Boston Blackie's coming to Naperville?

I was told last night that there is a Boston Blackie's opening in Naperville on Rt 59 in the space formerly occupied by the Timber Lodge Steakhouse. Can anyone confirm this? When it opens will it be worthwhile to fight the traffice surrounding Fox Valley Mall?

Flip

A friend of mine is friends with the manager at the Arlington Heights location and he told him that they are opening a Naperville location...I cna't confirm the exact spot, but they are opening one. Enjoy- they are delicious!!

Can't remember where I read it but yes, I think that is true. I had a good hamburger there several years ago.

Looks like your info is good as usual Flip

They have a phone listing already.

Boston Blackies
(630) 596-0110


916 S State Route 59
Naperville, IL 60540

I occasionally eat lunch at the Loop location. They serve a decent burger -- it will be a welcome addition, in my view, and better than another Chili's or Applebees. I usually try to avoid the Rt. 59 area, but I would go out of my way for Boston Blackie's.

Not surprisingly, from what we've read it sounds like we continue to draw the chains (mostly of the high-end variety) out in Naperville. There's news of a Ruth's Chris in the proposed mixed-use development at Main and Van Buren, as well as a Morton's and Maggiano's at a proposed development near Naper Blvd. and Diehl. All in all, it seems like it's starting to be a bit much, especially with the redevelopment of the Lombard/Yorktown corridor along Butterfield (Capital Grill, McCormick & Schmick's, Harry Caray's, etc.). It's beginning to look as if smaller locally-owned places are, for the most part, starting to become a thing of the past in our area.

More steakhouses! That's what we need. I don't think that smaller places can afford the rent in Naperville. I know for a fact that they don't encourage anything but big, well known chains out this way. I'd be thrilled to have something like Adele's in Wheaton or Vie in Western Springs in town but for now, I'll settle for a short drive.

Naperville is becoming a chain restaurant hell.

I am glad I got out of there when I did. 34 years was more than enough.

If they are going to continue to open chains in Naperville at least give us a Sweet Tomatoes...

Jean Blanchard wrote:More steakhouses! That's what we need. I don't think that smaller places can afford the rent in Naperville. I know for a fact that they don't encourage anything but big, well known chains out this way. I'd be thrilled to have something like Adele's in Wheaton or Vie in Western Springs in town but for now, I'll settle for a short drive.

I am all in favor of more smaller places like Adelle's and Vie, although economics might prevent it (at least in the downtown area of Naperville - although Masala Yangu seems to have caught on). However, I'm not necessarily opposed to having a Hugo's, Morton's, and even a Ruth's Chris, within a 5-10 min. drive of our house (though my cardiologist might be).

On Wednesday (August 8th), Ascher announced plans for his next venture -- the River Street Bistro and Market, to be located in developer Joe Vantreese's River Street Plaza.

The project, Ascher said, will combine a restaurant, bar and market, where customers can buy the ingredients they need to make the Bistro's dishes themselves at home.

The new restaurant will be in a 4,000-square-foot space on the first floor of River Street Plaza's southernmost building. Ascher already has erected River Street Bistro signs and has marked up the floor with a chalk diagram representing his restaurant's planned layout.

Scott Ascher already owns Payton's.

This is going to take a while to get going, but I have high hopes for this development.

Sounds great. Where is the River Street Plaza?

Jean Blanchard wrote:Sounds great. Where is the River Street Plaza?

South River Street is in Aurora, the area is just begining to develop condos on an old industrial site south of the current downtown. One building is already partly occupied with living space up and the first floor commercial. A coffe shop and a Jimmy Johns have moved in but I'm not sure if they are open yet. Just to the north on River Street and across from the Old Second Bank is the block that is being redeveloped for Waubonsee Community College's Aurora campus.

I drove by it on Sunday and it caught my eye, but I could not tell if it was open yet.

I went to that Boston Blackies in Naperville, my first experience there. It was Saturday at about 3PM. I had no idea it was a burger joint. I would have to say it's upscale, because I've never seen a burger joint have cloth napkins and such a highly decorated place and well dressed servers.

Anyway, the service was prompt. However, I was very displeased with my meal. At most it was an average burger that I could have made myself at home from a frozen patty. I simply did not see what the fascination was with this burger. It was not very big, not tasty at all - quite bland. I ordered the oliver burger which was supposed to have some Mayo on it, and they also had forgotten to put mayo on it. I had to call the waitress over to get it on the side. I chose the Carson's cole slaw on the side which wasn't special to me either. I ordered a Boston Blackies Amber Ale and it tasted identical to the Sam Adams Boston Lager, I swore they poured the wrong pint. The price for everything was not acceptable, so I do not plan on returning.

I'll stick to my favorite - Top Notch Beefburgers.

Sorry to say that I totally agree of your assessment of their burgers. Not a great meal when I went.

Jean

The one and only time I went to Blackie's, I had a very similar experience. Though the environment is quite pleasant with cloth napkins, service efficient but hardly spectacular, the food was a real let down. This is not exactly a cheap burger joint, so I set my expectations somewhat higher and ordered a burger from lunch on a Sunday afternoon. The portions are rather minimal (which is not necessarily bad - I prefer to have a meal that isn't enormous) and moreover, the food had almost nothing to set it apart. The taste of the burger was very bland, very unassuming almost. It needed something to give it some kick because the hamburger was totally unappealing on its own. I won't be going back.

I have never been impressed with a blackie's burger - I have eaten at their loop location before. Avg burger for a semi-high price.

^ In light of the recent negative reviews, I just wanted to offer an opposing view. We stopped into the Naperville Boston Blackie's on Saturday and, generally speaking, enjoyed our dinner there. The burgers are large (with all due respect to other posters, I just don't understand how someone could characterize the portions as "minimal"), the prices are very reasonable ($6-$7 for a burger is not, in this day and age, expensive), and the food is good and, IMO, represents a good value. The service was fairly efficient and better than expected.

I really wouldn't consider it an upscale restaurant -- and my biggest complaint, if I were to make one, would be that the lackluster environment/atmosphere and Route 59 strip mall location are a little off-putting. That, and the overly crowded atmosphere (typical for a Saturday night, probably), probably will keep us from becoming regulars. However, the food itself was very good, and the burgers are easily in the same category as Country House and some of the other west suburban favorites.

Ive eaten at the Buffalo Grove location a few times and thought the burger was great and portions were more than enough..if i had to complain about anythign ti woudl be getting a burger on kaiser the first time.I hate that..but now I knwo to request a regular sesame seed bun bun