Palmer House to Debut Brownie ‘Burgers’ This Month at New Burger Bar

The Palmer House Hilton, the iconic Loop hotel that burned down in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, is finally getting even with Mrs. O’Leary’s cow and its descendants. They’re rebranding the hotel’s restaurant to focus on burgers, including a dessert burger featuring the historic Palmer House Brownie nestled between a doughnut bun. Potter’s Chicago Burger Bar has designed its menu with burgers named after a few of Chicago’s neighborhoods.

An opening date hasn’t been set, but it should be sometime this month. The patties will be thick, weighing in at a quarter pound. Sample burgers include the Lakeview burger with cheese curds and the Little Italy burger with Italian beef, giardiniera, sport peppers, and au jus. They’re altering that classic Chicago sandwich profile by adding provolone.

Palmer House executive chef Mathew Wiltzius also promises a rotating special. The Up & Coming Burger will be inspired by seasonality and food trends. Perhaps they’ll serve a poke burger with ramps. Wiltzius, a Wisconsin native, will stay true to his roots by serving up cheese curds. Completing the diner experience, there are fresh-cut fries which could be dipped into milkshakes. Those shakes could also come blended with booze.

But back to the brownie burger. The Palmer House recipe is more than a century old, and the dessert burger will come with an apricot marshmallow and cherry bavarois. Churro fries are also available with raspberry coulis and vanilla dipping sauces.

While the burger bar isn’t open yet, hotel guests can dine at The Lockwood while the hotel team figures out when to open.