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.
Nancy has been having an intense craving for a good burger. Believe it or not, she heard that Applebee’s has added some very creative burgers to their menu. She suggested to me that we give it a try. I, being the restaurant snob that I am, reluctantly agreed. Years ago, Applebee’s was in every neighborhood. Now not so much. As luck would have it, there is one on Randall Road in Elgin. We decided to give it a try and headed out with visions of hamburgers dancing in Nancy’s blonde head.
Applebee’s
125 S. Randall Road
Elgin 60123
(847)697-4897
www.applebees.com
Directions: Take Rte. 47 South to I-90 East to Randall Road, South to restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 20 minutes
The inside resembles most neighborhood bar and grills with an assortment of low and high-top tables and booths wrapping around the outside windows. While waiting for our table, we noticed advertisements with various specials available depending on the time of day, day of the week, if there is a full moon, etc., etc., etc…
After much discussion, we decided on their Two for $25 Special. With this you get to pick from one of five appetizers, or two salads, eight entrees, and if you want to go crazy, you can add six upgrades with varying prices. Jim must have been in a good mood since he decided to go along with me and have a salad. He chose the Caesar and I went with their traditional salad. Both salads turned out to be better than we expected. They were quite large with croutons, and cheese on top. They were very tasty.
So much for the healthy part of our meal, let the games begin…Jim’s eyes bugged out when he noticed the O-M-Cheese Burger. This 1,680-calorie monster burger was served in a sizzling skillet of molten queso and a blend of cheddar cheeses, topped with American cheese, applewood smoked bacon, and spicy honey mustard. He stayed with the fries that were included instead of upgrading his side. He was shocked when the waitress placed the sizzling skillet in front of him with a burger swimming in cheese. It was absolutely delicious, charred on the outside and the spicy honey mustard gave it a sweet heat.
Since Nancy was watching her youthful figure, she went with the lower calorie Whiskey Bacon Burger for a $3 upgrade. It was only 1,590 calories. This turned out to be a charred burger topped with two slices of pepper jack cheese, crispy onions, and two strips of applewood smoked bacon. What clinched Nancy’s decision was the burger was topped with Fireball whiskey infused steak sauce. This just happens to be Nancy’s whiskey of choice. It came with lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickles on a brioche bun. It was spicy from the pepper jack cheese, slightly sweet from the Fireball whiskey, and her burger craving was definitely satisfied. She took half her burger home in a doggie bag. She also went with the fries that came with her entrée.
FYI: This restaurant is handicap accessible.
To sum up our burger lunch, we were pleasantly surprised. The burgers were excellent and creative. We are going back to try some of the other creative burgers.
The cost of our “cheesy” afternoon was $34.72. Say, “cheese…”
Jim’s take: Me dipping a fat cheeseburger in more cheese is a dream come true.
Nancy’s take: Fireball whiskey on a burger is MY dream come true.
Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com.
