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A modern dining room.
This is the fanciest Small Cheval yet.
Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago

Small Cheval Wrigleyville Upgrades Burger Choices For Cubs Fans

Explore the chain’s newest location

Ashok Selvam is the editor of Eater Chicago and a native Chicagoan armed with more than two decades of award-winning journalism. Now covering the world of restaurants and food, his nut graphs are super nutty.

Hot dogs have long been linked with baseball, but burgers are making their way into the ballpark this year.

Case in point: Small Cheval, the little sibling to Au Cheval, has opened a location steps from the iconic red Wrigley Field marquee. The chain goes Into space vacated by Maddon’s Post, the restaurant co-owned by former Cubs manager Joe Maddon, in Gallagher Way, the parkway in front of the stadium that debuted in 2018. It was part of the new construction, including the Hotel Zachary, that transformed the neighborhood.

This new Small Cheval is Hogsalt’s largest and includes a private dining room and two bars. This is the sixth location of the mini-chain, a joint venture between Hogsalt and Four Corners. The burgers have developed a huge following, and though the Small Cheval version slightly differs from the original served at Au Cheval in West Loop, patrons can order takeout and delivery from the spinoff. And no one needs to wait in the long lines that accumulate along Randolph Street.

A burger and fries.
Yes, the classics never go out of style.
The exterior of a restaurant.
The fanciest Small Cheval yet.

The secret, allegedly, is how the burgers are griddled topped with sharp cheddar and a Dijonaise. The beef is standard issue from Sysco, a food vendor that supplies foods to restaurants across the U.S. There’s also a plant-based version and another new twist in Wrigley: a wagyu-truffle option. That’s something customers can’t find at nearby Shake Shack.

Baseball seems to have a new infatuation with wagyu. The New York Yankees this season introduced its own wagyu burger named after star slugger Aaron Judge. Like his uniform number, 99 burgers are available per game day in the Bronx. Wagyu refers to the premium Japanese beef that’s highly marbled and known for its juiciness. However, there are different types of wagyu which range in quality and price. Websites for the Yankees and Small Cheval don’t specify, so fans are left guessing.

As with the Yankees burger, Small Cheval will also be available to fans inside the ballpark. There’s a new Small Cheval stand station near Wrigley’s bleachers.

Walk through the neighborhood’s new amenity below.

Small Cheval Wrigleyville, 1119 W. Waveland Avenue, open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to midnight on nights of concerts.

Gallagher Way has transformed the neighborhood’s feel.
Welcome to the bar.
It captures Small Cheval’s classic feel and expands.
Yes, there’s are TVs.
Draft cocktails help speed service up during busy days.
There are two bars.
A cheeseburger.
A burger.

Drinks like a Long Island Cold Brew, Margarita, Old Fashioned, and Pink Vodka Lemonade are available.

Au Cheval

800 West Randolph Street, , IL 60607 (312) 929-4580 Visit Website

Small Cheval

1732 North Milwaukee Avenue, , IL 60647 Visit Website

After

1338 W. Fulton Street, Chicago, IL Visit Website

Two

1132 W Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60642 (312) 624-8363 Visit Website

The Sixth

2202 West Lawrence Avenue, , IL 60625 (312) 256-2960 Visit Website

Wrigley Field

, Chicago, IL 60613
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