Lunchrolls in the Loop

After reading last week that Spa Café was closing and reopening as Lunchrolls, I decided to swing by and try it out.

Lunchrolls
112 West Monroe Street
Weekdays 10am - 3pm

The menu has two sections, “rolls” and “sides.” Their website isn’t working yet, so here are some photos of their paper menu:




I went with the BBQ beef brisket on a house white roll and a side of mac & cheese. The food was prepared as efficiently as I could expect. I got takeout, and sadly and immediately noticed how light my bag was. I checked to make sure I’d gotten the side. I was worried that I’d just spent $10 on lunch (with a can of pop) and would be left hungry.

I quickly walked the two blocks back to the office and opened the mac & cheese . . .



It was a pretty sad little helping of mac & cheese. All the cheese flavor was in the cheese topping. The noodles themselves were pretty bland. I wouldn’t get this again.

And here’s the sandwich, first as viewed upon opening the wrapper, and second upon holding it open for inspection.





The problem with stuffing the bread like they do is that there’s no filling in the ends. The bread, however, was fresh and fluffy. The portion was adequate, but not generous. Maybe four slices of brisket. The brisket was both dry and fatty. The fatty bits were stringy and not good. I usually enjoy the fat and was surprised to be pulling a bit of it out (no reason to eat something not good for me when it’s not tasty). And yet, the brisket was dry. There was some char to the point that the meat was hard. The too sweet (for my tastes) sauce couldn’t rescue the dry meat. The onion jam was fine, but overwhelmed by the sauce.

I’m full, but not particularly happy. The food was only okay. After spending $10 for a sandwich, small side, and can of pop, I should be happier. I think tomorrow, instead, I’ll be heading in the opposite direction to Cafecito for a consistently tasty $5.50 steak chimichurri sandwich.

Ronna

Lunchrolls
112 W Monroe St
Chicago, IL
312-551-0000 |

Good review/warning. Lunchrolls is terrible name. Seems more of a condition to describe post-lunch bloating: "I got the buffet, and came back with lunchrolls."

I dunno...but that looks pretty terrible. Thanks for the warning.

That's too bad that Spa Cafe closed. I had only been once about 2 years ago, and I enjoyed it. This doesn't look a better alternative.

Just read about this place in TimeOut. It was opened by the former chef at Bonsoiree and I had somewhat high expectations. Sorry to hear that it wasn't that good...

http://www3.timeoutny.com/chicago/blog/ ... unchrolls/

Wow! That looks like one of the worst things I've seen posted in a looooooong time.

I was just at Spa Cafe last week and thought to myself how much I like it. Oh well. I guess I'll give this horribly named place a try.

REB wrote:After reading last week that Spa Café was closing and reopening as Lunchrolls, I decided to swing by and try it out.

Lunchrolls
112 West Monroe Street
Weekdays 10am - 3pm

I quickly walked the two blocks back to the office and opened the mac & cheese . . .





And here’s the sandwich, first as viewed upon opening the wrapper, and second upon holding it open for inspection.




|

I gotta say, that's the worst looking brisket I've ever seen. It looks like the kind of thing that would be sitting under a heat lamp at a gas station.

There seems to be a proliferation of new loop places that suck, but offer a $10 combo meal as some sort of bargain. I am looking at you, Epic Burger and Chutney Joe's. But those places, I would eat at if I had to---the food would be nothing special. But the outcome would be merely that I'd feel I paid too much. Lunchrolls, I'd feel like I'd gotten rolled in the alley.

How can good chefs make crap like this? Kurt's food at Bonsoiree was delicious, I was sad to see him go as the menu went straight to Japanese-ish. I preferred Kurt's comfort food, his short ribs are amazing.

I suppose I can console myself knowing that I've hopefully spared others from spending $10 on some seriously mediocre food. I guess I took one for the LTH team.

The chef from Bon Soiree was there at the counter in his chef's jacket, monitoring the food that was going out.

And, yes, Spa Cafe, while also pricey, was waaaaay better.

