Is Au Cheval's Burger Really Better Than Kuma's?

We at The Daily Meal recently published our 101 Best Burgers in America for 2015. It was our third time attempting the ranking, and building on last year's list, we assembled a poll that included almost 250 burgers from across the United States, from Hollywood, Florida, to Anchorage, Alaska. 70 burger experts then voted for their favorites, and we published the top 101. Last year, the #1 burger not only in Chicago but in the entire country was the Kuma Burger at Kuma's Corner, but this year, that changed.

Is the burger served at Au Cheval "the perfect griddle burger?" According to Bon Appétit, it is. Its beauty lies in its simplicity: two patties (or three, if you order a "double") of no-frills ground beef topped with Cheddar, Dijonnaise, a few thin slices of pickles, and served on a soft toasted bun from Chicago's Z Baking. The patties are wonderfully crusty, the fries are fried in lard, and just about everything about this burger is perfect. 

Au Cheval's cheeseburger is so good, it came in at #2 on our list, out-scoring the Kuma Burger at Kuma's Corner, which was crowned by our experts as last year's best burger in America. This means that the cheeseburger at Au Cheval is both the second-best burger in the country, and the very best burger in Chicago in 2015.