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 ever-vigilant Dining Duo is always on the lookout to find new restaurants for the loyal citizens of Huntley to try. Hopefully, there will be more and more new restaurants opening up to take the place of the casualties due to COVID. One such restaurant in the location previously held by Houlihan’s caught our eye while driving down Randall Road one day. We put it on our restaurant review “hit list,” and today we decided to “pull the trigger” and “shoot” for the Tap House Grill in Algonquin. SPOILER ALERT: The reason for our title will become clear at the end of our article.
Tap House Grill
1508 Randall Road
Algonquin 60102
(847) 429-2790
www.taphousegrills.com
Directions: Take Rte. 47 North to Algonquin Road East to restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 21 minutes
The restaurant has been completely renovated inside and out with a new modern décor. There are two levels in this restaurant, but no worries, it is handicap accessible. The venue is very spacious with a large bar, booths, high top tables, and regular tables to suit your mood.
We were seated and a waitress came over to take our drink order. A few moments later, another waitress came over to take our drink order. We felt special that they were fighting over us.
Since January is a bitter cold month and Nancy has been short on her hot flashes lately, she decided a cup of hot soup would hit the spot. We both decided to try their appropriately named Frozen Tundra Beer Cheese Soup ($3.49). This was Wisconsin cheddar and Monterey jack cheeses blended with Frozen Tundra IPA. It was served with a buttery crostini. To our disappointment, the soup was barely warm and it could have used more cheese to make it thicker and tastier.
While perusing the menu, I looked up and saw Jim’s eyes rolling back in his head, drooling like a St. Bernard, and pointing to the menu. I assumed he found something. He was looking at the 1# BLT. His enthusiasm was quickly squashed when I told him it was a 1# sandwich, not a pound of bacon. He’s such a pig!!! Reading the menu through his tears, he decided on the 3 Little Pigs Flatbread ($12.99). This was bacon, Italian sausage, and prosciutto topped with parmesan and mozzarella, garlic oil, chili flakes, and oregano. He was a pig. I have never seen so much meat on a flatbread and he loved it. He actually took two slices home in a doggie bag.
Nancy decided on the BBQ Pork Sandwich ($13.29). This was pulled pork, tossed in a homemade barbecue sauce, topped with cheddar cheese, crispy onion strings, and slaw all served on a pretzel bun. This entrée came with your choice of fries, tater tots, or a baby house salad and homemade pickles. She chose the fries which were a disappointment, and the pickles were AWOL. The sandwich was delicious, and nothing came home with her today.
Jim went into a trance again when he noticed the 10 Fresh Sticky Chocolate-Caramel Donuts ($7.99) for dessert. These are cooked to order, tossed in their house made Guinness caramel sauce with chocolate drizzle. Again, the caramel sauce went AWOL with the pickles. Here is the tie-in to our title. Biting into these hot gems, we were treated to a mouthful of cooking oil that saturated the donut. Jim, being the moron that he is, had to try another donut from the opposite end of the plate in hopes that it would be better, but lo and behold, it was also an oil slick.
Nancy only ate one bite of her donut and left it on her plate. I ate one donut and took a bite out of another and left it on my plate. We told the waitress to let the cook know the oil wasn’t hot enough and the donuts were soaked with oil through and through and we couldn’t eat them. She looked at the platter of the remaining 7 donuts that we didn’t eat and said she would mention it to the cook. She was clueless on offering us any reimbursement.
The price for checking a new restaurant off our review list $44.47, striking oil, priceless…
Jim’s take: My flatbread was tasty but it was a salt bomb.
Nancy’s take: Wish I had those homemade pickles…
Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at: thediningduo@gmail.com