Ronna

What a disappointment. I enjoyed Spa Cafe, and since I don't go out for lunch all that often I didn't mind spending a little extra cash when I did.

Also worth noting is that, according to the letter on the restaurant window, Rich Levy of Salad Spinners is also involved.

REB wrote:I suppose I can console myself knowing that I've hopefully spared others from spending $10 on some seriously mediocre food. I guess I took one for the LTH team.
The chef from Bon Soiree was there at the counter in his chef's jacket, monitoring the food that was going out.

thanks for taking one for the team.

any chef should be embarassed to have his or her name tied to this project.

jimswside wrote:any chef should be embarassed to have his name tied to this project.

Whoa! I think that's a little harsh, based on one negative report. I mean, it sure doesn't look or sound good but still.

Just sayin'.

=R=

I'm with ronnie_suburban on this. Before we condemn Lunchrolls to the dustbin of eateries, maybe we should wait until we have the opinion of more than one person. No offense to REB whose review was helpful and informative. It's just that, well, it's only one review.

ronnie_suburban wrote:Whoa! I think that's a little harsh, based on one negative report. I mean, it sure doesn't look or sound good but still.

perhaps a little harsh... my bad,

but those pictures & descriptions of the food dont have me running downtown to try this place either.

jimswside wrote:but those pictures & descriptions of the food dont have me running downtown to try this place either.

With that I whole-heartedly agree.

=R=

Yep, I'm only one person and this is only one review. And, to be clear, the food wasn't inedible. I ate all of it. And, my IPhone pictures certainly didn't show the food in the best light.

The problem is that the price point is high enough that I won't return to give Lunchrolls another try anytime soon. For example, perhaps their whitefish, something relatively uncommon on sandwich menus, is wonderful. It's just too expensive for me to find out.

I expect a decent fast food meal for $10. As Marco points out, Epic Burger has a similar $10 deal. I've only been there once, too.

Ronna

REB wrote:For example, perhaps their whitefish, something relatively uncommon on sandwich menus, is wonderful. It's just too expensive for me to find out.

On a related note, I really like the house-smoked whitefish salad at Fox & Obel, and it's pretty cheap. I get a small container and a mini-baguette for about 5 bucks.

I have been trying to find some good place for healthy food in the Loop near my office since Trotter's to go Express closed their location at the end of February at 200 W. Monroe. So yesterday I tried Lunchrolls (I had gone there expecting Spa but they just changed on Monday). I got the Zucchini soup which was delicious, but still not up to nirvana of Trotter's soup which I ate almost every work day. I also got the mixed greens salad and it was a disappointment--too salty by a long shot. I would never order that again. I will probably go back for the soup; I liked that they indicated vegan.

Sounds like I may just continue to fast. I posted earlier today about packing lunch (shelf stable since I do not have access to refrigeration on microwave + I am a vegetarian.)

I had another disappointing lunch at Soprafina on Dearborn today and had decided to go to Spa Cafe, since I don't think I am going out to Fox & Obel tonight for a loaf of white bread for PB & J. So now I discover, both Spa Cafe & Trotter's to Go are gone. Ugh! I guess those of us who want healthy were not eating at these spots enough. Both of them were a few blocks away so I would generally hit Petterino's. I am Petterino'ed out. The food is good, I just ate it way too often. The same goes for Takashi's noodles, Frontera Grill, & Marcus Samuelson's burger joint all on 7 in Macy's. I guess I can go back to Wow Bao or Berry Chill (the 1 across from City Hall just re-opened) but isn't there anything else?

I wish there was a Delmonico's with actually hot food, plates, and cutlery in the Loop!

Any other suggestions?

Wow, my experience on Monday was completely different. Alerted to its existence by a friend who'd googled Kurt's name last week to see what he was up to, I decided to head over and try it. Was never a big fan of Spa- nothing was ever bad, but it was oddly bland and felt overpriced. My office moved last January, and is now just far enough to not warrant the effort for their food at that price point.

