Hackney’s

Always loved hackneys as a kid. All locations are good. This one was good too last time I went there.

Last year it was Don Roth’s and now Hackney’s is no more. It is sad to see the local independent restaurants go away to be replaced by the corporate chain dreck.
Hackney’s, i will miss you, but at least there are remaining locations for me to get my Hackney Burger and onion loaf fix. Thanks for 40 years of memories.

Like some others here, I’ve noticed the slow decay of a north shore tradition. I first ate here back decades ago when it opened and I was young, Now, I’m retired and still among the younger customers! The sad thing, though, is that the memories of great burgers and a legendary onion loaf are now just ones of past good times. The last time we were here, we expeienced the disconnected servers, the grey-​meat burgers, and the less than dense Onion loaf. It has become a bit pricey too. The place can still be jammed, the décor is still retro, but the food is not up to the new inviggorated competitors along this fabled stretch of Milwaukee Ave. Stick a fork in it, its done.
Update: I guess it is done! Heard it has closed.

Horrible service and horrible food. Our late-​teen male waiter never uttered more than a ‘huh’ to us during visit — the food was inedible: blue cheese burger was foul and the pretzel burger was slathered in greasy, slimy onions and had little flavor. We left feeling sick and completely ripped off.

We held our very small (16 people) wedding reception here. The managers and staff were very helpful throughout the entire process. The day of we were both stressed out but they gave us a reason to relax. we had a private room, white linen tablecloths (not their norm) and even broke out the champagne glasses for our toast! they made our small but important day a breeze. They also offered to stay open far past their regular hours for us.
We had a select menu with a set price for each person. The burgers all came as they were ordered (i like a rare burger and sometimes its hard to find someone willing to make one in this area). Also, all our drinks were half off! apparently, this is a regular thing for them on Tuesdays not just special for groups. way to go!
Their wine/​beer selection is a little low, but they can make virtually any cocktail you’d ever want.
the staff was very friendly and quick with service. Also, they put congratulations and our names on the sign out front for a few days– an added perk if you ask me.
overall, a very good experience!

Eh. Driven past multiple locations of this restaurant over the years, and never ventured in. Maybe I had some subconscious notion that it was going to be just ‘eh’.
The service we experienced was pretty bad. We waited on a Friday night to be seated. Not because there was a long wait to be seated, but because no one seemed to be the hostess. Weird. We were seated finally, and ignored for another 10 minutes. Fail.
Our waitress seemed to only check up on us about one bite into our food. After that, any needs were met with a wave from us, trying to flag her down to get another beer.
The décor was like being in great grandma Myrtle’s sitting parlor. Ick.
I was cold in the dining room as well. It’s never fun to have to keep your winter coat on while you eat.
I was thinking there would be more selections on the menu, and more progression in upscale selections. It was literally a couple of types of not-​so-​good steaks, fish fry, or sandwiches.
I did like my sandwich (french dip). Adding the mushrooms for an extra charge was a big disappointment– this tiny little cup of over soggy, incorrectly seasoned chopped up crap was hiding on the plate.
I wish they had better side selections, not french fries and bland coleslaw. Where’s the rice? baked or mashed potatoes? how about some veggies?
Placemats– enough said.
Everyone in the dining room was 30 to 40 years older than me, and I’m in my 30’s. Low blow, I know, but it’s true.
I know they’ve been around forever, and that’s why I was so wanting this place to rock. Sadly, it didn’t.
Not worth a second go-​around. I can get good food elsewhere with better scenery and service.

While I’ve been a fan of Hackney’s burgers in the past, this time I left a little disappointed. But, to be fair, I’ll take some of the responsibility. The day we visited, Hackney’s was sponsoring a charity chili tasting with two other restaurants. The tasting was over by the time we had dinner but I thought I’d give it a try anyway. The chili was over seasoned which gave it an ‘off’ taste according to myself and another person. I like my chili spicy hot but this seasoning was something I don’t normally taste in chili. Someone in our party thought it was curry but the manager noted they don’t put curry in their chili (who does?!) and it had received good reviews during the earlier tasting. She removed the chili from the bill. So next time I’ll skip the chili and stick with the burger and onion loaf. The onion loaf was good, as always. Others have noted that the loaf can be underdone in the middle but given that the full order is the size of a cinder block, I’m not surprised. Needless to say, the plate was reduced to crumbs so we had no complaints. Because of the chili and onion loaf, I decided that a half pound burger might be too much even for me so I opted for the smaller, quarter pound version. My mistake. While the burger was still ok, it was nowhere near the quality of the full size burger. I opted for the bun over the dark rye and the presentation was a little underwhelming. It was dry and nowhere near the medium I ordered but then, given the size, I doubt it would be possible to cook it anything but well done. I don’t blame the cook. The fries also were nothing special but maybe my disappointment with the burger made me more critical of the entire meal. So next time I’ll stick with what Hackney’s is known for — onion loaf and half pound hackneyburger.

