Evanston Lunch - UBAA / Old Crawford Inn - Wed. July 9 12:30

The Evanston lunch group will leave the bounds of Evanston and venture forth into Skokie for a fine tavern experience at the UBAA / Old Crawford Inn.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008 at 12:30 p.m.

Hope to see you there...

UBAA / Old Crawford Inn
9956 Crawford Ave. (The entrance is on Old Orchard Rd.)
Skokie, Illinois
847-673-3080

I'm putting it on my calendar right now!

That's what, about 35 yards over the border outside of Evanston? I think I can handle that.

I'm tentatively in

I have a recurring Wednesday lunch that I'm part of most weeks, but if anything happens to make that fall through on 7/9, I'll be at UBAA. (I'll know by 7/8.)

Next week's UBAA gathering is still happening. I can already imagine their lovely medium-rare burgers, crispy cottage fries and and ice-cold beer...

Count me in. I am writing at home this summer and the four walls are beginning to look like 4 walls. JOJO

I am going to try my darndest to make it to this event.

Looks like 6-8 so far, eh? I'll do my best to get there a bit early and snag some space...

Folks, I hate to continue to waffle, but I will have to wait until the last minute - I'll try to notify by ChgoMike by PM if I'm coming...

I've just received confirmation that my lunch that almost always happens on Wednesdays is, indeed, happening Wednesday. Have a UBAAng-up time, and hopefully I can make one of the next gatherings.

Someone promise to have the sauerkraut/swiss burger for me!
If not for the $349 plane fare and the need to earn an honest living, I would be there!

Josephine wrote:Someone promise to have the sauerkraut/swiss burger for me!
If not for the $349 plane fare and the need to earn an honest living, I would be there!

I understand your first point ...

Well, thanks again everyone and lovely to see you all as always - I can't believe I ate the entire chicken platter without even blinking! I thought it was excellent, but kept eyeballing everyone's burgers a bit wistfully. They looked really good...almost Kuma-like, which would be terrific if it were true, since we can't get out there often - was that about right?

So - I'm on for organizing a picnic with food from the Fish Keg for the 19th next month!

Mhays wrote:but kept eyeballing everyone's burgers a bit wistfully

It was great to see everybody today. Would have loved to have eaten with you as well, but unfortunatly forgot about the lunch until after I already ate, but was great to sit and talk with everybody and eye your food as well.

Mhays wrote:So - I'm on for organizing a picnic with food from the Fish Keg for the 19th next month!

Looking forward to next month. Speaking of picnics, has anyone tried the "Simple Gourmet" on Elmwood, across from the police department? They have to go sandwiches and prepared food as well as a few tables and chairs outside. I've walked in but have never tried anything, generally since when I walk past, I'm on my way home from working out.

It was a fun lunch. UBAA (a corruption of U-Bar, for the shape of the bar) is an interesting, old-timey place with a lot of atmosphere. (It had previously been discussed here.

And, in addition to the usual suspects, it was good to see d4v3 again, and to meet JOJO.

We started out with fried mushrooms with "wonder sauce."


Several ordered the "gaspacho"


Fried chicken (a full 1/2 chicken)


Burger with blue cheese and grilled onions on dark rye


Fried Perch


Reuben


In honor of Josephine, the Sauerkraut/Swiss Burger


The owner also came by with Sweet Potato Fries and honey.


Overall, great atmosphere, but not exactly a destination for the food. (I may be at fault for ordering the reuben, which was a bit short on meat, and could have used more dressing. The burgers seem to be the strength here.) I thought the fried potatoes were a bit on the limp side, and the sweet potato fries a bit mealy.

I'd say it falls into the "if you're in the area and want a traditional roadhouse atmosphere" category, but it's not a destination. But I did come thisclose to living across the street.

And I don't think the Evanston Lunch Group™ has ever been to a place with so many other patrons using walkers.

I think my burger was top-notch. Fresh meat cooked to my specs, it's hard to think of a better one in the Skokie and Evanston landscape. Patty's and Crossrhodes are as good, but they're certainly on par in my book.

Go for the burgers. Stay for the beer.

I definitely mis-ordered by getting the rueben; those burgers looked great.

Though I wasn't able to join you guys on 7/9, I was inspired by your experience to suggest UBAA as a place for me and one of my buds to have lunch yesterday. Made sure to get the burger and not the reuben, and wasn't sorry. (Neither was he.)

We started with the jalapeno poppers, and naturally, in the car on the way home, came the news that "guess what--it's not tomatoes that caused all that salmonella, it's jalapenos!" (Cue wah-wah trombone.) So I'm on salmonella watch right now. So far so good.

We really liked UBAA. The food, the drink, the friendly service, and the vibe.

riddlemay wrote:We started with the jalapeno poppers, and naturally, in the car on the way home, came the news that "guess what--it's not tomatoes that caused all that salmonella, it's jalapenos!" (Cue wah-wah trombone.) So I'm on salmonella watch right now.

No worries. Once you cook the peppers (as was true of tomatoes) any beasties are killed off. the warning only applies to raw peppers.

Phew!