Based on my single meal, Lunchrolls seems like it'll be worth some extra walking. I ordered the Moroccan Lamb sandwich on wheat & jambalaya for the side. The roll was stuffed with meat, and then covered with couscous (and presented on a comically large metal tray). It seemed a strange way to eat shredded lamb & couscous...and first bite was a bit disappointing thanks to the 'no filling in the ends' problem noted by REB...but the meat was tender and flavorful, the couscous provided a good contrast in both taste and texture...and it all worked pretty well. The roll itself was good- no it wasn't a crusty baguette (which prob isn't even a good choice for the given ingredients, but tends to be my preferred type of bread), but it was miles beyond that served at the franchised sandwich places. Portion was definitely generous- there was a lot of lamb inside the roll, and I honestly would have been satisfied with just the sandwich.

The side turned it into a really filling meal. I don't think you'd really want to call it cajun jambalaya (I don't recall any rice), but as a kind of jambalaya-inspired soup with chicken, sausage, & veggies it was a good thickness with a little bit of spice & cajun flavor, it worked. I liked it, though more heat would have been welcome.

I thought my meal was worth $10. It's the upper limit of what I want to spend on lunch, but I've had plenty less-satisfying meals in the loop at that price point. Unfortunately, cutting the drink out of the equation won't save much of anything here...but if you can do without a side, the sandwich itself would hit at roughly $7 after-tax.

I'll probably head back sometime next week, regardless...but in the meantime, if anyone else checks it out it'd be good to hear which end of the spectrum your experience lands on.

Dear All on LTH

My name is Rich Levy and I am one of the partners in Lunch Rolls. Thanks for your comments and reviews about us on here. I had never actually heard of LTH until a friend informed me. Chef Kurt and I are very interested in what our guests are saying, and your input is very useful to us. Your comments have been helpful in both improving our fledgling concept and training our staff. So I thank you all for that.

Furthermore, I would like to invite the first 25 people who send me an email at rgl1219@hotmail.com with your first and last name in the subject header. I will then shoot you back a code that you can use anytime this month for a free meal for 2 people. If you are so inclined to shoot me another email with your comments and/or give us a review afterwards that would be terrific. But please remember to make it fair and honest. We dont need ego boosts we want useful input to help us better our concept.

The Lunch Rolls menu was created with a lot of thought and passion for fresh, homemade, scratch cooking - a real talent of my partner - Chef Kurt Chenier. While I do love everything on the menu, I would strongly suggest that you try the Brisket or Jambalaya on our House Roll, or Morrocan Lamb on Wheat Pita or Lettuce Roll, and feel free to let me know what you think either publically on here or yelp or via email.

Also our web-site is now up and running... you can see it here www.lunchrolls.com

Regards,

Rich Levy
Co-Founder - Lunch Rolls
rgl1219@hotmail.com
312-735-1577 cell

Any other suggestions?

Not to co-opt the Lunchrolls thread, but have you tried Hannah's Bretzel?

Locations @ 180 W. Washington and 233 N. Michigan

See further discussion here...viewtopic.php?f=14&t=4246&hilit=Hannah%27s+Bretzel

richlevy1219 wrote:Furthermore, I would like to invite the first 25 people who send me an email at rgl1219@hotmail.com with your first and last name in the subject header. I will then shoot you back a code that you can use anytime this month for a free meal for 2 people. If you are so inclined to shoot me another email with your comments and/or give us a review afterwards that would be terrific. But please remember to make it fair and honest. We dont need ego boosts we want useful input to help us better our concept.

Hi,

Anyone who chooses to accept their offer and later writes a report on LTH, please fully disclose the circumstances.

Thank you!

Regards,
Cathy2 for the moderators

Lunchrolls...a big hit in my book.

Overall- A

Pros- Well...just about everything. Food, service, portion size and value. You can just as easily spend $9-10 at Panda Express next door. Also complimentary unsweetened tea at the counter with sugar if you desire. And last but not least (if I remember correctly) they were using sustainable cups which got big props from me.

