Let me preface this review by saying how much I wanted to like this place and in some respects, I came away with some very positive thoughts but where it counted this establishment left me cold.
First impressions are everything for me. I had never heard of Next Door American Eatery and found out later that they are a small chain of restaurants which their store in Vernon Hills is the latest. The decor is minimalist to the max. The chairs at the tables are not very comfortable and the tables themselves would fit very well in a Woolworth's luncheonette but you cannot eat decor so I am very willing to overlook the plain, uninviting, uncomfortable seating provided for customers looking for some good food. The menu is not hugely extensive but most everyone should be able to find something to try. For once, my wife and I tried the same thing. It was described thusly:
Next Door 50/50 12.99
Cremini mushroom & beef patty, swiss & balsamic onions (Gluten Free Friendly Optional)
We ordered this and asked for a diet Coke or Pepsi to wash it down. The waitress smiled and toddled off to put in the order. In a moment, however, she returned and said that they were "out of diet Coke." Further questioning brought out the fact that they had no diet drinks at all. As a diabetic, I need to be careful as to what I drink. Anyway, the young lady pointed to a Strawberry Smoothie for $4.50 that might serve to slake our thirst. Smoothies have a gazillion carbs in them so both I and my wife opted for water, which was promptly brought in an iced carafe - a touch of class to be sure! In due course, the vittles arrived and the presentation was nice. The burger was on a shiny and fresh bun and the burger sat majestically inside of it. To the left of the burger was what was called "A simple salad" which consisted of a handful of every fancy green lettuce like green that can be found on earth which was soaked with some sort of house dressing. The vegetation was not cold, and honestly, I like my salads cold and the dressing was almost flavorless. To the left of that was a portion of kettle cooked potato chips, fresh, right out of the ten-pound container kept in the kitchen for such occasions. So, fully two-thirds of the plate, the pride of the kitchen, was unacceptable. But that left the burger. We have somewhat of a split decision on the burger. For me, the most flavorful part of the burger was the balsamic fried onions. The single slice of swiss cheese faded into nothingness and as for the flavor of mushrooms, well, it did not exist. The burger was, at least juicy for me. For my poor wife, she asked for her burger to be made with cheddar cheese, and they did that but it seems while they were looking for a piece of cheese for her they left the burger on the grill too long and her burger could serve as a hockey puck. Our bill came to $27 and with the tip $32, the waitress performed her function well. She was cheerful and helpful and laughed at a joke I told her. So she was worthy of a 20% tip. The food at BEST was lackluster and while the prices are average for a trendy, youthful place, $12.99 for the processed dog food we were served was too much to pay.
THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THIS REVIEW
I DO recommend Next Door American Eatery if you want to go out for an evening of relaxation and pub grubbing. No bar can make bad pug grub so you should be safe there. Also, on the way in you will see board games that you can take to your table to play with your friends, there is a large menu of craft beers if you are into that (Prices $5 - $12 per glass- not sure if that is for a pint.) Just don't go here and expect to be wowed by great food. Enjoy the beer and tap your foot to the music that plays while you play games or watch sports on the giant screen TV above the bar.
Chubby Mike's Rating of Next Door American Eatery
Chubby Mike can only rate this restaurant 2 out of 5 which makes it below average, because of the following reasons:
Chubby Mike does not frequent bars. This place styles itself as an eatery but it is obvious that their main focus is the sale of craft beer and craft cocktails.
You're out of luck you if you want a diet drink - the only one they have is water. The waitress told a little white lie when she said she was out of diet Pepsi/Coke. If you review the menu, you will not find it.
The food was sub-par in many ways. When I pay a high-end market price for a hamburger, it should be a treat for my tongue, which this offering wasn't, and room temperature salad and chips from a bag should have no place on an establishment featured burger. If you're going to have chips, here's an idea Next Door - fry them up yourself - it's cheaper in the long run and customers will appreciate the taste of freshly made chips.
