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I’ve driven past Triangle Restaurant in Grayslake at least once a day every single day. I’ve wondered what kind of restaurant it might be each time.
Earlier this week, I learned I wasn’t alone when a co-worker echoed the same sentiments. That was enough to convince us – we decided to go there for lunch.
Walking into Triangle Restaurant, you realize it’s the type of place that every good community needs at least one of. The dining areas were busy but not frantic, seemingly comprised of a good mix of regulars and those who just stopped by for a good, affordable lunch (or late breakfast).
Our server greeted us cheerily within moments of taking our seats. She put us at ease and made us feel even better about our decision to give Triangle a try.
The menu is expansive, as you would likely expect from this type of family restaurant-diner hybrid. A handful of the day’s specials were featured on a menu insert, and we took a few good minutes taking it all in.
My dining companion ordered one of the day’s specials, chopped steak with onions and mushrooms. Instead of the choice of potato/rice, the server happily substituted some fresh fruit. I ordered the reuben, a standby favorite in a place that I’ve never been to before. I took mine with French fries. Both meals came with soup. My companion chose the navy bean soup; I added chili – with cheese and onions, of course – for an upcharge.
We both agreed the soups were delicious, which made sense when our server informed us that the owner – sitting at a table just a couple away from us – makes each soup fresh in the morning. The flavors of the chili made it obvious that it had been freshly prepared from fresh ingredients. There are some foods you simply know this from – for me at least, chili is one of those foods.
The chopped steak was good exactly as ordered – medium rare. The fresh onions and mushrooms were a good complement to the steak. While the green beans that came with the steak didn’t knock any socks off, the fresh fruit included a good variety – much more than just two slices of melon and a few grapes.
I was pleased with my reuben, as well. It was served on toasted dark rye, with good proportions of corned beef, sauerkraut and Thousand Island dressing. The corned beef seemed to be cut from a freshly prepared corned beef brisket, which I liked. This type of corned beef generally comes in thicker slices than cold cut-style corned beef, so it is something to consider for those who prefer it sliced thinner. I like it cut thicker such as this though, as I think it delivers more flavor that way. I also was glad to see a side of the dressing included – saved me from having to ask specifically for it, as I usually do at other restaurants.
The food was good and affordable, and the service was top-notch. We appreciated that our server eagerly stopped by our table to make sure we were satisfied throughout our meal. She made us feel very welcome and seemed genuinely excited to introduce the restaurant to us when she learned it was our first time there.
She also pointed out something I found interesting in a very good way. The former owner of the restaurant – from whom the current owner purchased it – was sitting at the other table with the current owner and homemade soup specialist. It’s definitely good to see that the Triangle Restaurant still counts its former owner as a regular customer – to me that says they’ve stayed true to what works and what the original owner founded his idea on.
I pretty much felt like a friendly regular on our first visit to Triangle Restaurant – I can only imagine how I'll feel on subsequent visits.
• Mystery Diner is a newsroom employee of the Lake County Journal. To recommend your favorite restaurant for a Mystery Diner visit, email lcjedit@lakecountyjournal.com.
Triangle Restaurant
34265 N. Route 83, in Grayslake
847-223-2909
Prices: $7-$12 (lunch)
Hours: 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday