I was calling on an account in the far northwestern suburbs of Chicago on a recent visit there and it was past 7 p.m. when I left the dealer. I was making my way back toward my hotel when I passed a place on Algonquin Road in Arlington Heights (see map) that piqued my interest. I took a turn and headed back to try a place by the name of the Rack House.
With a name like the Rack House, I figured that it was probably a barbecue joint. I was partially correct - they do feature smoked meats in the restaurant. But the focus of the sports bar/restaurant centers upon the number of food items they serve that are flavored with bourbon. A "rackhouse" (also known as a "rickhouse") is a building where aging barrels are stored in whiskey making operations. The Rack House has a long drink list that features "moonshine" drinks, bourbons, Irish whiskey, and single malt Scotch.
But they also have an in-house Southern Pride smoker that allows them to smoke ribs, brisket, pork butt, chicken and sausage. They also smoke chicken wings and salmon in the larger smoker. The Rack House uses hard woods to smoke the meats allowing for a "low and slow" cooking technique.
The Rack House opened in March of 2013 in what was a former Boston Blackie's location. When the father-son owners of Boston Blackie's were indicted on a nearly $2 million bank fraud scheme in 2010, all of their Chicago-area restaurants closed up. Partners Luke Johnson - who owned the LM Bistro in the trendy River North area of Chicago - and Matt Lewandowski - who owned the Trademark Tavern in Lombard - bought the building and renovated it into the Rack House. They closed their respective eateries and concentrated on their new venture in Arlington Heights.
It was around 7:30 when I got into the restaurant. I was greeted by a hostess who asked if I wanted to eat in the bar area - filled with a lot of flat screen televisions and a lot of people - or in the dining room which was a little more laid back and rather quiet. I went with the dining room. And I'm glad I did. I was escorted to a dining area that featured a gas fire place with a large flat screen television above the hearth that was tuned to a basketball game. The hostess dropped off a menu and soon thereafter my server for the evening, Rachel, came to take my drink order. I got a Lagunitas IPA, one of nearly two dozen beers they feature on tap It was served to me in a pint-sized Mason jar.
In addition to the barbecue items on the menu, the Rack House also features the normal sports bar/restaurant appetizers, a number of burgers, salads and wraps, and a number of sandwiches. They also had a handful of entrees that included a ginger/soy-marinated skirt steak, apple cider-glazed pork chops, and a smoked beer-can chicken (available on a limited basis).
I was leaning toward getting the "Over Easy" burger which consists of a burger patty topped with Swiss and cheddar cheese, strips of bacon, caramelized onions, a fried egg and finished with a whiskey BBQ sauce. But I had been getting burnt out on burgers up to that point and I thought I needed something else.
That's when I saw that they had grilled fish tacos. I'm a sucker for good grilled fish tacos (you know that if you're a regular reader of Road Tips) and the ones at the Rack House seemed promising. The fish was seasoned with a blackening spice, then topped with shredded pepper jack cheese, garlic aioli sauce, and shredded cabbage and served in three soft flour taco shells. A medley of tortilla chips came on the side, but those were mainly throw-aways - the fish tacos were actually pretty damned good. The blackened seasoning gave the tacos a bit of a bite, but the garlic aioli was a great touch. I usually make my fish tacos at home with a chipotle/mayo sauce that really gives it a bite. But the garlic aioli may have turned my head in a different direction. It was far from a heavy meal - something that I didn't need that evening. It was simply a spot hitter.
For taking a chance on a place that I just happened to spy as I was driving by, I can't say that I was disappointed in the Rack House. Far from it - I liked the laid-back and welcoming atmosphere, Rachel's service was professional and efficient, and the blackened grilled fish tacos were very good. I wasn't full, nor was I hungry after I finished my meal. I would like to get back to try some of their barbecue at some point. But for what I had this particular evening, I was very happy with what I got. (Picture courtesy The Daily Herald)
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