Texas Roadhouse – Lansing

19 02 2009
  • 208 E. Edgewood Blvd.
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 887-8181
  • Website
  • Menu
Texas Roadhouse on Lansings south side

Texas Roadhouse on Lansing's south side

Finally!  Home!  I left Illinois this morning not knowing how long it was actually going to take me to get back to Lansing, but I hit things just right and didn’t see more than a few flurries on the way home.  Didn’t slow me down at all and I actually made it home before dinner.  Unfortunately, I haven’t been home in over a week, so there’s no food in the house.  I didn’t feel like going shopping, so I asked J if she wanted me to pick her up and we’d just go out for dinner.  We’re starting to run out of places to go on the south side of Lansing.  All that’s really left are a handful of chains.  I didn’t feel like thinking, so I suggested Texas Roadhouse.  I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever been to one before.  I always get Texas Roadhouse and Lonestar Steakhouse confused.  I know I’ve been to at least one Lonestar, but after that, it’s anybody’s guess.  This may well have been my first time at a Texas Roadhouse.

Texas Roadhouse is on Edgewood Boulevard near the Target and Sam’s Club.  We pulled up on a Thursday night and were really surprised by the number of cars in the parking lot.  Don’t let anyone tell you restaurants are struggling during these tough economic times.  I’m convinced no one knows how to cook anymore, so if they want a decent meal they HAVE to eat out.

We found a parking spot and went inside.  When J said we’d like a table for two in non-smoking, we were told there would be a little wait, so we made our way to the peanut barrel and starting eating.  I love places that put peanuts out.  I always eat too many though.

A few minutes later, the hostess said our table was ready and our waitress showed us the way.  The walk to our table went right by the kitchen, so the waitress grabbed a basket of rolls and some butter so we didn’t have to wait for it once we were seated.  J told me before we got there that she loved the butter at Texas Roadhouse.  How many places do you know of where someone actually craves the butter?  Once we were seated, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about, so I buttered up a roll.  I see know why she likes it so much.  It’s a cinnamon butter.  It was sooooo good.  After we polished off one basket of rolls, the waitress brought a second.  Uh-oh.  We’re going to fill up on rolls.  We polished that one off to and the waitress said she would come back with more, but we stopped her.  If she brought it, we would eat it and we didn’t need anymore…no matter how much we wanted it. Read the rest of this entry »





McDonald’s – South Holland, IL

19 02 2009
  • 700 E. Tri State Tollway
  • I-80/294 Milepost 1 – Lincoln Oasis
  • South Holland, IL 60473
  • (708) 596-3195
  • Website
  • Menu
The business listing for the Lincoln Oasis on the Tri-State Tollway

The business listing for the Lincoln Oasis on the Tri-State Tollway

OK, this is my last Illinois review for….two weeks.  Finally, after a week back in Illinois for a family emergency and then work, I was heading back to Lansing.  I like my family and miss them a lot, but I was really, really ready to get back to Michigan.  J and I had been watching the radar for the last two days wondering if I was even going to make.  It never fails, if we have to drive through southwest Michigan and Northwest Indiana, it’s guaranteed to snow.  Guaranteed.  Today didn’t look much better, but I decided to chance, so after a quick phone call to J to let her know I was on the way, I packed up my truck and headed north.

I left my parents right around 11:30 and sort of ran out in a hurry wanting to be on the road in between snow storms, so I didn’t get lunch with them.  I was on the road about an hour when I started to get hungry.  I knew I was coming up on the Lincoln Oasis, so I decided just to wait.  For those of you that aren’t regulars on the toll roads, the Oases are stops along the toll road where you don’t actually get off the highway, so you don’t have to pay to get off and get back on.  On I-294 (the Tri-State tollway), the Oases are suspended over the road.  In other places, they usually look more like rest stops with gas stations off on either side of the road, but around Chicago, there’s not much room, so they built a parking lot on either side then built the actual building across.  We used to stop at one of the other Oasis’s near O’Hare when we went to shows at The Rosemont Horizon (later called Allstate Arena).  They always have some sort of fast food.  Some have Wendy’s.  Some have McDonald’s.  This one has McDonald’s.

