Editor’s Note: Our columnist is not a trained or paid professional, nor does he get complimentary meals from the restaurants visited. He and his party arrive unannounced and do not reveal that they will be doing a review. Comments or questions may be sent to Sam Geati, greengeezer9@comcast.net.
Recently, I joined 15 of my neighbors and attended the N.33 Men’s Luncheon held at the Blackstone Golf Club in Marengo. The restaurant is located on Rt. 20 before entering Marengo. It’s about a 20-minute ride from Sun City.
9700 St. Andrews Dr., Marengo. 815-923-1800. Open every day for lunch. Grill Room Hours: Monday – Thursday: 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday: 11 a.m.-4p.m. Saturday and Sunday: 11 a.m.-7p.m. Groups welcome. Separate checks available. Reservations recommended.
The clubhouse is very new and has a classy look to it. There are dining areas both inside and on the outdoor patio, which is where we chose to eat our meal. The view was terrific looking over the 18th green. I haven’t played it, but my golfer friends had praises for the course, describing it as challenging.
Since there were so many of us, I decided to use a simple form for evaluating our experience. Each diner was asked to rate the establishment on the basis of 4 criteria: food, service, value, and ambiance. The scale is 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest rating. The diners were also were asked if they would return to this restaurant and recommend it to friends.
Personally, I thought that although we were asked for beverage orders very soon after being seated, taking our food orders was just a bit slow. My beer ($4.50) tasted great while enjoying the beautiful day and view. We were served by one waitress at our three tables. I thought she did a good job, but the kitchen could have been speedier. My patty melt ($10) was done to my ordering request and was very tasty, as were the seasoned fries, which I really enjoyed over conventional fries. Fresh cole slaw was also included. Overall, I was pleased with the meal, but thought it was overpriced given that no senior discount was offered.
As for the menu, it consisted of various hot and cold sandwiches, salads, wraps, and paninis. I understand that dinner is also served here but haven’t heard directly from anyone about it.
Here’s the results of the survey, average scores given:
Food – I thought the voting was very generous, with 11 out of 16 rating the food as a 5, but it was a 4 to me.
Service – Again, I was outnumbered. Most rated it a 5, but there were a few like me who gave lower marks.
Value – Here, there were mostly 4s and 5s. I was the only 3.
Ambiance – Certainly, this was the most agreed upon area where virtually everyone gave our setting and view highest marks.
In summary, the majority were totally pleased with their Blackstone experience. They plan to recommend it to friends and return for another meal.
