Since I have been writing this column, several friends have suggested nearby restaurants for review. One of those places is Our Place Restaurant at 889 N. La Fox Street, in South Elgin. This old establishment has a whole lot of character. If you were raised in the Chicago area, as I was, and went to northern Wisconsin for family vacations back in the ’50s and ’60s, where family bars were lighted only by electric beer signs hung on the wall and the food was fried and the only beer on tap was Old Style, you are sure to feel quite at home here. They are well known for their Friday fish fry, and so Roland and I ventured in one Friday evening.
We entered through the windowless front door but noticed there was a flight of stairs leading to a side entrance. More on that feature later.
We sat ourselves at one of the booths, which line the walls. The center holds banquet tables covered in plastic tablecloths with folding chairs to sit on for a more communal way to enjoy your dinner. On the wall at each booth was a menu hung in a picture frame.
They are open for lunch daily, but only serve dinner on Friday and Saturday nights from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday’s choices are fish plates (cod, perch, shrimp, or scallops) for between $8.99 and $10.99. You can have the sampler’s plate with one piece of each and four scallops for $11.99. The other choice is a shredded pork sandwich with French fries. On Saturday nights they serve “all you can eat” spaghetti for $8.99 and an 8-ounce cut of prime rib for $11.99. There are several specials on Saturday night, but they are the chef’s choice, so it was suggested that you call ahead to hear what they are.
Our waitress greeted us and asked if we were drinking. I had an Old Style draft. They offer Corona and Heineken in bottles and other beers in cans.
The bar, which runs the length of the restaurant, was filled with regulars who swapped stories and kept the bartender entertained and busy. We each chose the sampler fish platter, which arrived with all the fish piled on top of the French fries. It was served on a paper plate and included a plastic fork and a small container of finely shredded coleslaw with a lemon slice on top for the fish. Ketchup, malt vinegar, and hot sauce were on the table.
Other diners came in for the fish. There was an older lady who dined by herself, a large group who sat at one of the banquet tables, and families with young children ready to “chow down.”
We noticed the other entrance at the side of the restaurant, which I referred to earlier, was very busy and were informed by our waitress that the area was for ordering and picking up take-out dinners. They do not take phone orders, so customers climb the stairs, enter through the side door, order, and wait for their food to take home. And boy, were they busy! Our server came by several times to make sure everything was satisfactory.
If we go back again, I will stick with the perch, and Roland favors the scallops. And of course, the Old Style draft! The only thing missing was the jukebox that I remember at the bars up in Wisconsin. They have been replaced by flat screen TVs. Too bad. The music was much more enjoyable than what is on the TV these days.
