R.J. Grunts

Description
This is it? The man behind TRU, Ambria and Everest started his Lettuce Entertain You empire with this shabby joint? Opened in 1971—with, we're assuming, much of the same look it has today—this tightly packed hamburger shack is a reminder that Richard Melman has just as many casual, fast-foodish joints as he does fine-dining rooms under his belt. We'd give him credit for his range alone, but then we'd be forgetting about the thick, juicy, antihealthy "Gruntburger," topped with addictive fried onions and blue-cheese dressing; the sloppy buffalo wings; the spoonable milk shakes with thick whipped cream; and the world's first salad bar that, despite being a salad bar, is pretty good.