Cons/Suggestions- The only two things I can think of is the half sheet trays they use to serve you and the lack of a recycling bin. The sheet trays are a good idea but I think a 1/4 sheet tray would be perfect for the job. As for the recycling bin, I just wish there were one or two next to the trash can to toss out your cans and bottled water and the end of the meal.

I went into Lunchrolls yesterday with every expectation of just another loop spot to get a quick meal. Not only do you get your meal quick, but you get it fresh and with a big smile. Behind the counter is Chef Kurt putting out fresh food the whole time, something you don't see anywhere else.

I went in with all intentions of ordering the Cajun Shrimp Jambalaya sandwich when I saw a new sandwich replacing the Peppercorn Roast Beef for at least that day....a Chicago Steakhouse sandwich. Excited to see something new I ordered that with a side of Jambalaya. Not only were both items hot and fresh, they were loaded with flavor. The Steakhouse was packed with juicy meat and pickled veg. I got it on the House Roll which worked great with the sandwich. The roll was fresh and allowed the flavors of the ingredients to stand out rather than a mouthful of bread (it reminded me of Bao in the way that it was light, fluffy, and accommodating.) With the sandwich came a cup of the Jambalaya soup that packed a great amount of heat. I'm glad that Chef Kurt didn't hold back on the spice when making this. The soup was full of fresh cooked veg that still had bite to them.



*We were brought a sample of the daily soup special which was parsnip and something else. The flavor and consistency were great but a tad sweet for me, if you're a fan of parsnip you'd enjoy it.

**About the previous complaints of the sandwiches not being filled side to side completely. I agree that mine was filled but for a good reason. The roll acts as a pocket to hold the fresh filling and prevents a huge mess either at lunch or in your office. If this still offends you enough not to buy one you can easily rip the sides, smash it down a bit and spread the filling if you so desire. By no means did that deter me from a great sandwich.

I'll be back for more.

Just finished a tasty, but entirely too large, lunch from Lunchrolls.

I went with the Moroccan Lamb in a house roll. This also has Israeli cous cous, raisins, and chick peas. I'm not a big chick pea fan, and this ingredient was unadvertised, so I wasn't too excited when I saw them on the sandwich upon returning to my desk. That being said, I really enjoyed the sandwich. The bread held everything together nicely, the lamb was tender and juicy, and the raisins and cous cous were nice compliments to the meat. I also had a side of jambalaya that was good, and right up to the line of being too spicy for my tastes without quite crossing over.

They were running a special today where you got a free additional side if you ordered a combo (sandwich + side + drink), so I went with the bread pudding, which was fantastic but filled me up way too much.

All in I spent $9.98, which I consider perfectly reasonable for the area and what they're serving. Lunchrolls has definitely found a place in my lunch rotation.

hey guys,
long time listener/first time caller

I took advantage of the free lunch offer which was mighty kind of Lunchrolls.

i went with the Brisket sandwich which was fantastic. If i had to change anything, maybe some cheese on it. The white bread is phenomenal. Very soft and not too thick.
i went with mac & cheese as my side which was disappointing. It was more noodles w/ dry cheese on top of it.
other side i got was banana bread pudding. I actually wanted that, but said mac & cheese instead. Then the girl at the register said i get another side where i quickly spouted out the bread pudding!
Very good stuff.

my friend got the veggie sandwich which was packed full of veggies
Side salad which was also big
and cous cous. I tried some of it and it was very good, not dry at all.

Overall, I was very satisfied. I felt a 'good full' and not overstuffed at all. The other items on the menu look great, so I'll be looking to hit it up again.

On my way out, a fire broke out in the oven and smoke filled the room. Hope this place is okay!

