Katie wrote:Slightly off topic, but this is driving me crazy: does anyone remember the name of the Mexican chain restaurant that used to be (in th 1980s) on the north side of Lake-Cook Road in Deerfield, right near Shaw's Blue Crab and (when it was there), the diner place (the name of which I also can't remember at the moment)?

It was at one time a Chi-Chi's, replaced by On The Border, which was across the street from Ed Debevic's, as you alluded to.

Thank you, fearless!

The funny think about that Chi-Chi's location was that they tore it down maybe about 10 years ago and rebuilt on the same spot another Mexican casual restaurant (whose name escapes me, but whose food and decor were very similar to Chi-Chi's and its ilk, such as Cisco's, which occupied a spot in the strip mall to the East on the other side of Lake-Cook, which later became a Chilli's and is now a bank). It just struck me as ridiculous that they would have to tear down a faux-Mexican chain to rebuild a faux-Mexican chain.

And what is with casual chain restaurants not being able to survive on the stretch of Lake-Cook between Waukegan and Pfingsten??

Katie wrote:Slightly off topic, but this is driving me crazy: does anyone remember the name of the Mexican chain restaurant that used to be (in th 1980s) on the north side of Lake-Cook Road in Deerfield, right near Shaw's Blue Crab and (when it was there), the diner place (the name of which I also can't remember at the moment)?

I believe it was On the Border.

The diner place was Ed Debevic's.

And Shaw's was named Shaw's Crab House, like its other locations, still in operation downtown and in Schaumburg. The Lake-Cook location now houses Eggshell Cafe, a pancake/breakfast-focused restaurant that's quite good.

(EDIT: Sorry for the duplicate responses; I didn't see that there was a page 2 to this topic.)

AlexG wrote:And what is with casual chain restaurants not being able to survive on the stretch of Lake-Cook between Waukegan and Pfingsten??

I don't know, but I was at Eggshell Cafe for lunch on a weekday not long ago, and they were packed. But it's not a chain. I'm guessing that, with all the corporate offices in that area, restaurants that focus on lunch may do better than ones depending on their dinner business to survive.

IIRC, I believe that the owner of On the Boarder owned 1-2 other chains on Lake Cook between Waukegan and Pfingsten. He had some money troubles and had to close them up. Hence, the seemingly plagued block was due to the sole owner's money troubles.

As for Ed Debevics and Shaw's, the landlord simply shut them out one day w/o any warning. My sister and BIL had their rehearsal dinner at Shaws back in 2000. I liked that they made their own spread for their bread and cracker bucket. I can't exactly recall what it was, but I do know that it's different from the Schaumburg location.

This thread is making me very nostalgic for my childhood. We used to eat at Ed Debevics all the time as kids - I loved the tiny sundaes and "rude" servers. And my first job was a hostess at the Chilis.

Also - for a long time there was an Applebees in that stretch on the SW corner of Lake Cook and Waukegan. I think it's now a bank or something.

JackieK wrote:for a long time there was an Applebees in that stretch on the SW corner of Lake Cook and Waukegan. I think it's now a bank or something.

The southwest corner is an outdoor shopping center, Lake Cook Plaza, that has been there for many years. Are you referring to one of the spaces in the shopping center, or something that was there before they built the shopping center?

nsxtasy wrote:

JackieK wrote:for a long time there was an Applebees in that stretch on the SW corner of Lake Cook and Waukegan. I think it's now a bank or something.

The southwest corner is an outdoor shopping center, Lake Cook Plaza, that has been there for many years. Are you referring to one of the spaces in the shopping center, or something that was there before they built the shopping center?

The Applebee's was definitely on the SW corner of Lake-Cook and Waukegan Avenues on the edge of Deerbrook Mall. It is most certainly a bank now.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:The Applebee's was definitely on the SW corner of Lake-Cook and Waukegan Avenues on the edge of Deerbrook Mall. It is most certainly a bank now.

My bad, I was confusing the name of the strip mall immediately to the west (where Boston Blackie's and the Secretary of State facility are now located) with the shopping center on the corner.

There was a mexican restaurant (Cisco's??) in the early eighties around where Blackie's is now.
It wasn't connected to the strip and of course it's location is now a bank.

Cathy2 wrote:

nsxtasy wrote:

JackieK wrote:for a long time there was an Applebees in that stretch on the SW corner of Lake Cook and Waukegan. I think it's now a bank or something.

The southwest corner is an outdoor shopping center, Lake Cook Plaza, that has been there for many years. Are you referring to one of the spaces in the shopping center, or something that was there before they built the shopping center?

The Applebee's was definitely on the SW corner of Lake-Cook and Waukegan Avenues on the edge of Deerbrook Mall. It is most certainly a bank now.

Regards,

And I think it was briefly a Ritz Camera right after it was Applebee's, before it became a bank.

=R=

The former Applebee's is both a Ritz Camera and a Washington Mutual branch now.

More importantly it is on the former location, alas, of the Big Boy. Miss those Big Boy burgers and shakes, not to mention the awesome iconography. I still have a bank!

DBigg wrote:There was a mexican restaurant (Cisco's??) in the early eighties around where Blackie's is now.
It wasn't connected to the strip and of course it's location is now a bank.

You are correct. (AlexG noted this above.)

I liked Cisco's, at the time. It was very conventional Mexican food - heck, that was even before Frontera Grill opened, in 1987 - but it was pretty darn good, and consistent. At that time, I also remember an authentic Mexican place nearby on Milwaukee Ave between Willow and Dundee, called - believe it or not - La Cucaracha.

There was a mexican restaurant (Cisco's??) in the early eighties around where Blackie's is now.

Wasn't the Boston Blackies space also once Ada's or something like that?

JackieK wrote:

There was a mexican restaurant (Cisco's??) in the early eighties around where Blackie's is now.

Wasn't the Boston Blackies space also once Ada's or something like that?

Yes, I believe so.

=R=

It was indeed Ada's Deli. The mall also was home to an Italian restaurant, Armando's, which was a favorite with the post-dance junior high crowd (looking back now as an adult, I can't imagine anything worse than taking my wife out for a nice, decent quiet dinner at a place like Armando's, only to have it overrun with a bunch of 7th and 8th graders). Armando's was in the rotation along with Claim Company at Northbrook Court and the Caravell Pizza and Italian place on Waukegan just north of Willow in the shadow of the former landfill.