Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (BuddyRoadhouse)

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:33:51 GMT

And you would have walked away in the exact same condition.

TJ, now you're one of the few, the proud, the educated who can actually get a pizza at Burt's free of scorn and derision.

If you're actually planning to come out our way, send me a PM and I'll make sure it all goes smoothly for you.

Buddy

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (TJ Jackson)

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 22:14:18 GMT

Sorry if I helped with the hijacking but i truly appreciated the Burt's info.

Honestly I had no idea whatsoever prior to this thread about the ordering system, and would otherwise just have shown up at the door with a hankering for good pizza

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (BuddyRoadhouse)

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 22:30:48 GMT

soozycue,

Clearly you're one of the folks who "get's it".

You let me know anytime you want to come to Chicago and visit Burt's. I will hold your hand and guide you through the process. And if I'm working that night, I'll take extra special good care of you--maybe even better than I did wanderingjew and ChiTownDiner.

Buddy

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (soozycue520)

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 17:08:15 GMT

BuddyRoadhouse

TJ, TTM and other interested parties,

Ordering ahead from Burt's is not an absolute requirement, but not pre-ordering is a huge gamble.

Just a minor tweak to CTD's wording, the folks who walked in without pre-ordering were not denied service, they were simply told the truth; a 90 minute-two hour wait (and it can go as high as three or four hours) for a pizza; and then allowed to decide if they wanted to wait that long. The only time we get someone who is willing to either wait or order and come back, is when they have come from out of town (actually, a very common occurrence given our exposure on Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations", Saveur (and plenty others) magazine, local TV, and the internet) and feel like it is a "now or never" situation.

Pre-ordering is much simpler than some less than bright folks would have you believe. Just call ahead as far in advance as you possibly can (some out-of-towners will call days and even weeks in advance. Locals usually call very early on the day they want to come in. Call too late and you will either lose out or be forced to take a dining time of 8:00pm or later). Place your order (you can see a copy of Burt's Place menu at urbanspoon.com), including the number of people you're coming in with and what time you want to eat. Show up 15 minutes before the agreed upon time for your pizza to be ready, and that's it. If you called for your pizza to be served at 7:00pm, then it will be on the table at 7:00pm whether you are sitting there or not.

A couple of insider hints (all of this should be obvious to a Roadfood veteran but I know there will be folks visiting this site for the first time, reading this):
1. Know what you want before you pick up the phone and call in your order (see urbanspoon reference above)! We have a very small, very busy staff trying to take care of a lot of people. We don't have time to read the menu to you while you and your spouse discuss (usually at length) what you want on your pizza.

2. Make sure all your friends know you are coming to Burt's before you call in your order. Do not place your order then call everyone you know to tell them that you are going to Burt's. This will inevitably lead to people saying, "Ooh, we want to go to Burt's too! Can you call them back and change the order and add to the number of people you'll be coming in with?"

Calling back with changes puts you on the naughty list. This is a 35 seat restaurant with two people running the floor and one guy (Burt) doing all the cooking. We take orders very judiciously; making sure we can provide good service and good food to only so many people in any given half hour shift. Once that shift has been filled to what we consider "capacity", we stop taking orders for that time slot. If you call back with changes, that screws us up and could possibly affect your fellow diners.

3. Don't ask us to recommend something. There are no preset combinations. Order what you like. The list of ingredients you'll see at urbanspoon.com is ala carte. You can create whatever combination you want and we will make it to your specifications. Presumably, you have ordered a pizza before from somewhere else. Whatever combination you liked at that other place will be just as wonderful (if not more so) at Burt's. If you ask me what I like on my pizza I will tell you, "Anchovies, broccoli, habanero peppers, and caramel sauce" If you think that sounds like a tasty combination, then may God have mercy on your soul.

4. While I don't want Burt's to sound as cheerless and as rule-bound as Seinfeld's Soup Nazi (a comparison we hate, BTW), it is a business. A very busy business at that. We want to take your order, take good care of you, and then do the same for as many people as possible in an evening. Unless you are, in fact, David Letterman, let let me state the obvious by saying, "You're not David Letterman". Save the bad jokes and the interview questions for someplace else.

If all this sounds too complicated or repressive, then okay. Check out Lou Malnati's when you're in Chicago. We only have nine tables. If you're not filling up space in one of them, it just means we've got one more table available for someone who really wants to be there.

Sorry if the above sounds snarky or mean spirited. It's not meant to be. But you'd be amazed at how hard it is for some people to order a freakin' pizza! We've even considered giving an IQ test before allowing anyone entry.

Anyway, that's the scoop. Now you're informed and you can be a good Burt's customer. Hope we'll see you soon.

