Sobelman's is searching for property for a Chicago location

[Coleman]

can't believe this hasn't been posted yet. Get excited

http://www.facebook.com/SobelmansPopUp?fref=ts


http://marquettetribune.org/2012/09/04/news/sobelman-seeing-campus-success-looks-to-chicago-expansion-sh1-an2-ap3/

[warriorchick]

Meh.

Sobelman's is good, but not a destination joint.  If they don't set up shop within a few miles of my house, I probably won't visit a Chicago Sobelman's unless I already happen to be in the neighborhood for a different reason., or if they have some sort of Marquette-sponsored event there.

[damuts222]

Chicago has become an oversaturated market for burger joints. Sobelman's is good but will not last in Chicago, too many other...better options.

[Hards Alumni]

Should have started up in Madison to compete out here... not too many burger joints... and I refuse to step foot in the new AJ Bombers.

[warriorchick]

I am sure rent is a bit higher in the trendy neighborhoods they are looking at compared to what Marquette charges them (or their rent in The Valley).

[warriorchick]

Should have started up in Madison to compete out here... not too many burger joints... and I refuse to step foot in the new AJ Bombers.

That's one of my rules about restaurant/bar names:  Don't avoid any whose name is is two initials followed by a "clever" last name - especially if one of the initials is a J.

Another rule - don't go to any place that substitutes Cs with Ks  - Kozy Korner Kafe, Karl's Kampground, etc.

[KipsBayEagle]

Chicago has become an oversaturated market for burger joints. Sobelman's is good but will not last in Chicago, too many other...better options.

Can you please tell me where these unbelievable burger joints are.  And Kuma's is not one of them, throwing a roasted quail on top of a burger does not make the burger good.  I have found chicago burgers to be incredibly lackluster compared to the milwaukee crop

[warriorchick]

Can you please tell me where these unbelievable burger joints are.  And Kuma's is not one of them, throwing a roasted quail on top of a burger does not make the burger good.  I have found chicago burgers to be incredibly lackluster compared to the milwaukee crop

Sobelman's is not an unbelievable burger joint.

[Chili]

Can you please tell me where these unbelievable burger joints are.  And Kuma's is not one of them, throwing a roasted quail on top of a burger does not make the burger good.  I have found chicago burgers to be incredibly lackluster compared to the milwaukee crop

Owen and Engine has a great a burger.

[GGGG]

Should have started up in Madison to compete out here... not too many burger joints... and I refuse to step foot in the new AJ Bombers.

Is Sobelmans really better than Dotties or the Nitty Gritty?  (I know you have to endure the Badger gear in both places....)

[Hards Alumni]

Is Sobelmans really better than Dotties or the Nitty Gritty?  (I know you have to endure the Badger gear in both places....)

I can't speak to Dotties, but I hate the NG, and think their burgers are totally mediocre.

[Sir Lawrence]

Sobelman's is not an unbelievable burger joint.

I could not agree more.  It's an average burger. 

[GGGG]

I can't speak to Dotties, but I hate the NG, and think their burgers are totally mediocre.

Re NG:  I used to go there everytime I found my way back home.  The year before last, I went back there again and it was pretty blah...my brother said that Marsh Shapiro sold the place a few years ago and since then, word on the street is that the food in general has been slipping.

[Canned Goods n Ammo]

I could not agree more.  It's an average burger.  

Burger places and Mexican food are an interesting look at the human the human condition of expectations and perception.

If you didn't know anything about Sobleman's, just walked in off the street into that bar, in a weird location, and got their burger, you'd probably love it.

But, if you have been hearing about it from everybody and their brother for 5 years, and then you go, you probably aren't going to love it as much.

Everybody's favorite burger place is probably something they stumbled upon, or something they found before it became uber-hyped.

Certainly there are good and bad burgers... but the difference between a really good burger and a GREAT burger is probably just our expectations and perception (and amount of beer I drank).

With all of this said, Oscar's has the best in Milwaukee, and if you disagree, you're an idiot.

[Sir Lawrence]

Burger places and Mexican food are an interesting look at the human the human condition of expectations and perception.

If you didn't know anything about Sobleman's, just walked in off the street into that bar, in a weird location, and got their burger, you'd probably love it.

But, if you have been hearing about it from everybody and their brother for 5 years, and then you go, you probably aren't going to love it as much.

Everybody's favorite burger place is probably something they stumbled upon, or something they found before it became uber-hyped.

Certainly there are good and bad burgers... but the difference between a really good burger and a GREAT burger is probably just our expectations and perception (and amount of beer I drank).

With all of this said, Oscar's has the best in Milwaukee, and if you disagree, you're an idiot.

Excellent observation.   

[Hards Alumni]

Burger places and Mexican food are an interesting look at the human the human condition of expectations and perception.

If you didn't know anything about Sobleman's, just walked in off the street into that bar, in a weird location, and got their burger, you'd probably love it.

But, if you have been hearing about it from everybody and their brother for 5 years, and then you go, you probably aren't going to love it as much.

Everybody's favorite burger place is probably something they stumbled upon, or something they found before it became uber-hyped.

Certainly there are good and bad burgers... but the difference between a really good burger and a GREAT burger is probably just our expectations and perception (and amount of beer I drank).

With all of this said, Oscar's has the best in Milwaukee, and if you disagree, you're an idiot.

I call this the, "There's Something About Mary Effect".  I heard the movie was 'the funniest movie I have ever seen' from so many people.  It could not even come close to living up to expectations. 

