I've been here too many times to count! One of my go-to spots for a great burger or oysters. This place is always swarming with people around dinner and their salted caramel chocolate chip cookie is to die for.

This is hands down the best burger I have ever had. It melts in your melt in the first bite. With two different type of cheeses, garlic aioli and onions I could not get enough. The macaroni was amazing as well. It was soo cheesy and rich. The place has moody lighting and could be a good intimate dining experience for anyone. Service was attentive and on point. Will be making a trip back here asap.

Call me Hansel, because I'm ride or die for Gretel. Small menu, but truly tasty cuisine. Oyster service is top notch with both east coast and west coast daily. The salads, bisques and Mac 'n cheese are top notch. Fancy but not intimidatingly so. Beer selection is also fantastic. My wife loves the lobster roll. She has better taste than I do.

The burger at Gretel is a strong contender for best burger in the city - definitely top 3. The meat was perfectly charred on the edges, well seasoned, juicy and full of flavor. Bonus: the pickles weren't thin and flimsy, they were the perfect thickness without being overpowering. We also ordered the fried chicken sandwich and it was one of the best I've ever had. It was huge. The batter was perfect, chicken was tender and juicy, and it had a bit of a kick that was cut by the carrot slaw which added some sweetness. The fries were thin and oh so crispy and came with a sweet and spicy house aioli that's not to be missed! The service was great, drinks were flowing and very cool atmosphere with an impressive bar.

The Gretel is one of my go to Spots when I want to avoid busy west loop or River north scene. It has great music and vibes as though you are "downtown" without all the muss and fuss. Came here on a Sunday night with my girl friends and we had such a nice time. The burger is what they are known for but another hidden gem was their charcuterie board. It was loaded with so many goodies and hidden surprises of meats, cheeses, pickled veggies and spreads. The martinis are also great. I did order a mezcal Negroni that I wasn't too fond of as they used crushed ice instead of a rock. The wines by the glass are also a little limited, but other than that, I was very happy!

Literally did two burgers in one night! Wow! Next up, Gretel. I have to be honest, I didn't know what to expect. Upon walking in, I thought the bar was pretty cool, and it was definitely busy for fairly early on a Friday evening. We were told 1 hour and 45 minutes wait to get this burger. However, two spots opened up at the bar quickly within 15 mins and we gladly jumped on them. Enjoyed a cocktail and my buddy had a Côtes du Rhône while we awaited the burgers. They came out fairly quickly and honestly totally blew us away! Much better than we thought they would be and literally probably for sure (top 5 burger in Chicago)! If you haven't been to Gretel, I highly recommend it. I won't leave a favorites list here, but if you have questions, you can always message me. We've been in the gourmet burger game for like two decades! Burger Kings! Haha Not the fast food chain. Always hitting whatever we hear about, Gretel, definitely delivers burger joy! Burger was perfectly cooked, the pickles and the sauce were amazing. Love the flavor of the meat and I think "everything season salt" on the bun was incredible. Bartender service wasn't the best. I think he checked in zero times for the whole hour plus we were sitting there. They are busy but still. Food for thought! Service is everything. Especially if you want repeat clients. Thanks for the tasty burgers. Cheers Gretel~

Their burger is hands down one of my favorite in Chicago! The perfectly melted cheese, aioli, and juiciness had me licking my fingers for more There's a great vibe inside with an impressive spirits wall. The lobster bisque was very tasty and the while I still enjoyed the shishito peppers, I could have done without the mayonnaise-based sauce they were in. Part of that may have been because of the heaviness of the burger and bisque and I was really looking for the peppers to balance out the meal more than it did. Either way, will definitely be coming back!

First things first, parking is very limited. You can find some free parking across the street. There aren't any signs but you'll see a bunch of cars kind of cramped. That's how you know you're in the right place. Other than that, there are too many signs that say you need a permit to park. The restaurant doesn't have a huge sign on the outside but we did see a small sign in the window that said Gretel. The entrance door kind of has a Medieval feel to it. This is a very casual restaurant, the lighting is dark. Service was great. Staff was very friendly and they made sure we were well taken care of. We ordered the Gretel griddle burger, fried chicken sandwich, mac and cheese, and elote riblets. We substituted our fries for something else at an extra cost. -Gretel griddle burger 3 - there was a lot of hype about how good this was but I found it kind of mid. Don't get my wrong it's a good burger but I would have liked it to be medium rare. It wasn't mind blowing to me, the meat needed to be more moist. -Fried chicken sandwich 5 - to me this was the star of the show. That spicy aioli and chili oil made it kind of spicy but in a delicious way. Chicken was succulent. One of the best chicken sandwiches I've ever had. -mac and cheese 5 - very cheesy. I loved the bacon and scallions in here. -elote riblets 4 - these were good but yeah kind of awkward to eat. I would have liked it if they cut off the inedible part of the corn.

Great burger! Very juicy with a strong cheese flavor. I highly recommend dipping the burger in the Siratcha aioli that comes with the fries. Prepare to get a little messy when eating this burger as the bun is very soft and fluffy so it does because a little wet. The fries however were a little too salty for my liking, but still were good.