A couple of weeks back, the #1 rated burger in America came to NYC when Au Cheval opened in Tribeca.
I’ve long wanted to take another trip to Chicago and try Au Cheval’s cheeseburger. While I still want to go to Chicago again, trying this popular burger became much easier for me.
Last weekend the Michael W Travels family headed to Tribeca with the hopes of getting into Au Cheval without much of a wait for brunch.
I had read that waits for dinner could be anywhere from 2-3 hours. This was definitely not going to work for us since we’d be visiting with two kids. Lucky for us, as we approached the restaurant, I didn’t notice any lines or anyone at all for that matter standing around.
Au Cheval is located on Cortlandt Alley, a backstreet of little interest to the average person. In this regard it had a cool, old school New York feel.
Our plan was to arrive close to opening at 10:00AM but we ended up getting there just before 11:00. This really didn’t matter since when we headed inside we saw a relatively empty restaurant.
Immediately on the right of the entrance is location of Sawada Coffee. When you turn left (more or less walk straight in) you’ll see a beautifully designed restaurant.
The right side has some stools for guests to sit at and see the kitchen action taking place. The middle/ left side of the long room has tables and booths. The restaurant has the feel of a place that has been in the spot for ages although it’s been open around two weeks!
The brunch menu at the moment is very limited but I knew what I was ordering.
I went with a single cheeseburger (it’s actually a double with two 4 oz. patties). I also added egg and bacon.
This is definitely not a cheap cheeseburger. The single cheeseburger is $17.95, adding the egg is $2.95 and bacon is $4.95. All in, you’re looking at $25.85 before tax and tip (and that doesn’t even include fries!).
This might very well be the priciest burger that I’ve ever had.
Here’s a closer look at the burger before I closed it.
We had to take a few pre- meal photos before digging in. (Theo was napping in his stroller.)
That’s definitely a good-looking burger!
When reading into Au Cheval NYC, the reviews were definitely uneven. Some loved it, others said it wasn’t worthy of the hype or price. I figured it was best to give it a try for myself and form my own opinion.
The first thing I noticed was how messy this burger was. To be honest, it was probably the messiest burger I can ever recall eating!
In the end, taste matters most, so let’s dig in.
From first bite, I have to say that I was really impressed. The flavors from this sloppy cheeseburger were outstanding.
The meat was cooked to medium and was tasty but I can’t say that it stood out. The most noticeable flavor was the outstanding bacon which was sweet and peppery. The egg added a nice creaminess and was probably the biggest cause of the mess. (The Dijonnaise also added to the mess.)
After a few bites, the thick bacon was sliding off the burger as was parts of the egg.
Bottom line is that all of these ingredients combined made for one tasty cheeseburger.
Kim and Lucas also gave the burger a try. Kim was really impressed and Lucas liked it so much that he asked if he could finish it!
Final Thoughts:
So does Au Cheval serve the best cheeseburger in America? That’s a tough call and definitely way too hard to answer.
I can’t say that it was any more enjoyable than the burger at Peter Luger, Husk, Holeman & Finch or some of the other great ones that I’ve had. However, I’m looking forward to going back for another visit in the future!
Au Cheval is located at 33 Cortlandt Alley in New York City.
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Bob- I really do need a trip to Chicago again! Thanks for those recs.
Henry- and?
Since cheval is the French word for horse…
Next time you’re in Chicago you need to skip Au Cheval and try the burgers at The Loyalist and Mini Mott, those are tops right now. Or if you want Au Cheval without the wait, check out Small Cheval on Milwaukee Ave in Bucktown, same burgers and fries…no wait.