O'leary's Restaurant and Pub

With red hair, pale skin, and freckles, one couldn't fit in anywhere better than an Irish pub. My safe haven is O'leary's Restaurant and Pub, located at 260 E. Lincoln Hwy in Dekalb, Il. Built in 1939, O'leary's didn't officially get its name until 2000. Since then, this pub has kept the Irish spirit alive. With its eye-catching decor, O'leary's make you excited with expectation. After being seated, one wouldn't expect to have an authentic Irish waiter, but that's what we got. Surprised, yet impressed with my experience thus far, I was psyched to dive into the menu. When thinking about the array of dishes that descend from Ireland, one may think, there are only a few ways to go about preparing corn beef and cabbage and Shepard's pie. Yet you will come to find that O'leary's Irish influenced plates are artistic and clever. O'leary's appetizers menu has all the basics of any other pub-like restaurant but they have brilliantly executed a twist on the Reuben Sandwich by coming up with the Irish Egg Rolls. Soft tortillas filled with sauerkraut, corned beef, Swiss cheese, deep fried and served over onion straws with thousand island dressing for dipping. And while only priced at $8.25, these egg rolls virtually sing with flavor. I've dreamt about these egg rolls, and after one bite you will too. The rest of the menu is enticing, and packed with just about anything you can think of. From their homemade baked French Onion Soup...(Oh My God, Taste Bud Heaven!) to an array of sandwiches like Rory's Reuben to entrees like a classic pub filler, Fish N' Chips for only $10.25. There's been a lot of talk around campus about O'leary's Pub Club Sandwich, so I decided I would have to give her a try. Tender shaved ham and turkey piled high a top a fresh multi grain bread with fresh tomato, lettuce, crisp bacon, and honey mustard sauce and grilled to perfection. The result is delicious. I chose to pair the awesomely greasy sandwich with O'leary's famous French Onion soup. Soon after finishing my meal I slipped into a food coma. Outside of always having Guinness on draft this Irish dedicated joint always offers and encourages its customers to opt for the 23oz Guinness draft to accompany any meal. Outside of the scrumptious food menu, O'leary's has great drink special's everyday! Monday's they offer $3 Long Islands, Tuesday's they've got $2 Domestic Bottles and $3 Jager Bombs. Wednesday's they offer $3 classic martini's and $3 Corona Bottles. Did I mention Wednesday is my favorite day of the week? On Thursday's they've got $3 U-CALL-ITS and on Friday's they try to lasso in the college kids with $3 Captain Mixers, $3 Big Beers, and $3 Jager Bombs. The weekend starts with $3 Long Islands and ends with $3 Bloody Mary's. So look out Fatty's, because O'leary's is some serious competition. With their ability to put a creative twist on classic Irish dishes, O'leary's has definitely caught the attention of my taste buds, and it will surely catch yours. And hey, you've worked hard all semester, so do yourself a favor and celebrate at O'leary's!

Fatty's Pub & Grille

Calling all potato salad lovers! Looking for a great place to eat, drink, and be merry? Well here's the place folks, Fatty's Pub & Grille. Located at 1312 W. Lincoln Hwy in Dekalb, Il, Fatty's has been cheering up college students since 1996. With its classic pub ambiance, combined with its sports bar decor, Fatty's is Northern Illinois University's official pre and post-game head quarters. Whether you're looking for a great meal to fill you up (or help your hang over), or you're just looking for a good time, Fatty's is the place to be. Known for its famous cajun potato salad, Fatty's lunch and dinner menu has it all. Starting with appetizers, Fatty's has everything from spinach artichoke dip served with garlic bread to their fun creation, loaded buffalo fries. These are no joke people! Skinny spiced fries, smothered with melted cheddar jack cheese, buffalo chicken, and served with ranch. I know, your mouth is watering, so is mine! Fatty's also has a wide range of overstuffed sandwiches, indulgent burgers, and chicken sandwiches. It's outrageous how many choices there are, but I could only choose one. After taking about an hour and a half to decided, I finally chose a hangover favorite, the Chicken Club Wrap. Grilled chicken strips wrapped in a flour tortilla, served with crumbled bacon, cheddar cheese, diced tomatoes, lettuce and of course what would this dish be without ranch dressing. Then comes the best part. You get a choice of fries, or Fatty's famous cajun potato salad. And unless you aren't from around here, you better pick the potato salad. You also get your choice of coleslaw or baked beans. This dish is tough to beat! Outside of its lunch and dinner atmosphere, Fatty's is well liked by every college student as the place to party. Fatty's has an impressive array of drink specials every night. On Sunday they offer a $3 bloody mary buffet, along with $1.50 domestic drafts. Monday nights include $1.50 well drinks and domestic bottles, as well as $2 chilled shots and $0.50 wings, a perfect cure for the Monday blues. It's Fat Tuesday every Tuesday and all night long it's $2 U-CALL-ITS, perfect for a college students budget. On Wednesday's it's $3 top shelf U-CALL-ITS, and believe me, you won't be able to find that anywhere else in Dekalb. Thursday's Fatty's offers $2 Captain Morgan mixers along with $2 Domestics and $3 Jager Bombs. Friday's Fatty's offers $4 martini's and you can guarantee no other college bar has that on special. To end the week Fatty's specials on Saturday's includes $2 smirnoff mixers, $3 Bombs and Strong Islands, and $8 bottles of wine...sounds like my place to be! This place has it all. So if you are looking for a good time, any day of the week, do yourself a favor and stop by Fatty's Pub & Grille.

