Peanut butter, burger time, peanut butter, burger time, peanut butter, buger time.... (repeat till blue in the face)

spot: Tina's Best Beef
food type: burgers n' stuff. thai too!
address/info.: 2415 W. Montrose Ave. 773-478-2055
neighborhood: on the edge of Lincoln Square, it's pretty decent over there

Come fer the burger, leave for the Thai!
Tina's! This is the spot for an excellent, thin, char grilled burger, or during the winter, soup! I live kinda near this place, and didn't even go to it for it a while. I remember always goin to the gas station next door to Tina's and thinkin, while I'm fillin up, that spot doesn't look to good. So I didn't go there for a long while.

One day I had this crackhead alley mechanic form my old neighborhood workin' on my car, and he was hungry. Like hell was I gonna make him any food, he just stole a cheapy tool set of mine two weeks previous. And I know what yer thinkin', but he did brakes for only $20, and changed a transmission out in one of my cars fer only $50!!! So he was hungry, and I wasn't cookin' him anything. Then, like a light bulb goin off, I was like "you want a hot dog or somethin from that little spot next to the gas station?" and with his usual speech impediment lisp, he said "yesth." I have no problem with people with speech problems either, just being descriptive, I actually like those things in people. It's unique to an individual.

Anyway, I ended goin' to Tina's for some inexpensive eats.

I was just getting the kid and his brother hot dogs, it was the cheapest thing on the menu. And F*ck him, he did steal my sh*t not to long ago. But I saw they had a char grill, which surprised me for this run down little hot dog stand. So I asked what they made on the grill, and it was only burgers. Perfect. I ordered one. And of course I sat there and ate before I brought the food back to my mechanic. The burger was so freakin good I couldn't believe it! So I ordered another one and took it back with me.

I actually remember my mechanic and his brother joking that it tasted like they just took the hot dogs right out of the refrigerator and put 'em in the bun. My hamburger had steam coming up from it. Yeah, keep my stealin my shit! Now fix my brakes!

Back to the food. Seriously, the burger is excellent! If you like a thin, tasty, char grilled, burger this place is for you. Also, during the winter they make fresh soups, and they're really, really good. I especially love the mushroom barley soup, I'd go so far to say it's the best I've ever tasted. Maybe. They also make excellent chili. If you like it non-chunky. I hate chili that's loaded with huge, ridiculous chunks of stuff. Not here, just meat n' beans. Perfect for chili mac.

They also have Thai food, and it's all listed on a completely separate menu. Did I mention the owners are an older Asian couple? I didn't, cause it didn't matter till now. That being said, they have some Thai options. Well, one day I asked the dude, "Hey! How's the Thai food?" He kinda shrugged his shoulders, his voice had a bit of a higher a pitch and he said, "Eh... Not to good." And it's been only burgers and soup ever since.

See ya soon at Tina's, it's "Monte-riffic!"