cheeseburgeraddict: Schoop's

Well I guess for some Da' Region is Chicago. For those of us actually in Chicago, Indiana has cheap gas, cheap smokes, casinos, and is not really home. But we find ourselves there quite often because our state of IL and county of Cook continue to jack our tax monies to...um...yea.

My parents taught me early on that just 15 miles south east gas was like $.15 cheaper. So the occasional pilgrimage began. And now that I have a building 5 miles away, I am there once a month. Schoop's is on Indianapolis Blvd. close to gas and casino. Or I should say, this Schoop's. There are more in Indiana, Illinois, and one in Las Vegas. At a later date we are going to have a cross country review with me here and my Mom in Vegas. We would have done it this time but her Weight Watchers is going too well :)

This place has a nice old time vibe.

This is one of the cheeseburgers I was thinking about when this whole blog thing started. I remember getting a Mickey one day; loving the burger, but hating the execution. The Mickey is a cheeseburger with two slices of cheese. I also added grilled onion that day and it was a mess. I would not make that mistake today. I went for the double cheeseburger with bacon, fries. There will be no further mention of the fries. I will have onion rings from now on.

By the way, I don't know what it is about the 16 year old burger joint waitress that disturbs me, but something does. Not to mention that the only guy in the place was cooking the burgers. It was like this the last time, too. What? Girls can't cook or boys can't serve? I digress. The burgers are cooked, cheese added, then put on the bottom bun. Then, they come out of the kitchen for the waitress to dress them. This assembly order will play a role later.

Lunch is served.

This is a very pretty cheeseburger.

They are not lying about cooking to crisp perfection.

Ahh. The irregularity of a fresh patty.

If you consider that American cheese slices come in one size, you will gain perspective on this cheeseburger. I actually cut in half because it was so large and very hot. So that's bacon cheeseburger with tomato, mayo, mustard, and catsup.

Hold up a sec. What's missing from that photo? Where is my bacon?

What the? In between the patties? I'm not going to disagree with the placement, though. It helped the bacon stay hot being nestled in there. Also notice how the bottom bun soaked with burger juices and grease flattens but does not disappear.

Did I mention that this was $1.75 worth of bacon? Very expensive for bacon. Especially when $7.49 is a bit expensive for a double cheeseburger. Hey all in the day of a cheeseburger addict, right? I wish I could say I did this for you. I think though,that this Schoop's is using it's proximity to Chicago to jack up the price. I mean why not right? When we do the cross country burger review, I am going to a different Schoop's and Mom will have the Vegas angle covered. So I'll reserve judgement on price for now.

The money is the last thing on your mind though as you eat this cheeseburger. The meat is seasoned and cooked as it should. Some of the crisp edges of the patty fall into the basket for later eating. The patty is their thing and they do it well. Great flavor, as a bacon cheeseburger should be.

I have read that this burger is recommended for those desiring a 1930's burger stand cheeseburger. I have to disagree. This burger is way to big to qualify. This is a Culver's, Steak and Shake, Top Notch hand formed and fried burger. Greasy, but on an ample bun. Well executed with fresh ingredients.

Schoop's is a destination burger when you're in the mood for a good simple but large cheeseburger. If you want to maximize your beef flavor, go with the double or triple. If you want normal, a single is also quite satisfying. Next time I am going to get a Mickey and see if it's better sans onion.