Billy Goat Tavern Merchandise Mart

Here’s why you need to know: The worst burger I have ever eaten. Period. There should be laws against selling burgers this tasteless and pathetic.
I came into this Billy Goat Tavern Merchandise Mart location on a Tuesday afternoon at lunch time. I sorely regret my decision — a wasted lunch.
There was no line and I ordered a triple with cheese, an egg, and grilled onions. The bun was dry and an unappetizing yellow color; the beef had no taste… Nada… Zilch. Not even salt. The cheese was disgusting and synthetic tasting with a waxy texture. Even the egg was lifeless and without seasoning. I don’t get how that’s even possible — How can you screw up a fried egg.
It’s almost as if they went out of their way to create this masterpiece — the worst burger in Chicagoland and beyond.
The best part of the experience was the friendly staff.
I wasted $ 8 on the burger.

I love Billy Goat. I used to eat here every single workday, though now I’ve diversified a bit, but I’m still here 2 – 3 times a week. The hotdogs are delicious! And the burgers are wonderful too. If the meat is too thin for your taste, they have options all the way up to triple burgers, and I always get a triple cheese. They’d probably do a quadruple if you really asked nice.
So yeah, the food is delicious and grilled right in front of you, too, which is excellent to see. And it’s surprisingly fast for the great quality. However, the best part is the friendly and helpful staff! It’s just a handful of nice folks who work here, and you can bet you’ll always get cheery service with a smile. That part of the experience makes the food even better!

One of the worst burger/​fry combos I’ve had in awhile. The bun was dried out and way too big for a single burger. Fries were underdone. Pickles were good. I went because they had the shortest line in the food court. Now I see why. It’s been a while since I’ve been to a Billy Goat, but I remembered them being better.

Comin’ atcha quick just (like my lunch). So pay attention!
5 word summary:
Quick. Cheap. Convenient. Comfort food.
Deets:
I’m lucky enough to now have an office home inside the Merch Mart where there are endless amounts of lunch options all within the building. This especially came in handy this week as we entered into round 2 of Chiberia.
Angela S. and I browsed our options and landed at Billy Goat when we decided it was best to warm up our winter day with some comfort food. I ordered the special that was posted: Cheeseburger & fries for $ 4.99. No bad, not bad at all. My order was ready super quick! They had me put on my own toppings before they wrapped it up to go. Options included pickles, tomatoes, onions, relish, and your standard condiments.
To me, the cheeseburger was just okay. Perfect for the occasion, but if I’m comparing cheeseburgers I’ve had in my life, this one’s patty was way too thin and between way too much bun. The fries were pretty good (not the best I’ve ever had, but still yummy) and the portion I got was huge!
At the end of the day, Billy Goat got the job done. Cheap and convenient comfort food provided with quick, friendly and efficient service.
Pro tip:
The Mediterranean line next door was extremely long, so if you aren’t counting cals and in a rush — head to Billy Goat!
Fun fact:
They also offer breakfast!

It was a cold winter day…
I was in need of comfort food for lunch, and there was no better place to head than Billy Goat. Knowing I probably shouldn’t aim for the ribeye steak sandwich, since I made a conscious effort to cut back on my red meat intake, I went for it anyway.
Side Note: The Mediterranean food line was extra long, meaning all those people probably got the memo that it’s the start of the year and they should probably stay away from non-​healthy comfort food, but that didn’t stop me.
Got exactly what I expected. It was good! Pretty thin, just a small bit of fat on it, and a little greasy (in the good greasy kind of way), but it hit the spot. You add your own condiments and toppings, and then they pack it up for you and put it in a bag.
I waited only about 5 minutes, or less, for my sandwich. That was fast!
Tip: They also serve breakfast here in case you are running late and get in with an empty stomach!

My burger was one of the worst I’ve ever eaten, the party was really thin and it seemed like it was undercooked, even though it should only take a couple minutes to cook properly. The bread to meat ratio is way off for the regular hamburger unfortunately. The employee was also very abrasive when I asked for tomatoes (for reference, they haven’t had tomatoes ever) and basically told me to screw off like I was an idiot or something. Never again will I eat at a restaurant that names itself after anything Cubs related.

I came here about three days ago for lunch while downtown running errands, and the grilled cheese sandwich and fries I ordered was good. The problem is that it’s situated in a busy food court in the Merchandise Mart. The servers were very friendly and made my food right. I wasn’t impressed was the hoity toity workers who come to eat who can be rude pushing their way in front of you when you’re waiting for your order. Great place, but you get the real feel at the Billy Goat locations that are sit down instead of an express-version.Its one of the few places that you can get freshly prepared burgers, steak sandwiches, and fries. Most places are too fast foodish and the only cities you can find this kind of food is Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia. I will be going again just not this location unfortunately.

