Cheeseburger in Paradise

We have been to this location for several years and have always enjoyed it. But our last visit has turned me off. The menu had changed and the server did not inform us. The food was cold and when our burgers came there was no lettuce, tomato or onions on them (in the past this has always been on the burgers). The kick is I asked for no tomato on mine and the sever didn’t say that they are not included. It will be a long time before I go back to this place

The place is closed. From the sound of the last reviews I can see why… My wife wanted to go there; I guess she won’t have to experience it now. Lol!

The service was fantastic and completely understood my gluten allergy. The cheese burger was great but I had to send back the fries! They were very salty were all you can taste is salt. They fried me a new batch that were great. But if I had to choose, I will still go with Red Robin…

I had a cheeseburger swiss mushroom bullshit thing.
I think I’m sick now.
My wife had salmon, crab cake, and shrimp. It wasnt bad, but I think she’s lying.

Go somewhere else! Slow service, waited an hour for a table when there were empty tables the whole time we and one other couple waited the hour. Appetizers came out late and the main meal came out even later. The waitress isn’t your server and the bartender delivered our drinks. I am currently writing this review during my wait for the bill which has been 15 minutes already. No sign of the waitress and a bartender just came and cleared our table because he noticed how long is been sitting there. Might I tell you, we are not seated at the bar lol. Save your time, go somewhere else! Burger was decent though. Two adults, two children, $ 53,
2.5 hours!

Good ol Cheeseburger in Paradise. Since we were leaving the sybaris I thought I’d keep up the tropical theme.
It was pretty empty. Our server was nice. We had the buffalo chili, it was good.
Burger was good, well cooked. Hubby enjoyed his jerk wings which are on special, with fries, for $ 5.99 on Wednesdays.
I had the paradise drink which was pretty tasty.

Gross… I can’t believe I even agreed to come in with my co worker who had to try this place for happy hour. I was hungry so i order their cheddar bacon burger, it was not worth $ 11 for meat that taste pretty old. I ask for a medium burger but i couldn’t eat the thing because just that one bite you can taste the age of the meat or that it must be frozen. the fries were old but my premade drink was super sweet and it just felt like college all over again.

The menu needs a complete overhaul and the drinks of course premade need alcohol. Does jimmy even own this place anymore? Oh and keep those doors shut when it’s below 70 it gets cold inside. The end;)
Side note despite all this I still go here everyone few years…

Cheeseburger in Paradise is a place I’ve been aware of for many years and never once stopped in. From what I’m aware this place is named after a Jimmy Buffet song. If I were doing a Jimmy Buffet themed restaurant I’d open an all you can eat place called «Jimmy’s Buffet», but hey we all have our preferences. In any event, having driven by this place one cold Saturday afternoon and having ignored it since they first opened close to a decade ago, I finally decided to stop in and give it a try.
The first thing I noticed when I walked in was a background image of palm trees on one of the walls. It has something of a water/​tropical theme here to where it reminds me a wee bit of «Joe’s Crab Shack». There are TVs everywhere, I could see no fewer than 20 from where I was seated, however it appeared only two channels/​events were being shown. Why have some many TVs if you’re only going to have two things on? I was greeted when I walked in, seated and waited a little while to be waited on. Once the server came to the table he dropped off a menu while I asked for water and I waited about 5 minutes for him to return with the water and to place my order.
Then the wait began and not too long after ordering a different gentleman than my waiter brought out my burger and fries. I had settled on the «Three Little Piggies» burger. The burger I received DID have bacon but not very much was on it. It also had pulled pork on it which from what I could taste was indistinguishable from «Lloyds» BBQ products found in a plastic container at most grocery stores. This flavor dominated the burger. While not it’s not a bad flavor, it tasted like something I could have made at home and quite frankly made better. This pulled pork did nothing to balance out the overall flavor of the burger meat, practically all I tasted was the pulled pork and sauce. This wasn’t a very good mixture of meats to compliment one another at all.
While eating the burger I got a hard piece that I couldn’t chew through. I spit it into my napkin in as gentlemanly a way as possible and determined there was either a fragment of bone or very hard cartilage in it. It wasn’t large, but it was enough to irritate me. The fries that I got with my burger had some kind of strange green seasoning, they looked better than they tasted. The only taste from from the fries was a combination of this green seasoning and the other being some sort of repulsive cooking oil. These were greasy and bad, if there were ketchup at my table I might have tried fries with it, but there wasn’t and my server was missing in action.
As I finished off the burger left staring at a pile of fries and waiting for the waiter to reappear from wherever he was I looked around. The floors were concrete and due to it being snowy outside lots of people had tracked in mud and dirt from their shoes mixed with the snow. Nothing quite says «paradise» in my mind like a dirty concrete floor.
The lousy fries offended my sense of taste, the dirty floors and TVs everywhere distracting me offended my sense of sight, the bone in my burger offended my sense of touch and I was leaving Sum 41 (or possibly Blink 182 as they sound exactly alike) came on the loudspeakers offending my sense of hearing. Eventually I got my check, paid, left a tip and left for good. My overall impression of this place is that the name is quite inaccurate. A more suitable name than «Cheeseburger in Paradise» might be «Boneburger in tropical themed sports bar with a dirty floor». A very generous one star for this place.

