Meal Deals in Schaumburg area for dinner with the In-Laws

Mellonhubby and I are meeting his parents in the burbs Thursday evening. We're going to dinner to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday. Mellonhubby's father is very fussy about where we eat for events like this. He's very big on getting a 'value' when eating out. Mostly this means sacrificing quality for 'value' - which isn't really a value in my book.

Buffets usually fit his style - Todai at Woodfield is one of his favorites (Mellonhubby and I refer to this place as To-die as the shellfish and other seafood is not always as fresh as I'd like it to be...) Often I find us going to a place that is rather expensive ($25+ for an entree) but the food is relatively sad - however the father-in-law thinks he's getting a deal because soup or salad and a starch are included in the meal (the old Ember's Char House in Barrington comes to mind...which was its own special kind of hell with college students and community theatre rejects singing show tunes while you tried to choke down a poorly cooked filet.)

So LTHers, I'm looking for some suggestions for a place that the father-in-law would think is a deal (i.e. some meals offered not a la carte) but won't kill us either. We're open to the style of cuisine (I thought of the bento boxes at Midori in the city might be something that would fit his 'value' bill) but the location needs to be somewhere in the Schaumburg/Arlington Heights area. Help!

Is India House too extreme?
India House Restaurant and Banquets - http://www.indiahousechicago.com
1521 W Schaumburg Rd.
Schaumburg
(847) 895-5501

Dang - forgot to mention that the mother-in-law won't eat spicy food in any form (even the mildest butter chicken is too hot for her...)

How about Chowpatti?
CHOWPATTI VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT - www.chowpatti.com
(North of Golf Rd.& 1/2 blk.South of Central Rd. In ChowpattiPlaza )
1035 S. ARLINGTON HEIGHTS ROAD
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS
(847) 640-9554

I'm partial to the bento boxes at Kitakata. Definitely a hole in the wall from the street but pretty good food. Golf and Arlington Heights Rd
http://kitakatarestaurant.com/default.aspx

The Thursday special at Chandlers is $15 for a slab of ribs. There's slight risk that they're a little off since the golf course isn't operating. Roselle between Higgins and Schaumburg Rd.
http://www.chandlerschophouse.com/

If you don't mind a chain Ted's Montana Grill has a $15 "Real Deal" special.
http://www.tedsmontanagrill.com/index.html

FWIW, Ember's Charhouse was in Palatine not Barrington....

Just an update: we ended up at the Davis Street Fish Market in Schaumburg. They're having "lobster fest" until the end of the month - a 1.25lb lobster with corn on the cob and "Asian" slaw for $19.99. I guess this fit the bill...although the father-in-law still found something to complain about

mellonhead wrote:Just an update: we ended up at the Davis Street Fish Market in Schaumburg
....although the father-in-law still found something to complain about

I do not find that hard to believe at the DSFM in Schaumburg....
been once and never agian...