Kuma’s Too

Kuma’s Too is one of the best spots in the city to grab a quality burger and beer! The staff and management are very friendly and you can tell the genuinely care about their food and the experience of the guests. A small group of us have been there a few times already and will certainly be going back again. There are so many great options on the menu, I think I will need to try them all! Had the Led Zeppelin last time, maybe my favorite thus far. Beer selection is quite good as well. Also, the mac and cheese with bacon and andouille sausage is amazing!

I order there Mac n cheese at least 2x a month it’s that’s good. Best in the city. Get garlic and grilled onions and prosciutto and it’s perfect. Huge portion too allows for two meals!

I stopped in for a quick bite one evening. Since I was flying solo, I found a spot at the bar. The bartender was great, providing me samples before committing to the 51^st Ward. I ordered the Iron Maiden and waited and waited and waited. Finally the burger came out (after nearly 30 minutes)! It was delicious and perfectly cooked – medium well is tough for most places to get right. The burger had a good kick to it, so that matched the description well. I had a burger at my favorite neighborhood place later in the week and it couldn’t compare. Minus the long wait time for cooking, definitely a good spot.

So when at Kuma’s in Schaumburg last week, the bartender there mentioned that this place was on 666 Diversey. What better a place to do my 666^th review? So I headed over for a late lunch on a Monday afternoon.
Arriving a bit after 2PM, there were maybe 3 tables sat in the dining area and the bar was about ½ full, so I sat there. I was immediately greeted by the bartender/​manager, Kristen who shared a menu and went over the specials which had just been updated as it was the first of the month. At my stop in Schaumburg, I had a WASP, but that only comes in the lunch size and I was kind of hungry. So I looked over the menu and decided on the Lair of the Minotaur — a burger with brie, carmelized onions, pancetta and bourbon poached pear. Now, my ordinary burger choice includes ketchup, raw onion and some kind of cheese — usually of the traditional nature. Given the combination of ingredients on this burger, I decided not to put ketchup on the burger, even though they make it themselves. And I’m glad I didn’t as it allowed me to taste how the burger itself was meant to be. In this case, the predominant taste was the poached pear — it was a good burger, but I wish some of the other items on it were more «detectable».
While I don’t recall the funky name it was given, I essentially ordered a Bloody Mary made with Finlandia Vodka and a host of other goodies including garlic and a bit of parmesan cheese. Had a nice kick to it and a slightly different flavor than most BM’s — definitely a thumbs up. Also ordered the soup — a Tomato Basil that as I continued to consume it, I determined that it reminded me a of really good Vodka sauce. I do wish there was a longer time between the soup and the burger, though fortunately the burger was still warm enough by the time I got to it. The chips that I opted for were fortunately not dependent on staying hot like fries would have been.
Finally, I have always maintained that anyone can make good food nowadays, but it’s the service and the people at an establishment that makes it or breaks it. This was the case with the Schaumburg location and even more so with Kuma’s Too. Kristen (or Kirsten as on the bill) was totally engaging and a pleasure to shoot the breeze with. While the burgers are good — she would be my first and foremost reason to head back — love visiting a place when I know I’ll have a nice time above and beyond the food.

I want to preface this by saying that if this was just a review of the food, it would easily be a 3.5 star review. The fries were good, the burger, although I’d had it better elsewhere, was good.
But this is a review of the whole place. And because of this they get 2 stars. First, it was a little annoying that at such a casual place they have a policy where they wont sit your party if everyone isn’t there. I understand why these policies exist. I’ve worked in restaurants before, but they have NO waiting area, the bar was packed cause it was a Friday night and we were only missing 2 people of our 8 person party. She finally let us sit and shortly after our last 2 arrived but it didn’t make any sense as there were no other large parties waiting and the table ws just sitting empty. It was my friend’s birthday and we were all eager to get drinks AT THE TABLE. But whatever, it’s their policy, I just don’t like it.
The service while not bad was tepid. The server wasn’t particularly personable, and I barely remember seeing her.
But most of all, this is a metal themed burger joint, and aside from the incredibly aggressive menu (we get it, you’re hardcore), the fact that they were blaring metal music made my meal a little unbearable. I understand you play metal in a metal themed restaurant (to be fair I had no idea what the place was until I showed up for dinner with my friend) but it was just so loud. I left with a migraine and half a burger I had no intention of finishing.

One of the best burgers in the city! I made it out last Sunday, was lucky enough to get in just before the lunch rush. Honestly, I can never decide what to eat here because EVERYTHING sounds delicious. I was feeling BBQ so I got the Mastadon (with Bacon, BBQ sauce, fried onions). But it was a toss up between that and the Metallica (bacon, buffalo sauce, bleu cheese).
The original Kuma’s has a different sort of atmosphere and setting than this place, but I like this one because the few times I’ve been here I haven’t had to wait to sit like the original Kuma’s. It’s a bigger space, so I’m sure that helps. I can either get a table or sit at the bar right away.
I’ve seen parents with kids here a few times. If you’re a parent and you’re sensitive to your kids hearing metal music and seeing a gory Rob Zombie movie on the television, you might want to give Kuma’s a pass.

