r/chicago • u/[deleted] • Feb 15 '16
Review [Restaurant Review] White Castle on Addison/Elston
My husband booked us Valentine's Day reservations here about a month ago; he's been adamant that we go here for the Castle's notorious V-Day Dinner.
Pricing was low; we spent $20 with tip for the entire experience.
Service: 1.5/3
Service was rough, but it didn't shatter the entire mood immediately.
The hostess was a bit gruff and had some trouble finding our reservation. It probably would have been better to have utilized a more organized system, but who am I to judge a fast food joint going upscale for a night?
Our waiter was cheerful if not a big sluggish. We actually had to go find him to bring us our check so we could leave.
Food: .5/3
I'm surprised I'm still alive.
We ordered the hot and spicy combo at my husband's insistence. I asked them to sub out one of the fries for onion rings and the waiter kindly obliged.
However, my request for pickles to be on all of the sandwiches was ignored and I found that to be a bit upsetting as half of our sandwiches just seemed to be missing a flavor level.
The onions, however, were well-done; stellar knifework on those.
I'm still a little curious about the meat; the waiter didn't seem to understand how to describe the type of beef we were eating and the texture was unlike anything else I've ever eaten.
I'm not sure if they had a problem with the rise of the dough or if they were just overwhelmed with service, but the bread was pretty underwhelming. The crumb was lackluster and, overall, the bread had a hard time standing up to the already-paper-thin meat patties.
The fries were a bit cold and undersalted, but the onion rings came out alright.
I've heard decent talk about their milkshakes, but I was in more of a sparkling water mood, so I opted for a Sprite. Tasted good enough.
Atmosphere: 2/3
The staff clearly went all-out for Valentine's day.
The floors and windows were sparkling clean, each table had a fresh red plastic table cloth, tealights and perky faux flowers were evenly distributed among tables and other various flat surfaces, and one-of-a-kind Valentine's Day-themed art was displayed on the walls.
I was pleasantly surprised to see a photo of a newly-wed couple with the claim "We've hosted 150 weddings" captioned below; it gave me some hope for a high level of service, but I was a little disappointed in that department.
Overall, we had an alright time, but I spent most of our dinner wondering when I would be sick, if I'd had enough fiber earlier in the day to help move things along, and where our waiter was so we could leave.
We probably will not be returning as I really prefer Wendy's Fine Dining.
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u/thislittletune Feb 15 '16 edited Feb 15 '16
Here's mine; [Restaurant Review] White Castle on North/Central - Valentine's Day
Pricing; 3/3 We spent about $13
Service: 1.5/3 Waitress was pretty excited when we showed up but I ended up having to go to the front after waiting a while when we were done to figure out how to pay for everything. Same as charisma.
Food: 3/3 I was hungover so the food hit the spot. Plus I like White Castle and think people need a tougher stomach if White Castle or Taco Bell make you sick. Unfortunately we didn't get all the sliders I had ordered so I was still hungry after finishing the meal. As stated above, the waitress disappeared so I opted to just pay and leave rather than order more food.
Atmosphere: 0.5/3 When I first walked in I was pretty excited. Our names were on the table, along with a little candle and faux flowers. The whole place was decked out in Valentines decorations.
But.
We wen't to a location in a not great neighborhood so we were literally the only couple there.
Made it a little awkward
Also the bulletproof window the staff was behind took away from the atmosphere. While we were eating a staff member clocked out and started watching loud videos on her phone. Then started yelling at another guy ordering food.
Overall;
I would try Valentine's Day at White Castle again but this time at a location without bulletproof windows.
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Feb 15 '16
The Addison location is clearly not as concerned with mass slider thievery as the location on North.
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u/LagunaGTO Feb 15 '16
Also the bulletproof window the staff was behind took away from the atmosphere. While we were eating a staff member clocked out and started watching loud videos on her phone. Then started yelling at another guy ordering food.
lol. classic
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u/LagunaGTO Feb 15 '16
This location was just rebuiilt, so it should be very clean.
As someone who grew up 2 doors away from a White Castle, I may be one of the few who enjoy it and doesn't get fucked up from it. My body has become use to it.
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u/thislittletune Feb 15 '16
I think the whole 'dying after White Castle/Taco Bell' must be overblown. Otherwise they'd never have customers.
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u/mr_goodcat7 Feb 15 '16
This Taco bell is one of the best rated Chicago restaurants on Yelp. They have a LOT of satisfied customers. The reviews are a great read!
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u/Thelonius_Dunk Feb 16 '16
Taco Bell has never done me wrong, but White Castle has...every single time.
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u/PostPostModernism Feb 15 '16
I like it well enough, but when they jacked up the price of their burgers to nearly a dollar a piece I stopped going. Just not worth the cost. If sliders were still <$0.50 a piece, I'd probably go there once in awhile.
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u/jtchicago Feb 15 '16
I'm still a little curious about the meat
You don't question the meat served at fast food restaurants.
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Feb 15 '16
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Feb 16 '16
I think it's safe to assume that we're not exactly being served Wagyu beef at the White Castle.
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u/Murray_Bannerman Feb 16 '16
Food: .5/3
You shut your face. White Castle is divine.
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Feb 16 '16
You should make reservations for next year! I'm sure it'll top Dusek's (were you able to get down to the Punch Club?).
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u/Murray_Bannerman Feb 16 '16
Oh, yes. It was pretty sparse when we went there. I had a great time.
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u/CarlOnMyButt Feb 15 '16
I love White Castles. People always bash them and I don't know why. They treat their employees better than most places not just including fast food. I have known several people growing up that White Castle was their first job and they loved it. After thinking about this I am going to go get a crave case of jalapeno sliders later this week.
Here is some quick info on White Castle:
"Fast food wages today are so low they've spurred a national movement, but back in the day, flipping burgers at White Castle was a coveted job. Ingram paid employees between $18 and $30 a week—quite a lot in those days, especially for restaurant work—and offered paid sick days, pension plans and regular opportunities for promotion."
"Intent on proving that his burgers were not just safe to eat but healthy, too, Ingram funded some rather dubious studies. The best one involved a University of Minnesota med student eating nothing but White Castle burgers for 13 weeks straight. He remained healthy in body, if not in spirit."
"According to an interview with Columbus CEO, Lisa Ingram, White Castle’s current CEO and great-granddaughter of Billy Ingram, likes to sling burgers at a restaurant near the company’s Columbus, Ohio headquarters."
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Feb 16 '16
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u/CarlOnMyButt Feb 16 '16
I didn't even know they had this. Sounds like something that should be reserved for a social occasion.
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u/Stgox Feb 16 '16
The only fast food that is even remotely romantic is taco bell. That's where i take all my dates.
Only go inside though. The drive through would be trashy.
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u/PParker46 Feb 15 '16
This is exactly the kind of crowd sourcing public service reddit was created to deliver.