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.
While we were scouring the countryside in search of new and exciting eateries, one restaurant in particular piqued our interest. In researching this restaurant we became very confused. Its address is listed as St. Charles. It’s located across the street from Niko’s Tavern and Mel’s Diner in Campton Hills, which we recently reviewed. The website address says Wasco, but the name of the restaurant is Old Towne. So, where is it??? We’ll tell you how to get there, but the world may never know its exact location. We are referring to The Old Towne Pub & Eatery in Wasco.
Old Towne Pub & Eatery Wasco
40W290 Lafox Road
St. Charles 60175
(630) 513-4240
www.otpwasco.com
Directions: Take Rte. 47 South to Burlington Road (roundabout), East to restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 25 minutes
The parking lot for this establishment is also confusing. There is parking in the front, could that be in Campton Hills? Then there is parking behind the restaurant. Is this the Wasco side? We’ll never know for sure. We couldn’t figure out how to get to the front parking lot, so we drove around to the back where we were confronted with three doors, but sadly, no Monty Hall. Door #1 said “Maintenance,” Door #2 said “Deliveries,” and Door #3 said “40W290.” We decided to go with Door #3. We opened the door and walked in through a hallway past the restrooms, the kitchen, and ended up in the bar. We picked the right door for the grand prize!!!
Since it was one of the last remaining days of summer, we decided to sit outdoors on their covered patio. On our way to our table, we stopped at the popcorn machine and scooped up a basket of popcorn to stave off our hunger while looking at the menu. After all, we did go through three towns, two parking lots, and three doors to get here.
As an appetizer we decided on the Cheesy Beef Flatbread ($9). This was Italian beef, hot peppers, and marinara sauce topped with mozzarella cheese. This appetizer exceeded our expectations. They were very generous with the toppings and the cheese on top was broiled to a golden brown. Be careful, the hot peppers were an “8” on Jim’s “sweathead meter.”
Nancy ordered the Fried Chicken ($11) since she was in the mood for nice crispy chicken. It came with fries (which she asked for extra crispy), and coleslaw. She was disappointed to learn she could not have her choice of white or dark meat. The meal came with a breast, thigh, wing, and drumstick. The coating was crispy but the chicken skin was, in our opinion, flubbery. She ate the white meat, and I took the dark meat home for lunch the next day.
Jim ordered the Whiteford’s Barbecue Ribs (1/2 slab) for $15. This came with steamed mixed veggies and seasoned potatoes. Jim won today! The ribs were fall off the bone tender and not too saucy. He’s not a potato lover, but the seasoned potatoes were a treat. These tiny meatball-sized red skinned potatoes were so good, he took half of them home to go with my chicken for lunch the next day.
We were enjoying our meals in the fresh air while the birds were singing and the sun was shining. This tranquil scene ended when the Wasco Little League Team walked in. They must have won today, considering their volume and enthusiasm. I really think they considered our table first base and the game was still going on. OMG!!! We couldn’t even here ourselves talking. Why us???
Dessert was a big thrill for us today. They had French Silk Pie ($4) on the menu which brought back memories of “Poppin’ Fresh Pies” aka Baker’s Square. It was a tasty treat.
FYI: This restaurant is handicap accessible.
We really enjoyed the outdoor seating, for a while at least… The flatbread was the star of the day and their salads looked really good as they passed our table.
The cost for our late summer alfresco dining was $46.75, apologies from the baseball coach, priceless.
Jim’s take: The potatoes were seasoned and crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. I could have made a meal out of the flatbread appetizer.
Nancy’s take: I’ll always have the memory of French Silk Pie. Hopefully I’ll forget about the Wasco Little League Team, those “Little Wascos.”
Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com.
