Hamburger Heaven

I was super excited to head here. I ordered shrimp that was basically tiny ends inside of a battered covering. No flavor and basic. I did try a bite of someone’s burger and that was great.

A flood of good memories fill my mind with every visit. It might not be the best burger ever, but it’s still pretty good for the money. Probably the closest I’ve found to a Big Boy Burger. It was good to see Chicago’s Best TV finally made a visit here recently. After all it has been an institution in Elmhurst since May 1948.

Not sure who would come here and expect anything less than greasy flavorless fast food. I definitely did not have high expectations… and was pleasantly surprised!

Stationed on the this prominent corner I expected a lot more out of this place. However, a place called Hamburger Heaven should live up to its name with its hamburgers. While the service was excellent, the hamburgers just did not have that «thing» to make me want to come visit again.

Double cheeseburger and cheese fries. Exactly as I pictured in my head. It was nice to have a burger that wasn’t dripping in grease. Can’t wait to go back. The parking spaces are a little tight would be my only criticism.

Came here for the first time since moving to Elmhurst to get ice cream and shakes. The ice cream (and therefore shakes as well) was terrible! Watery, with ice crystals, this tasted more like bad fro yo.
Friendly service though?

Been coming to HH at least 2 – 3 times a year for 50 years. Quality has varied throughout the years depending on ownership. Always have ordered the double cheeseburger. For the first time in 50 years I decided to try the Big Cheeseburger last week. It was fantastic. Had extra mix on the side and will never go back to the double again.

I’m just a machochist! I grew up in the 60’s loving the place and returning from time to time thereafter.
In the last 5 years it has slid badly backward. I keep going back, thinking that «this is not rocket science, and the owner HAS to stop and look at and taste his own food, or ask trusted friends to do so and give him feedback, but the place keeps sliding into the abyss.
Now, in the new (spring) reopening, he has an entirely new staff. The order taker seemed confused and repeated my order so fast, I asked her to repeat it, and repeat it, before I just gave up. Despite mine was the only order being prepared (2:30 p.m.), the output of the three guys standing around in the kitchen was a tasteless burger, with un-​melted cheese — clearly showing they were only interested in putting out the order and getting back to standing around and chatting.
So sad that this West Suburban icon has almost disintegrated completely. One would hope that the owner would take some ownership over the quality of the product and understand that simple steps could make it great again. But, seeing «Jim» standing around as well, it appears that he’s unmotivated to do so. He’s getting older, so maybe he’s just trying to ride it out, sell the place to someone else and retire to Berwyn.

This wasn’t the best burger I’ve ever had but it was definitely decent. For me, it was more like a great burger you would find at your neighbor’s bbq party. The sesame bun seemed pretty basic, but the meat was cooked well and had good flavor overall. I can tell it’s a local favorite and will definitely be back for some ice cream and root beer floats.

Can’t review the food because the place is closed 2 hours early! Their website and all Web services that carry their listing clearly list their hours until 10:30pm. Just drove up at 8:30 tonight and was told that the hours were until 8 pm until June. NOWHERE does it sa ft 8pm. These kids just wanted to get out of there early. Plain and simple!

My grandparents went here on their first date way back in the day. Still to this day it remains just as good as I remember from when I was a kid.

Being an avid fan of diners, drive-​ins and dives, I *really* wanted to like this place, but after my fourth visit, I’m done.
The food is consistently luke-​warm which is particularly a problem when they serve you a red hot with cold sauerkraut. The burger with olives sounds like a great idea, but as others have posted, it’s a salt bomb — and I consider salt my favorite food group.
If you love mayonnaise, then you’ll like their McD’s-style special sauce otherwise it’s just plain gross but that might just be due to the sloppy preparation that goes into just about everything they serve here.
The first time I had a root beer float I was disappointed. After having a chocolate milkshake there today I realized why. The «soft serve» ice cream is of the quality of most all-​you-​can-​eat Chinese buffets — grainy and under sweet.
Skip this place and find a Portillos…

This used to be the place to go back in the day… now its just a tired old institution. The burgers with olives are salty and bla. I would go back for the root beer as that is their specialty and pretty good. Not ‘wow’.

