The Colosseum, Mokena

We're going to see Hank Williams III at the Pearl Room in Mokena on Wednesday night. I've never been to this venue before, or to Mokena for that matter. Show starts and 7pm (although there are 2 opening acts so we won't be in a huge hurry,) and we'll be taking the Metra. I've read that there is both an Italian restaurant called Capones and a bar/grille called The Colosseum Sports Bar within the same complex as the Pearl Room. Has anyone tried either? We're trying to decide if we should eat downtown before we head to Mokena, or go early and grab a bite at one places there. Any info would be apprciated. Thanks, Lynn

OK, so I now know why no one responded to my post. Mokena - not exactly a dining destination. After a little debate, we decided to just get on the Metra right after work and head out there. According to the Pearl Room's website - http://www.pearlroomconcerts.com/index.html, it is a short walk from the Hickory Creek Metra stop. We get off the train and see a big parking lot, fields, a grain elevator, and some miscellaneous buildings in the distance. We head for the buildings. I don't know what I was thinking, but I thought with a name like "The Coloseum," there would be more than a strip mall. But, nope... the promised Italian restaurant, Pearl Room concert venue and the "sports bar" are all located in a strip mall. Doors open at 7pm for the show, we're hungry and want to grab dinner first. Let's check out the Italian place's menu. There's a big sign on the window - "Capone's Italian - Open for Private Events Only." OK, let's try the sports bar. It's big, there are lots of TV's above the bar, there are about 8 people in there and it doesn't look like the kind of place you'd want to do anything but drink in. We go back outside to check our options. Option 1 - White Castle. Option 2 - Denny's. We are completely sober, therefore opt for option 2. Denny's it is. I will say Mokena's Denny's is clean and our server was quite efficient and perky. She turned us on to the Wednesday special - buy 1 burger, get one free with the purchase of 2 beverages. Dinner cost - $13.02. We go back to the sports bar (where Miller Lite's are $2.00 on Wednesdays,) to watch some of the Cubs game. Very nice bartender asks us if this is our first time there? (Is it that obvious?) We chat her up for awhile and she informs us that The Coloseum is THE place to be Thursday thru Saturday. They have a DJ in the beer garden, local bands play in the sports bar, a middle room is used for yet another DJ spinning "dance" music, and, of course, the Pearl Room rocks out w/ metal bands. Apparently, we missed all the action by one night, because at that point there were about 8 of us in the bar and 2 guys playing corn hole in the beer garden. I will say this though, every employee we had contact with there, from the door people to the servers, bartenders and a manager, was very polite and friendly.
Anyway, Hank III was awsome, if you like that sort of thing (which I do!) We had about 30 min. to kill before the last Metra headed out of Mokena so we headed back into the bar. Apparently, after 9pm on Wednesdays - the sports bar turns into a giant stage for playing Guitar Hero II. You too can be a rock star in Mokena!
BTW, last train out at 10:36pm makes so many stops it feels like you're on a CTA bus! Took us an hour to get back to LaSalle St. Station, but it was worth it. We had quite an adventure, so you don't have to (food-wise, anyway. It was a decent venue for a show and a really cheap night out.)

LynnB wrote: We had quite an adventure, so you don't have to (food-wise, anyway. It was a decent venue for a show and a really cheap night out.)

Thank you for taking one for the team! And for sharing it with us.

Lynn,

I understand you weren't exactly operating with a wealth of knowledge, but Mokena isn't all that bad for dining. A Denny's isn't exactly a fair representation of the area.

Mokena has a pretty good selection of pizza joints, Beggar's pizza (across the street from the strip mall you were at), Vito and Nick's (a favorite of this board), PaulE's place (nice crispy thin crust, along with a pretty diverse menu). Parmesan's is in Frankfort, and has woodfired pizzas.

You were also within 4 blocks of three steakhouses. There was a Japanese place (Sapporo) with both teppan-yaki style cooking as well as a sushi bar in the same strip mall.

Glenn

Also in Frankfort, Galway Tribes is a fun Irish restaurant, Courtyard Bistro has a creative menu with home-made soups.

Whoa, since when is there a Vito and Nick's in Mokena? My mom lives there, and I visit pretty frequently, not to mention that I went to high school in the area, and this is the first I've heard . . .

It is on Rt 30 just west of Wolf Road. It is in the strip center on the North side of 30 next to Dunkin Donuts

Turns out they're not affiliated - or at least the original doesn't want to be affiliated:

http://www.vitoandnick.com/

and this old post sort of explains what's going on . . . sort of . . .

http://lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t= ... =vito+nick

Does anyone know if the Mokena location is worth checking out?

I go to the Vito and Nicks a couple of times a month, and lthink its pretty decent. They have a $5.95 lunch buffet. The pizza has a very thin crisp crust with a zesty sauce. The sausage pizza there is my favorite.

Glenn

Damn, just saw this! Didn't know young Hank was in town.

Note that PaulE's Place is in downtown Mokena, one Metra stop beyond the Hickory Creek station that you would use for Capone's/Sapporo/Colusseum/Beggar's/White Castle/Mindy's.

There is also a Mr. Benny's steak house, on Everett Lane, but that's not really walking distance from either Metra stop in Mokena.

That isn't a grain elevator that you're seeing at the Hickory Creek stop - that's an Ozinga concrete plant.

OK, I never meant to suggest that White Castle and Denny's were the only options in the entire Mokenaland area. It was really hot, we had no transportation, and I was wearing jeans and cowboy boots (fashion before practicality.) Those were the 2 things that I could see while standing in the Colesseum parking lot. Plus, as mentioned, the Denny's was clean, cheap, and the service was good, so I wasn't really complaining.

Yourbar, you missed a darned good show. You should keep abreast of all young Hank happenings at www.hank3.com. Courtesy of my wonderful husband (and MANY dropped hints,) I am now the proud owner of tickets for Hank III and the Reverand Horton Heat at the Vegas House of Blues on December 29th (my birthday.) Should be rockin'.

Crispy Critter, I have brought shame to my central Wisconsin upbringing - 17 years of living there and I can't tell a grain elevator from a concrete plant! I guess the 14 I've spent living in the city have ruined me.

No problem... it's kind of a shame the way the streets are laid out in that area. The Hickory Creek Metra station is geared toward park-and-ride commuters, and it's rather tucked away from everything at 191st and LaGrange. The strip mall itself is a bit tucked away as well.

One other Mokena treasure, but it's a bit far to walk from the station and not open in the evenings (or at all on Mondays) is Fleckenstein's Bakery, at 19225 S. LaGrange. It has been in business for about 30 years now, and for good reason. Ironically, when it opened, it was the only food service establishment between Orland Park and Frankfort - my, how times have changed.

Apparently, the Colosseum closed at the end of August. I'll be interested to hear what it becomes - it's a huge space. Wal-Mart?

P.S. - Hank III tics on sale today at noon - Double Door, Nov 15th!