Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.
As the Dining Duo, we are ever watchful and ever vigilant. We try to keep the good citizens of Del Webb informed of any new establishments that would further enhance their dining adventures. Honestly, we found this place by accident, and since we had a taste for a sandwich, we thought we’d give it a try. We won’t keep you in suspense any longer. The name of this eatery that just opened its doors on August 31 is Woods Creek Tavern in Lake in the Hills.
Woods Creek Tavern
251 N. Randall Road
Lake in the Hills 60156
(224)256-2063
www.woodscreektavern.com
Directions: Take Rte. 47 North to Algonquin Road East to Randall Road North to restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 19 minutes
This restaurant by no means resembles a typical tavern. The stone on the walls above the roughhewn wood is modern and attractive. They have seating that will satisfy absolutely everyone. There’s a huge bar in the center next to a large “communal” table that can seats 20. They have several high-top tables as well as the conventional ones. No matter where you look, flat screen TVs are always in view.
Now for the good stuff. When we first looked at the menu for an appetizer, we both zeroed in on the Chicago Beef Egg Roll (2) for $9.50. This was an egg roll stuffed with thin sliced beef, giardiniera, and provolone served with a horseradish sauce. Jim and I decided if they served this with fries and slaw it would make a perfect entree, it was that good!!!
Nancy spotted the BBQ Baaaaaacon (sic) Burger ($12) and decided to give it a whirl. The waitress said all their burgers were made with 80% sirloin and 20% ground beef. This particular burger was made with bacon, barbecue sauce, bacon, cheddar, bacon, onion jam, and more bacon, with pickle slices and one side dish. She chose the house-cut fries, which were awesome. I took a bite or two of her burger and it was as good as the name suggests. CAUTION: Their icebox pickle slices pack quite a spicy punch!
Jim was in a bizarre mood tonight and he actually found a sandwich to match his mood. It was the Woods Creek Philly ($11) which consisted of pastrami, roasted sweet peppers, stout-braised onions, gruyere, and provolone on a crispy hoagie roll. This also came with one side dish and he went with the sweet potato fries. It was a Philly sandwich like no other, and strangely enough, it worked.
Looking at the dessert menu, we found something that you wouldn’t expect to see being made in a typical tavern. The Taffy Apple Turnover ($8) is made completely from scratch and easily serves two people. This homemade treat takes 15 minutes to prepare, so be patient, it’s well worth the wait. You will be rewarded with a puff pastry filled with diced Granny Smith apples, served next to homemade ice cream. The whole thing was then drizzled with caramel sauce and topped with chopped salty peanuts. Do we really have to tell you how good this was???
This new gastropub is a welcome edition to the local dining scene. It’s right by the AMC Theaters, which makes it perfect for dinner and a movie. All of their offerings have those little extra touches, which separates Woods Creek Tavern from the other pubs in the area.
Dining Duo Useless Bit of Information: Woods Creek Tavern is named after the largest lake in Lake in the Hills. See, we’re not just two pretty faces in the paper…
The price for our appetizer, sandwiches, and a killer dessert was $49.03.
FYI: Handicap accessible.
Jim’s take: My sandwich proved to be a very tasty combination. The dessert was like a homemade smashed taffy apple with ice cream. Outstanding!
Nancy’s take: I think I’m in love. That egg roll was stuffed with a lot of beef and it was the tastiest appetizer EVER!!! The horseradish sauce made it perfect.
Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com.