Let me start by saying I’m 23. So I am about 30 – 40 years younger than the next youngest person there. Beyond the other clientèle, the wait staff (same age range as the clients) and the décor (it may be older), the food is ok. The bleu burger is better than the classic on rye. Much better. The coleslaw is a pass, the fries are ok. The best part though? The cocktails. A vodka cran with ginger ale was $ 4.75. And it wasn’t a watered down weak little thing either. A full drink sized glass and I could taste the vodka. It really helps make the food taste even better :) I’ll probably be back every once in a while for a mid-​week dinner with a friend. It’s definitely quiet. Though be ready for the staff being a bit slow. Everything takes time and a half.

They’re famous for their burgers and their onion-​block. That’s it! It’s a Chi-​town classic and something everyone must try! Any location!
Enjoy

I was a huge Hackneys Fan, but no more.
I have not been to a Hacknys for a number of years but decided to get the family together at Hackneys in Wheeling for a birthday. I was really disappointed. The burgers that I remembered to be juicy and delicious were dry and tasteless, onion loaf was cold, salads were wilted.
The service was terrible; ignored by the server, dirty plates from appetizers left on table, coke served that was completely flat, etc.
I wont be back! Looking forward to Super Dog opening this spring.

Here’s all you need to know about Hackney’s:
1. It looks like your Grandma’s basement. Well, if your Grandma really, really likes beer. Included in the décor are Grandma’s friends, I swear our table was the youngest in the restaurant by decades. It’s cool though. I like old people.
2. Onion ring loaf. A brick of onion rings fried together. Can it get any more awesome? Yes…
3. Burger stuffed with bacon and cheese and topped with more cheese. I’m thinking about putting a patent on this thing as THE best hangover food… ever.
All in all, Hackney’s offers extremely delicious, greasy comfort food. Luckily my friend lives just a few minutes from this location. The next time I go to visit, I will definitely return to Hackney’s for their great food.

I went back AGAIN and I tried something wild and crazy– the BLT. I have a new fave… It was hands down the BEST BLT I have ever had. Anywhere. Ever. Period.
There was so much bacon on the thing I think I got my own pig right there between the slices of perfectly toasted bread. Thats typically my biggest complaint about BLTs… lack of bacon and mayo. They are usually dry in my opinion. No so at Hackney’s.
Now I have to change my review. If you go there you must get a burger AND a BLT! And of course the onion rings… Just wear your stretchy pants, k?

They do one thing well and unfortunately it’s only their burgers. I’d always heard good things about Hackney’s but only from older Uncles and older people in general. Always thought it was a fine dining establishment based on the looks of the sign, the exterior and the cars in the lot. A friend of mine that met us up here, lives close by and has always thought it was a funeral parlor. Why? There’s one next door and usually he sees senior people coming and going, just assumed. How silly of us. This location is dated, I’d say about late 1970s to mid 80s. I like it though, it’s like Uncle Morty’s basement, I can go have a beer, a great burger and enjoy the old décor and reminisce about childhood whilst watching sports games. Think of that fake dark wood paneling on the walls of your parents basement early 1980s, drop tiled ceiling, walkway of waxed tiled floors meeting funky plaid green carpet. I felt at home, waitress brought us a half liter of Maibock each and we were set till dinner arrived. They offer Green river on the menu!
I ordered the mini burgers with cheese which were too dry and the cheese seemed to of come out of a crock pot. The fries and a bit of the sweet cole slaw were the best part. A buddy had the Inside-​Out Burger which must’ve been awesome since he devoured every last bite and then talked about it on the drive home. Another pal ordered the BBQ ribs, guessing it might be a special dinner of the week since it’s not on the online menu. Not a special dinner to order, the BBQ sauce was plain and while the meat came off the bone easily he didn’t feel the need to finish. I suspect he took the leftovers home and added his own sauce to them. With a few side salads and a couple Maibocks the total was around $ 65 dollars minus tip.
When you see a plethora of reviews talking about one entrée, stick to what they are talking about.
I plan on heading back to try a burger and maybe a steak but that’s it. Service was average and laid back, most clientele are dressed casual and many are elderly. I offered to hold the door open and ended up standing there for ten minutes, I was stuck in a parade. Eye candy? Nada. Burgers, beers and sports.
Here’s another example of a poorly designed men’s room. This kind of nonsense is annoying. Two urinals side by side and they are mounted low to the ground, so low that I thought maybe I was in the little boy’s room. No?! Restaurants do not have a Men’s room and a little boy’s room. Looking around one could guess that they put them this way because of the nice border which follows the walls of the washroom. The border which is located at mid wall is a picture of a bookshelf all around the room. Smart. Just had to have that border huh. So smart indeed that the hand dryers probably could not be placed low on the wall so they are right on top of these borders. If you look closely at this border some funny guys have written in their own titles for the books. I’ve photographed a few for you ladies to look at.

