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 My Sun Day News.
Nancy is crazy for coupons. Everybody knows that if you buy something you don’t need but you have a coupon for it, you’re saving money. She has saved us so much money over the years, we should be filthy rich! Nancy found in our mailbox the weekly sales flyers and in it was an envelope which contained a coupon for a local restaurant. We did hear good things about it, so we couldn’t afford not to go. We grabbed our coupon and with dollar signs in our eyeballs, we hurried off to The Annex Restaurant and Lounge in Lake in the Hills.
The Annex Restaurant and Lounge
2104 W. Algonquin Road
Lake in the Hills 60156
(224) 333-0035
annexrestaurant.com
Directions: Take Rte. 47 North to Algonquin Road, East to restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 20 minutes
We remembered the restaurant location when it was the Blue Cow and quite frankly judging by the outside, we were not expecting all that much. When we walked in however, our jaws dropped. The décor was absolutely beautiful. It could be 1:00 in the afternoon and you could swear you were eating dinner at a nice romantic restaurant. It blew our minds.
While we were looking at the menu, the waitress brought over five slices of toasted Italian bread with olive oil on top. This is definitely out of the ordinary and addicting. When we polished them off, the waitress offered us more. We didn’t want to hurt her feelings, so we said that would be nice and polished off every crumb.
Back to our coupon. We could have a free appetizer, 50% off of our second entrée, or a free dessert. We decided on having a free appetizer which was Crispy Calamari (one-half pound) for $16. This was Rhode Island calamari with lemon herb aioli for dipping. We noticed in addition to the calamari there were pieces of onion and banana peppers also lightly breaded and fried. These little gems gave the calamari a little heat and tang from the pickled banana peppers. This was an excellent choice for an appetizer.
Jim chose their 8-Ounce Cast Iron Filet ($40). This was served with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled veggies. The steak was cooked to perfection and melted in your mouth. However, he felt it needed a little seasoning, but you can order a topping of your choice ($3 upcharge) with six toppings to choose from.
Now for Nancy’s selection: the Grilled Jumbo Shrimp ($28). She asked the waitress if she could have the shrimp deep fried and it wasn’t a problem. They do it either way, and since she had a taste for fried shrimp, that’s what she went with. This entrée came with feta baked rice and grilled veggies. Being the connoisseur that she is, she changed the Feta rice to their fresh cut fries. Her jaw dropped when the waitress placed her plate in front of her. On it were six of the largest shrimp she had ever seen. The breading was awesome and to her surprise they changed her veggie out to coleslaw. Beneath the shrimp was another surprise. There was a mound of fresh cut shoestring fries that were out of this world. Nancy gave me a French fry to try and that was a BIG mistake. The rest of the meal I was trying to steal them from her plate.
FYI: This restaurant is handicap accessible.
We honestly didn’t expect that much from the looks of the outside and the name, but boy were we wrong!!! You can spend as little or as much as you want. They have a full range of entrees from burgers, to salads, to chicken. Try them, you’ll want to go back for more.
The price for our coupon extravaganza was $81 which included the free appetizer. Getting something free, priceless…
Jim’s take: I can’t say enough. The atmosphere, food, and service were outstanding.
Nancy’s take: Ditto…
Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com