Ollie's Frozen Custard

Summer is right around the corner, and ice cream hot spots are getting ready for the rush. I've been waiting all winter long to get a taste of that delectable frozen goodness. And finally, my long awaited cure came from Ollie's Frozen Custard, located at 2290 Oakland Dr. in Sycamore, Il. I have pretty high standards when it comes to frozen custard, given that my father owned a frozen custard shop while I was growing up. And let me tell you, I thought there was nothing better, until I got a taste of Ollie's. It's a small joint, with only outside seating, but the line wraps around the entire building. The after dinner crowd is fairly huge, but this frozen custard is worth the wait! Ollie's menu is a frozen custard utopia, filled with frozen delights ranging from 17 different kinds of sundaes like my all time fav, The Turtle Sundae, to milk shakes, malts, floats, arctic blasts and sodas. These sodas are definitely something you won't find at a regular ice cream shop. They are made up of carbonated water, custard, your choice of flavoring and whipped cream, a true old fashioned drug store treat! When it came to decision time I opted for the one treat that was closest to my heart, The Turtle Sundae. Three delicious scoops of vanilla frozen custard, topped with hot fudge, caramel and toasted pecans...mmm! Believe me, after eating this ladies, you'll realize you don't need that man in your life anymore. Nothing at Ollie's costs more than $6. And believe me, when you live in the mid-west and are only given 3 months to enjoy these scrumptious frozen treats, you'll want to get your fix in as much as possible. So stop by Ollie's, I guarantee you will fall in love with this frozen custard paradise!

Flippin Eggs

Brunch Anyone? I love brunch! And Sunday is the best day to eat brunch. The best spot to eat breakfast and lunch combined is Flippin' Eggs, located right next to Otto's Night Club at 122 E. Lincoln Hwy. The entrance is quite small, so be sure to take the time to find this one. As soon as you enter, you'll notice pictures all over the right wall. These are pictures of those who have attempted, but failed at eating Flippin Eggs massive 3 lb. Monster Burger. Not only does the burger weigh 3 lbs, but it sits on a perfectly fit large bun, topped with 8 pieces of cheese, half a head of lettuce, a whole pickle, 2 whole sliced tomatoes, and half an onion. Only two have succeeded, but if you finish it in under and hour you get this $15 burger for free, as well as having your picture taken and placed on the wall of fame. Right after walking in you will hear a waitress yell "Seat Yourself". And luckily, if you're there before church gets out, you might get a seat, because the place it ALWAYS packed. Flippin Eggs is only open from 5:30am till 3:00pm but that's because it's strictly a brunch joint. The menu at Flippin Eggs is ginormous, and it's filled with an array of dishes. From Early Bird Specials, to egg dishes and 3 egg omelets-which are heavenly, to their famous Breakfast Skillets and Eggs Benedict galore. And finally to their Sensational Sandwiches menu which features 25 delectable sandwich platters. Their breakfast dishes range in price from $4.50 to $7.50, and their sandwiches don't cost more than $8. The dishes they give you could feed three people, or for a college student it could feed you 2 to 3 meals a day. I went for a Sunday brunch and ordered the Veggie Skillet. This skillet starts with hash browns covering the entire bottom of the plate, topped with an assortment of perfectly grilled veggies, smothered with cheese, and finally it's dressed with two eggs your way, I chose scrambled. You also get your choice of toast or pancakes...is that even legal? And to top it off you get an appetizer with your meal, with your choice of oatmeal or grits. And oh mamma, you better believe a girl like me with southern roots chose those grits! The dish was absolutely amazing, and literally fed me for the rest of the day. This breakfast and lunch joint is hands down the best spot for brunch any day of the week. I can truly say that I'm in love with Flippin Eggs, and will probably return every week, so I guess I'll see you there!

