Gilda Radner passed away in 1989 at age 42 from cancer. We remember her each year and ask you to help support Gilda’s Club in Chicago.

Gilda’s Club Chicago offers FREE programs for men, women, children, and their families and friends whose lives have been impacted by any kind of cancer. http://www.gildasclubchicago.org/

“Cheezborger! Next! Cheezborger! No Fries, Cheeps, No Pepsi, Coke! In the 60s, when Don Novello worked as an advertising copywriter in Chicago, he frequented the Tavern and heard Sam yell out to customers: “Cheezborger! Cheezborger! Cheezborger!” Later he went on to work as a staff writer for a new sketch comedy show in New York called “Saturday Night Live”. Inspired by Sam and the Tavern, he used that experience to write one of the greatest SNL skits of all-time.

Today we are remembering Gilda Radner, who passed away 26 years ago. She will always be missed at the Billy Goat Tavern. We encourage you to check out, and help support, Gilda’s Club Chicago. They do an amazing job of providing a community of support for those living with cancer. www.gildasclubchicago.org

“It’s always something…”

“Cheezborger! Cheezborger! You want doublecheez?!? Who’s next!?! WHO’S NEXT!?! Don’t look at the menu, look at ME! I order for you - DOUBLECHEEZ!”

It was scenes like this one that inspired the famous Olympia Restaurant skit on SNL featuring John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Loraine Newman and written by Don Novello.

“Cheezborger! Cheezborger! No Fries. Cheeps. No Pepsi. Coke! Who’s next!?! WHO’S NEXT!?!” Get the complete story of the skit that made SNL famous on our website: http://thebillygoattavern.com/legend/snl/

To celebrate Saturday Night Live’s 40th season, they have pulled some of their most memorable sketches from the archives. Of course the skit that made SNL famous was among them. Go to http://www.snlbythedecade.com/1970s and click “The Olympia Restaurant” skit to vote. Hurry! Voting ends January 15th!

Learn more about the history behind the skit on our website!

The Olympia Restaurant skit is now available on Yahoo! Check it out!

From one animal house to another: Happy Birthday! Nobody flipped a better cheezborger.

Ordering at the Billy Goat may go something like this: “Cheezborger! Cheezborger! You want doublecheez?!? Who’s next!?! WHO’S NEXT!?!” If you take more than one second to answer: “Don’t look at the menu, look at ME! I order for you - DOUBLECHEEZ!” If you only feel like a single: “No. DOUBLECHEEZ!!!” If it’s the end of the week: “It’s Friday, doublecheez for everybody! It’s payday! Triplecheez for the big guy!” Want French fries with that? “No fries - CHEEPS!” Thirsty? “No Pepsi - COKE!” To drink: “Coke or Diet?!”

Such rantings by the Billy Goat staff have gone on for almost 40 years and originated when Billy Goat Sianis and another Greek immigrant by the name of Bill Charuchas would entertain patrons by yelling out: “Try the double cheese! It’s the best! No fries, cheeps!” In the 1978, Sam Sianis and Charuchas were immortalized by Saturday Night Live’s John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray and Loraine Newman. The sketch was originally written by Don Novello (of Father Guido Sarducci fame) when he was an advertising copywriter in Chicago. John Belushi and Bill Murray knew the Billy Goat from their Second City days, and the rest is history. As a result, the Billy Goat Tavern achieved national infamy. When in Chicago, Don Novello and Bill Murray still come by and visit Sam and the Billy Goat staff and have their “Doublecheezborger”!