Not quite 'a cut above,' but Morgan's a solid steakhouse
Chicago's food legacy is that of large slabs of meat, and the steakhouse is a classic part of the area's restaurant history. Yet great steakhouses have been few and far-between in the Western suburbs. Morgan's Charhouse on Roosevelt Road in Winfield is trying to establish itself as a premier steakhouse destination in DuPage County.
"We want to be a 'cut above' - that's our motto," said manager Angelo Sellis. "This is our mother ship (restaurant), the first we hope of many more to come."
Opened in December of 2008, Morgan's occupies the spot of the long-running and venerable Viking Steak House that closed a few years ago. The management of Morgan's has renovated the building, creating a clean, more modern look. Seating is comfortable and well spaced; one part of the dining area affords a look into the kitchen. A very cozy and relaxing bar area offers a nice selection of drinks plus complimentary hors d'oeuvres on weekday afternoons.
Our dining experience, however, was a bit uneven. There were exceptional highs, but we had a few disappointments as well.
First, the high points. We started the meal with an appetizer of stuffed mushrooms that was outstanding. I could have made a meal of just them. A perfect mix of spicy Italian sausage and spinach generously stuffed into fresh mushrooms then baked provided a great start to a meal.
We skipped salads to enjoy the selection of soups. My baked French onion soup (a large portion covered with creamy, melted cheese) was exactly what French onion soup should be - hearty, rich, flavorful, with a good portion of onions. My dining partner chose the mushroom soup which also was very hearty and scored points in flavor and satisfaction.
Morgan's offers a very nice selection of entrees including pasta, seafood, ribs, chicken and sandwiches. (Look for the "flame" symbol on the menu for house specialties.) However, the mark of any place calling itself a "charhouse" has to be grilled steaks and pork. Skipping that night's special of all-you-can-eat snow crab legs, I ordered the 9-ounce rib-eye steak while my partner ordered the double pork chops.
My rib-eye was cooked perfectly and was juicy, tender and flavorful - although I was surprised that it was a very thin cut. The steak came with a tasty baked potato topped with a very generous portion of sour cream. I ordered a side of sauteed mushrooms, but was presented with what appeared to be canned, reheated mushrooms devoid of any butter gravy. High praise, though, went to Morgan's creamed spinach side - creamy and full of flavor.
My dining partner's entree experience, however, was not so positive. Even though the pork chops were a nice size and the interior of the meat was tender and juicy, the extra-heavy burned char on the outside of the chops overwhelmed and ruined the flavor of the pork. The two sides were equally disappointing. The baked apples were overly sweet and seemed to be more like canned apple pie filling; the garlic mashed potatoes scored high on flavor (lots of garlic) but were a bit dry with no creaminess.
We ended the meal with a dessert of carrot cake: a large, moist and completely satisfying slice that was close to the best carrot cake I have ever had. I would not hesitate to order this on every visit.
In all, Morgan's Charhouse offers one of the better dining experiences in central DuPage, but needs to fix a few problems to move into the "cut above" category. I am looking forward to visiting Morgan's again.
<p class="factboxheadblack">Morgan's Charhouse</p> <p class="News">27W150 Roosevelt Road, Winfield</p> <p class="News">(630) 588-0500, <a href="http://morganscharhouse.com" target="new">morganscharhouse.com</a></p> <p class="News"><b>Cuisine:</b> American steakhouse</p> <p class="News"><b>Setting:</b> Manly bar and wood accents balanced with pale walls and soft lighting</p> <p class="News"><b>Entrees:</b> $12 to $29 </p> <p class="News"><b>Hours:</b> Noon to 9 p.m. Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday, 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, 4 to 11 p.m. Saturday</p>