Al's Charhouse: Reliable But Unremarkable (Chicago Restaurant Review 30)

On yet another recent visit to the suburbs, we went to a restaurant that we knew would have consistently good red meat. Al's Charhouse is one of those restaurants only western suburbanites would know about, but that is worth a visit if you're somewhat nearby. The decor is definitely not the strong point, unless you like cacti and cowboys (and if you do, that's okay, we won't tell anyone). But the food is actually pretty good.

We started with a glass of Mondavi Pinot Noir for Lisa, which she thought was light, fruity, and not too sweet. Steve had a Cabernet Shiraz blend which he didn't particularly care for, as it didn't have much flavor. We shared a mixed green salad. We didn't expect much since it was billed as a typical mixed green dinner salad, but we were pleasantly surprised. The ingredients were extremely fresh, with crispy lettuce and creamy garlic dressing, which we both liked. Steve also really liked the bread, which was a warm, dark bread. As usual, he had to eat it all, because Lisa will never help him, but this time he didn't feel sick from it.

Lisa really enjoyed her prime rib. It was a cooked a perfect medium rare, had a lot of flavor, and just the right texture. Steve tasted it and also thought it was very good, just a notch below the top prime rib places. Steve was not as thrilled with his porterhouse, largely because, except right by the bone, it was more like medium well than medium rare. However, the meat itself was good and the part by the bone, that was close to medium rare, was excellent. For a side, Lisa had whipped bacon and cheddar potatoes. She planned to only eat a few bites, but just kept eating, sort of like chowing down on a bag of Doritos. You know it's not good for you, and after a while the taste is kind of gross, but you just can't stop. Steve's side was a weird-looking dark rice, which tasted better than he would have expected given its coloring. It was late, so we passed on dessert (believe it or not). We've been to Al's Charhouse a few times, and so far, think the prime rib is the best choice.

Al's bathrooms were a low 2, they were clean, but nothing fancy, and the Men's Room was sort of tawdry, with a semi-pornographic picture of a full figured cowgirl.

Dinner for two with wine by the glass was $90, which we both thought was a good value. The portions are very large, which is also part of why we skipped dessert.

Our ratings for Al's Charhouse, 32 S. LaGrange Road, Illinois:

6.5 of 10 Steak Knives; 2 of 3 Bathroom Brushes