I used to work at Hackney’s back when this particular branch opened in the mid-60’s. I know at that time the quality of both food and service was excellent. I went back recently for my old High School Homecoming and decided to stop in. The floor plan has changed a bit, the faces in the kitchen are different but the food and service were still excellent.
The onion ring loaf, hackney burger and fries hit the spot. I stop by every time I am in town. I did notice that a lot of the customers were older (kind of like me) but then I figured out why. They’ve probably been eating there from the time I started cooking back in the kitchen. Customer Loyalty after all these years. When you find what your looking for why go somewhere else?

This review applies to all Hackney’s locations…
This is my favorite burger place ANYWHERE. Ordering it on the black bread with American Cheese and a loaf of onion rings is pure heaven. The flavor of the meat and its preparation can’t be beat. I love hamburgers and I use Hackney’s as the scale to compare all burgers. I took my kids here the last time we were in the Chicago-​area and they loved it, too.
They have a full menu if burgers aren’t your thing. They also have buffalo burgers, which are delicious, too. My problem is that I only get to the Chicago area no more than once a year so I just stick with the beef.
Another treat for kids is Green River. There aren’t too many places that you can get this.
If you are in the Chicago-​area and if you don’t get here at least once a year, you’re wasting opportunity that those of us in other cities miss out on.

Hackney’s, Hackney’s, oh how I love you. You’re one of those treats that I can only get when I come home to visit my family.
This place is what good American food is all about. And it’s all done right and priced reasonably. They’re famous for their Hackneyburgers. Honestly, I can’t say that I’ve ever tried anything else in my 20+ years of eating at various Hackney’s locations. Trust me folks, get the Hackneyburger on dark rye. You won’t be disappointed. In my case, I get the turkey burger which is one of the best I’ve ever had. They serve it with all the fixins — tomato, lettuce, onion. Doesn’t need ketchup or mustard.
The other popular choice at Hackney’s is the onion loaf. It’s a huge brick of onions deep fried. I’m not sure how they do it, but who cares? This stuff is GOOOOOD.
On this most recent trip, my Grandma tried the crab salad sandwich. She ate the entire thing. Normally, my grandma eats like a bird — three bites and she’s done. Not here. She loved the crab salad and didn’t stop until it was gone. Maybe next time, I’ll try that. Hmmm… probably not. I like the turkey burger.
Service at Hackney’s is always friendly. Food is high quality. This place gets PACKED on Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday’s when the church crowd rolls in.
Until I see you again Hackney’s, thank you for the good meals. I will think of you fondly and often.

Very good burgers, though my mother-​in-​law refused to eat hers, complaining it was burnt and she ordered it medium-​well. They took it off the bill but that did it for her and she didn’t even want to order anything else. The onion loaf is wonderfully greasy so be sure to order one!
I had the barbecued chicken salad, a barbecued breast slathered in sauce, atop lettuce, with black beans, corn and tortilla chips.
Very tasty and I’d order it again, although I would have liked more tortilla chips on top instead of mixed in. The corn muffin that came on the side was rather heavy and slightly raw inside and I couldn’t choke it down.
My husband and his friend enjoyed the Reuben and Buffalo Burger, the kids had chicken tenders, as always.
We requested that they bring the kids’ food first because they had a hard day at the pool and were starving, however they would not bring it out until everyone’s meal was ready and we had to listen to whiny 8 year olds bitching for 45 minutes while my father-in-law’s broasted chicken was prepared.
In addition, it was very hot in the restaurant. Too hot for comfort. When we walked into the lobby, it was delightful, then when we entered the dining room, it was as if we descended to hell. The ice in the carafes melted immediately. I know this was the hottest, steamiest day we’ve had this summer, but then you need to compensate and crank the A/​C!
So, for not bringing the kids’ food as requested, the overly well-​done burger and the very warm restaurant, I can only give 3 stars.
We’ll be back, but only when it gets cooler outside.

The best burger in my opinion. Espeically festive around the holidays.

A little tip… try the daily specials (I know, you go there for the burgers and onion loaf!). We’re there, regularly, on Wednesdays… best broasted chicken dinners around and my «gal-​pal» LOVES the Cheesy Tomato soup!

My favorite hamburger. Excellent family-​friendly atmosphere and very reasonable prices. Be sure to get the onion ring loaf appetizer.