This McDonald’s is located in the Lincoln Oasis which is near South Holland, IL on the Tri-State tollway.  There are are other restaurants and services.  The McDonald’s only takes up a small part of the space yet they are pretty much the main attraction since they are open 24/7.  I was northbound on I-294 when I stopped.  The McDonald’s is near the south bound side, so I had to walk all the way through to find McDonald’s tucked in to a little corner.  Read the rest of this entry »





Antonio’s Pizza – Champaign, IL

19 02 2009
  • 619 E. Green Street
  • Champaign, IL 61820
  • (217) 365-9500
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Antonios Pizza on Green Street in Champaign, IL

Antonio's Pizza on Green Street in Champaign, IL

You should know me by now.  When I’m on the campus of a large university, I go looking for pizza-by-the-slice.  I was in Champaign to witness one of the worst basketball games I have ever seen.  If you happened to watch the Penn State vs. Illinois basketball game, you know what I’m talking about.  Before that atrocity, I needed to find dinner.  Most of my co-workers went to a Mexican place, but I wanted pizza, so I headed to Green Street and started walking.

Antonio’s Pizza is in the 600 Block of Green Street which is U of I’s big restaurant district.  They’ve got everything from Asian to chains to bars to pizza.  I walked by a few places that looked good, but didn’t do anything for me.  From the corner of 6th and Green, I could see a green, white, and red striped awning.  I knew it had to be a pizza place, soI crossed the street and kept walking. Read the rest of this entry »





Kroll’s South Loop – Chicago

16 02 2009
  • 1736 S. Michigan Avenue
  • Chicago, IL 60616
  • (312) 235-1400
  • Website
  • Menu
Krolls South Loop on Chicagos Near South Side.

Kroll's South Loop on Chicago's Near South Side.

I wasn’t planning on eating lunch in Chicago today.  My dad and I went to the Chicago Auto Show, so I put on a post on Chow.com asking if there was anyplace to eat within walking distance of McCormick Place.  Most of the replies said no, but someone replied this morning and J happened to see it so she texted me with details.  About 2:00, dad and I were getting hungry so I thought, what the hell.  It’s only a half mile or so away, so I called J to get directions and we went for a walk.

Kroll’s South Loop is on the Near South Side at Michgan Avenue and 18th Street.  It’s a little, corner neighborhood bar.  They have the menu posted outside and prices looked reasonable, so we went inside to grab a bite to eat. Read the rest of this entry »





Nino’s Pizza – Alsip, IL

15 02 2009
  • 4835 W. 111th Street
  • Alsip, IL 60803
  • (708 ) 423-9100
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Ninos Pizza on 111th Street in Alsip, IL

Nino's Pizza on 111th Street in Alsip, IL

Valentine’s Day wasn’t the typical Valentine’s Day for J and I.  We had another commitment that took precedentover a romantic night out.  No worries.  We had our night on Friday night instead.  On Valentine’s Day, after we got done with what had to be done, we started thinking of places to go eat that wouldn’t have a huge wait or be swamped with people.  Most of the usual suspects were booked up, but I remembered a place we have driven by many, many times and never stopped at.  The real funny thing is my brother was raving about a pizza he had in Matteson which is about a half hour away.  I finally figured out the name of it and realized there was another location right down the road from J’s parents.  Even though it had been there most of her life, J had never eaten at Nino’s, so thought we’d give them a shot.  To make this even better, a friend of ours from Peoria told us some time ago that her family actually owns the Nino’s in Alsip…still, we had never stopped in for a pie.

Nino’s Pizza is near the corner of 111th and Cicero right on the city limits for Alsip and Oak Lawn.  It’s a rather old building with neon tube signs on the front and side of the building.  It looks like a throwback pizza parlor.  J had called before we left to see if they had a huge wait and they said we’d be ok if we could get there in twenty minutes or so.  I had a feeling a pizza place wouldn’t be packed on Valentine’s Day and I was right for the most part.  The place was full, but there was no wait.  We found a parking spot and headed towards the entrance which is on the side of the building.

