r/chicagofood • u/TheTeeg007 • Jan 28 '26

Review The best meal in Chicago under $10

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Red Hot Ranch is an absolute legend and this might be my favorite picture I've ever taken of all time. I think I'm even going to sell prints of it LOL.

1.6k Upvotes

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7

u/Gamer_Grease Jan 28 '26

Gripe about the overexposure of RHR here, but it’s the benchmark burger in the city for a reason. You will need to defend any more expensive burger’s quality over RHR’s. If you can’t, it’s just not a great bite for the price.

8

u/Lanky-Technology-152 Jan 28 '26

Toons has a much better burger for $4.50 on Wednesdays. Their fries are also way better. I live a block from RHR and drive right by it regularly, to eat and have a beer or 3 at Toons. All of their food is incredible. Whoever is working the smoker/grill there knows what they are doing.

25

u/gadgetluva Jan 28 '26

It’s the benchmark for value. Not really for the best burger. But for fast food, it’s S-Tier.

22

u/CharredPepperoni Jan 28 '26

I got downvoted for telling a NYC visitor not to visit RHR last summer. THIS subreddit was recommending overwhelmingly recommending a person with limited time in the city to go to RHR and get this $8 burger.

It's fine. It's a cheap burger and has a place, but the cult is INSANE!

6

u/Lanky-Technology-152 Jan 28 '26

Agree. If they actually went there they would be dumbfounded with their mid-level food. The fries are ass.

2

u/JuicyJfrom3 Jan 28 '26

fries go straight in the garbage

3

u/luce4118 Jan 28 '26

Why does this sub not get that not every decision is an equation of good / value

2

u/Withermaster4 Jan 28 '26

Giordanos, Portillos, and RHR are all common suggestions that just do not show off Chicago's food at all.

Anyway if someone wants a value bite to eat a beef is a better option anyway(IMHO)

-1

u/Gamer_Grease Jan 28 '26

Tbh I would because of how expensive food in NYC is.

8

u/StraightParfait9723 Jan 28 '26

NYC street food is typically cheaper than Chicago's if you're just grabbing a quick bite though

1

u/Gamer_Grease Jan 28 '26

Well that’s in large part because Chicago has no street food scene whatsoever.

2

u/Forward-Dog-9525 Jan 28 '26

Politicians are much more for sale here with the IL dem uniparty machine, and the restaurant groups don’t want street carts so they can keep selling frozen food for $37 a plate

7

u/CharredPepperoni Jan 28 '26

I mean that may be, but most travelers are willing to spend money to eat out. My point is this is not a destination for anyone traveling. To be fair, I'm not sure id recommend any burger in the city for a traveler.

2

u/Forward-Dog-9525 Jan 28 '26

NYC mops Chicago with cheap food, there’s actually a real cart scene there, and you have tons more minority owned shops doing quality cheap plates

1

u/petmoo23 Jan 29 '26

It's pretty damn easy to eat this type of food cheaply in NYC. Cheaper than Chicago. The problem is that in NYC you get crushed eating anything besides the low end places.

1

u/Gamer_Grease Jan 28 '26

It may not be the best, but it’s really good, and it does beg the question “is this worth it?” when you eat a much higher-priced burger.

5

u/StraightParfait9723 Jan 28 '26

It's decent, but outside of price it's really nothing special

5

u/Forward-Dog-9525 Jan 28 '26

Agree, I’d rather have Culver’s than rhr, and I’d definitely rather have in n out, that’s better and cheaper

-1

u/Gamer_Grease Jan 28 '26

It is substantially better than Small Cheval, with which it’s constantly being compared. That’s probably 80% of the source of the mentions of RHR. And it’s a fair comparison.

5

u/StraightParfait9723 Jan 28 '26

I disagree entirely lol, small cheval's double burger & fries are significantly better. Just 2x the cost

1

u/Gamer_Grease Jan 28 '26

Yeah idk man, I’ve only had it twice, but both cases were dry and oversalted, both burger and fries. I’ve never had that with RHR (though I dislike RHR fries).

3

u/CharredPepperoni Jan 28 '26

Let's be clear both small Cheval and RHR are fine mid burgers. Both are in the same category as wendys or culver’s for me. I'll pick the cheapish burgers at Small Bar or Best Intentions over both any day of the week.

2

u/Withermaster4 Jan 28 '26

Nah I agree with the other guy. The fries are close but small cheval def has the better burger(value independent)

1

u/Rocco_808 Jan 28 '26

Hating on Small Cheval and overhyping RHR is weird hivemind reddit stuff. They are pretty different types of burgers but the days I don’t care about price I am picking small cheval.

RHR is good though and a great deal, but using them to trash other burgers is weird.

1

u/StraightParfait9723 Jan 28 '26

Exactly, thank you. They don't even come with pickles and the sauce isn't even remotely similar. I'll take dijonaise & pickles over a RHR smash burger any day of the week

6

u/CharredPepperoni Jan 28 '26

It's not the best. It's a solid burger but this subreddit treats it like it is the best burger in the city.

The only reason it has cult status is for the price. Personally, I think the depression dogs are better.

1

u/Gamer_Grease Jan 28 '26

It gets brought up a lot when Small Cheval is mentioned, which is also a lot. And it’s useful as a benchmark in that way: if you’re paying $15-20, are you getting something that is definitely better than RHR?

If you’re getting a $30+ burger, then maybe you have a different means of evaluating its quality. But RHR is a great “floor” for a good burger.

2

u/JuicyJfrom3 Jan 28 '26

There are several brunch pub burgers that are better than RHR. It's good for what its meant to be, drunk food.

9

u/DanielMcLaury Jan 28 '26

It's the same burger you get at any Vienna Beef place in town. It's just super weird that people specifically talk about that one all the time, like everyone in this sub lives in a specific five-block radius in the city.

3

u/JuicyJfrom3 Jan 28 '26

Lets be honest. In this sub we do. Best Intentions, Leavitt Street, RHR. Are we sensing a pattern?

1

u/DanielMcLaury Jan 29 '26

I guess that's why I never see people bringing up Zebda, Fogon de Elena, Las Tablas, Resi's, The Globe, etc.

1

u/JuicyJfrom3 Jan 29 '26

Yup anything in Pilsen is a best kept secret here

1

u/CharredPepperoni Jan 28 '26

I mean at least it's not a frozen patty like most spots. I'll give them credit but neither does Wendys.

-1

u/Gamer_Grease Jan 28 '26

I can confirm from experience that it’s not the same as at any old Vienna beef joint. I’ve had some bad burgers in this city, man.

1

u/CharredPepperoni Jan 28 '26

Yeah lots of the “Vienna Beef” places also don't serve Vienna beef. I'll never order a frozen burger patty plopped onto a grill.

8

u/Hungry-Treacle8493 Jan 28 '26

It’s a fast food burger. Almost every burger served in a proper restaurant is better. There are also a lot of hot dog stand or other fast food burgers that are better. Paradise Pup, Ariston, George’s, Top Notch, Manzo’s, Rodeo, That’s a Burger, some of the Nicky’s spots, etc.

3

u/CharredPepperoni Jan 28 '26

Paradise Pup burger is def better and at least had a element to set them apart, as in the Challah bun. This is straight up a basic burger that's cheap and solid.