Smashburger

On a recent trip to Schaumburg, we stumbled upon a wonderful discovery called Smashburger.  I realize that Smashburger is old news to everyone every where else in the US, but not to people from small town Iowa.  I had actually heard of the chain before, they boast hundreds of North American locations.

 Walking in, we were greeted by a friendly manager who asked if we had ever visited a Smashburger.  We said No, so he explained the menu to us.  The food is all made fresh and their specialty is the beef burgers they smash and sear on the grill.  They have several options or you can pick and choose your toppings. First you choose the bready receptacle for your beef.  They have my personal favorite, pretzel buns.  Love them buns. Then, choose a cheesy cloak for your beef and amass an army of free toppings.  You can also add several fancy schmancy garnishments for small fees, such as fried eggs, avocado, and garlic mushrooms.
 In addition to burgers, they also serve crispy or grilled chicken, black bean burgers, and hot dogs. Yay, choices!  In my black book of restaurants, this positions them higher than Five Guys.  Sides are offered a la carte and include veggie frites, sweet potato fries, and BEHOLD.. fried pickles.  Be still my heart. 

Richie was stoked to see Green River in bottles.

We ordered and paid at the front counter then found a booth to sit in.  The manager even brought over a high chair for us, which I thought was nice because it's a fast food, serve yourself restaurant.  Try getting that service at Burger King.  About five minutes later he brought us our food.

When they say Smashburger, they mean Smashburger.  Even my chicken was smushed flat.  Smashchicken just doesn't have the same name appeal, but it looked and smelled amazing.  Richie ordered the Barbecue Bacon Cheddar and added a fried egg for good measure and poor health. 
Red ordered the hot dog kids meal but it was a might big dog that I couldn't resist tasting.

The chicken came as requested with spinach, mustard, and pickles.  Everything was fresh and the pickles were especially crunchy.  The chicken was juicy and had a good char flavor.  The bun was great and tasted like an big unsalted Super Pretzel.

Richie eloquently described the burger as very juicy and tasty. Cooked perfectly.  The toppings were harmonious and abundent.  Each bite was composed of all the flavors and textures of the sauce, bacon, egg, cheese, and onion straws. 

We shared a side of fries which were concealed by chili, chopped onions, and melted cheese.  The fries beneath remained crispy and never turned soggy from the chili. 
After our meal, I seriously considered opening a franchise in the QCA, but then I remembered that I have no money.  The nearest location is Bloomington Illinois.  So please, will someone bring Smashburger to the Quad-Cities?  Pretty please?  You won't be disappointed. 

Dixie's Little Dog House

Another stop in Treasure Island was a tiny little place called Dixie's Little Dog House.













They boast Chicago-style dogs and Italian Beef.  Obviously the place couldn't compare to the real thing, but we had to try it anyway.  The current incarnation of the Dog House has been in place since 2008.  Apparently, it has changed owners a few times over.

















We walked into the sauna of a store and were greeted by a counter, two tables, and a large ocean mural.


  I just wanted a snack, so I ordered a small Chicago-style dog with everything on it except peppers.  Richie went for the Italian beef sandwich.  We sat outside under an umbrella and waited for our food.

  It took awhile to come out even though we were the only customers.  I blame the beef.
Though I ordered a small, I wasn't expecting it to be the size of a toe.  The server did warn me when I ordered though.  At least it was loaded with flavorful toppings and bright green relish.  Pretty Chicago-ish.

  I wonder where you get buns that tiny?  I scarfed the lil chihuahua and tried to calm my growling stomach while Richie nibbled his Mastiff of a sandwich.

Richie's Italian beef was spicy and juicy, dripping down his chin and onto the table.

He wolfed it down, but said it wasn't quite what one could experience in Chicago.

 I thought it was a nice change of pace from the seafood restaurants and bars in the area.  I just wish I would have ordered a bigger dog.  One that could withstand more than 2 bites.

Portillo's

Portillo's is a chain of fast food restaurants in the Chicago area. It's birth in 1963 occurred in an $1100 trailer known as "The Dog House," a small hot dog stand in Villa Park. Over the many years, it has expanded into a a small chain of Chicago-style fast food restaurants. More history can be found in a video here. There are 31 locations in Illinois, clustered mostly in the Chicagoland area. We made a pit stop at the Schaumburg location during the lively Saturday lunch hour.

Each Portillo's has a different motif, Schaumburg's is the 1950s. The large retro mess hall also includes an ordering station for one of the owner's other concept restaurants, Barnelli's Pasta Bowl.

The place was humming with patrons, so I questioned their ability to promptly feed us. As soon as we stepped into line, a worker penciled our order on a a to-go bag. It was a lot of pressure to order so quickly, and I panicked a bit. If I had more time to pore over the menu, I would have noticed the enchanting Chocolate Cake Shake, but that's something to look forward to for next time.

At the counter, we gave our bag to the cashier and paid.
Then we hustled down the long assembly line of surprisingly cheerful workers to the food pick-up area.

Despite the massive wall of people waiting, we had our hot chow in about 5 minutes. Seating was not hard to find, as most of the restaurant is crammed full of booths and tables. No foot of floor was spared a table or chair.

Richie ordered the combo sandwich. A combo sandwich is comprised of a spicy Italian sausage gently swaddled in a juicy blanket of Italian beef. Customers can choose hot or sweet peppers; Richie chose HOT. I noted that he actually savored it, opting not to hoover it down as usual.

