First impressions: Tucked away on a lazy street corner in Highland Park, Sloppy Jo’s Lunchroom is a quiet, unassuming little restaurant. If it weren’t for the kids flooding in from nearby Ravinia School, parents and nannies in tow, I would have missed it.
But once I walked into Sloppy Jo’s, I felt like I was in 3rd grade again. The decor screamed grade-school cafeteria: white tables and counters, a chest full of Etch A Sketch toys to play with, displays carrying snack-size Kit Kats, Lemonheads and Peppermint Patties.The Sloppy Jo’s logo, a baby with a face stained from sauce, was the only reminder that this was a restaurant.
On the plate: The menu at Sloppy Jo’s kept to its namesake. Yes, they offer hot dogs (plain, with cheese, with sloppy joe meat or as a corn dog) and a few sandwiches (grilled cheese, tuna salad and fluffernutters).
But honestly, you go for the sloppy joe, with or without cheese. Sloppy Jo’s did offer a few desserts, mainly ice cream, tubs of cookie dough and a cherry turnover, but that was it.
At your service: Service was quick when I visited. Most of the ingredients were already cooked, leaving just the dish’s assembly. Once the cook was finished, an attendant brought out the food on a red, plastic tray, complete with a Tootsie Roll and a biodegradable spork made from sugar cane and limestone. In fact, all Sloppy’s Jo’s packaging breaks down in months, including the corn-based cups and straws.
“It was a commitment,” said owner Debbi Gordon. “Eventually, we’re going to run out of landfill space. And every person should do their part, even if it’s me with a little, 600-square-foot sloppy joe place. It makes so much sense.”
Second helpings: Fans of Tater Tots will like Sloppy Jo’s. Fried to a golden brown and served in a paper boat, my order of tots ($1.75) was light and crispy, with just a hint of salt. The Sloppy Jo ($3.75) was a little on the sweet side but gets points for its genius delivery system: a whole Kaiser roll cut at one end and gutted, creating a pocket. But the biggest surprise was the fluffernutter ($3). This gooey sandwich, a combination of salty peanut butter and sweet marshmallow spread, was simple and good.
Take a pass: Skip the cheesy dog ($3), a hot dog slathered in cheese sauce. The sauce looked unnaturally orange and tasted more like plastic. The hot dog wasn’t much of an improvement; it was mushy with hardly any taste.
Also disappointing was the Frito Pie ($4), the restaurant’s most expensive dish. Not even the Tootsie Roll could help this vinegary mash-up of sloppy joe, cheese sauce, crushed butter crackers and chopped onions over corn chips.
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Thirst quenchers: An assortment of soda (creme, orange, strawberry, grape, lemon-lime, root beer and Coke products) and bottled water.
Extras: Complimentary Wi-Fi is available at the restaurant.
Price range: Sloppy joes, $3.75-$4; hot dogs, $2.75-$3.25; sandwiches $2.75-$3.75; beverages $1-$1.50; desserts $1-$2.25.
SLOPPY JO’S LUNCHROOM
(2 forks)
733 St. Johns Ave., Highland Park
847-266-8687
www.sloppyjos.com
Hours: 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Tues.-Sat.
Credit cards: Cash only
Noise: Conversation friendly
Other: Wheelchair accessible, parking lot.
Ratings key: 4 forks, don’t miss it; 3 forks, one of the best; 2 forks, very good; 1 fork, good
Cheap Eats reviews restaurants where entrees are $13 or less. Reviews are based on anonymous visits by Tribune staff members; meals are paid for by the Tribune.