Buddy

BuddyRoadhouse,
I so much love this. Most people who do not understand the inner workings of a restaurant, can be oblivious to what it takes to put out food, with a small kitchen, and limited staff. Some owners prefer to keep it small to maintain the quality of the product.

It is not snarky, or mean-spirited, but true to the intentions of the owner of the restaurant!!!

We had a small restaurant in Cincinnati called ForkHeartKnife, that had a small space. Their food was excellent, and got lots of press (blog, and print). They ended up closing, because they couldn't accomodate the crowds, and felt if they expanded, they couldn't put out the quality of food that they wished to.

I salute Burt for staying true to his vision. Some people have "fast food" mentality, and want it in every aspect of dining. Good food takes time, and I am willing to wait. Hope I can "call ahead" the next time I'm in Chicago.

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (BuddyRoadhouse)

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 14:09:49 GMT

bigdog,

If you're serious about visiting Burt's, send me a PM if you have any questions regarding the process.

Buddy

P.S to wanderingjew,
Sorry if this Burt's discussion feels like a hijacking. Didn't want it too turn into that, just wanted to address some questions and misconceptions.

Thanks,
B.

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (big666dog)

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 09:26:27 GMT

That pizza looks amazing. This maybe a stop on our next road trip... thanks for the review!

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (TJ Jackson)

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 08:40:22 GMT

Well, I can't marry you both.....unless we move to Utah.......hmm

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (Foodbme)

Thu, 30 Jun 2011 00:49:06 GMT

buffetbuster

TJ Jackson

The wife is fond of telling friends how stupid I am - "he drove to chicago once just for a sandwich!".

I would call that dedicated and adventurous.

I'd say TJ is very intelligent - I'd call it intellectual curiosity!

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (wanderingjew)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 19:26:33 GMT

Sundancer7

I also ommitted WJ as a traveling person to obtain great food. I wish I had the energy and money to do as WJ, TTM and BB does. That is one of the most interesting hobbies I can thank of.

Paul E. Smith
knoxville, TN

Energy, yes, money, no, my friend.......I have to rely on Tax Refunds and Gain Sharing (from my employer) After finding out after last nights condo meeting what the 10 year plan is on our assessments, it looks like tax refunds and gain sharing are going to be going someplace else!

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (Sundancer7)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:14:22 GMT

I also ommitted WJ as a traveling person to obtain great food. I wish I had the energy and money to do as WJ, TTM and BB does. That is one of the most interesting hobbies I can thank of.

Paul E. Smith
knoxville, TN

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (wanderingjew)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 18:05:55 GMT

TJ Jackson

buffetbuster

I would call that dedicated and adventurous.

Buffetbuster, will you marry me?

I would suggest that the honeymoon take place here

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (TJ Jackson)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 17:59:30 GMT

buffetbuster

I would call that dedicated and adventurous.

Buffetbuster, will you marry me?

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (Sundancer7)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 17:59:02 GMT

buffetbuster

TJ Jackson

The wife is fond of telling friends how stupid I am - "he drove to chicago once just for a sandwich!".

I would call that dedicated and adventurous.

That post reminds me of one we had several years ago regarding how far you would drive for good roadfood. Personally, I could never ever reach the record of BB and TTM but I have driven to Austin to meet with Bushie for BBQ and I flew (which doesn't count) to Seattle for some wonderful crab and food at the Publix Market. I am retired and quite frankly, if I want it bad enough, I would drive anywhere.

The Mayor use to be in that group but he doesn't drive as much anymore. He got a new truck today and he will probably increase his driving for a while. Incidentally he bought a very very nice truck which is huge.

Paul E. Smith
Knoxville, TN

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (buffetbuster)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 17:44:19 GMT

TJ Jackson

The wife is fond of telling friends how stupid I am - "he drove to chicago once just for a sandwich!".

I would call that dedicated and adventurous.

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (BuddyRoadhouse)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 17:38:14 GMT

TJ Jackson

Well, I do like me a good pizza -- so if I get a chance to visit Burts, I will work the system as described :-)
...I might even tip :-)

Hope springs eternal.

Buddy

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (TJ Jackson)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 15:29:56 GMT

Well, I do like me a good pizza -- so if I get a chance to visit Burts, I will work the system as described :-)

The fact that the ordering system is strange to me does not mean it is strange to everyone. If I lived just a few hundred miles closer, it might well not be strange to me either

The wife is fond of telling friends how stupid I am - "he drove to chicago once just for a sandwich!". I always rebut this in more or less the same way "no, no, she's lying her *** off........I got a pizza too"

(As an aside - the sandwich was an italian beef from Mr Beef's, and the pizza was Malnatis)

I will have the wife take the IQ test, since she just finished up her master's degree, and as such, is far more educated than I. Me, I will just eat pizza. And pay the tab. I might even tip :-)

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (BuddyRoadhouse)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 14:53:15 GMT

Confirming what Dale said, yep that is part of a sausage patty. Burt (71, BTW) puts the sausage on in patties rather than in crumbles. The sausage goes on raw and cooks to perfection during the 22 minutes in a 650-700 degree oven. Excellent sausage, too. The flavor profile focuses more on garlic rather than the predominant fennel flavor you find in most Italian sausage. Also, it's very lean sausage. Even though it goes on raw, you won't find any big pools of grease floating on top of your pie.