Experience tells me that when you are hungry and drive by a rundown shack on the side of the road called Hamburger Heaven, you stop immediately and have lunch. No matter how long you have to wait in line.
Hamburgers are admittedly McDonalds-​esque, but somehow not nasty? Thin patties with special sauce and squishy bread. I added olives as any olive-​lover would, but it just made the burger super salty and that’s it. Cheese fries are of the Kringle-​cut and fake cheese variety. Root beer is tasty! Super smooth and vanilla-​y.
I love places like this for the charming experience and the nice people who run this business that’s been around forever (since 1948). It makes me happy to patronize businesses like this but admittedly, better burgers are found elsewhere.

Saw a sign for «root beer» and had to stop! I have to say, the location of this joint is not ideal. Getting in and out of the parking lot is definitely an ordeal.
The only things we ordered were root beer floats and onion rings… What a great combo ;). The onion rings were very uniformly shaped and pretty flavorless. I wouldn’t get them again. The floats were delicious! Yummy soft serve ice cream dumped in a cup of root beer. We will definitely be returning for more floats!

Jim’s Hamburger Heaven, one of the best drive in burger joints ever. I first discovered this place when I was 8 years old, my mother and I were desperately hungry and came here and instantly got hooked. I still till this day love this place, I come here at least once or twice a week after a great workout session. The burgers are amazing literally «Heaven» fits the burger right because that’s what I feel with one bite. Honestly recommend it and prices ain’t too shabby. If you’re stil reading go on and get yourself a double decker fool!

Decent food. Although the fries are the simple thick crinkle cut fries. My problem is that they don’t wear gloves. We got two small shakes, 2 burgers and 2 fries and it came out to $ 22.99. Good coy stoner service tho.

This is an Elmhurst icon. Is it great, not really, but that doesn’t mean you should try it. The reviews are mixed. I know some people who love it. A friend who comes in from California (went to Elmhurst College) loves to stop here when she’s back in town. Since, I think there are better burgers in town I generally get the corn dog. Yes, that’s right, the corn dog. I’m like 99% sure this is the only place in town where you can get one. Margin of error — plus or minus 100%. Also, I occasionally get the butterscotch malt. As Yoda might say, «Healthy, not is place for diet.» Worst bathroom in Elmhurst according to my son.
As of this writing there are ninety-​six restaurants in Elmhurst. I plan on eating at, and reviewing, every one. Follow me on Unilocal

I was driving by and saw the big sign that pulls you in. The one about the root beer. It is homemade. After checking the reviews, I decided to try the root beer float. It was pretty good. After reading the reviews, I did not want to chance anything else. I’ve attached the picture of their root beer keg and the drink itself.

It probably didn’t hurt that I ate here for lunch on a Friday, on what was arguably the nicest day of 2014 (so far). The excellent root beer, the hefty portion of fries, and what I felt was a delicious cheeseburger made for one happy Unilocal reviewer. Yes, their signature ‘double-​decker’ burger is in many ways like a Big Mac, but it’s not processed the same way that a corporate giant like Mickey D’s would. This place has been around since 1948 (just a few years after WWII), and not much has changed since. Everything is a-​la-​carte, and prices are very reasonable. The special sauce on the burgers gives it a certain ‘je né sais quoi’ that I loved. SPOILER ALERT: the special sauce is essentially honey mustard+tartar sauce/​1000 island dressing.
4 ½ stars for the experience. BUT WAIT!
Bonus star awarded for: sheer persistence in the face of adversity.
Hamburger Heaven has endured being in business for decades despite threats (and significant financial compensation, I’m sure) from Elmhurst to raze the location, and build something new on its corner lot… probably another fucking Walgreens or Chik-​Fil-​A. But nope, they gave the big ‘up yours’ to the township and continued running a little ma-​and-​pa burger stand on a slice of prime North Ave & York Road real estate. These guys get an extra star (we’re up to 5.5 stars now) for being just –that– stubborn. It’s a must-​go during the summer months.
On behalf of all the kids who will enjoy a soft serve cone here on an early August evening after a little league baseball game…
For all the junior high school couples that’ll come here on a first date because it’s fun and easygoing and it’s all they can afford…
For all the old folks who’ll come back to Hamburger Heaven to relive simpler times and remind them of the days when they were in middle school…
…I thank you for not caving in and selling. The appreciation shows in the tens of thousands of smiles that’ll you see here between now and October.