The Heavy Metal Burger Restaurant Beloved By Guy Fieri

In 2009, Guy Fieri ate a chili cheese burger on a pretzel bun that he called "up there in the top five Burgers on Triple D." The burger was the Black Sabbath from Kuma's Corner in Chicago, IL, which he visited on his show Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. It comes with house-made chili, pepperjack, red onion, and blackening spices.

Kuma's Corner is a heavy metal-themed burger chain that blasts metal on the speakers and names its burgers after bands. The great metal bands are represented, from Metallica to Iron Maiden, along with the creators of the genre — Led Zeppelin and the aforementioned Black Sabbath. The fandom runs deep, however, as lesser-known bands get offerings like Brujeria (hot sauce, cheddar, jalapeno popper) and Sourvein (blackened chicken tenders, applewood smoked bacon, cheddar, Belgian waffle strips, maple syrup, raspberry aioli).

Looking over the toppings, it becomes apparent that the chain isn't afraid to go hard. The Goatsnake includes poblano sweet corn relish and buttermilk breaded deep-fried red onions. One of the many toppings on the Led Zeppelin is BBQ pulled pork. The burgers are big and messy.

>A lot has happened to Kuma's Corner since its appearance on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives in 2009. It now has three locations after expanding into Schaumburg and Indianapolis. At one point, they had an outpost in Denver, along with more places around Chicago, including Vernon Hills, Lakeview, and the Fulton Market. In 2024, the parent company, Kumas Holdings, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

In 2020, Ron Cain, who took over running the restaurant from his brother Mike in 2014, faced accusations of creating a toxic workplace. Claims on Instagram at the time stated that management "fostered a culture of racism, homophobia, and sexual harassment." The restaurant apologized on social media, stating they would make changes to management. At the time, Kuma's elevated an employee to take over management and operations, but they immediately left the company. They also hired a third-party company to train the staff in creating a safer space to work.

On Reddit, commenters backed up the claims of it being a toxic environment to work in. Others felt the quality had gone downhill. "They were good when Guy Fieri featured them on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. Then they tried to expand, and quality took a nose dive," wrote one former fan on Reddit. From the sound of it, Kuma's burgers would no longer be on our list of best burgers in America.