter. Â It reminded me of my childhood since my grandfather owned one over by Humboldt Park. Â
The food is what makes the place though. Â The Goldyburger, The Hawaiian Burger, the Royal Blue Burger, the Mushroom Burger, and not let's forget the Big Daddy. Â They also serve fried shrimp, soup, Â chicken and other things but it's the burger that will keep you coming back. Â
The neighborhood is slowly changing but I hope this place never does. Â We have introduce many of our friends to this establishment. Â I hope you like it as much as we do.
I agree with the great reviews. Â One of my favorite places to go when it is snowing and damn cold outside. Â They have sassy Irish waitresses and barmaids. Â For real.
No credit cards, no checks (though this is the kind of place that might consider cashing your end-of-the-week check for a beer and a shot).
The neighborhood is gentrifying quickly, catch this place before it gets torn down into a condo monstrosity.
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Quick tip: Â they don't deliver, but you can call ahead and get a nice greasy sack of burgers and onion rings. MMMMM
I went here on a Sunday afternoon with my parents  I had heard some great things about this place and was very excited.  It was pretty quiet with quite a few tables open.  The service was very good.
We ordered an appetizer of cheddar cheese balls... they were very tasty with a nice crust on the outside and melted, smooth cheddar cheese on the inside. Â Very tasty! Â I ordered my blue cheese and bacon burger medium. Â Everything was served on paper/styrofoam plates. Â I was a little disappointed in the bun and fries (bland), but the actual burger was outstanding. Â There was a large amount of blue cheese on the top. Â I would highly recommend the blue cheese burger with bacon! Â Â The prices are actually very good.
I think I would like to come here again when it was a bit more busy to get more of a feel for the atmosphere.
MMMM...Burgery! Â I agree with everything said here except for the bowling alley bit--I've never been there but I'm sure it's very nice. Â Don't leave without sampling a mouthful of the fried cheese balls. Â This place is so Chicago that I half-expected them to serve my beer in one of those waxed paper "SportService" cups they had at the Stadium during Hawks games.
Review Source:Best burger in town, and as Mike P. said try the cheese balls, and they also have a great wing sauce that has a hint of honey mustard to it. Been going for years and will continue to do so. I always grab a bar seat and enjoy watching the local regulars at the north end of the bar where they always seem to hold court. Always a cool bartender on hand to make sure you're taken care of. A true Forest Park Gem!!
Review Source:BEST BURGER I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE.
Yup, I'm telling the truth. Read the review below mine for more details and a pretty accurate description.
I suggest you grab a burger there in the daytime or evening if you are between the ages of 21-28. The crowd is a bit older and "less sophistcicated" as Mike P. says below me.
GREAT DATE TIP: You can walk one block South to Circle Bowling Lanes after your awesome burger. OR Walk 3 blocks North to Madison Street and go to the bars there.
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