Once inside, we were met by a hostess who said she had four tables and we could pretty much just pick.  We took one fairly close to the door so J’s parents, who were meeting us there, could find us.  The decor is very rustic.  There is a lot of those thatched wood panels that you see on patio’s.  They even made a drop ceiling out of them.  There are several old chandelier’s scattered throughout the joint.  The tables are topped with the typical red and white checkerboard table cloths.  There are a number of old, wooden booths scattered throughout, but they looked pretty small like they were meant just for couples. Read the rest of this entry »





Jedi’s Restaurant – Oak Lawn, IL

15 02 2009
  • 9266 S. Cicero
  • Oak Lawn, IL 60435
  • (708 ) 499-4545
  • Website
  • Menu
Jedis Restaurant on Southwest Highway and Cicero in Oak Lawn, IL

Jedi's Restaurant on Southwest Highway and Cicero in Oak Lawn, IL

It was time for lunch again and we had a hard time deciding where to go.  We knew there would be six of us because J’s uncle and his girlfriend were meeting us as well.  It took a long time to finally settle on a place.  We needed something that would be quick and something that would satisfy a number of different palates.  We finally settled on Jedi’s Restaurant.

Jedi’s Restaurant is on the corner of Cicero Avenue and Southwest Highway in Oak Lawn.  It’s a typical family restaurant with a large menu and a family friendly atmosphere.  The rest of our party was already seated when J and I arrived, so we joined them at a table on the “upstairs” part of the dining room.  We were seated right next to the fish tank which was a pretty big draw for the kids in the restaurant.

I know our party all showed up at different times which can be frustrating for restaurants, but we weren’t that far apart.  There was maybe 10 minutes between the time J’s parents were seated and when J and I arrived.  Once we got there, we waited another ten minutes for our waitress to come over for drink orders.  J’s step dad and her uncle already had drinks.  J ordered a Diet Pepsi.  I ordered a Pepsi and J’s uncle’s girlfriend ordered a Diet Pepsi with no ice and a lemon wedge.  Ten minutes later, the waitress brought back only the Diet Pepsi with no ice but with a lime instead of a lemon.  She then took care of another table behind us and J and I still had no drinks.  J stopped her to ask about our drinks and she rudely informed J that “they” were working on it.  A few minutes later, we finally got our Pepsi’s. Read the rest of this entry »





Mindy’s Hot Chocolate – Chicago, IL

13 02 2009
  • 1747 N. Damen Avenue
  • Chicago, IL 60647
  • (773) 489-1747
  • Website
  • Menu
Mindys Hot Chocolate on Chicagos north side.

Mindy's Hot Chocolate on Chicago's north side.

Valentine’s Day came a day early for J and I.  We have other commitments tomorrow, so we decided to get reservations for a restaurant in Chicago we had heard good things about.  When I called at ten this morning to see if we could get a table, the response I got was, “Ooooh…I don’t know.  Hang on a sec.”  Turns out, the only opening they had was at 5:30 which is when they open.  I told them we’d take it.

Mindy’s Hot Chocolate is locate on Damen Avenue in the north side’s Bucktown Neighborhood.  Coming from the south suburbs during rush hour was a little bit of a challenge.  It’s only twenty miles, but with rush hour traffic, it took a little over an hour.  Once we got to the neighborhood, we then had to find a spot to park.  The only options are valet or finding a spot at a meter on the street.  We actually got pretty lucky and found a spot on the corner just about a block away.

We walked in to Hot Chocolate and were met by a hostess who showed us to our table.  The restaurant is fairly small with a bench along the back wall that acts as a seat for about ten tables.  There are also a handful of four tops, a bar, a small waiting/lounge area and one table near the kitchen for larger groups.  We were seated along the wall and the tables were really crammed in there.  It was alright at first because there was no one sitting on either side of us, but once the tables around us were filled, it was like we were all eating together.  There was just a matter of inches between the tables.  Read the rest of this entry »





Deja Brew Bar & Grill- Oak Lawn, IL

12 02 2009
  • 5219 W. 95th Street
  • Oak Lawn, IL 60435
  • (708 ) 423-0484
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Deja Brew on 95th Street in downtown Oak Lawn, IL

Deja Brew on 95th Street in downtown Oak Lawn, IL

After taking care of some things this morning, my girlfriend, her family, and I headed out for lunch.  Our first stop was Palermos 95th (review HERE), but they were even packed for lunch, so we went to J’s parents favorite bar in downtown Oak Lawn.

