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.
The World Cup is in full swing, and the entire planet is excited about “Futbol”, except for the U.S. We call it soccer and consider whatever “da Bears” do to be football. So what better way is there to join in the celebration since Mexico is in the World Cup, but with a dinner at Sammy’s Mexican Grill in Elgin.
The restaurant is in a strip mall and it’s much bigger on the inside than it looks from the outside. The dećor does not resemble the typical Mexican cantina, instead it looks more like a sports bar with a large bar in the center of the restaurant and big screen TVs everywhere.
Sammy’s Mexican Grill & Bar
3091 US Highway 20 #111
Elgin 60124
(847) 622-2020
www.sammysmexicangrillandbar.com
Directions: Take Rte. 47 South to Rte. 20 East to restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 17 minutes
When we were seated, the waiter brought over a basket of tortilla chips and salsa. These chips were thicker and had more of a corn flavor than the usual generic chips we are all accustomed to. The salsa was tasty, but we had to stop ourselves from eating the whole bowl and save room for an appetizer.
We decided on the El Primo Dip ($4.95) for our appetizer this evening. It was a melted cheese dip with a hint of jalapeno served with a side of chips. Dining Duo Tip: squirt some of their spicy red hot sauce (not the green tomatillo sauce) in the dip to give it that extra zing. The cheese dip was tasty, but not thick like you would expect a cheese dip to be. Be careful when eating this, unlike Nancy, whose blouse was covered with the drippage. It wasn’t a pretty sight.
On to the good stuff. Nancy tried their Chimichanga ($10.95) with ground beef. This was a deep fried burrito filled with seasoned ground beef, topped with nacho cheese and red salsa. It was served with a side of rice and beans or fries, and she chose the fries. What arrived at our table was a humongous football sized Chimichanga which was absolutely delicious. She could only eat half of her Chimichanga. The fries seemed to be fresh cut, and were a welcome change of pace for a Mexican restaurant. She used the leftover appetizer cheese to dip them in, and was in heaven…
Jim went with the El Diablo Burrito Dinner ($14.95) which was their signature spicy burrito filled with grilled thin cut rib eye, onions, melted cheese, cilantro, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, and refried pinto beans, all topped with their devil sauce and melted cheese. This was also served with either a side of rice and beans or fries, and he chose the rice and beans since it is a Mexican restaurant. The burrito was the same size as my Chimichanga and the waiter wisely suggested that the devil sauce be put on the side. After tasting it, Jim saw why. It was HOT!!! It’s called devil sauce, you moron, go figure…The highlight of his meal was the cheese that was melted on the top and browned. He preferred their red hot sauce instead of the devil sauce. The onions and marinated beef inside the burrito were awesome.
To sum it up, our “Futbol” night at Sammy’s scored a goal with the huge portions and flavors. We both took home half our meals for the next game.
FYI:This restaurant is handicap accessible.
The cost for our World Cup dinner was $38.27, GOOOOAAAALLLLL!!!
Oh, we almost forgot dessert, NOT!!! Jim spotted Country Donuts (this is our favorite donut shop) a few doors down from Sammy’s and realized he couldn’t go without any dessert. So what to do? We ran in there and picked up 2 donuts for him. He said, “a mans gotta do what a mans gotta do.”
Jim’s take: This was one of the best burritos I ever had. Just watch out for the red hot sauce, it sneaks up on you…
Nancy’s take: The biggest Chimichanga I have ever had. The meat was seasoned to perfection. I came home a cheesy mess!
Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com.
