Scratch Kitchen and Lounge

I think this is the most underrated spot on Madison. Really good food, great vibe, and solid beer selection. The staff is fun and laid back but do a great job. Plus, I love their mac and cheese.

Funky spot in Forest Park. Very cool vibe and staff is engaging. Skillet breakfast was fantastic!

This is by far my most favorite restaurant in the OP/​RF/​FP area… when my husband and I walked in the first time, we both looked at each other and agreed we felt like we were back in Wicker Park. The food is crazy delicious (no joke, I dream about that sausage crostini appetizer) and I love how kid-​friendly the place is. Really, my only complaint is that I wish they had more salads on the menu. Other than that, it’s pretty damn perfect.

Freckles and David are beyond amazing! My friend and I came in after a stressful day and came specifically for these two. They are so humble and down to earth. Even though the place was packed, they both made sure we were ok and were enjoying our food! The food is amazing, the people are amazing, everything is amazing. Freckles also recommended a burger to me and I loved it! Thank you so much and I definitely will be returning and definitely recommending it to everyone.

SKL is one of my favorite neighborhood bars. I love their burgers and fries. So far, I’ve tried all of them including the good old fashion scratch burger, the meatless and both pork inspired burgers. Today, I had the Burger Binge burger special. It was a turkey burger with Asian inspired slaw and lots of sriracha. Oh my did it have a nice kick. The rest of their menu is pretty decent too if you’re not interested in a burger. Getting hungry again.
Typically, service is great, today was a little off. I had to wait an extra 5 or 10 minutes for my burger while I dogged my bfs fries. It’s OK though, we enjoyed sitting outside in the sun, people watching and loving my burger. Our server kept coming by to check on us since we were possibly the only weirdos showing up right as they opened. He had to eat to go get ready for work so it was a viable option. Too bad they’re not 100% up and running right as they open. It’s fine though, again, we were enjoying each others company and the atmosphere from outside. It was very nice.
My bf wasn’t as excited with the fries and his burger. I told him it’s because he got American cheese instead of no cheese or possibly cheddar. I wanted a taste but controlled myself even though the fried egg on top looked oh so good!
Bathrooms are unisex which rocks in my opinion. When I need to go, I don’t care for gender separations. I just want to pee. :)
BTW, the inside is very chill. They have fun activities and live music couple nights a week. I haven’t experience any of them yet since I’ve only come during the day. One of these nights though, we’ll have to go.

I love this spot but totally disappointed that you are promoting an Asian burger for #burgerbinge and it’s the middle of the afternoon and you don’t have it???
CHANGING PREVIOUS RATING FROM 2 TO R STARS…
I am changing my original review, because Scratch knows and understands service. I have appreciated their food for a while, NOW I appreciate their view of service. Outstanding when you value the customers opinion that much to respond to my review in that short of time.

This place has been on my list for a long time, and it was pretty disappointing. We sat down and were approached by a server/​bartender/​phone answerer. He told us «sit anywhere». We sat at a table and he said «not that table. anywhere else». ok. While ordering, he ran off to make a phone call. I ordered iced tea, he ordered a coke type beverage. They have some local cola and it was quite good. Iced tea was VERY acidic. So much that it made me vomit 10 minutes after drinking it. Yes, I’m sure it was the tea. I had soup for lunch and there was only tea in the vomit, nothing else. Lots of details everyone wants to know.
My husband ordered mac and cheese. For being homemade, it was very bland. Not very cheesy at all. I frequently (once per month, maybe) make homemade mac and cheese and the stuff I make is delicious. And easy. It wasn’t super busy, but the service was very slow. For mac and cheese and a veggie burger, we were there just over an hour, which is kind of a lot for what we ordered. The veggie burger was fairly tasteless. The greek yogurt sauce was good, but overpowering. Everything tasted like the sauce. The patty needed more hold to it. it fell apart when I picked it up.
Also to repeat what Jennifer P. said, the bathrooms are «as dark as fucc». While it was 7 pm and I did not have any alcoholic beverages, I too was stumbling around trying to find the light. The lock on the door didn’t seem very sturdy and when someone banged on the door while I was peeing, I was VERY concerned that the door was going to swing open. It didn’t, thank god.
As far as being better for the environment, they use plastic cups for water and drinks. Isn’t it more environmentally friendly to use reusable glass cups than plastic cups to throw away/​recycle?
The place seems like a nice local restaurant based on community events, only. They had several events going on for kids and adults. But, without better service and food, I wouldn’t return.

