Luke Tobias opened Kuma’s Corner in 2005 at the corner of Belmont and Francisco in Chicago’s Avondale neighborhood, intending to run a craft beer bar with heavy metal on the sound system. The burgers caught on faster than the beer list. Almost every burger on the menu is named after a heavy metal or hard rock band — Metallica, Iron Maiden, Slayer, Mastodon, Led Zeppelin, Pantera, Lair of the Minotaur — and each one is built around a 10-ounce hand-packed patty with a creative set of toppings that match the band’s aesthetic in some loosely interpretable way. Kuma’s appeared in Season 6, Episode 2 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Their Own Way,” which aired April 13, 2009. Guest judge Graham Elliot was a fan of the Mastodon, a beef patty with crispy bacon, bourbon-laced BBQ sauce, melty cheese, and fried onions. The Famous Kuma burger — farm-fresh fried egg, applewood smoked bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and red onion — was introduced in 2005 and is credited with starting the fried egg on a burger trend in Chicago. The DDD appearance turned a 90-minute wait from something regulars endured into something tourists sought out. The restaurant has since expanded to additional Chicago locations.
Quick Facts
Restaurant: Kuma’s Corner
City: Chicago, Illinois
Cuisine: Burgers / Gastropub
DDD Season: 6
DDD Episode: 2
Episode Title: Their Own Way
Original Air Date: April 13, 2009
Address: 2900 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, IL 60618
Phone: 773-604-8769
Website: https://kumascorner.com/
Status: Open
About Kuma’s Corner
The Belmont location is a low-slung, dark pub with stained glass, heavy metal artwork, and a sound system that does not play requests and will not put on the game. The atmosphere is the point and the burger is the reason. The restaurant does not take reservations. Weekend waits are real and the regulars accept them as part of the deal. The craft beer list runs deep and is curated to match the food and the music. The mac and cheese program runs alongside the burgers as a second serious menu item. The limited seating, including a small back patio beer garden in summer, keeps the wait consistent with the demand.
What to Eat at Kuma’s Corner
The Famous Kuma Burger is the original: farm-fresh fried egg, applewood smoked bacon, cheddar, lettuce, tomato, and red onion — the burger that started Chicago’s fried egg trend. The Mastodon is the DDD guest favorite: beef, bacon, bourbon BBQ sauce, cheese, and fried onions. The Metallica is the most ordered by name. The Lair of the Minotaur with pear, caramelized onion, and Merkts cheddar is the creative option that converts skeptics. The Plague Bringer with roasted garlic mayo, tortilla strips, Chicago co-op hot sauce, fresh garlic, pepper jack, and jalapeño is the heat-seeker’s build. The Build-Your-Own Mac and Cheese is the other serious menu item worth ordering.
Bring Kuma’s burger energy home with Guy Fieri’s Flavortown Burger Joint Seasoning and Guy’s Flavortown Top Secret Sauce for your own heavy metal burger night.
Plan Your Visit
Kuma’s Corner is open Monday through Thursday 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM, Friday and Saturday 11:30 AM to 11:00 PM, Sunday 11:30 AM to 10:00 PM. No reservations. No music requests. No putting on the game. Find a Chicago hotel on Booking.com — the Belmont location is a quick Blue Line ride from downtown.
Address: 2900 W. Belmont Ave., Chicago, IL 60618
Phone: 773-604-8769
Website: https://kumascorner.com/
Status: Open
Flavortown Approved
Stream the Their Own Way episode on Amazon. Chicago has one of the deepest Triple D maps in the country — More Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives maps it all out.
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Kuma’s Corner appeared in Season 6, Episode 2 of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, “Their Own Way,” originally aired April 13, 2009. The restaurant opened in 2005 and is credited with starting Chicago’s fried egg on a burger trend.