It’s just speculation at this point, but the crowded ranks of upscale burgers could get a significant addition in the near future if Milwaukee’s Sobelman’s Pub & Grill opens a Chicago branch. Dave and Melanie Sobelman opened the original Sobelman’s in Milwaukee in 2001 in a vintage Schlitz tavern, and it quickly began placing at or near the top of Milwaukee burger polls (no doubt aided by the fact that it wasn’t at all bashful about declaring itself “Milwaukee’s Best Burger”). In 2009 they opened a second spot devoted to healthier burgers from 100% grassfed beef, and last year they opened one on the Marquette University campus. Dave Sobelman says that the restaurant’s popularity in Milwaukee, particularly among students, gives him a built-in fanbase in Chicago: “After 13 years in business and probably having students for 12 of those years, and now after a year on campus, there’s probably a huge Sobelman’s Pub & Grill following in Chicago.” [Marquette Tribune]
