This is the first in a series of reviews of restaurants associated with airports. Speak to a private pilot and you may hear the term $100 Hamburger. This refers to flying somewhere for a quick bite at the local airport diner. The food isn't really $100, but the phrase comes from aviation lingo for flying to a nearby airport, within 1-2 hours flight time just to eat and then fly home. It was coined back when a 2-4 hour round-trip excursion used to actually cost only $100. Now, with rental and fuel, you could possibly call it the $500 hamburger, depending on where you live.
The first featured restaurant is a nearby favorite of mine, Pilot Pete's Bar and Grill Restaurant. The restaurant is located at 905 West Irving Park Road in Schaumburg, IL. The building is connected to the main building and hanger for Schaumburg Regional Airport (06C). This is one of the nicest on-field restaurants I have visited and isn't just for aviation buffs. The walls, entry way and ceilings all have aviation themed decorations; however, the food and service make this a great destination for anyone.
The atmosphere is very family friendly and kids will absolutely enjoy their time here. If you can, request a window seat, especially on a clear, sunny day when there is bound to be flight activity at the airport. My first visit to the restaurant was coincidentally during one of the Aviation Days Celebrations the village and airport hold annually. The view was spectacular as airplanes, vintage and new, were constantly landing and departing.
Even on such a busy day, the wait for a table was less than 10 minutes and were were lucky to receive a table by the window, overlooking the ramp and runway. Our waiter approached within a few minutes and took our drink and appetizer order. For an appetizer, I started with the Crabby Bill's Spinach and Artichoke Dip with the added Crab option. The chips were crunchy with a good bit of salt; however, the dip was spectacular, with the crab adding a nice sweetness and texture to flavorful spinach and artichoke, definitely an improvement on a typical restaurant appetizer.
The kids menu has the typical fare, from hot dogs to mac and cheese, pizza to chicken fingers. The kid's ate their food quickly, well, as quickly as they could being constantly interrupted by airplanes taking off and landing.
For the main portion, as a pilot, I had to order the $100 Hamburger. All the food has an aviation or travel themed title, such as Mario's 747 Meatball Bomber or the Bangor's Pub Corned Beef Sandwich. We also ordered Pete's World Famous Pot Roast.
The cheeseburger was a hefty size, cooked correctly to medium as ordered. The meat was flavorful and seasoned well. The burger held together without crumbling, but was also not overly greasy or fatty. The condiments were traditional lettuce, pickles, tomato. For $7.25, the burger was well worth the price based on taste and size. Definitely fitting of the $100 Hamburger title. As a change from the ordinary, the sweet potato fries were picked as the side and were fried almost to perfection. Crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The sweetness of the sweet potato makes for an interesting replacement to regular french fries and complimented the burger well.
The pot roast was very flavorful as well. The meat was extremely tender, nearly melting in your mouth as you ate. The seasonings of the gravy added to the meat's own juices to add a delicious addition to the pieces of Black Angus beef. The garlic horseradish mashed potatoes were a great side, helping to absorb some of the juice and gravy and the horseradish added a slight kick and took the mashed potatoes a step above the typical garlic mashed potatoes at most restaurants. The price of $12.95 is definitely a steal for the quality and amount of food provided.
We finished off the meal with the Pete's Mile High Pie, which is made with Oreo crumbles as the crust with vanilla and chocolate ice cream, drizzled with caramel and topped with a mile of meringue. Even with 4 at the table, including 2 sweet loving kids, the desert was a little too much after the regular meal. for $5.95, it was a good deal and a good way to top off the meal if you plan on splitting it.
Overall, Pilot Pete's is a great destination, whether you drive or fly to Schaumburg Regional Airport. For a private pilot in the Chicago area, looking to impress a friend or significant other, it's a close hop from all other area airports and provides a great, delicious dining experience. Just ensure you become familiar with the overlying airspace as Schaumburg Regional lies under the final approach path for O'Hare.
For the first review, I'd have to give Pilot Pete's a 4.5 out of 5.
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