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ROCKDALE – Syl’s Restaurant & Lounge in Rockdale has a long history in the Joliet area.
Its website says it was founded in 1946 as a small family business that grew into a full-service steakhouse. In addition to its prime rib and steak, Syl's, dubbed as a "hidden gem," is mostly known for its seafood, chicken, cold water lobster, jumbo pork chops, pasta, burgers and double-baked potatoes.
With more than 45 years of restaurant industry experience, the current owners “pride themselves on the quality of their food and service” and “are passionate about food,” the website also states.
A recent visit to the restaurant by myself and a friend proved those words. At another’s suggestion, we made reservations. We were glad we did. We arrived early, but as we dined, the restaurant filled up.
Soft. Muted. Elegant. These were my first impressions. The atmosphere was mellow and serene – from the cloth tablecloths to the lighted mantle displays – the perfect setting for a slow, relaxed dining experience.
Our host greeted us with respect and led us to a table. We immediately received a pitcher of ice water for our table and a wonderfully friendly server named Franny took our beverage order – a soft drink for my friend and coffee for me.
Franny gave us plenty of time to peruse the menu. We split two appetizers: a large grilled portobello mushroom topped with tomato sauce and a bowl of French onion soup. The mushroom was meaty and the tomato sauce was rich and garlicky.
The French onion soup was everything an onion soup should be. The onions were tender but not soft; the rich beef broth was perfectly seasoned (not too salty) and had a hint of sweetness from the caramelized onions.
Both varieties of bread in the napkin-lined basket appeared to be homemade: fresh, warm, and served with butter and sour cream on the side. The honey wheat had a melt-in-your-mouth soft texture; the French bread was soft on the inside and crusty on the outside.
Since Syl’s is a steakhouse, I ordered a medium rare petite steak, but my friend insisted the best way to judge the quality of any restaurant is by its burger. Franny verified the burgers are hand ground, so my friend ordered the burger medium rare.
Both entrees arrived precisely as we ordered them. The burger was served on a French roll. My friend proclaimed the burger as the best he’d had in the Joliet area and one of the best ever: tender, juicy, well-seasoned. The fries were crispy and golden on the outside and hot and fluffy on the inside. The coleslaw had the perfect meld of sweet, salty and acidic. It left my friend wanting more.
My salad was a standard dinner salad, but the greens had a fresh crunch to them. Grilled mushrooms and an onion ring accompanied my steak, which was a perfect medium rare, exactly as I like it. The potato was dry and fluffy. The onion ring was crispy and golden on the outside, tender on the inside with, again, the correct amount of seasoning. The mushrooms were grilled with minced garlic to a rich brown.
For dessert (as if we had room for dessert, but who could pass it up?), we “split” a chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream, chocolate chunks and chocolate ganache (melted chocolate with heavy cream folded into it). “Split” actually meant two generous portions on two separate plates!
Syl’s does offer specials, and its menus – regular dinner, luncheon, dinner banquet, hors d’oeuvre banquet and catering – are posted on its website.
One final comment about the excellent service, since that enhanced the entire experience. Franny knew exactly how to pace each course. She provided plenty of time to enjoy our food, and we never felt rushed. All in all, my friend and I spent about two hours at Syl’s. Each minute was definitely worth it.
• The Mystery Diner is a newsroom employee at The (Joliet) Herald-News. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. The Mystery Diner visits a different restaurant and then reports on the experience. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a review.
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IF YOU GO
WHAT: Syl’s Restaurant & Lounge
HOURS: 5 to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 4 to 8 p.m. Sunday. Hours may vary. Open during the day for private functions
WHERE: 829 Moen Ave., Rockdale
KNOW MORE: Visit www.syls.com or call 224-366-9281