Certified SmashRoscoe VillageEst. 2017

The Region

Single Cheese
Roscoe Village, Chicago, Illinois·10 sources scored·Confidence: High
📍 2057 W Roscoe St, Chicago, IL 60618·📞 (773) 857-2874

Chicago Magazine's Best Burger of 2018. The Infatuation 8.0/10. #3 on Chicago Burger Bible's power rankings. A Northwest Indiana-style lacy-edge smash landmark in Roscoe Village.

SmashburgerRoscoe VillageLacy EdgesRegion Sauce
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Smash Score
81SMASH
SCORE
Certified Smash
#-- Nationally
National Ranking
#-- in Chicago
City Ranking
10 Sources
Scored Inputs
High
Confidence
Last calculated April 2026
Algorithm v1.1

Photos sourced from The Region social media and hosted locally.

The Story

Chicago's Northwest Indiana Smash Export.
Lacy edges, big beef, and Roscoe Village consistency.

The Region opened in Roscoe Village in March 2017 as chef Sean Evans' tribute to Northwest Indiana burger joints. Within a year, Chicago Magazine named it Best Burger in Chicago, and it has remained a regular on major local burger lists.

The Single Cheese uses a 7 oz patty smashed extremely thin, creating wide caramelized lacy edges beyond the bun. Region sauce, American cheese, relish, and onion deliver the signature profile recognized by Time Out, The Infatuation, and Chicago Burger Bible.

Editorial and platform signals both support destination-level quality, with especially strong long-term Chicago market recognition.

Score Breakdown

How the 81 Was Calculated

Critics 35% weight
87
Crowd 45% weight
82
Community 10% weight
90
Accolades 10% weight
0
RAW WEIGHTED AVG
78.52
QUALITATIVE BOOST
+2
COMPETITION BONUS
+0
Final score formula: 78.52 raw weighted average + 2 qualitative boost + +0 competition bonus = 81.
The Burger

Single Cheese

🥩
Build
7 oz patty smashed razor-thin with lacy edges
🧀
Cheese
American
🍞
Bun
Grilled homestyle bun
🥕
Toppings
Region sauce, relish, fresh onion
💵
Price
$12.50
📍
Neighborhood
Roscoe Village
🔥
Operation
Counter-service burger restaurant
🍻
Founded
2017
Chicago Magazine's Best Burger of 2018. The Diggity Dos (double) and Annihilation (triple) expand the same lacy-edge style into larger builds.
Also on the Menu
Locations

Find The Region

⭐ Primary Location
The Region
2057 W Roscoe St
Chicago, IL 60618
(773) 857-2874
Monday11am-9pm
TuesdayClosed
Wednesday11am-9pm
Thursday11am-9pm
Friday11am-9pm
Saturday11am-9pm
Sunday11am-8pm
What Critics & Diners Say

Review Excerpts

"

The only burger that's ever made us want to hop in the car and travel to Indiana. Every inch of crispy beef is dressed with American cheese, mayo-based house sauce, bright green relish and raw onion.

Time Out Chicago
"

The patties are buttery and juicy on the inside, have caramelized edges, and come with cheese, relish, onion, and a special sauce.

The Infatuation Chicago
"

This burger IS that bitch. Definitely just hit my top 5 best in Chi.

Chicago Burger Bible
"

The Region is a counter service spot in Roscoe Village with excellent (and ugly) burgers.

The Infatuation Guide
"

This place is amazing! Hand cut fries, lacy crispy burgers, hand made shakes and floats...Everything's made to order.

Google Reviews
"

Best smash burgers in the city. Simply the best smashburger I've had in Chicago!!

Yelp
Accolades & List Inclusions

The Record

📋
Best Burger in Chicago
2018 · Chicago Magazine
📋
Best Smashburgers in Chicago - Listed
2024 · The Infatuation Chicago
📋
#3 Chicago Burger Bible Power Rankings
2024 · Chicago Burger Bible
📋
Featured - Chicago's Best TV
2019 · WGN-TV
Our Assessment

Strengths & Caveats

✓ Strengths
Chicago Magazine's Best Burger in Chicago (2018) remains a major local accolade.
Tier 1 editorial support from The Infatuation and Time Out with strong burger-specific language.
#3 on Chicago Burger Bible's current power rankings.
Distinctive lacy-edge Northwest Indiana smash technique with strong consistency.
⚠ Caveats
Tiny dining room with limited seating can create waits.
Closed Tuesdays, reducing availability windows.
TripAdvisor sample is small (7 reviews) and polarized.
Counter-service format may feel rushed at peak times.