Small Bar, Avondale
46 people recommend, 9 warn against itvia r/chicagofood, r/AskChicago30 comments cited below
The comments cited below are a sample of the full tally across 27 threads.
What people say, in short
Small Bar's Patty Pleaser and smash burger earn repeated praise, including for flavor and value. The dissent is specific: diners report excessive salt or onions, burgers that seem over-steamed in foil, and uneven visits; some prefer Leavitt's burger. Several longtime visitors miss the earlier menu and neighborhood feel, with patio crowding another drawback. The strong burger support comes with real taste and atmosphere reservations.
Address
Small Bar, 2956 N Albany Ave, Chicago, IL 60618
At a glance
- Price
- Budget
- Signature dishes
- Patty Pleaser, Smash burger
- Best for
- Budget
- Opinions divided
- Yes
Nearby on this map
Other places on this map closest to Small Bar, Avondale, as the crow flies.
The evidence
Every point below is paraphrased from a real public comment, ordered by how much the community engaged with it. Caveats and negatives are kept in — follow any link to read the original for yourself.
- Recommendsu/janxham in r/chicagofood · Sep 2024taste
Calls the Patty Pleaser one of the best burgers right now, flavorful and filling.
- Recommendsu/InvestmentActuary in r/chicagofood · Apr 2025
Lists Small Bar among spots to try instead of NADC.
- Recommendsu/Da_Stallion-JCI_7 in r/chicagofood · Jan 2026
Lists it among its smash burger picks without further detail.
- Mixedu/mastahamsta1 in r/chicagofood · Sep 2024ambience
Blames influencers for ruining the bar, would swap this burger to get the old menu, and dislikes the Logan Square label.
- Recommendsu/natnguyen in r/chicagofood · Nov 2026
Answers the burger request by naming Small Bar.
- Recommendsu/vsladko in r/chicagofood · Jan 2026taste
Lists Small Bar among local burgers at least as good as RHR's.
- Recommendsu/ExaminationOld2494 in r/AskChicago · May 2026taste
Recommends this Logan Square bar for a smashy, unfussy burger rather than trendy spots.
- Recommendsu/afternoondlight in r/AskChicago · Sep 2026taste
Calls Small Bar one of the best burgers.
Show all 30 cited comments
- Recommendsu/sonicbleu_6 in r/chicagofood · Jan 2026
Answers the cheeseburger request with Small Bar.
- Recommendsu/paxenb in r/chicagofood · Nov 2026
Rates the burgers very highly and would order them again.
- Recommendsu/dfwfoodcritic in r/chicagofood · Jan 2026
Lists it among its smash burger picks.
- Mixedu/JuicyJfrom3 in r/chicagofood · Sep 2024ambience
Says the burger is great but the patio is unusable this summer.
- Caveatu/chatplaya69 in r/chicagofood · Aug 2025taste
Feels Small Bar burgers come out over-steamed from being foil-wrapped straight off the grill.
- Recommendsu/supermopman in r/AskChicago · Jun 2024
Lists the Patty Please burger at Small Bar among its favorites.
- Recommendsu/cmfuston in r/chicagofood · Nov 2023
Names Small Bar as the answer to the question.
- Mixedu/Cheepsandguac in r/chicagofood · Sep 2024wait time
Would trade the burger for the old food to get a patio seat again.
- Mixedu/dude_on_the_www in r/chicagofood · Jan 2026consistency
Says it's less smashy than the others; great when on form, but has had underwhelming burgers.
- Mixedu/Embers_Only in r/chicagofood · Sep 2024ambience
Misses the old Small Bar and says it lost its neighborhood charm.
- Mixedu/tenacious-g in r/chicagofood · Sep 2024ambience
Annoyed it is hyped as Logan Square and misses the old neighborhood spot.
- Recommendsu/TheTeeg007 in r/chicagofood · Mar 2025taste
Calls the Patty Pleaser here excellent.
- Recommendsu/CharredPepperoni in r/chicagofood · Mar 2026taste
Lists Small Bar among favorite burgers, noting no reservations and bar-style service.
- Recommendsu/BigTransportation777 in r/chicagofood · Jan 2026
Names Small Bar as a pick.
- Caveatu/LiftCodeSleep in r/chicagofood · Sep 2024taste
Found the burger just fine and would not recommend it.
- Recommendsu/modeless0 in r/AskChicago · Jun 2024
Currently recommends the Patty Please burger at Small Bar.
- Recommendsu/ReverendHambone in r/chicagofood · Nov 2026
Recently visited with a spouse and thought it was excellent.
- Recommendsu/esm081491 in r/AskChicago · May 2026value
Likes the bar and finds its smash burger good value.
- Caveatu/chitownburgerboy in r/chicagofood · Sep 2024taste
Calls the Small Bar burger much worse than Leavitt Street's.
- Recommendsu/waffleshield in r/chicagofood · Oct 2025
Lists this bar among places that cook burgers behind the bar.
- Recommendsu/kwazi07 in r/chicagofood · May 2025taste
Praises Small Bar's burgers as very tasty.
- Caveatu/Kubricksmind in r/chicagofood · Sep 2024taste
Disagrees it is best because the burger and curds are too salty.
Also on
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Freshness
Details last checked 11 Nov 2026. Recommendations reflect what people said at the time; confirm current details before you go.