As for the ordering process, it's really not so strange. Just pretend you're ordering your pizza to be picked up. You wouldn't go to the restaurant to order for a pick up, go home while it's prepared, and then go back to pick it up. You call ahead so the pie is ready when you get there at the agreed upon time. The only difference is at Burt's is, you're eating it in the restaurant, fresh and hot, instead of taking it home.

It's actually a huge advantage for all concerned. Parents with young children like it because the pizza comes out so fast the kids don't have time to get antsy. If you're doing dinner and a show, you know you'll sit down, be fed within minutes, and be on your way with plenty of time to get to the theater. All in all it's a very good system, except for those not bright enough to work within it. Of course, I know Roadfooders will have no problems.

What else can I tell you TJ? Talk to me brother!

Buddy

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (TJ Jackson)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:51:10 GMT

np dude
just giving you an unduly hard time for an good-as-always trip report

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (wanderingjew)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 12:01:19 GMT

TJ Jackson

WJ - in the picture of the spinach tomato and onion pie, what is the grey object just southeast of the big tomato slice, and where is the spinach?

Hypothesis - this is a sausage, tomato, and onion pie :-)

Sorry,

I reversed the toppings on the photos-
again, I'm not detailed oriented on the internet like everyone else. I don't spend much time on the web- this is really the only website i go to other than weather.com- If I'm not at work I' spend most of my time outdoors- power walking and hiking.-

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (TJ Jackson)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 11:40:22 GMT

WJ - in the picture of the spinach tomato and onion pie, what is the grey object just southeast of the big tomato slice, and where is the spinach?

Hypothesis - this is a sausage, tomato, and onion pie :-)

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (wanderingjew)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:31:15 GMT

TJ Jackson

Thanks for the 411 on Burts.

Very unusual ordering arrangement (at least to me), but the pizza appears to be worth it. Hope we can get in there someday.

How old is Burt? One reason I specifically made it to DiFara's a couple of years ago is because I was worried Dom would be retiring soon.

Burt and Dom are probably both around the same age- in their early-mid 70's

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (TJ Jackson)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 09:13:55 GMT

Thanks for the 411 on Burts.

Very unusual ordering arrangement (at least to me), but the pizza appears to be worth it. Hope we can get in there someday.

How old is Burt? One reason I specifically made it to DiFara's a couple of years ago is because I was worried Dom would be retiring soon.

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (ann peeples)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 08:10:50 GMT

I really wasnt concerned-I answered based on my readings here on Roadfood. Whether or not, pizza looks excellent, and will order accordingly should I have the opportunity to be in the neighborhood.
As for an IQ test, I am not at all worried.
I was being light hearted, my friends...

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (ChiTownDiner)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 07:18:12 GMT

TJ & ann -

I did order in advance and typically do so several days in advance. With WJ's aggressive eating schedule, I wanted to make sure our schedule remained in line. We even pre-order our salads and garlic cheese bread.

To alleviate some of Buddy's pointers, we over order for 3 reasons....extra folks can be added, more variety for the table and most important, the only thing better than Burt's for dinner is Burt's for breakfast! We took home about 55% and it was gone by lunch the next day...17 & 20 year old boys helps!

As I/we love Burt's, I am always happy to assist with a visit...and having an inside man helps with the IQ test...I just let the kids take it for me!

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (Foodbme)

Wed, 29 Jun 2011 03:22:01 GMT

BuddyRoadhouse

buffetbuster

Of course, if there really is an IQ test, I may be in trouble.....

No sweat dude-you've got an inside man. I'll get you in no matter how low you score. Just sit there quietly and try not to attract too much attention.
Buddy

Now THAT'S Funny!

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (BuddyRoadhouse)

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:32:12 GMT

buffetbuster

Of course, if there really is an IQ test, I may be in trouble.....

No sweat dude-you've got an inside man. I'll get you in no matter how low you score. Just sit there quietly and try not to attract too much attention.

Buddy

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (buffetbuster)

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:41:08 GMT

Buddy-
Thanks so much for posting that and clearing up some myths and misconceptions about Burt's. Since it is on the top of my list for next visit to Chicago, I paid very close attention. Of course, if there really is an IQ test, I may be in trouble.....

