Downers Grove CBiP Restaurant Review

[opharbour]

There was a review in today's Chicago Sun Times of the new CBiP Restaurant in Downers Grove. (http://www.suntimes.com/output/bruno/wk ... se12f.html)

-Scott

Cheeseburger in Paradise / 1.5 Stars (out of 4)

BY PAT BRUNO

"I like mine with lettuce and tomato,

"Heinz 57

And french-fried potatoes."

-- Jimmy Buffet, "Cheeseburger in Paradise"



Smack across the street from Sal & Carvao is another new hot spot called Cheeseburger in Paradise. I am here to tell you that this island-themed, Jimmy Buffet-connected restaurant has hit a nerve. It's party time for all of the Parrotheads out there, and boy are they out there. The wait at Sal & Carvao was a walk in the park compared to Cheeseburger in Paradise. One Saturday night, the wait was two hours and rising, and this was at 6 p.m. I can't imagine what it ended up being as the night wore on. But, surprisingly, more people seemed to be hanging around than leaving.

Why wait two hours to eat what is billed out as "island food"? Buffet has a name with punch behind it. And once inside, it's party time (the bar was up for grabs one weekend night). If you can deal with the noise and the wait, Cheeseburger in Paradise is truly a fun outing. I am not sure I'd wait two hours just to eat (among other dining delights) six mini-cheeseburgers (Jimmy's answer to the slider), so depending on your mood and the gravitational pull of your stomach, you might want to show up when the doors open at 4 p.m., or give it a try early in the week when things are a lot quieter.

Big names and their brand are constantly bombarded with offers from restaurant/food entrepreneurs. "We get to use your name, you get a percentage. You don't have to do a thing. Well, maybe show up sometime the week we open." That's the pitch. (Anybody recall the food connection between the new governor of California and a restaurant called Planet Hollywood?) However, Cheeseburger in Paradise (hereafter scaled down to CIP) does not necessarily signal a trend toward parading the idea of warhorse singers lending their name to restaurants.

The president and founding partner of the Downers Grove CIP is, according to the media kit, Debbie Eybers. She has a lot of experience when it comes to running restaurants that follow a tried-and-true formula (Steak & Ale, Chili's, joint venture/partner for Outback Steakhouses in Illinois and Wisconsin), but I wonder if she was prepared for the hit single she produced when she opened CIP.

It is certain that CIP is working with a menu pointed directly at the stomach of eaters (of all ages) searching for reasonably priced flavor-jazzed food served in a casual setting. To wit: the cheeseburger pizza, a hearty pie that is piled high with ground beef, pickles, onions, cheddar and Jack cheeses. Oh, yes, the "sauce" is, gulp, ketchup. I am not going to say I loved this pizza, neither will I say it was awful. Think of it as an open-faced cheeseburger that you can split as an appetizer, and leave it at that. Speaking of cheeseburgers, the sign outside reads "Cheeseburger in Paradise," so it makes sense to order a cheeseburger. Was this a burger that whisked me off to paradise? No, but it came within shouting distance. Juicy, flavorful, not overcooked, the blend of cheeses pumping up the flavor. But here is the kicker: Excellent french fries piled high alongside gave the burger a crowning touch.

Appetizers with a pinch of pizzazz are the "Goombay Peel & Eat Shrimp," a half-pound of shrimp ("boiled with secret seasonings") piled high amid a tangy cocktail sauce. The $8.95 price is attractive, too. Also, I was quite taken with the "Captain's Crab & Corn Chowder." This is a chowder with flavor clear to the bottom of the bowl. Creamy, rich, niblets of roasted corn, no skimping on the lump crab, almost a meal for $4.95.

Seven dishes are listed under the heading "Main Course." Predictable stuff like chicken ribs, steak, fish. The meal as a deal here is the trick. The highest price entree is the BBQ Jerk Ribs at $14.95, and they are worth it. These meaty ribs, seasoned with jerk spices and lavished with a tangy BBQ sauce, are the kind that make you gnaw right down to the bone. I wasn't too wild about the "onion six-strings" that accompanied the ribs. After getting battered, breaded and deep-fried, there is no way that these onions could survive and come out tasting alive.

Desserts. You have to have the Key lime pie. This is the real deal. Tangy, lively, totally enjoyable. Maybe a little less of that coconut whipped cream that the pie gets whacked with, but that's just me. Skip the chocolate nachos. Nachos were never meant to get all chocolated up, or covered with a chocolate sauce, or served with ice cream, even if the ice cream is Ben & Jerry's.

Pat Bruno is a local free-lance writer, critic and author.

IN A BITE

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2970 FINLEY (CORNER OF FINLEY AND BUTTERFIELD), DOWNERS GROVE
(630) 953-7095
PRICES:
appetizers, $3.95-$9.95; burgers, $6.45-$7.40; pizzas, $6.95-$9.45; main courses, $9.95-$15.95

HOURS:
4 p.m.-1 a.m. Monday-Thursday; 4 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday-Saturday; 4 p.m.-midnight Sunday.

WHEELS:
free lot; wheelchair accessible

TRY:
peel-and-eat shrimp, crab and corn chowder, Cheeseburger in Paradise, BBQ Jerk Ribs, Key lime pie

TIPS:
It's a big tiki bar surrounded by booths and tables. The overall effect is that of bright colors, tin roof and weathered wood. If you want to avoid a long wait and a heaving, throbbing mass of people, go during the week. Until the newness has worn off, weekend nights can be a bear -- unless you enjoy a noisy party atmosphere, that is. No reservations taken.

IN A BITE:
This Jimmy Buffet, island-themed restaurant is steaming, as in hot. Bring the family and enjoy the casual (pizza, cheeseburgers, ribs, chowder) fare. Reasonable prices and high energy, and Jimmy's name will keep the Parrotheads squawking into the night.

[SmartWomaninShortSkirt]

Thanks for posting! I can't wait till one comes to the NYC area.