Had the iron maiden. It was so bomb, I almost exploded in flavor. The view of trader joes along with Netflix playing in the background made this experience one of a kind. Highly recommend.

Went in there for lunch with the work guys had the garlic bacon macaroni and cheese and the iron maiden. Music was awesome as usual. Waitress was awesome the whole experience is always perfect.

We came here for a late lunch ~2:30pm after finishing a Half Acre Brewery Tour. There were no lines, but the inside looked very busy.
We ordered:
1) Our Famous Kuma
bacon, sharp cheddar, fried egg, lettuce, tomato, onion
2) Slayer
10 oz. patty on a bed of fries, chili, cherry peppers, caramelized onion, andouille sausage, shredded monterrey jack, green onion and anger
We both liked the Famous Kuma burger more so than the Slayer because the Slayer had a really strong flavor that was too much after eating some bites of it. That Slayer dish is really a slayer so make sure you prepare with a very empty stomach. We were not able to finish even half of the Slayer.
I might go so far as to say that I prefer the Kuma Burger more so than at Au Cheval because the patty was thicker and overall very well balanced in taste, especially with the fresh red onions and lettuce. I had no trouble finishing this burger. The fries that it came with were also not bad.
Their ketchup is not Heinz, but it was a bit too sour tasting for us to handle.
The metal rock music that was playing in the background was also affecting my appetite in a negative way. I’m not particularly a metals fan, but if I had known how loud it was, I would not have gone there, but I’m sure metal fans would like it here. Service may be a bit slow too. We waited a long time for our orders to come out; the table next to us that put in their order after we did got their orders well before we did and they had 2 more people in their party.

Disclaimer: I’ve never been to the original Kuma’s. The idea of waiting in line or trying to plan out when a good time to go to avoid waiting in line is not my idea of fun. When I’m in the mood for a burger, I want to be able to just go get one right away. Total impatience, I know.
If Kuma’s Too tastes like the original Kuma’s…then my verdict is that it’s a little too hyped. While I liked my burger, I can totes say that I’ve had better.
I came here for the first time to have lunch with my friend the day after Christmas. Luckily most transplants were out of town still so there was plenty of parking on Diversey.
The restaurant was full but not crowded and the music was playing surprisingly soft! Seemed to be rather roomy. I didn’t feel cramped. We were seated right away and our server came by with the menus.
After ordering our beers and perusing the menus, I decided just to get the Kuma’s Burger and my friend got the Burger of the Month, which was like an Italian beef type that came with it’s own au jus.
I will say I was a little thrown off and a tad annoyed when the server told us our burgers can be made medium or well and no in-​between. «It’s either pink or it’s cooked. We don’t do ‘a little bit of pink’ here.» Whatevs. Since pink is a rather relative term, I just decided to go with well.
I enjoyed the fries and the burger, and it was very filling. I had to take leftovers. My friend LOVED his burger of the month. He devoured it!
Overall, it was just okay. I’m not gonna make a special trip just for Kuma’s Too.

I love every burger at this place. Today I got the Lair of the Minotaur. Everything is fantastic about this place! I love how the waitresses have sleeve tattoos! Really is a fun place to visit. I come every time I’m in Chicago.

It is bad compared to the original. Extremely underwhelming, probably will never go back again to this location in any incarnation ever again. Ever. Again.
Like everyone else stated, much roomier then the original but the food is not as good. My fries were super soggy and my veggie burger was flavorless. Jewel Osco has better frozen veggie patties. I didn’t finish either of them and then I had a stomach ache an hour later.
Kuma’s Too, Are you joking? I thought you were in the business of creating a great burger? Do your job right and stop feeding us sand paper (the other 6 in my group didn’t finish their burgers either). You’re welcome.
Yes, I reviewed this with the same tone as the person who wrote their «rule list».
[service is great though, our waiter was awesome]

I’m continually surprised by how many Chicagoans haven’t visited this Kuma’s location yet. It has a bit more refreshed vibe than the original (though the original is still pretty great), and I like that there is plenty of seats at the bar, and you can order there if you can’t get a table. As always, the burgers are unmatched, and the service is always solid. I really enjoy the mac and cheese and being able to add-​in things like prosciutto or peas (actually really tasty). Their seasonal Thanksgiving burger is always amusing (and delicious), and their beer selection should also be noted – quite good. If you’re looking for a quintessential Chicago casual dining experience and are willing to be in for a food coma after, definitely check out Kuma’s Too.