Deja Brew Bar & Grill is located on 95th Street in downtown Oak Lawn.  It fronts the busy highway, but the parking and main entrance is actually in the back which is accessible by an alley.  When you walk in that back door, you come into an enclosed courtyard.  From there, there’s another set of doors to actually enter the establishment. 

Inside is a typical sports bar.  There are LCD’s hanging from the ceiling.  There’s a large, odd shaped bar that takes a good chunk of the space.  The shape of the bar is a little hard to describe.  Around the bar are a few pub tables.  Along the opposite wall is a step up with more tables.  We took a table near the windows and waited for a watiress.

The waitress actually came over pretty quickly to get our drink orders, but then took a really long time to come back with them.  She spilled a little bit of J’s mom’s beer and went to get something to clean it up with before taking lunch orders.  It took a good ten minutes for her to come back with a bar towel.  Once we got the spilled beer taken care of, we put in lunch orders.  Another half hour later and we finally got our food.  During the time, J and her uncle both ran out of Diet Coke but there was no refilling until the food came out. Read the rest of this entry »





Henry’s Hamburgers

12 02 2009
  • 1832 M-139
  • Benton Harbor, MI 49022
  • (269) 926-6757
  • Website
  • No Online Menu
The last remaining Henrys Hamburgers in Benton Harbor on a cold, rainy February night

The last remaining Henry's Hamburgers in Benton Harbor on a cold, rainy February night

Unfortunately, J and I had to make an unplanned trip home due to a family emergency.  After being back in Michigan for just three days, we loaded up and headed south again.  We left just before dinner, but at the time, weren’t even thinking about being hungry.  By the time we got to Kalamazoo, our belly’s started rumbling.  About a month ago, Corky left a message in comments about a place in Benton Harbor that we should try.  We were still about forty miles from Benton Harbor, but decided to stick it out and go in search of Henry’s Hamburgers.

Henry’s Hamburgers sits on M-139 not too far from the Orchard Mall.  According to this website, the Benton Harbor Henry’s is the last of a chain that was popular in the mid-20th century.  At one time, there were several locations in Michigan, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Missouri and Wisconsin.  There were even locations in Lansing on South Cedar Street and East Lansing on Michigan Avenue in the 60’s.

We pulled into Henry’s right at 7:00.  Whenever we travel to Illinois, I set my clock’s back to Central time before leaving, so when we pulled in and the doors were locked, I was a little confused.  The counter closes at 7:00 during the winter but the drive-thru stays open until 9:30.  My clock said it was only 6:00.  Stupid me, I had already forgotten I set the clock back.  Read the rest of this entry »





Twisters Soft Serve Ice Cream – South Cedar

10 02 2009
  • 5620 S. Cedar Street
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 272-5015
  • Website
  • Menu
Twisters Soft Serve Ice Creams second location on South Cedar Street in Lansing.

Twisters Soft Serve Ice Cream's second location on South Cedar Street in Lansing.

Boy, as soon as the mercury hits 65 degrees, everyone thinks it’s summer.  Just this morning, I saw a story on WLNS.com about ice cream shops opening up…in February!  My day was spent barbecuing so I guess I’m not any better.  After dinner, J suggested we go get ice cream.  Heck, this might be our only chance at sixty degrees for a couple months yet so let’s take advantage of it.

Twisters Soft Serve Ice Cream has two locations in Lansing.  The original is on South Waverly.  The second location and the one closest to us is on South Cedar Street right next to Taco Bell.  The building is a drive-thru only structure with a little patio area set up out front if you choose to get out of the car and order at the window.

It was a nice night, but not nice enough to eat ice cream outside, so we hit up the drive thru.  When you first enter the driveway, there’s a menu board on the side of the building.  It’s not lit up and J had a hard time reading it from the passenger seat, so we drove around to the order speaker.  Again, no light on the menu board and J couldn’t make out most of what it said.  I went with my normal ice cream treat, a peanut butter cup Flurry.  J eventually gave up and ordered the same thing.  We each got a medium Flurry for a cost of $7 for the two of them. Read the rest of this entry »