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (MiamiDon)

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:11:51 GMT

"We've even considered giving an IQ test before allowing anyone entry. "

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (BuddyRoadhouse)

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 18:03:38 GMT

TJ, TTM and other interested parties,

Ordering ahead from Burt's is not an absolute requirement, but not pre-ordering is a huge gamble.

Just a minor tweak to CTD's wording, the folks who walked in without pre-ordering were not denied service, they were simply told the truth; a 90 minute-two hour wait (and it can go as high as three or four hours) for a pizza; and then allowed to decide if they wanted to wait that long. The only time we get someone who is willing to either wait or order and come back, is when they have come from out of town (actually, a very common occurrence given our exposure on Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations", Saveur (and plenty others) magazine, local TV, and the internet) and feel like it is a "now or never" situation.

Pre-ordering is much simpler than some less than bright folks would have you believe. Just call ahead as far in advance as you possibly can (some out-of-towners will call days and even weeks in advance. Locals usually call very early on the day they want to come in. Call too late and you will either lose out or be forced to take a dining time of 8:00pm or later). Place your order (you can see a copy of Burt's Place menu at urbanspoon.com), including the number of people you're coming in with and what time you want to eat. Show up 15 minutes before the agreed upon time for your pizza to be ready, and that's it. If you called for your pizza to be served at 7:00pm, then it will be on the table at 7:00pm whether you are sitting there or not.

A couple of insider hints (all of this should be obvious to a Roadfood veteran but I know there will be folks visiting this site for the first time, reading this):
1. Know what you want before you pick up the phone and call in your order (see urbanspoon reference above)! We have a very small, very busy staff trying to take care of a lot of people. We don't have time to read the menu to you while you and your spouse discuss (usually at length) what you want on your pizza.

2. Make sure all your friends know you are coming to Burt's before you call in your order. Do not place your order then call everyone you know to tell them that you are going to Burt's. This will inevitably lead to people saying, "Ooh, we want to go to Burt's too! Can you call them back and change the order and add to the number of people you'll be coming in with?"

Calling back with changes puts you on the naughty list. This is a 35 seat restaurant with two people running the floor and one guy (Burt) doing all the cooking. We take orders very judiciously; making sure we can provide good service and good food to only so many people in any given half hour shift. Once that shift has been filled to what we consider "capacity", we stop taking orders for that time slot. If you call back with changes, that screws us up and could possibly affect your fellow diners.

3. Don't ask us to recommend something. There are no preset combinations. Order what you like. The list of ingredients you'll see at urbanspoon.com is ala carte. You can create whatever combination you want and we will make it to your specifications. Presumably, you have ordered a pizza before from somewhere else. Whatever combination you liked at that other place will be just as wonderful (if not more so) at Burt's. If you ask me what I like on my pizza I will tell you, "Anchovies, broccoli, habanero peppers, and caramel sauce" If you think that sounds like a tasty combination, then may God have mercy on your soul.

4. While I don't want Burt's to sound as cheerless and as rule-bound as Seinfeld's Soup Nazi (a comparison we hate, BTW), it is a business. A very busy business at that. We want to take your order, take good care of you, and then do the same for as many people as possible in an evening. Unless you are, in fact, David Letterman, let let me state the obvious by saying, "You're not David Letterman". Save the bad jokes and the interview questions for someplace else.

If all this sounds too complicated or repressive, then okay. Check out Lou Malnati's when you're in Chicago. We only have nine tables. If you're not filling up space in one of them, it just means we've got one more table available for someone who really wants to be there.

Sorry if the above sounds snarky or mean spirited. It's not meant to be. But you'd be amazed at how hard it is for some people to order a freakin' pizza! We've even considered giving an IQ test before allowing anyone entry.

Anyway, that's the scoop. Now you're informed and you can be a good Burt's customer. Hope we'll see you soon.

Buddy

Re:Big Shoulders, Beer Barrels, Beefs n' Brats (wanderingjew)

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 17:55:12 GMT

TJ

I didnt' get into the nuances of the ordering system, however Chi Town Diner did order in advance. I try not to get overly involved in specifics on my trip reports. I've discovered that some here actually take notes. I don't- everything is from memory, I don't even use spell check (and I type very fast no less) so you may find errors involving missing letters, misspelled words etc.

Chicago Irish

I can only hit so many places in such a short amount of time. But that's why there's always next time.

Buffetbuster

I think Chi Town Diner was sulking and actually whimpering in disappointment at the end when I put up the white flag.

TTM

I didn't go inside, I wasn't even sure if it was open. Believe it or not there were still protesters there, so I'm sure security was heightened. If I did get there earlier I would have looked into whether or not the building was open.

Chi Town Diner

Unfortunately, I have to admit it afterwards , the rest of the trip all went down hill from there- "quantity wise"