Local meat a draw to Lake Zurich steakhouse

Beelow's Steakhouse in Lake Zurich is the first go at the restaurant business for a third-generation farming family of the same name.

The Beelows have been raising cattle, hogs and grain in Lake County since the 1920s. With a public demand and appreciation for locally sourced meats and produce, as well as sustainable farming, it probably occurred to the Beelows that they could expand their titles to include restaurateurs and be successful.

Their Lake Zurich steakhouse has exposed ducts, bottom half wood trim and mostly stand-alone tables, and a handful of booths dotting the open dining room.

As befits a steakhouse, colors are dark, lighting is dim and tablecloths are white. But the atmosphere is not stiff; in fact, Beelow's carries an air of informality, which, for better or worse, came in waves as dinner progressed.

The menu was apt and short, highlighting a selection of appetizers, salads, burgers and meats like 35-day aged Tomahawk rib-eyes, a porterhouse or a New York strip steak. There is also the requisite seafood section, featuring North Atlantic salmon, Alaskan king crab legs and Canadian lobster tails.

A separate listing for the night's specials spotlighted fresh scallops with mushrooms and Marsala sauce, and a pasta jambalaya.

We found the seafood and appetizers to have mixed success. Delaware oysters were silky, sliding shots of aphrodisiac served with a horseradish and cocktail sauce. The Cajun blackened-shrimp appetizer, however, featured six curled shrimp that lacked presentation or much flavor beyond being sporadically blackened on one side.

The pan-fried cheese starter — made with melted havarti, fontina and fresh mozzarella — came out a thin, smooth cheesy surface on an iron skillet, and, as far as melted cheese goes, was satisfying. But the kitchen could have done more with the unceremoniously scattered toast accompanying it.

Salads, like a wedge with homemade blue cheese or a house with ranch, were fine, with real, quality-chopped bacon being the highlight of the former and the ranch dressing being the star of the latter.

But the meat was truly delectable, something even a recurring bout of oversalting had little effect on.

A “regular” 14-ounce portion (there is a 10-ounce petite and a 24-ounce grand) of medium-rare, 35-day aged prime rib was superb: juicy and pink, with meat and marbling melting on the tongue with equal ease, even more so once dipped into the jus. A 5-ounce lobster tail rounded out the surf and turf.

A curious spicing technique was again bequeathed on a pair of perfectly sized, twin center-cut pork chops. But no matter — they were flawlessly cooked and their freshness arose, leaving an over-peppered, citrusy sauce in their wake.

Service was friendly. Our server went out of his way for us, even finding a specific bottle of wine that he thought we would like and bringing an excellent 2008 Tikal — a 60/40 mix of bonarda and malbec that went down easy.

Dessert was a delicious, Oreo-crusted, cappuccino and vanilla ice cream pie that could have easily fed three.

In the end, we felt the meat was truly special, despite a couple of small missteps in other areas. The Beelows are definitely on to something in opening their own restaurant.

<b>Beelow's Steakhouse</b>

<b>763 S. Rand Road, Lake Zurich, (847) 540-0600, beelows.com</b>

<b>Cuisine:</b> American steakhouse

<b>Setting:</b> Semidark with a jovial, unstuffy atmosphere

<b>Hours:</b> 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, 4 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday

<b>Entrees:</b> $ 10.95 to $ 46.95