by Laura Weisskopf Bleill
On Saturday night, all the stars lined up in the direction that we decided to head out to dinner as a family — Daddy didn’t have to work; Mommy didn’t want to cook; and the kids were itching to get a change of scenery.
Only problem: it was graduation weekend at the University of Illinois and Parkland College, not to mention prom weekend for several local high schools. That meant crowds and waits, neither of which our children enjoy.
So we decided to hit the road and try something new. We ended up pointing the van toward J.T. Walker’s Restaurant and Sports Bar on Main Street in Mahomet.
We knew we were in the right place when we walked in, because there was a family with a young child already eating when we walked in. And, I even ran into chambanamoms.com partner Christopher Rory and his lovely wife Christina.
J.T. Walker’s is located in a beautiful old building on Main Street with exposed brick, a huge ceiling and lovely woodwork. The owners decorated it tastefully and avoided some of the garish decor usually associated with a sports bar. The first floor is the “restaurant” and the second floor is the bar, nicknamed the Dog Pound (the Mahomet-Seymour High School mascot is a bulldog). The main difference is that the Dog Pound has more TVs and a couple of lounge areas.
We were invited to eat upstairs or down. The upstairs is not handicap accessible, nor is it really easy for small children to walk up (or down) the very steep staircase. We were at home in the cozy downstairs area.
J.T. Walker’s knows its audience; it even has a special drink menu for children (we went with the traditional milk for ours). The children’s food menu has all the usual favorites, including chicken fingers, spaghetti, a gooey three-cheese grilled cheese and hamburgers (all $4-5). One of the nice things about the children’s menu is that you have your choice of french fries or fruit with most of the entrees.
For the kids we ordered the chicken fingers and grilled cheese; the baby got fruit with her grilled cheese and the big kid got fries with her chicken fingers. Our girls devoured the sides first. The fries were a big hit, as was the fruit cup – a big, overflowing bowl of fresh fruit including grapes, strawberries, cantaloupe and more. The portions were large enough that they could have split their entrees.
The grown-ups weren’t ignored. My husband enjoyed his burger (ketchup only, please) and I had a very large cobb salad. I wasn’t thrilled with the overly thick balsamic dressing, and the chicken in the cobb was a little on the dry side.
Being a bar, we didn’t forget to get some adult beverages. The beer menu is impressive; my husband ordered a beer, Land Shark, that we had discovered during our trip to Florida this winter. I ordered a reasonably priced glass of Pinot Noir. Although we didn’t think our kids could sit any longer to get dessert, we might have to go back to try the Reese’s Peanut Buttter Cup cheesecake.
Overall, our adventure was a success. The service was good, the people were pleasant and the surroundings were comfortable. J.T. Walker’s is a nice neighborhood place that does a good job of being a destination that’s attractive to both kids and adults.
What are your favorite restaurants outside of C-U?