Oh State and Main in The Glen, how I wanted to enjoy our time spent together, but alas, through a perfect storm of bullshit, our time was cut short. It’s not you, it’s me (us), I promise. We actually really enjoyed the food you provided us, and the service was good, we just don’t like your face… And by face, I mean the direction that your restaurant faces… directly into the sun.
Saturday was a beautiful day out so we decided to get out of the house and run some errands. So we packed up the kids and headed towards a store we knew they would enjoy… Menards. We’re currently redoing our master bathroom and had to pick out some vanity lights for above the sinks. And since we’re not picky people, and more so just want a functioning bathroom sooner rather than later, we found some we didn’t hate on Menards’ website, and went to pick them up.
After Menards we went to the worst possible store on the planet… outside of Home Goods. Which, if you’re not familiar, is basically a store full of garbage, hence why I’ve nicknamed it “The Garbage Store”. But anyways, before we could even get out of the car in the parking lot, I was already annoyed with our decision to go to Walmart, but it was my idea to go there to buy something instead of Amazon, because it was like $20 on Amazon and $4 at Walmart.
After 20 minutes in Walmart, and almost murdering a family of 4, it was time to head to our daughters haircut in The Glen – Glenview. The haircut went fine and we decided since it was so nice out, and we were already in the area, we’d just grab an early dinner out.
We have been to Yardhouse a thousand times so this time we decided to give State and Main a try instead.
State and Main Restaurant – The Glen
You’d think hell would be hot, but Walmart was nothing compared to the unbearable heat that was blasting down on us as we sat outside at State and Main. Entirely our fault, so I won’t judge our experience at the restaurant on the fact that we decided it would be a good idea to sit outside and eat when it was 87 degrees outside, and felt like 110 in the sun.
We should have taken the hint when another family with kids stood up and went inside to eat shortly after sitting down outside. It was just too f—n hot to sit directly in the sun, but we made an attempt… and failed miserably.
So my advice, in regards to eating outside at the restaurant, is to not do it if it’s around 5:15-5:30pm during the summer. The sun is relentless and you are going to be miserable. Unless of course you love the heat, then by all means, forgo this advice and sit in the sun. If it was just my wife and I we probably could have made it work, but with the kids, it was just a total failure.
Cheeseburger, Burrito Bowl, Grilled Cheese
It was still super early for dinner so the restaurant was pretty empty, even inside, so we had absolutely no problem with our service. As soon as we sat down I ordered a beer, my wife ordered a water, and our daughter got a chocolate milk. We decided to just order our entrees as soon as the drinks arrived because we could tell the kids were already getting cranky, and the baby certainly wasn’t going to last much longer.
I ordered ‘The Main’ cheeseburger (pictured at top), which is a burger with 2 smaller patties, American cheese, and your typical garnish that I just left off, as well as a side of dill french fries, and jalapeno cheddar corn bread. I would have had a side of the poutine, which I really want to try, but I didn’t want to risk a stomach issue considering we were going to spend all of Sunday at Great America.
My wife ordered the burrito bowl with chicken, black beans, corn, jicama, monterey jack cheese & lettuce, over brown rice w/ chipotle sour cream, fresh cilantro, lime, pico de gallo & guacamole. And our daughter ordered a grilled cheese with tater tots.
As far as the food goes, it was all really good. The cheeseburger was one of the better burgers I’ve had in a while. The double patties were both very flavorful, and there’s nothing better than some melty American cheese to top it off. And I will say, there was something about the bun on the burger that just took it to the next level. A lot of times you’ll have an awesome burger, but a disappointing, or boring, bun, but there was just something about this one that almost melted in your mouth. It was delicious.
I should have just done the poutine for my sides though…
The french fries were like dill flavored french fries, which I did not care for at all. I’m not sure if the poutine fries would have been flavored the same, but I’m not a fan of dill pickles, so the flavor instantly turned me off. And the jalapeno cornbread would have been so much better if it didn’t have the jalapeno in it. The only form of jalapeno I like is jalapeno potato chips, so the cornbread just didn’t work for me. It wasn’t the worst thing I’ve ever had, but I bet it doesn’t hold a candle to that sweet, sweet poutine…
Maybe next time.
I managed to finish my burger before the sun started to get the best of the kids, so we had to pack up the rest of the food and eat it at home. So I chugged my beer and we made our way back into the cool comforts of our home.
Once home, my wife was able to actually sit and enjoy her burrito bowl, which she liked very much. And our daughter actually decided she was going to eat her grilled cheese, instead of just complain about how hot it was. So that was good.
All in all I do want to go back to State and Main to try the poutine and to have a more enjoyable dining experience inside, or outside if it’s not a thousand degrees outside.
The service was good and I truly did enjoy the burger quite a bit. I would avoid the french fries if you’re not a fan of dill, and avoid the cornbread if you don’t like jalapenos, but there are plenty of other side options to choose from that I’m sure would taste much better… like poutine.
Don’t sit outside if the sun is still out and the temperature is in the 80’s, you will regret it, but other than that, anything that was a negative experience at the restaurant was our own fault.
Also, Walmart is seriously an awful place.
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