Photos of the Pub’s Willie’s Burger and Fettuccine Alfredo
JC’s Ristorante has been bringing Italian-American food to Chicagoland since 1985. It has been a go-to for many families around the McCook area, and was introduced to me as a child.
Every week until I was about six years old, my family would dine in on Friday nights. Funnily enough, the only vague memory that I have of the restaurant was nicknaming it “buns and soup,” since that was the only thing I ate.
Just recently, I decided to go with my grandparents to the restaurant to celebrate my grandmother’s seventieth birthday in early October. It had been a massive fourteen years since I dined there last, and my taste buds developed since then.
As we were seated, the bread loaves that I so distinctly remember loving were placed on the table. It was like the scene from “Ratatouille,” where the food critic was sent straight to his childhood. Even though it isn’t actual food, there’s just something special about it; probably the spices and herbs.
We started by ordering appetizers. These included mozzarella sticks, curly fries with Joe’s seasoning, onion rings, and mild buffalo wings.
Although they were the prelude to the meal, they were fantastic. The mozzarella sticks were soft, fresh, and extremely juicy. The onion rings came straight from the fryer, and were delicious. I did not get to try the buffalo wings, but I did have some of the seasoned curly fries.
If you like thin fries, such as those from Steak & Shake, then you would love the curly fries from JC’s. Even though they appear very thin, as seen above, they were incredibly flavorful.
When it was time to order dinner, I decided to order the fettuccine Alfredo. I love the dish, and have been desperately trying to find somewhere close-by that actually has a good version. Prior, one of the few places I would order it was at Tutto Italia, in Walt Disney World’s EPCOT.
I also ordered a 9’’ personal cheese pizza to share between myself and my brother. As I anticipated the food’s arrival to the table, we saw other tables get their food. The portion sizes were massive, and the prices were even better. Although it excited me, it made me wonder: will the food be worth it?
As my food arrived, I felt eager to try it. The portions were massive, and it looked like too much to eat. With the first bite, it was heaven. I had felt incredibly impressed with the food.
For the Alfredo, the sauce was not chunky, which was my biggest plus. It tasted good, and I could tell there was a slight hint of garlic. The noodles were also soft, and you could tell that everything came straight from fresh ingredients.
Shockingly, I was impressed with the pizza. I am very particular about pizza places, mainly because I am not the biggest fan of most sauces. In a very rare occurrence, I liked the sauce. I hate tomato chunks, and there weren’t any in the slices.
The cheese also pulled apart nicely, but did not fall off each slice. It wasn’t too greasy, and the crust wasn’t hard.
I deeply enjoyed the meal. It brought me back to my childhood, and my family also enjoyed their meal.
Since then, I have dined there nearly every Friday night with my family. I have become accustomed to ordering Italian classics such as rigatoni alla vodka and chicken vesuvio.
I highly recommend JC’s. The food never disappoints, the service is great, and the atmosphere is decorated to the season. For those who read food reviews, it has a 4.5 star rating on Google with over 1,000 reviews.
JC’s Ristorante is located at 8650 Joliet Rd, McCook, IL 60525. Although there is walk-in dining, I recommend that reservations be made by calling (708) 387-0030.