MECCA Supper Club is a place that I've driven by many times during my numerous visits to the northwest side and suburbs of Chicago over the years. It's always intrigued me and I've wanted to try the place, but for some reason or another I never made it in. That is until a recent visit to Chicago, I made a point to have dinner at MECCA Supper Club.
In talking with one of the wait staff at the supper club that evening, she told me that longtime owner Kevin Shirley had recently sold the business to a lady whose name she didn't give me. (And one that I cannot find in any public record.)
Wondering if the restaurant had any connection to the Islamic holy city in Saudi Arabia, I asked her how the "MECCA" name came to be. She said, "Geez, honestly, I don't know the whole story. There was a guy by the name of John who owned the place before Kevin and I think his last name was Mecca-something." And, of course, I couldn't find any info on that.
MECCA Supper Club is located on Northwest Highway in the far northwest side of Chicago (see map). The facade of the building is covered in rock and a large neon sign - similar to ones that you'd see at supper clubs in Northern Wisconsin or Northern Minnesota - hung high off the front. Parking is available on the street or in a parking lot a couple three doors to the southeast of the place.
The decor of the dining area is heavy with Northwoods accents - pine log siding on the walls along with some old time paraphernalia including mounted fish and big game heads in the dining area in the back. There were old time Schlitz beer trays affixed to the walls, too. This place didn't look like it belonged in Chicago.
The bar was actually pretty cool. Deep blue lights accented the long rows of bottles behind the bar. I especially loved the "Schlitz on Tap" neon sign affixed to the wall above the bottles behind the bar. This looked like a place that I'd love to belly up to the bar and have an Old Style.
I was seated in a booth in the back dining area and given a menu to look over. The menu was similar to what you'd find in the Northwoods - steaks, fish, chicken, pork chops and slabs of ribs. Sandwiches are also available with prime rib served on Friday and Saturday nights. I was leaning toward getting the 8 ounce filet and that's what I ordered when my server came to take my order. I also got a Sweetwater 420 pale ale they had available.
Five minutes later, my server came back to the table and she told me, "I'm sorry, but we're out of filet's tonight." I was incredulous. One of their most expensive things on the menu and they don't have it. I was crestfallen because I didn't want to get the hanger steak, the steak kabobs or the sirloin steak they had on the menu. She went and picked up a menu for me to look through again and I finally decided on the pork loin with a twice baked potato.
Like a Northwoods supper club, MECCA gives you a relish tray and a big bowl of rolls. I especially like a relish tray even though I hardly eat any of the veggies on the plate. It's just a nice touch. The relish tray was served with a small bowl of ranch dressing.
A salad with basil-vinaigrette dressing came soon after the relish tray was served. It featured fresh greens with chunks and slices of fresh vegetables throughout. It was a nice start to the meal.
However, the pork loin wasn't up to par. It was a generous cut of sliced pork loin topped with a red pepper cream sauce and seated on a bed of spinach. The pork was sort of overcooked and the red pepper cream sauce overpowered the overall taste. It wasn't that I didn't like the sauce - I did. But I think they slathered the sauce on in the kitchen to cover up the overcooked taste of the pork loin. The twice baked potato was sort of cold and I only had a couple bites of it. I ate a good portion of the pork loin before throwing in the towel. It was disappointing.
And it could have been the reason I was disappointed was because they didn't have the beef filet I'd originally ordered that evening. Sometimes you get your hopes up for a certain food that you order and your taste buds are priming themselves for that food. Then when you're told you can't get it, it mentally throws you off. But the pork was overcooked and the roasted red pepper cream sauce was a tad too much. However, the service was good, and I liked the decor and the ambiance of MECCA Supper Club enough that I probably will go back at some point and try the filet - that is, if they have it.
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