Millrose Restaurant: Coffee Shop in a Barn (Chicago-Area Restaurant Review 1)

We really wanted to like Millrose Restaurant, which has a great theme, especially because it's our first review. But, consistent with our philosophy of pulling no punches, we just didn't like it. The restaurant is in 125-year-old converted barns and billed itself as a good steakhouse. What we found was quite different.

Millrose looked like a coffee shop, with food to match. The brown vinyl booths and banquet hall chairs didn't fit with the high ceilings and what could have been a rustic atmosphere. The food, our priority, was mediocre at best. Our shrimp cocktail tasted fishy and we actually left one on the plate, which never happens. Steve thought his wedge salad was unremarkable, and Lisa found the tomato and mozzarella tasted bland, and not particularly fresh. Even though the restaurant was advertised as specializing in steak, we didn't finish either the filet or the bone-in ribeye. Both were cooked appropriately medium rare, as we'd ordered, but lacked any real flavor. We finished with a dessert sampler, mini-portions of all seven items on the menu. Only two of the seven, the berry cheesecake and kahlua lava cake lived up to our standards, and even they were only slightly better than average. The other desserts ranged from acceptable (creme brulee) to vile (some sort of cupcake with peanut butter topping) in our opinion. This is a particulary sad rating, since we are both dessert people, and Lisa tends to love all dark chocolate.

The service was friendly, though we felt a little rushed. If the prices had been in the coffee shop range, this would have been an okay dinner, but the prices were comparable to downtown Chicago (about $38 for the full cut filet or the ribeye). In fairness, many other entrees were less expensive. Our dinner for two, with wine by the glass and tip, cost approximately $175.

Because a restaurant's bathrooms can significantly impact a diner's experience, and most guidebooks don't rate bathrooms, we decided to include them as part of our reviews. The Women's Room's attractive decor included plants under the counter and attractive tile, but several paper towels strewn about the floor, plus a lack of lids on the stall disposal containers, gave it a less than clean appearance. The Men's Room also had numerous towels on the floor and was basically in keeping with the coffee shop atmosphere.

Since we are primarily steak eaters who enjoy seafood and tolerate a very (very) occasional vegetable, our rating system is 0 to 10 steak knives, with 10 being a perfect score. Bathrooms are rated on a 0 to 3 bathroom brush scale, with 3 being the cleanest and most attractive.

All in all, Millrose Restaurant was a disappointing experience. A good concept badly carried out. Better luck next time.

Our rating for Millrose Restaurant, 45 Barrington Road, South Barrington, IL 60010:

3 (of 10) Steak Knives; 1.5 (of 3) Bathroom Brushes