Mott St’s Burger-Focused Spin-off Opens Thursday in Logan Square

Starting on Thursday, fans of Mott St’s juicy double-stacked burger will no longer be dependent on the West Town restaurant. A spin-off dedicated to serving the burger, Mini Mott, opens in two days in the former Jam space at 3057 W. Logan Boulevard Logan Square. And it may be just the first, as James Beard award-nominated chef Edward Kim and team plan to open more locations.

Mini Mott solves a few problems: It gives fans another outlet for the burger which is made with griddled Angus patties and topped with American cheese, hoisin aioli, sweet-potato frizzles, pickled jalapeños, pickles, miso butter, and onions. The burger’s been nationally recognized, and its popularity at some times reduced Mott St’s kitchen to a burger bar. That prevented customers from tasting some of the restaurant’s other lauded dishes including the lasagna-like stuffed cabbage or the simple, yet rich oyster mushrooms with thyme and miso butter. The restaurant scaled back its availability to only during Sunday brunch and at the bar.

While Kim won’t say it outright, most chefs with fine-dining backgrounds want to be known for more than just their burgers, no matter how tasty they might turn out. Kim displayed his fine-dining touch at Ruxbin, the highly-acclaimed BYO restaurant that closed last year after 10 years in Noble Square.

The burger became a fixture after Eater Chicago challenged Kim to create a burger in 2015. While it created some logistical challenges, it also created an opportunity. Kim and his family saw how popular Small Cheval had become as the burger-centric spinoff from Brendan Sodikoff’s Au Cheval on Randolph Street. Following the blueprint, Mini Mott was born, which will also serve their overwhelming “Everything” chicken wings, soft-serve ice cream that’s made on premises, and beer. There’s also a vegetarian option, savory jackfruit marinated with red wine, onions, cumin, and cilantro. It’s a holdover from Ruxbin and customers can omit the bun for lettuce.

Check out the menus below. Mini Mott makes its official debut on Thursday with reduced hours. Regular hours to debut next week.