Also, Oscars is no better than Culvers.  I guess different people like different things in burgers... shocking. :-P

[Blue Horseshoe]

I like Sobleman's a lot. When I'm in Milwaukee (a couple times a year) I try and stop in. That being said, I am more interested about the motive to open a location in Chicago. Competition in the restaurant and bar industry is fierce in any city. Sure MU students have a soft spot for Sobelman's, but could a Chicago location separate itself from other bars and burger joints?

It's only about a hundred miles away, but that is a lot of time and effort to spend away from the core business in Milwaukee. Bigger isn't always better. In my opinion Dave has a good thing going already, why reinvent the wheel?

Also, a lot of the pictures posted on the FB wall are in Logan Square. The cover photo is the old Logan Square Kitchen (RIP). Unfortunately for Soblemans, that exact location is next to Revolution Brewing which has fantastic beer and excellent food. I love that neighborhood but a TON of new bars and restaurants are opening up on Milwaukee Ave. Thankfully, there are only a few pics of Lakeview & Lincoln Park (too many).

A location more near the East Uki Village/Westown/Noble Square seems kinda fitting to me. There are already some great spots, but not overly saturated near the Division St, Chicago, & Grand blue line stops. Rent is cheaper and location is easy to get to via public trans.

[damuts222]

To name a few places in Chicago better than soblemans off the top of my head Butcher and the burger, DMk burger bar, M burger and epic burger. Soblemans is a greaseball of a burger which may suit some but not this guy.

[Chili]

To name a few places in Chicago better than soblemans off the top of my head Butcher and the burger, DMk burger bar, M burger and epic burger. Soblemans is a greaseball of a burger which may suit some but not this guy.

DMK and M are good but Epic Burger is freaking gross! It's not even edible in my opinion. And Owen and Engine is still better than all of them by a wide wide margin.

[jmayer1]

To name a few places in Chicago better than soblemans off the top of my head Butcher and the burger, DMk burger bar, M burger and epic burger. Soblemans is a greaseball of a burger which may suit some but not this guy.

EPIC burger is simply awful. A thin patty and way overcooked all 3 times I have been there. You have no clue if you saying they are anywhere close to Soblemans.

[Coleman]

I agree that Sobelman's isn't the best burger out there, and has been ridiculously hyped by so many people, that it seems overrated.

That being said, I don't really understand the hate. As a resident of Chicago I don't think Chicago is oversaturated with burger places (yes, I can name 3 or 4 really good spots as well, but there's 2.8 million people in the city of Chicago). I think Sobelman's will do just fine if it picks the right location. I think there's actually an opportunity for a "Milwaukee" bar in Chicago to set itself apart. They could brand themselves as Milwaukee's best burgers, sell Wisconsin beer, put up Marquette stuff, etc. etc.

I'm also just excited about this because it would be the first all-Marquette bar that I know of. Schoolyard, Four Shadows, etc. all have Illinois, Iowa, etc. stuff up in their bars.

Why wouldn't you support a Milwaukee-based business that takes pride in branding itself as a Marquette establishment? I'd definitely go there for away basketball games.

[warriorchick]

I agree that Sobelman's isn't the best burger out there, and has been ridiculously hyped by so many people, that it seems overrated.

That being said, I don't really understand the hate. As a resident of Chicago I don't think Chicago is oversaturated with burger places (yes, I can name 3 or 4 really good spots as well, but there's 2.8 million people in the city of Chicago). I think Sobelman's will do just fine if it picks the right location. I think there's actually an opportunity for a "Milwaukee" bar in Chicago to set itself apart. They could brand themselves as Milwaukee's best burgers, sell Wisconsin beer, put up Marquette stuff, etc. etc.

I'm also just excited about this because it would be the first all-Marquette bar that I know of. Schoolyard, Four Shadows, etc. all have Illinois, Iowa, etc. stuff up in their bars.

Why wouldn't you support a Milwaukee-based business that takes pride in branding itself as a Marquette establishment? I'd definitely go there for away basketball games.

I think it would be great to have a heavily-patronized Marquette bar in the Chicago area.  For it to get steady patronage from Marquette fans, though, I think it would have to be reasonably accessible by both city dwellers and suburbanites alike. There aren't a ton of folks who are willing to spend an hour in the car each way, dealing  with city traffic and parking, to watch a basketball game they can catch at home, especially on a weeknight.

[MUfan12]

About Sobelman's... Went there a ton in college, and still go there in the years since graduation. Dave and Melanie have always been great to MU students, and that's not something that's lost on me.

But unfortunately, I think they are getting stretched too thin. The quality has suffered quite a bit. In recent visits, the burger seemed like it was cooked earlier and warmed up, and the toppings were flung unevenly on there. Not a huge deal, but they have made their name by watching the little things. I worry that adding a Chicago location to three MKE locations will just further water down the product.

[drewm88]

EPIC burger is simply awful. A thin patty and way overcooked all 3 times I have been there. You have no clue if you saying they are anywhere close to Soblemans.

I ate there once, which was enough for me. It was incredibly bland. However, ended up stuck back there again, so I tried the portobello burger. Delicious.

[Coleman]

I think it would be great to have a heavily-patronized Marquette bar in the Chicago area.  For it to get steady patronage from Marquette fans, though, I think it would have to be reasonably accessible by both city dwellers and suburbanites alike. There aren't a ton of folks who are willing to spend an hour in the car each way, dealing  with city traffic and parking, to watch a basketball game they can catch at home, especially on a weeknight.

Based on the size of the city and the traffic involved in traveling from suburbs to city, that's just not going to happen. They are better off doing one or the other...IMO if they do the city route Lakeview, Lincoln Park, North Center, Roscoe Village, Lincoln Square area.....If they do the suburbs the Northwest burbs and North shore have a ton of alumni....so a place like Glenview, Northbrook, Buffalo Grove, etc. would be perfect.