Been here twice now!
Something super fun for everyone on the menu. Not your «typical» food expected but it is great!
The Fire Mac with Pulled Pork is one of my favorites because it is so different than anything you would get anywhere else. But you cannot go wrong with the menu! Love that it is narrowed down to a few things including Macs, meat, spuds and a few other things. Simple yet tasty!
Love the little size and I havent had a problem getting in to sit down. Sat at the bar one night with a friend for a quick bite and a drink and the server/​bartender was very attentive on filling our drinks, and checking in!

I’m being a bit conservative on my star rating — maybe 3.5 would be better if I could. I went here on the suggestion of my brother, who raved about the pulled pork sandwich. He had tipped me off on Kinderhook’s great hamburger, so I came with high expectations on the pork. Not so much though — it was nothing special.
Beers mostly in the can as described — there’s something kitschy about that I suppose. Service was pretty prompt and pleasant — always willing to return to a place with decent staff.

Just barely 4 stars but the taste of their house salad left me wanting more!
Ordered the house salad with balsamic dressing and it was taste buds dream! The portion is HUGE so you can share with friend.
Prices here are really high but everything is made from scratch so I understand it being a little higher.
I also ordered from da south burger which was delicious but very messy so I would not recommend if you are on first date. Pulled pork on top of this burger probably would have been just fine on its own.
Couldn’t leave without ordering their classic Mac and cheese dish. HUGE skillet of creamy noodles which was too much for just two people but nice cheesy taste not too salty.
Parking right out front or side street. Small atmosphere inside. Really close to other customers but waiters are attentive!

This place fell a little bit short of my expectations, but maybe I just didn’t order the right things.
Lamb Burger — I suppose this wasn’t the best choice on my part. The lamb meat didn’t taste very fresh, and the patty was falling apart.
Truffle Mac and Cheese — I’ve had my array of mac and cheese, but this just didn’t hit the spot for me. It was a bit on the greasy side, and the pork flavor was overwhelming.
Pulled Pork Taco — Saved the rating.

If you happen to be in forest park do not pass this place up. The food was delicious. My only concern is the size of the place and location. I went during the middle of the day and it wasn’t too busy. The place is pretty small. So it could become crowded fast. And with the location you need to park on the street or use paid parking nearby, or walk from somewhere far away. Basically if the place becomes busy I’m sure it would be hard to visit.
But in regards to the food it was delicious. I had the Tex-​mex fries which were fries piled high with pulled pork and Coke slaw and cheese. I also had the truffle Mac and cheese which was also delicious if you add on pulled pork.
Definitely a nice little pub/​restaurant for a small group of friends to visit. If you plan to bring kids I would do it middle of the day. I can imagine this place to be more hectic in the evening.
I plan to visit again, thanks!