Really tasty burgers, salads & sandwiches and the gumbo is good, too. Frickles and onion strings are great, not greasy, and perfect if you’re hungry and plan to stay for awhile. A nice, relaxing atmosphere where you’re never rushed, and your drink is always refilled without having to hunt a server down to get more.

I’ve now been back to CIP twice since I wrote my first review, both for bike nights. I’m happy to say that the manager of this location, a very nice guy named Tom, took the time to write me a message to let me know that he was having the bathroom issue fixed ASAP. He also apologized for the bad service experience, and sent me a gift card to invite me to come back and see the changes they’d made.
The bathroom is indeed fixed, and both service experiences I’ve had since that first time have been great. Servers (different ones both times) were very helpful, attentive, and friendly. The food was also fine both times (but I’ll note again, the food wasn’t a problem the first time, either.)
I know CIP prides itself on tropical island drinks, which I still haven’t tried… mainly because anytime I end up here, it’s usually a bike night, and I don’t drink and ride. But the burgers (you know, the other thing they pride themselves on) aren’t bad, either. My SO really loved his Big Kahuna Burger. I had a pasta dish with chicken and roasted vegetables that I liked a lot. Fish n’ chips on another visit was also quite good. Nice, light breading, and well seasoned fish. Not greasy. Good times.

Each Tuesday my friends and I hit a local establishment for dinner. And for birthdays, the celebrant gets to pick the location.
Last night we tried Cheeseburger in Paradise. I’d been there once or twice before, but don’t remember much about the experience so this felt like the first time.
We made reservations to sit on the patio, and when we arrived the place was dead. Almost empty dead. I think I saw one couple, but no matter. We were there to have fun.
Our group arrived and we ordered drinks. Service was decent, tho one of my friends’ drinks was forgotten until later when the appetizers came. It happens.
I ordered the grilled fish tacos and my wife ordered the grilled shrimp tacos. Both were fresh-​tasting and healthy. The salsa gave them added flavor with a touch of pineapple it made what could have been a bland meal, flavorful.
Everyone else at the table had some variation of burger or fried chicken sandwich. All seemed satisfied with their meals, but I don’t think anyone was bowled over by the food. I know I wasn’t. It was good, just not great.
Theme restaurants are a dime a dozen in Chicago, and it would seem that what’s happening to this one is the same fate a lot have experienced. People have been there, done that, and don’t really think it’s worth going back. The prices are not astronomical for what you get. So I don’t think that’s the problem. I think they just suffer from being average and okay.

Went here two days a go. And it had been 2+ years since I’ve been there. The prices have gone up and the menu has changed. Neither of our dishes were that good compared to what we use to get there as well as the service. I don’t think I was the waitresses fault, but I thought maybe they gave her to many tables… Other than the the margarita could have been Stronger. Not to mention she didn’t even tell us specials.
Would recommend somewhere else.

We were in the mood for a good burger joint and were very disappointed. Service was bad, the fried pickles were far too salty, the french fries were pale and flavorless, and the burgers were average.
Go somewhere else.

Let me start by saying, we were not greeted from the girl at the hostess stand upon entering. No hello, no welcome… Nada. After watching her distracted I had to ask to be seated. The restaurant was pretty empty! Why them try to seat us all the way in the back corner? Don’t you want your restaurant to appear fuller? We asked to be moved and she complied but wasn’t very friendly. We proceeded to order drinks but waitress did not know the specials had to ask someone. Ordered a sangria which was horrible. It tasted like club soda, fruit juice and a splash of wine! (I watched the bartender/​manager make it) I sent it back, worst sangria ever! When I informed the waitress she told me well that’s our recipe! Your recipe sucks! Did order a margarita and it was good.
Food was mediocre at best. Had chicken nachos, cold and seriously where is the chicken? The wings weren’t anything great either!
Customer service is not their strong point, the staff stood around the POS by the bar and socialized and even had an argument about shifts! Really?
Manager at FOH seemed oblivious and as we know makes bad drinks! My last point is many fruit flies were flying around our drinks and food! Tip clean your bar! It’s attracting bugs! We will not be returning any time soon!

