Kuma's Corner

sweethome

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -9.2%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 5 | $$

Stopped in at about midnight on a Saturday night. Most tables were full - we sat at the bar where there were several stools open. Beer approximately six taps - all good quality - at least one cider. The bartender ignored us for several minutes as he conversed with some people next to us. That was a bit odd - he didn't even say he would be right with us. Later, after they left, he ended up conversing with us as he ignired others who had come in. Not the best service.

Very loud heavy metal playing on their system. The decor is interesting - nice fixtures, open kitchen, some prints of women in leather. Mens room was fairly clean for midnight on Saturday!

We ordered a Great Lakes Elliot Ness and a Surley Furious. I was excited to see the Surley on tap - never seen this in Chicago and only have had cans. It showed up and I knew it was Bender (Brown ale) not Furious. While disappointed I couldn't try Furious on tap, the Bender was excellent. The Ness was also of great quality. I late had a Can and Ebel (Two Bros) and it was also good.

The food menu is dominated by a wide array of burgers - listed as best in the city. We split a Kuma burger which had bacon, cheese and an sunny side up egg. Great quality beef - big burger. Fantastic fresh cut fries. All this for $10 - a good quality/price ratio.

Good beers, good food, spotty service. As mentioned - close to the highway.

03-23-2008 16:28:50 | More by sweethome

sacullen

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -9.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$$

I've been to Kuma's about a half dozen times over the past 2 years. Itcan be a lot of fun if you're in the mood. It's a metal bar, so be prepared. That said, it's not often you'll hear the Stormtroopers of Death while out in public.

Their burgers are awesome, which should be about 90% of the reason you go. I've yet to have a burger I didn't love and their "make your own" mac-n-cheese is great, too. I always have a difficult time ordering because I can only narrow down my choices, to oh, about 8.

Their beer selection is average. They offer nothing in bottles I can't easily find, though they do offer Surly Coffee Bender (when they have the taps open/working). Expect to hear the words, "We're all out of that" or "The taps aren't working" if you go on even an infrequent basis. Prices are a little on the high side, again only because I spend so much time in beer/wine stores and I know the prices pretty well.

Depending on when you go, especially on the weekends, expect to wait a looong time. Luckily, I'm a teacher and can get there before 4 when plenty of seating is available.

Kuma's is definitely a little different from other establishments and is worth trying at least once. At worst, you can tell all your friends you've been. At best, you've found a place with awesome burgers with which you can enjoy a tasty brew.

01-07-2009 03:08:30 | More by sacullen

Florida9

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -9.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

There are beer bars and there are restaurants that have good beer menus. This is the latter.
Of note, Kuma's is smaller than one would expect. It really is just a large room with some tables and a bar. The place looks run down and grungy, but it goes with the feel of the place. If it were too clean, it wouldn't work. There is some dominatrix themed art work on the walls. And, yes, there is metal blaring loudly and incessantly. But it was to be expected.
Kuma's is known for their burgers. If you like burgers with a lot of weird shit mounded on top of them, then this place is for you. And while I tend to be a minimalist when it comes to a burger, I must say, their whacked-out burger creations work quite well. There are some other offerings on the menu, but its all ancillary to the burgers.
Service ran the spectrum. Some take the heavy metal atmosphere to mean they're allowed to be surly assholes to you while others are nothing more than inked up sweetpeas.
Overall, the multitude of crazy burgers and the atmosphere are the real draw here. Sure they have some quality craft breweries (3F, Dark Horse, Smuttynose) being offered, but for the most part, the beers are the standard offerings from those breweries. Is it nice they have them on offer? Sure, though I couldn't ever see going to Kuma's to just have a beer. In the end, while Kuma's is worth a visit, it is far from a beer destination.

01-25-2011 01:58:47 | More by Florida9

BeerBelcher

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -17.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 2.5 | $$$

I visited Kuma’s for lunch on my way out of Chicago after a quick business trip, and I was pleasantly surprised. I would describe Kuma’s as a “heavy metal burger bar.” All of those words fit in the description: there is definitely a heavy metal theme evident in the décor, music, and staff; they seem to specialize in burgers; and they have a nice beer selection. I had a Ska Brewing True Blonde Ale and a Julius Echter Hefe (expertly poured into an appropriate glass by the bartender). They also had Racer 5 on tap and Schneider Weisse and Great Lakes products in bottles. All taps were craft beers and all bottles were crafts/imports (they may have had Pabst). I had the “Kuma burger” (any entrée with the establishment’s name on it is what I order), which was a giant bacon cheeseburger with a fried egg on it. It was decent, but the pretzel roll it was on smelled of maple syrup which turned me off (I had a touch of the flu, which may have played into this). Also, my fries were good, but a bit cold. I asked for some mayo for my burger and fries, to find out they had 4-5 varieties of mayonnaise (chipotle, horseradish, etc), which is a turn-on for me. The neighborhood is not a trendy one, but wasn’t scary either. The place is literally 2 minutes from I94, so was very much on my way home. My experience with the food wasn’t great, yet I’d still recommend the place.

09-19-2007 19:58:06 | More by BeerBelcher

emerge077

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -22.3%
vibe: 2.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5 | $$$

Kuma's deserves it's reputation from both beer geeks and foodies alike. Very creative burgers that aren't your typical pub grub fare at all. There's a burger for every taste, hot & spicy, savory, Greek-style, veggie, you name it. I was impressed with the YOB burger on my most recent visit. A great combination unlike any other i've tried. Roasted red pepper, Smoked Gouda, with smoked garlic mayo...excellent!

But this ain't burgeradvocate.com... :|

Kuma's has six taps, which seem to usually remain the same, with the occasional odd seasonal. I had a Cane & Ebel which went very well with the meal. Five GLBC selections, a couple Ska, three Lagunitas options, and a few random west coast bottles. Saison Dupont (750), Delerium Tremens, Prima Pils, and a Barleywine as well. Relatively small, but well rounded selection. Service was timely and friendly at the bar. Early in the evening it was fairly deserted, but 1/3 full by 6pm. Kuma's menu has been written up alot, so expect to wait awhile during primetime for table service. It's been a restaurant destination for some time now, which is how the media and public perceive it, not exactly a "beer bar" in a true sense. You come here for the burgers, and the beer is a distant second, almost an afterthought.

I'll splurge for a burger here now and then, the menu is slightly pricey. Beers are certainly priced right, it would be hard to stop here for "just a beer" though. Take rave reviews with a grain of salt, sure they have great burgers (so does Bad Apple, Owen & Engine, etc.), but ultimately Kuma's beer list is nothing special in the context of Chicago's vibrant beer scene.

10-11-2007 23:55:04 | More by emerge077