Fushi Yami

Attention those who have been deprived! After waiting four long years, sushi has once again come back into my life. Oh how I have longed for raw fish, rolled in seaweed and rice! You would think "A sushi place in Dekalb, Il?...probably not safe". But let me tell you, this is exactly the sushi you have been waiting for. Located at 822 W. Lincoln Hwy, in the Junction shopping center, is Fushi Yami, Dekalb's only authentic, outrageously delicious, sushi restaurant. As soon as you walk through the doors, you hear the sound of a waterfall, and are at once embraced with a Zen-like feeling. You are at peace, and close to reaching enlightenment. But not yet, you must order before completely being taken out of this world. The menu at Fushi Yami ranges from Hibachi, which means that this dish is prepared by a Japanese Teppanyaki style of grilling. Hibachi includes an enormous helping of your choice of white or fried rice, grilled veggies, and your choice of chicken, steak, shrimp, scallops, or a combination of any two in each dish. The prices, depending on what protein you choose, range from $6 to $10. And that's not even half of it. The sushi at Fushi Yami is split into two sections, Maki Mano, which are the signature sushi rolls, and Uramaki which is a fresh hand cut sushi roll cut into 8 pieces. Each signature roll costs $10. A little pricey, but believe me, well worth it. The Uramaki rolls range from a standard California Roll for $4 to a Spider Crab Roll which costs $6.50. And let me tell you I've tried everything. But my favorites are the Fire Cracker which is a chef made special and consists of spicy tuna, spicy tempura crunch, masago, unagi sauce, and spicy mayo -SERIOUSLY AMAZING! As for the Uramaki rolls, I would choose the Shrimp Tempura Roll which is $5.50, the Snow Crab Roll is $5, and definitely you must try the Spider Crab Roll which is $6.50. At the end of the menu you notice that Fushi Yami actually has appetizers too. They range from your typical Miso Soup to my all time favorite Edamame. But my choice for an out of this world appetizer would have to be their Crab Egg Roll. This roll consists of crab meat, cream cheese (anything is good with cream cheese), asparagus, spicy mayo, and masago. It only costs $4.50 folks, and I guarantee you'll order it every time! I think the only downside to Fushi Yami is that they serve everything on plastic ware. But, they do offer delivery which is a huge plus, especially in a college town. Overall, I'd say Fushi Yami is a must see, must eat establishment. It's a little pricey but well worth it.

Los Rancheros

Don't let the outdoor strip mall appearance foul you! Because this recently opened Los Rancheros located at 2350 Sycamore Rd. Suite A in Dekalb, Il is the authentic mexican restaurant you've been waiting for. Immediately after walking in you feel as though you've walked through swinging doors at a saloon. With a wooden decor, and mexican art covering the restaurant walls, your palate will soon be in dire need of a margarita. Their menu is quite large and the dishes range from authentic mexican Appetizers, such as cheese quesadillas, to Your Choice, where you pick and choose from a choice of combinations, to an array of Seafood Specialty dishes. I chose the Pollo Rancheros only because it was one of few on the menu that didn't have a picture of a pepper next to it, which indicated that it was Spicy. And I am surely not one who is capable of handling anything remotely spicy. This dish was served with a whole chicken breast smothered in ranchero sauce..mmm...and a side of rice and beans (gotta love those rice and beans!) along with two tortillas. Outside of only being given two tortillas, which frankly wasn't enough for me, I thought the dish was Molto Delicioso! Along with my lunch I decided to accompany my Pollo Rancheros with a Margarita Deluxe. It wasn't so much deluxe, as it was deceiving. I didn't think the margarita packed too much punch, until leaving the restaurant feeling a little loopy. Prices at Los Rancheros range from $8.00 to $20.00(that's if you want seafood) a dish. A little pricey for a college student, but I think for a family night out this is the place to be. For a family of four, dinner at Los Rancheros wouldn't cost more than $40, but that's not including drinks. On a Saturday afternoon Los Rancheros wasn't nearly packed to its capacity, but it seems like the place to be on the weekend!