At first I thought this place had good food and quality beer at a reasonable price. Then after a few more visits I thought:
Nevermind. SCRATCH THAT.
«SKL» (as it’s known) features upscale burgers, delux-​o mac’n’cheese, and beer almost exclusively in cans. Normally this beer & burgers premise would elicit 5* from my easy-​to-​please self, but following visit number three I’m gonna have to side with Jennifer P on this place. Here’s why–
1) the beer. They have – for some inexplicable reason – Hamm’s on tap (or something equally goofy), but all the rest of their beer selection comes in 12oz or 16oz can format. I typically prefer draught beer, but Scratch has a great variety of cans to choose from (ales, shandys, lagers, porters), so I’ve got no issue with that.
What DOES bother me is that my can of 312 wheat ale was, for lack of a better word, filthy. Only after I took a few sips did I notice a layer of grime on the top… so naturally I wiped my finger across and sure enough, a thick film of soot/​dirt came off. I’m no health inspector, but that’s pretty goddamn disgusting. So I kindly asked for a glass (received a plastic cup) to decant the rest of my beer into. Problem solved. Sort of.
2) the food. It’s all good in the taste neighborhood, but when it comes time for the bill you could be in for some surprising sticker shock. The buffalo mac was $ 8.50 and came in a sizeable portion, but should you go down the build-​your-​own burger option, be prepared for the add-​ons to really stack up. Jackie S did this, and starting with the base [$ 11], she added on pepperjack cheese, bacon, and bacon jam. That jacked up the price to a whopping $ 16.50! Apparently the bacon cost $ 2.50 and bacon jam is an extra buck, along with a dollar for cheese and another 75¢ for something else. So you can see how the cost of creating a burger can quickly spiral out of control. Yikes.
Bread = 3.5
Circuses = 2
Our server took longer than I’d hope to greet us (it wasn’t busy, either), and wait times for food have been consistently long. I wouldn’t recommend SKL to peers, but I wouldn’t trash talk them either. I guess my feelings are pretty indifferent about Scratch Kitchen Lounge. While the food quality is good, prices are higher than you might expect and dirty beer cans are ¡muy no me gusta!
Sure, beer cans might be better for the environment than glass bottles, but when they’re dirty as f*ck, that’s bad for business. Gotta wipe ‘em down before serving them to customers… cuz y’know, hygiene and whatnot.

Checked out the place for the first time this evening — my +1 had beat me by ~5 mins. and already had his drink. After sitting for 10 mins with NO ONE coming over, I finally asked him if we had a particular server or if I needed to head to the bar on my own. He pointed out a young 20-​somethings woman (K-​?) wearing a red sweatshirt, and after all this time just waiting, was finally able to flag her over to take my drink order. The place was NOT busy, mind you: there was 1 other couple seated at the tables and 1 couple seated at the bar. There was a second bartender on duty who was actively making drinks while our gal was standing by.
Because their IPA menu was more extensive than I’m used to — and I’m no beer conessieur — asked her for some recommendations. Her two suggestions were citrus, closer-​to-​Blue-​Moon than anything unique/​off the beaten path. Meh, not a fan of Blue Moon. I ended up just choosing the Union Jack since I’ve heard good things.
She was absent except to bring us popcorn and when she was purposely flagged down again to bring us the check. She assisted us with paying our individual tabs using one of their self-​help kiosk thingers. (They’re NOT on the table, btw, and apparently need to be brought over by the server if the check needs to be split in any way other than ⁵⁰⁄₅₀.)
She could have tried enticing us with specials, like the Mac n Cheese, which is apparently 50% off on Tuesdays (= today), or the «slidders» (= Sliders).
O wells.
As such, I tipped the minimum at 15%. O wells x2.
Bathrooms were clean, but dark as fucc. Want to wipe your ass? Good luck finding it.
Disappointing — ESPECIALLY since my Unilocal friends have boasted 4 and 5-​star experiences!: /

I stopped in for lunch while in town over the weekend. Everything on the menu was calling my name, since I couldn’t decide I ordered the Cuban and the Poblano Mac n Cheese. The Cuban was quite good, though the flat bread doesn’t hold up. It was just too soft for the sandwich. My mac n cheese was so good. The noodles were cooked just right, I don’t like them mushy. My can of Blue Moon was nice and cold. Everything reheated nicely throughout the remainder of my stay. I would definitely go back to try a burger.
P. S. Maybe they could turn down the music? I love the Black Keys as much as the next girl, but I don’t care to shout across a 3 ft table.