Woof, woof!
After a couple of hours volunteering to collect money for Misericordia Candy Days, we stopped in here to grab a drink and a nibble. Here’s a link to Misericordia if you’re interested in this worthwhile organization:

Woof, woof!
Anyhow, we sat at the bar and the place was hopping for a Saturday afternoon. The Chicago Bulls playoff game was on and the patrons were really into it, so the atmosphere was cool. The bartender was a doll! Very attentive, ready with the suggestions and prompt to basically everything that we could have wanted.
Woof, woof!
We ordered a few sodas, a beer on special, a hard apple cider and a few appetizers. I think the drinks were definitely better than the food.
Woof, woof!
We ordered some chicken nachos which arrived with two types of cheese. I found the crumbly cheese to be lukewarm and kinda gross. A couple bites and I was quickly over that plate. The chicken was called buffalo chicken on the menu, but there was nothing buffalo about that pulled chicken. We also tried the boneless wings. We found out from our helpful bartender that we could split the order to try two sauces. And so we did. Jerk and dragon.
Woof, woof!
The jerk was ok. Not hot, but there was a little flavor that was definitely along the ‘jerk’ style. The dragon was sweet & spicy. I think I preferred this one to the jerk.
Woof, woof!
Overall, it was a fine experience. Except for the annoying dog (woof, woof!) who I believe was sitting on the patio during our visit. Barking. The whole time. And I am a dog person/​mama. It took away from the experience a bit.
Woof, woof!

I’ll admit it; my wife and I came here to rip it to shreds. I’m the type of reviewer that somewhat enjoys rants, though they’ll never become Reviews of the Day. And our one experience here a couple of years ago was pretty lousy, but not memorable enough to write it up years later. (All I remember was a stupid gummy burger sitting on top of the actual burger.)
But man, I’m disappointed with Cheeseburger In Paradise, because it wasn’t THAT bad. But it wasn’t that good, either.
My wife and I split our «All-​American Beach» burger (not sure if «Beach» is supposed to be akin to «Life’s a Beach») and Coastal Fish tacos, with fries and onion straws.
The burger first, which came with lettuce and tomato, and French-​fried potatoes on the side, but no Heinz 57. (I’m referring to the Buffett song here.) They did offer a bottle of 57, which looked like it hadn’t been opened before. The burger didn’t need it, though. It was pretty good, though not spectacular in any way. A solid four stars.
My tacos went downhill. I don’t know if it’s possible for one taco to be worse than the other two, but that’s what happened. Or perhaps the tacos have a short half-​life of flavor, but it didn’t end well. Instead of strips, each taco had one big breaded filet, and the fish itself was pretty dry. The onion strips were good, but I couldn’t eat all of them — and there were a LOT of them — without them losing their appeal.
The fries had that same quality, even though there was sugar on them. Yes, sugar. Our server must’ve been aware of it. She was very good and friendly, but when I simply asked what was put on the fries, she said it was a salt-​pepper mixture, then added «Did you think there was something like sugar on there?» Guess she’s heard it before, but she said no, there was no sugar. We think she’s spouting the company line. There was definitely sugar on the fries. McDonald’s sugared their fries for decades, so it’s understandable; we Americans just love our sweet stuff. But it’s also dishonest.
I rather liked CIP’s interior décor. From our vantage point, I could watch many TVs with many channels, from bowling to bull riding, to a music channel that would interrupt one video for a Buffett video. Then another interruption. Why not just play all Buffett?
The revolving door is very loose. It almost accelerates as you push. It’s likely a hazard. Careful.
I don’t know what to make of this place. Perhaps it’s like Pepsi. In the ‘80s, Pepsi won taste-​tests over Coke, but the sample of each was a small cupful. Over a full can, Pepsi loses its appeal for me. Halfway through the visit, CIP was contending for four stars. When we left, it was pushing two-​star territory. I can’t say it was terrible, but I can’t say I’ll be returning either.

I came here last Friday night with a group; it was Karaōke night. It was alot of fun. Everyone had fun and sang along and did the electric slide. The DJ was great.
But the food was even better. I had the BBQ salmon with rice and broccoli. Loved it! Very filling! I also ordered a cup of the Gumbo which was also very tasty. The waitress who served us handled the table great and treated everyone well.
Can’t wait to come back here and try a burger and a tropical drink.

Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy. put this place out of it’s misery.
Why keep perpetuating this fraud on unsuspecting Parrotheads?

Okay Cheeseburger. You get an upgrade.
I wasn’t expecting it, really — I thought it would still be acceptable but not great, and to be honest, it’s still not *quite* four stars — more like 3 ²⁄₃. But I was pleased enough to upgrade.
We came here for my husband’s birthday. It was his choice — he loves Jimmy Buffett, fruity tropical drinks and cheeseburgers.
Our server was very friendly and on-​point, with good checking in and water refills. We started with «kickin’ chicken nachos» and a couple of tropical drinks. The nachos were a little unusual — a mélange of flavors including some curry-​ish buffalo chicken, asiago cheese, queso, tomatoes, banana peppers and more — but it worked really well together.
I had the sweet fire chicken sandwich, which dripped sauce all over my plate, but was pretty tasty — although the chicken breast was just a smidgen tough. The flavors were good and the bread was tasty. It was served with well-​seasoned sweet potato chips.
And my drink was tasty although there was a ton of ice in it – but what do you expect? Turns out rum, banana purée and root beer works really well together!
I think potential customers need to adjust expectations. The food should be good, and the service friendly and competent, but it’s not gourmet. It’s not fine dining. It’s Caribbean TGI Friday’s. And for that, it pleased my tastebuds and my wallet.