I took advantage of the generous offer for free lunch today. My friend and I shared everything we ordered. We had the Moroccan lamb on flatbread and the jambalaya on house roll. The Moroccan lamb was tasty, but I wished there were more raisins as listed. I don't think our sandwich had any. It looked like it was going to be moist, but the shredded lamb was actually kind of dry. The jambalaya was my friend's pick. It's kind of weird to have a sandwich of something kind of soupy. Lots of shrimp, but did not detect any sausage on my half. It had a slight kick to it. The house roll was very soft and light. Both sandwiches were good, but messy.

For the sides we went w/the mixed green salad and grilled veggies. The sides were nothing to write home about. The salad was fresh and dressed with balsamic. The grilled veggies included green and yellow zucchini and small pearl onions, which were nice & sweet.

The smoke was just unbearable while we were waiting, so we took our food to eat outside Daley Plaza. The opened up the revolving door, which helped some. Hope it gets fixed soon.

As it turns out, there is such a thing as a free lunch. I took Rich Levy up on his offer and took a friend to Lunchrolls today for, um, lunch.

I had the Chicago Steakhouse roll, with a side of chili.


The steak roll came with a very generous amount of meat, topped with pickled red onions, carrots, and red bell peppers. The meat was tender, juicy, and well-seasoned, but could have benefited from a little char. The pickled veggies added a pleasant, acidic bite. I enjoyed the sandwich. Did it thrill me like a good version of its carne asada cousin? No, but it was good enough.

The chili, on the other hand, was excellent. Really a very nice, tangy, homestyle chili with black beans and tender chunks of (not ground) beef. Yeserday's steak perhaps? Either way, it was very good. Unanimously the best thing ordered between the two of us.

My friend had the Smoked Whitefish roll, with a side of jambalaya.


The whitefish came in chunks, and was not the expected whitefish salad. The fish was topped with mixed baby lettuce, grape tomatoes, and a honey mustard vinaigrette. The fish itself was very lightly smoked and fresh tasting. This sandwich was not quite as successful as the steak. It was a little bit bland, but fine.

The jambalaya was, as others have stated, surprisingly spicy with a faint smokiness. The texture was odd for jambalaya. More like a thick jambalaya soup. I'm used to more rice-heavy versions, but it was pretty good.

Bottom line on Lunchrolls: It didn't blow my mind, but it sure blows away the chains. Potbelly, Jimmy John's, and Subway just can't compete on taste or quality. I also think it is a fine value at a few bucks more than the aforementioned competition. I'm happy to have it as a Loop lunch option.

--Rich

My Customary Dining Companion and I took advantage of Rich's generous offer, too. We met there, and I arrived before CDC, just before noon, and so got an eyeful of the entire Flaming Smoker lunchtime floor show. CDC arrived, and regarded the proceedings wide-eyed, but we stayed - hey, free lunch! Plus it was certainly exciting.

After the smoke cleared, we ordered - meatball with provolone and the mac&chs for CDC, the steakhouse roll and banana bread pudding for me. The service was pretty shaky, at best, as our order was 100% wrongly filled - I will assume that the proximity to a towering workplace inferno during the lunch rush would threw them off. CDC got it straightened out, though, and we tucked in. CDC liked his meatball sandwich - the meatballs were pronounced "solid" (that's a good thing), and he inhaled it. The mac&chs, not so much - it got a "meh" for being dry and having a crumchy top that shouldn't have been crunchy, meaning that it was the mac on top that was crunchy. My steakhouse roll was delicious; the meat was tender, and had a nice spicy kick, and I found the Asian style veg pickle to be a nice foil for it. Really good.

The big winner was the bread pudding. CDC eats a lot faster than I, so I told him to go ahead and start on the pudding. It didn't look like much, but his eyes lit up. I grabbed it back, so as to guard my portion - and it was tremendous. Chunks of moist custard-infused banana bread were covered with a simple house-made caramel sauce. I have got to figure out this recipe....man. What a great idea. So simple and straightforward, but just perfect.

I'm sure the service will improve with experience, and that the smoker won't erupt in flames every day, so it had potential. This could be a 'solid' (thanks, CDC) Loop lunch option, but they have got to revamp that mac&chs ASAP.

Thanks again, Rich.