Chicago restaurants are using the first few weeks of 2018 as a time to spruce up their facilities and prepare for another year of hungry customers. Earlier this week, we learned that the Lower Michigan Avenue location of the Billy Goat Tavern will be closed for repairs until sometime in February. Now another beloved burger joint is (momentarily) shutting its doors to make way for renovations—Eater Chicago noted that Au Cheval has closed temporarily and will reopen on January 18.
While anyone who loves Au Cheval’s famous burger is used to waiting for the opportunity to eat it at the constantly-packed restaurant, diners who insist on consuming Brendan Sodikoff’s signature dish in the interim have a few options. Small Cheval serves a pretty great facsimile of the burger at its locations in Wicker Park (1732 N Milwaukee Ave), West Loop (150 N Riverside Plaza) and a small stand within the 3 Greens Market in River North (354 W Hubbard St).
You could also view this as an opportunity to try some other amazing Chicago burgers before you join the queue on Randolph Street later in January.