Growing up in Skokie one of my favorite places to eat was Hub’s. Greek owned and a menu that ranged from gyros to steaks to roast chickens, there was something for everyone. Good food but without table service, just order at the counter and grab your meal when it is called. We all probably have a place like this in our neighborhood that we love. A recent trip to Mt. Prospect led me to Black Cow. The sign said wood roasted specialties so the family and I stopped in. This large restaurant felt warm and inviting and seemed well suited for families.
While looking over the menu I felt like I was looking up at the Hub’s menu signs, just organized into separate categories to make it suitable for a sit down restaurant with table service. The menu is huge and the prices are super reasonable so dinner with the family is not going to break the bank! Before we get into food I will mention that our service was very attentive, knowledgeable, honest, and friendly. Our server willingly mentioned his favorite items as well as some items he did not particularly care for.
Started off the night with a large order of potato skins that are definitely family sized. The skins had a large piece of bacon on them, were smothered in cheddar cheese, and were served with a generous portion of sour cream. Only complaint is that they definitely could have used some chives on top, not only for color but also that nice onion bite. Soup and salad were next and again minor gripes. The French onion soup had nice onion flavor but was missing the melted cheese top that makes French onion soup so awesome. My salad was over dressed and the lettuce was still wet when it was served.
For dinner we chose with the beef lover’s burger on rye, the rib and chicken combo, and my daughter had the grilled cheese off the kids menu. The grilled cheese was definitely kid friendly with its American cheese middle which is nice because kids normally aren’t fond of exotic cheese combinations. The burger had pretty decent beef on lightly toasted rye but could have used a little more pizzazz. The best item of the night was the rib chicken combo. The chicken was very moist and tender and the ribs had a nice bite off the bone texture.
As the meal was winding down our server walked by and told my daughter if she took two more bites then he would bring her a free hot fudge sundae! So of course her eyes lit up and she took those last two bites real quick! The wife and I shared a warm brownie sundae topped with creamy vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and a generous potion of whip cream.
Bill for the night with tip was $50, which for a table service restaurant for a family of three is pretty good. Overall food was good but not spectacular; a few tweaks would take the food up another notch. Service again was very solid and the setting super comfortable and casual. If you live within 15 minutes of Black Cow you would probably stop in at least a few times a year. If you live beyond that range then you probably have similar options closer to home. Rating ** and ½ (good) out of *****.
Location
(847) 290-9000
912 S Busse Rd, Mt Prospect, IL
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