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JOLIET – Kids love mac and cheese, we know that.
The boxed kind, made by a large food conglomerate.
Just because we get older, doesn’t mean we have to give it up.
We just wanted it to be more elaborate, taste a little better and have it be made with better ingredients.
So, while there are a ton of more expected restaurant items on the menu at Joliet’s Metro Grill & Bar, I went all in on the smoked bacon and Gouda mac and cheese.
For explanation purposes, I didn’t go chronologically here.
But that’s just because the mac and cheese was so unexpected, under the menu label of “comfort food” along with meatloaf and corn cakes, turkey and stuffing and fish and chips.
But I actually started with the house-made monster meatball appetizer, which is a half-pound meatball with meat sauce, Parmesan and Parmesan bread triangles.
It was outstanding, but I chuckled about it being listed under “small bites” in the menu because it’s absolutely not that. Everything from pulled pork sliders to wings to fried pickles, mozzarella wontons and smoked Gouda and bacon spinach dip are on that part of the menu.
The meatball was everything that was advertised, huge and delicious. But it also put a big dent in my future food intake, meaning at least half of the huge plate of mac and cheese was going home with me. But that’s not a bad thing.
It allowed me to take my time as I wandered through a beer flight that included Kentucky Bourbon Ale, Boulder Shake Chocolate Porter, Lagunitas’ A Little Sumptin Sumptin Ale and Schlafly’s Christmas Ale.
The chocolate porter was a sweet place to start and the Kentucky Bourbon Ale gave the flight a strong finish.
As for the mac and cheese, it was better than expected.
The huge plate was overwhelming at first sight, but as I dug in I remembered why I had made the choice.
I like pasta, I remember mac and cheese fondly and this dish was enough to bring both back to life with adult sensibilities. It had content.
And it had staying power, because the next day it was pretty darn good too.
As I was packing up and ready to go, the guy next to me asked the bartender if she had ever seen someone finish the mac and cheese, because he always brought home half, too.
She had, but it was rare.
I could have gone after the expansive list of paninis, from French dip to pulled pork to ham and cheese, or burgers, pasta, chicken or steak.
I could have chosen ribs, wraps or salad.
But I went all in on the kids meal that doesn’t taste like a kids meal.
And I’m not afraid to admit it (though I’m anonymous here) or do it again.
• The Mystery Diner is a newsroom employee at The Herald-News. The diner’s identity is not revealed to restaurant staff before or during the meal. The Mystery Diner visits a 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: Metro Grill & Bar
WHEN: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday
WHERE: 2019 Essington Road, Joliet
ETC: Offers delivery service
INFO: Call 815-577-8191 or visit metrojoliet.com