Pretzel Buns

Apparently Boston Blackie's is about to shutter it's doors, so in honor of good burgers, here's 5

Top Notch Beefburger (2116 W. 95th St., 773-445-7218)
There’s a reason they’ve been in business for more than 60 years: they buy a quarter of a cow at a time, grind the beef on-site, toast their buns, offer deluxe fixin’s and fresh-cut fries cooked in pure beef fat. The original burger joint.

David Burke’s Primehouse (616 N. Rush St., 312-660-6000)
The ground chuck from the burger comes from pieces of meat that have aged for 40 days; on top, garlic spinach and crispy shallots, plus a potato bun slathered with a bacon-mayo spread.

The Twisted Spoke (501 N. Ogden Ave., 312-666-1500)
The Fatboy reigns supreme here: a hand-formed half-pounder, offered with a range of excellent toppings (bacon, BBQ sauce, gouda, among others) served on a garlic toasted egg bun with incredibly tasty fresh-cut fries.

DMK Burger Bar (2954 N. Sheffield Ave., 773-360-8686)
Grass-fed burgers, pounded thin, served on the best (potato) buns anywhere in town; homemade condiments are de rigueur. Lamb burgers are great with fried egg and bacon!

Kuma’s (2900 W. Belmont Ave., 773-604-8769)
They have their rules and their in-your-face servers, but the burgers are still pretty solid, despite the fact the pretzel buns and superfluous proteins (bacon, pulled pork, pancetta?) can overwhelm the beef. Don’t even think of asking them to turn down (or, God forbid, change) the ear-splitting music. They’ll probably throw you out on your ass. The Baroness will leave you drooling.