I’ll be very brief about Scratch because I’ve only been able to go there once, and only had time to try one thing. But the thing that I tried was pretty epic honestly lol. I HAD to come here when a friend told me they have buffalo chicken mac n’ cheese. Let me say one more time… BUFFALO. CHICKEN. MAC. N’. CHEESE. The portion size was very generous, I actually didn’t even finish, which does not happen very often with me. The chicken is shredded, which I actually preferred to some places that have big chunks of chicken in it. And it DOES get spicy, for those who are anti-​spice. But it’s full of this great buffalo flavor, it’s a large portion, and the chicken was cooked and shredded perfectly. They apparent have other mac n’ cheeses like truffle parmesan and bleu cheese, so I will be returning, if nothing else, to try their other mac n’ cheeses.
The inside is a little tight, so we were sat really closely to two other tables, which typically I don’t mind but I was pretty much sitting on top of the person next to me.
Oh also, they have a cool outdoor bar/​patio area that sits you right on Madison St., and their beer menu is pretty decent. Thought that was a necessary note to add :)

One of the few establishments in the area which is open late with really good food. Each time I have dined, it has been on Trivia night and it was relatively late. It appears trivia draws a pretty large crowd but trivia aside, this place is pretty popular and I can fully appreciate why.
I have dined in once and ordered take out the other. Service was great in both instances. My takeout order was wrong but the mess ups were not the worse ever just a tad inconvenient.
Asian Turkey Burger — 5 stars
Prosciutto and peas mac & cheese — 4 stars
the three little pigs burger — 2 stars (too much pork for me to really enjoy — my pressure was through the roof from one bite)
Over roasted chicken legs — 3 stars
Buffalo chicken mac and cheese — 3 stars
from da south burger — 3 stars
I like that there is outdoor seating, Angry Orchard and house made chips too.

This is a cool place to go any time of the week. They have a very interesting list of beers. Great service! Food taste good and if you want something and it’s not on the manu they can work with you and they’ll make something you’ll like.
My third time here and I have enjoyed it every time.

This visit was a first time for me, return trip for my hubby who raved about SKL.
The place is a bar, small, dark and divey but they have great food and the service was prompt and friendly.
I had the Pulled Pork Sandwich… it was sweet and smokey, just the right amount of pork with a nice tangy slaw and pickles on top. The bun was fresh and fluffy but the fries were a bit greasy and overcooked for my taste. My hubby had the Veggie Burger — it’s what brought him back here because he enjoyed it so much the first time. It was consistently good. We also ordered a side of Mac ‘n Cheese to share… the one with peas and jalapenos… very good. Piping hot, full of flavor and a nice big portion.
Their beer menu is ample but not overwhelming. I really love the creative Radler’s they have on the list and tried the Grapefruit Radler (it was in a can) and I loved it.
The only drawback in my opinion was the blaring music that made it difficult to talk. It was headbanger, heavy metal type stuff and it gave me a headache. Next time we’ll find a table further away from the large speakers in the front of the place — that might help.

I’ve been here about 9x… I’ve only ordered the burgers. (funny cause it was the Mac and Cheese reviews that originally brought me here… if it isn’t broken don’t fix it.) My favorite burger is the «From da South». (coleslaw/​pulled pork on top of burger) Many have said they thought it was too much and that it had a lot going on… D’oh that’s why it’s good. the combination of toppings and the burger itself is perfect to me. Not that big of a beer drinker, but they have a lot of craft beer in a can. The kitchen stay’s open to late… (I believe to 12 don’t quote me) Have watched a few games here. Waiters and cooks are nice and cool to chat with) Small space but never been on a busy night (Friday/​Saturday)
Just recently found out they were Chicago Best AFTER for for the Mac and Cheese so finally gave it a try and must say WOW! Had gotten a regular and thought it was MORE then enough as I took half home. (but I also had a burger that day too but took half that home as well.)
Monday from 3pm-​6 pm ½ price burgers!
Tuesday from 3pm-​6pm ½ price Mac and Cheese.
My small gripe (READ: your not getting 5 stars) about this place for me is that if I’m paying $ 13 for a burger I want some fries and not chips (you can pay $ 1 more for fries)