Central Kitchen and Tap

I was all set to give this place five stars after my first experience, but I was too lazy to write a review at the time. That's some extreme laziness too since the entire review would have only consisted of three words and an exclamation point. "POT ROAST SANDWICH!"

I've been here a bunch. It's a great option in the neighborhood if you feel like something other than pizza or hot dogs. The pot roast sandwich remains my favorite thing on the menu, so I've only tried a few other things.

I ordered the half-slab of ribs one time and the meat was falling off of the bone. So, so good. Unfortunately, the very next time I ordered, the meat was tough. I ended up tossing a lot of it in the garbage because I'm not an animal and I don't like to have to work and get messy when I eat.

The Pasta Bolognese is delicious but overpriced by a dollar or two.

They offer a discount for anyone in the same zip code. I like that they reward people from the neighborhood for giving them business, but I find it unfair that if you live a couple blocks north or south (versus east or west), you fall out of the boundary. How about expanding it and showing the rest of Jefferson and Portage Park some love?

So why the fall from a five-star first impression to three stars? Sit back. I have a brief and mundane story to tell.

Last week I called ahead with my order as I always do. When I showed up, my food was already waiting for me on the counter. There was a line of about four groups of people ahead of me so I got in it.

All the people were taking an eternity to order. They were deciding what they wanted to eat at the register, asking for recommendations, that sort of thing. My patience was really being tested.

I went up to the gray-haired guy at the counter who was in the process of bagging my food, and I asked if there's a separate line for carry-out. He looked at the receipt on the boxes in front of him.

"You Chris?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said.

Then he responds, "No."

That's it. That's all he said, barely even making eye contact with me.

So I got back in line, all the while considering just walking out without getting my food. But goddamn, I was so hungry and I could almost taste that pot roast on my lips.

I had to wait in that line for about 10 minutes before I was able to pay for my food. That is absolutely ridiculous and defeats the purpose of accepting orders for carry-out. What's the point of calling ahead if you don't get priority when you show up? I've never experienced something like that before, and it's gonna keep me away from this joint for a while in fear of having to eat cold food again.

It's my fault too. I should have made a big fuss about it instead of quietly getting back into line. But they should know better.

Porchetta sammich kicked butt! Diner facade and interiors doesn't do justice to the quality and deliciousness of the food.  Glad to have it in the hood.

HOLY SHIT  !!! THIS PLACE IS GREAT......I don't know where to start ....the prices,the quality of the food , the menu....the burger should be entered in contests,its so rich,buttery,flavorful....that burger blend is mind blowing....the most aggravating thing about this place is trying to order because trying to decide between the burger,the hanger steak,the pork sandwich,or just about anything else on the menu is beyond tough.   go there you will love it!!!