I ordered a charbroiled chicken breast on a croissant, with a side of cheese fries. Though my sandwich looks a bit bland, blame the lighting, it was actually the best I've had at any fast food or sit down restaurant. The chicken is very nicely seasoned and has a bit of kick to it, almost to the point of inducing nose running. The lettuce was crispy and the tomatoes were bright red and juicy. Portillo's is certainly no McDonald's.

The cheese fries were crinkle cut, to which I am partial. They provide crispy edges with a good filling of potato. The cheddar was served in a small container so I had full control over the amount of golden goodness I wanted to ooze off of each fry.

Richie also felt his sandwich was spiced well and very flavorful. The bread was a good chewy consistency and a nice bedrock for the moist beef and sausage.

The atmosphere was energetic and loud, but it was fun to people and food watch.
Next time I am within range of a suburb lucky enough to host a Portillo's, I will be visiting and finally sucking down that Chocolate Cake Shake I've been dreaming of.

Waterfront Deli

On a sunny Friday afternoon I decided to venture out to Bettendorf to visit my sister and two nephews. Downtown Bettendorf is a hotbed of dive bars frequented by biker babes, so we opted for the more kid-friendly Waterfront Deli at 1020 State Street. Don't be fooled by the name, it's not reallllly on the water front. It's close and you can kinda see water from the front, so I'll let it slide for now.



























There was a bit of a line at the counter, but it moved quickly and I felt overwhelmed trying to make a decision based off the menu board. They have special sandwiches or you can build your own. Of course, they also serve soups and salads. If you've never been there before, you might want to grab a to-go menu and peruse your choices before braving the line.









































My sister ordered a roast beef, plain, on sourdough. very exciting. I ordered one of the specials, a ham and dill. It was ham with pickles and dill cream cheese on sourdough. My nephew Noah decided on the fear monger's latest victim- the perilous hot dog. Terrorist of the food world.
They had some potato and pasta salads but, being the mayo-phobes we are, we opted for a side salad and Lay's potato chips.













I also bought a sugar cookie for Brody to gnaw on.














The sandwiches came out quickly, and honestly, they looked good, but the hot dog looked amazing. It also tasted amazing. Noah was nice enough to share, his eating technique seemed to indicate he was mostly after the ketchup anyway. Or maybe he was scared of choking?



























The skin had a nice snap to it and the bun was so soft with a nice flavor from the celery seeds.













The sourdough sandwich bread was also palatable, very soft and fresh. Roast beef and ham were both flavorful and spiced well. Pickles were nice and crisp, but I think they were Vlasic. Not that I'm complaining..a pickle is a pickle. The dill cream cheese on my sandwich was a nice creamy addition. Better than the usual plain ol' slice of Swiss.














The decor was somewhat whimsical/historical. They had photographs and art of historic buildings in the Quad-Cities. Much to the delight of Noah, they also had toy fire truck and tractors hanging from the ceiling. I heard "look firetruck!" about a dozen times.
My sister lives maybe a mile away and she kept saying how pissed she was that she had never before eaten there. The bread alone makes the trip worth it.













The Waterfront Deli has been a great lunch destination since 1981, but for how much longer? The new I-74 bridge is set to displace dozens of businesses in downtown Bettendorf including our beloved Ross'. Let's hope they find new homes.

Doggie Styles Too

You don't have to go all the way to Chicago for a delicious dog. To satisfy your craving for a wiener, check out one of Doggie Styles 3 QC locations- Silvis, Milan, or the newest in SouthPark Mall. (Now you have a reason to go to SouthPark Mall!)
Well I originally went out to Milan to find a place called the Back Door Grill and Chill and instead found out that it is now Doggie Styles Too (576 W. 1st), which was fine by me. It actually opened there last year.
It's a cute little building with drive-up and walk-up windows, plus a dining room around back.














They offer typical drive-in type food but obviously are most known for their gigantic wieners and gyros.














Richie had to try a huge ween known as the HomeWrecker. It's a half pound foot long hot dog with cheese and onions and whatever else you want to pile on top.














He had no problem eating it, but apparently he had some issues digesting it because he is currently complaining about stomach cramps.













I'm not a fan of wieners, but I tried a bite of the dog and it was actually really tasty. All beef and seasoned really well.
I had to try the ice cream because that is my role as the sweets expert.

















So I ordered a Twinkie Sundae. They take two twinkies, split them open like a bun and put three dollops of ice cream on top. You can get hard packed or soft serve and you can choose sundae toppings. As you can see, I went for a naked sundae.













The ice cream was sweeter and more chocolately than DQs, so I enjoyed that. The Twinkies got soggy quickly as the ice cream melted into them, but that just made them so much more delicious and filling! major yums
Doggie Styles also serves a $5 all you can eat breakfast with eggs, biscuits and gravy, the whole works, so I need to go back and try it in the a.m. If you're looking for a mean wiener or sweet treat, give Doggie Styles a chance. Check out their hours and a short QC Times article HERE

Lou's

Richie recently stopped at Lou's Drive-In on his last trip to Peoria (4229 N Knoxville). We had been there last summer and I vaguely remember eating a chicken sandwich so I will defer to him for a review.


Lou's Drive-In opened in 1953 as a hot dog and root beer stand. Today it's menu includes a little bit of everything from tamales to tenderloins to Boca burgers. The best thing on the menu is the homemade root beer. They seem to have a two step process which remains a mystery to me as it involved two cups and two liquids that somehow came together to form the best root beer in the Midwest. I also enjoyed a strawberry malt.















The cool thing about Lou's is the outside seating and car hops that will take your order and bring your food to your car if you leave your lights on. And the food isn't tasteless like that multicolored craphole they call Sonic's. It's not open year round, so check it out when the weather's warm