Schoop's Hamburgers

Horrible. Imagine someone took a hamburger and ground it up into a paste and then spread it out on a grill top and cooked 'til thin and crispy. Then throw that "meat chip" on a dry bun and serve. Yuck. The Irish Nachos (fries with cheese, bacon, onions, and ranch dressing on the side) were good, though, and the place seems to mix their own Cherry Coke, which I like. But the service was awful despite no fewer than ten employees standing or sitting around. No refills, no one asked if I needed anything (I did, they forgot to bring ketchup). Just me and crummy dry burger trying desperately to wave down one of the many employees to were just goofing around. For this highly disappointing experience I paid top dollar, easily more than Five Guys, Red Robin, or any number of other places to get a burger. I can't imagine going back here for any reason.

I have eaten at a number of Schoop's restaurants since I was a child.  From childhood to when I was a young adult, I frequently ate at the Schoop's in Calumet City, IL.  I went to a Schoop's in Chicago for the microsecond that it was actually there (Irving and Damen) and then mostly to the Munster IN Schoops.  I consider Schoop's a regional treasure, one that I sorely missed while living in Sacramento, CA (though the Squeeze Inn Burgers made almost equally satisfying Burgers).

I have often thought or fantasized about Schoop's serving breakfast.  I happened upon a Schoop's in Valparaiso and was pleasantly surprised that it served breakfast, which is noted on its outside marquis.

Of course, this Schoop's serves the typical Burger fare that the other sites do, but also has a pretty full breakfast menu with omelettes, pancakes, waffles, and the like.
I ordered "#8" with one egg, one pancake, and one bacon for $3.49 and a side of hash browns ($2.19).  All was very good.  Let's face it some places don't even do eggs respectfully.  So, I'm happy when an egg tastes like and egg and so on.  The pancake and hash browns (well done) was amazing.

This particular Schoop's has a definite small town, honkey tonk feeling to it.  It was 3/4 full, yet pretty quiet, no irritating din.  There were also patrons roaming from table to table because they knew each other (I did say small town).  The 5-6 year old girl sitting with her mom in the next booth was singing along with a country song that was playing over the speakers.  I'm definitely not in Lakeview (Chicago) or Midtown (Sacramento).

I highly recommend this Schoop's for breakfast.  I need not sing praises about their burgers.  All the locals pretty much know this as common knowledge.

Great atmosphere, and good food. A little pricey for what you get ( 4 chicken tenders and sauce for 5.60, fries extra). I would go back there though and would recommend trying out.