Kuma’s Corner

Here’s a break from the deep dish drivel.

Kuma’s Corner, 2900 W Belmont Ave., serves up humongous burgers with gourmet toppings and heavy metal names. The creations are served on a pretzel roll unless otherwise specified.

Part of the experience is trying to decide whether to order the ‘Slayer’ or the ‘Plague Bringer’ as Mastodon blares from the speakers.

As you walk in, you’ll notice stickers on the front door touting Kuma’s popularity — Michelin, Zagat, “People love us on Yelp!” The place was packed early on a Monday evening — 30 minute wait for a bar seat — but worth it for the extensive beer list and high-quality beef.

I managed to consume half of the Lair of the Minotaur burger (caramelized onions, pancetta, brie and bourbon-soaked pears; see photo above), cooked to medium doneness and enjoyable with hard pear cider and waffle fries. Tip: Skip the ketchup; go for the garlic mayo.

My dining companion cleaned his plate after ordering the Iron Maiden burger (avocado, cherry peppers, pepperjack and chipotle mayo), which was washed down with vanilla porter.

As we dined, we watched several peers bring in parents for the experience. The thought of being there with my parents or in-laws made me cringe. (“Why can’t they turn down that music?” “You mean to tell me I waited 30 minutes to pay $13 for a burger?!”)

But it could be worth it, if only to hear one of them order the Goatwhore burger.