I tried it and Yay! I’m a fan. The food was fast, hot and tasty. Which is exactly what you’re looking for in a cheesborger joint during lunch time.

SNL skit… have u seen it?
Cheesborger…cheesborger!
No Pepsi coke!
No fries chips!
Simple, good menu… No frills… large portions that will make you feel like a total greaseball after eating it. Wash down the greasy goodness with a cold beer and call it a day.

Love their breakfast food, it’s made fresh right in front of you. Avoid the hashbrowns, they were a little plain.

Went because of SNL skit and really didn’t expect it to be great. I was terribly wrong! One of the best cheezborgers I ever had!

I had an omelet here the other day that was as big as my torso and only $ 4 and it came with toast and hash browns! The omelet was cooked perfectly and I didn’t have to wait more than 5 minutes for it.
My friend also got a breakfast special for $ 3.45 that had two pieces of french toast, two pieces of bacon and an egg. It was massive, delicious and oh so cheap.
If you’re looking for breakfast in the Merchandise Mart this is your spot. I’ve eaten at most of the other joints and they don’t compare.
I’m on a bread strike so I haven’t eaten any of the burgers or sandwiches but my friend that I go to lunch with swears by them.
The guys behind the counter are great too!

I eat more of the breakfast choices than the burgers. Great breakfast deals for folks that work at the Mart or close by. This is my team’s favorite breakfast choice out of all the food court eateries. Plus they accept AMEX. The guy taking your order is always nice and the food delish! The french toast is a steal! Large pieces — definitely filled me up.

Visiting from out of town. Cooks recommended the perfect food, bartender recommended the perfect beer and gave us some good ideas for things to do while we’re in town. Not afraid to be sarcastic and BS with us… fun place.

As my travels have taken me to many of the Billy Goat Taverns in the area, I find that this one is extremely efficient at providing a decent burger. Now I’ll agree that if you order anything short of a double cheeseburger, you’ll be eating mostly bun. But what keeps me coming back are the amazing pickles that are offered. Sitting alongside the counter is a massive tray full of cold, crisp, and crunchy pickles which taste phenomenal in a sandwich or by themselves.
When in the Merchandise Mart, skip the Mickey D’s and head over to Billy Goats.

I frequent this snazzy little place almost every Saturday, when they are open. Sometimes I miss them by a few minutes, and am always disappointed. One of the main reasons I like going, is because the guys that work there are so nice and accomodating!
There is never normally a line so they will actually make your order right and it’s always fast.
They have egg sandwiches all day, so if it’s breakfast you’re looking for, this is the place.
It’s perfect for when you want greasy food. Get a side of cheese next store for the fries– worth it!
Grilled Cheese will grilled onions– glorious.
And if you’re in the mood– they have beer too.

After running some errands, I hit up the Merch Mart food court. I figured that I would do a calorie splurge with the Billy Goat. This place lacks all of the character of the other and original locations. Honestly, I was unimpressed. My single burger was mainly bun and a little burger. My lunch was alright and nothing special here. If anything, going to the Billy Goat has now pushed me to the point that I don’t think I’ll be eating fast food for sometime.

This is kind of a watered down version of the original. It lacks the charm of the original, but what do you expect it is in a freaking food court!
The grub here is constant with what you will get at any of the locations. I had my staple double cheeseborger combo and it was just as good as it always has been! They do a good job of keeping things consistent at all of their locations. I was also pleased that I was able to enjoy a Heineken with my meal too!
These guys were super fast and super friendly. My total for all of the above was $ 10.66 so i highly doubt that this place will be a regular staple in my diet

I decided to try the Goat on my latest trip down to the Merch (2÷20÷08). I’ve never actually been to the original one and frankly, have only eaten at the one in O’Hare Airport (C-​terminal in United).
I can’t belive how they’ve parlayed the Belushi/​Ackroyd routine from 1977 in this large amount of business, but hey, what the hell? Of course, as a die-​hard, well, the goat, ehhh, nevermind.
I had the double cheezborger w/​fries and large Diet Coke. Okay, so 1977 it isn’t, but as mentioned by Heli, the «no fries, chips» routine is gone as is the «no Coke, Pepsi». I guess one has to meet market demand.
It was good, but not phenominal. It was also $ 7.79. But hey, this is one of the few places to get BEER inside the Merch, so stop on over.

This is another location of the famous Billy Goat Tavern, known for no fries just chips. Well guess what. They decided fries is okay now. I am not sure if the other locations serve fries (the one on Navy Pier did not a few years back) but I do think it is weird that they went away from their logo. The food is good if you are looking for grease. I think the grilled cheese is delicious.