A nice add on to the original location, but slightly bigger, more seats. Food quality matched the original one, but the sound system was not as pervasive. This can be a good thing if you actually want to hear what other people are talking

I came here with some friends on a Saturday and we were seated quickly in 5 minutes. We ordered various burgers, all cooked Medium. In their description of Medium, they stated the meat would be pink throughout, but when the burgers came, they were definitely a combination of pink and gray. I prefer it that way, but that wasn’t quite what I expected. The meat was moist and flavorful, however, the burgers overall were underwhelming.
First of all, the buns are not toasted. In fact, when we asked the waitress about that she said that they won’t even toast the buns if you asked them to. I think a toasted bun would have made a world of difference because the burger tasted a bit cold because of the cold bun.
I had a side of the house made chips with my burger which was a very bad choice. Chips are supposed to be greasy, but the oil they used here had such a strong and distinct smell and taste that all I could taste was this odd oil flavor. Needless to say, I couldn’t each much of these chips.
Finally, I know this place is a metal bar/​restaurant, but I think that the loud metal music in the background took away from the overall dining experience. I felt like it created this sense of urgency to hurry up, finish your food, and get out. However, the waitress and all the staff were superb. They were friendly, present, and knew about the food.
If I’m in the area and craving a burger, I might come back. However, I will likely never come out of my way to go to Kuma’s again.

Is it all hype? Maybe a little.
Coming from a pescatarian, I know I may not be the authority on a burger place but if you don’t eat meat, maybe I’m worth listening to.
Passed by on a Sunday afternoon and thank baby Jesus, it wasn’t packed. We were seated right away but our server was MIA a lot. Took a while to let us order drinks, food, and then to bring the food, the bill, etc.
I had the Minotaur with veggie patty and he the plague. I enjoyed the sweet/​salty of the Brie cheese and pear, the party was just ok. I’ve had better veg burgers at bars and drunk spots like wiener circle. He said his burger was ok but not a top 5 contender. If you want a real burger, Owen & engine is probably a better bet.
While things were ok, the atmosphere is cool with all the metal and this location is roomier and newer than the other so it scores points for that.
For a vegetarian/​pescatarian perspective, I’d say it’s a one and done. 3.5

Metal and Burgers? Sign me up!
Hubby and I made a special trip to this establishment while I was in Chicago for a conference. We have heard lots of good things about this place from others who have been to Chicago. Hubby and I are both big metal fans and was excited to try burgers named after metal bands.
We sat at the bar and the bartender came over to us immediately. We ordered 2 beers and an order of the fried pickles to start. The fried pickles were yummy! Hubby ordered the Mastodon burger and I got the High on Fire burger. Mine has sriracha, grilled pineapple and roasted red peppers on it. The atmosphere at the restaurant was casual, with lots of metal music memorabilia.
All in all, it was just another bar and burger joint, but the décor and environment is worthy for a return visit!

Prefer this over the original, seems less crowded and a lot quieter (still kind of noisy though) from my experience.
Ate here for dinner with some friends on a weekend night. It was busy, but not totally packed. Our waitress was super attentive and energetic. She also gave us a lot of menu suggestions which was nice.
I ended up getting the Lair Of The Minotaur and it was probably one of the best burgers I’ve eaten. It was a huge burger, meat was cooked the way I wanted, poached pear was awesome, bun didn’t totally fall apart. The fries were just okay, but I stole some of my friends house chips and those were great. Would definitely recommend getting house chips over fries.
I’ll definitely be back to Kuma’s Too to try out more of the menu!

I have a seasonal defective thing where I spend the winter months entirely on the Internet. Thank goodness for all the startups like Caviar, Postmates and DoorDash who deliver to shutins like me, even when it’s cold outside!
The fact that I have never stepped foot in Kuma’s Part Deux does not dissuade me from leaving this 5 star review. The hamburger was delivered by Caviar, who did an excellent job because I live on the west side and the burger was juicy, hot and obviously just grilled.
The beef is high grade and gave me a meat high that’s hard to come by when you don’t know how to cook and you’re trapped inside for months. Thank you Kuma’s Part Deux for helping this bear make it through hibernation!

I went Tuesday January 20^th probably at 6pm and it was my second time but i left kind dissapointed about my second time.
Service: The hostess was super friendly and welling to take care of me. The bartender didn’t show a great service, she wasn’t welling to take care of me and it was the hostess who was taking care of me.
Food: I asked the Iron Maiden burguer medium well with fries and took like 20 minutes to get ready.really. And the hostess again went to the kitchen, then finally i got my burguer and they putted carry out when i was trying to eat at the place. The hostess gave an apologize and not the bartender… not good.
I’m in the food service and i always take care of my costumers soo well. I will give another shot and hope you can fixed up this little thing. Thanks a lot

This location is MUCH quieter. I love that aspect. The original kumas had me feeling like my ears were bleeding.
There were 5 of us and we walked in and sat right at the bar. Lucky us, we walked in at exactly the right time.
I can never remember the names of the burgers, but I had the one with avocado and pepperjack cheese. Compared to the other four my burger was on the small side.
One of the burgers was served on a bed of fries that thing was HUGE!!! She got thru a third of it.
One had the special of the day. He really enjoyed that one! Not a bite left.
One ordered the burger with the chili on it. It had to have been
because he downed that burger in minutes.
Lastly, was the one that one had bacon and pulled pork. It was too much for him. He ended up taking half his meal home.
Next time, I must try a bloody mary. The vodka looked toooooo delicious!
Not sure how much it was total bc we had split bills and I didnt pay. But 4 burgers and about 8 beers is what we had in total.