Bakers Square Restaurant & Pies

While I have dined here many times, the experience is never consistent UNLESS my favorite server, Miguel, is there.  He is the only one who has served me that knows how to bring water to the table without you having to request it and makes sure that your food arrives on the table correctly.  I have actually walked out of the restaurant and gone somewhere else if Miguel was not there.  Most of the food that I order is fine (Portofino Chicken Salad and Pot Roast dinner are very good) but my BIGGEST complaint is this places inability to make sure they have enough Caramel Pecan Silk Supreme pies available.  They run out of it almost every Free Pie Wednesday and if you just happen to stop by to purchase one FORGET IT!  Here is a clue ... if you have a highly requested pie on the menu HAVE MORE OF IT ON HAND THAN THE CRAP THAT ISN'T SELLING!!!!!!!!  I for the life of me can't figure out why their management can't get this simple concept correct.  Quickly getting bored with this location.

Having grown up in a small Midwest town, I spent quite a bit of my teenage years at Bakers Square.  It's where we hung out for hours after high school football games or when we all returned home from college.  I hadn't been to Bakers Square since the late-90s, but accidentally stumbled upon this one tucked on the outskirts of the city of Chicago.  I was thrilled.

I had the Thanksgiving Turkey meal (turkey, stuffing, cranberries, and gravy) and couldn't believe that it tasted like it was actually cooked that day and not some frozen turkey product trucked in from the Bakers Square Kitchens in some distant Arkansas warehouse.  The waiter must have heard me because he remarked that The Square (can I call it "The Square"?) cooks their turkey in house every day.  I was impressed.  My ladyfriend is a fan of the Chicken Pita Pocket.  Much like me, she said that it was what she always ordered when she went to The Square in high school.  We both decided that we need to spend more time at this place.

You'd be a total fool to not order a slice of pie.  You'd be even more foolish to not go on a Wednesday when it's Pie Rush Wednesday (FREE pie with any dinner purchase.  Read that again, Buckaroo.  I said FREE PIE!).  Don't be one of those who flip through all these pictures of delicious pie on their menu and then order a slice of apple pie.  Yawn.  Grab yourself a slice of the Peanut Butter Cup Pie.  

When you go back to your old college campus, you're reminded that you're not 19.  When you go back to Bakers Square, you're reminded that pie is dang delicious at any age.

Orded the patty melt and slice of apple pie.

The patty melt was good.  The bread was nice and patty was nice and big. I ordered a side of fries, but gave me coleslaw instead.  Instead of taking away the slaw and bringing out the fries, he left the slaw and got me a fresh order of fries. AWESOME! I loved the customer service. This was my main reason for giving out 5 stars.

Even though I was pretty full after the patty melt, fries, AND coleslaw... I heard people rave about the pies so I had to try it. I ordered a slice of the apple pie. In a word... eh. Nothing special. It was okay, but nothing special.  Maybe it was that pie. Maybe it was the apple pie (I should have gone with the pecan) Maybe it was something else. Who knows. Maybe when I go back the pecan/cherry pie or other pies will be better.

All in all, I would definately go back again when I can and highly recommend. The staff was friendly and the customer service was great. Just don't go in expecting the world's best apple pie.