Northwoods Restaurant

I wouldn't typically drive out to Indiana to spend my Saturday night but my friend's band was playing here and it was only an hour.  I can drive an hour to see his band in Illinois as well, we just happened to cross state lines for this show.

We went early to eat in the restaurant - had appetizers and the big baked cookie with ice cream for dessert.  The food was decent, the service was decent.  You can get in the other half of the place (the bar) with your receipt for free, otherwise they charge a cover at the door for the bands.

It was a warmer October night for the midwest and certainly WARMER in this place but, I could have more complaints...this is probably my only one.

The service at the bar was good, although it wasn't very crowded in there.  They also let you get up and dance on the bar.  That was a PLUS for my friends, not so much for me....

I'm not so sure I'd hike it out to this place again but it's a decent place if you're in the area.

This is a review STRICTLY for their Sunday breakfast buffet.
Simply said - IT'S FRAKING AWFUL!!!

1- the "French Toast" is straight out of a box, you know... the type you get at your local grocery stores frozen food section. It's the box labeled French Toast STIX

2 - Biscuits - dry, bland, bleh...

3 - Country Gravy - only if you want the biscuits to taste worse.

4 - Scrambled Eggs - I'm not even sure they're eggs... it was a solid yellowish, eggy tasting mass inside a pan.

5 - Bagels - may as well have been bagel chips
     Croissants - if you're desperate, go for it
     Quiches - you can buy better ones at Costco or GFS
     Homefries/Hashbrowns - GREASEFRIES & HASHGREASE

6 - Bacon/Sausage Links n Patties - again, frozen food section.

7 - Omelette station - SAVING GRACE and the only reason this review got 2 stars. The service was good, omelette was decently fluffy if a bit overcooked. REAL eggs, fresh looking veggies. Clean table too.

8 - Price - Too much for what it is... bad.

I really hope it gets better, Northwoods is great, just not for breakfast buffets on Sunday.

4.5 of us went here for Sunday brunch against the advice of a longtime local who knows good eats.  Let it be known this was 4th on the list of places I gave everyone to choose from and I predicted they would leave here thinking "yep, that was breakfast".  Guess I was a bit optimistic.  

See, there just isn't that much you have to get right for a halfway decent brunch buffet.  The number 1 requirement is: have food.  Number 2?  When you no longer have food, bring out more.  The latter is much easier when the buffet line isn't a country mile from the kitchen.  If that isn't possible, then at least pay someone to check things out...perhaps those bus boys that just stood around doing nothing could try?  The final requirement is: don't poison people.  

So, the surprising lowlight of the morning wasn't the empty food pans and practically having to beg for bacon. It was their orange juice!  My wife said it tasted like it was mixed with alcohol and had hers taken off the bill.  My daughter normally loves o.j. but simply set hers aside half finished, claiming she just didn't like it.  We think it was rancid cuz my buddy chugged his before eating and immediately tossed all his cookies when we got back home.  Talk about flushing money down the toilet.

Usually I'm the vocal one when situations are substandard, but today my wife and buddy said enough that I actually felt bad for our waitress.  Hell, when she missed my glass and poured water on my foot, I could only tell her that's the main reason I wore sandals this morning.   I did like that poor girl as well as my omelette...and most of the ice water.

It's funny, I really wanted to go to Chicago for a Peruvian brunch today.  The thought of going another week without getting to munch on guinea pigs was as unsettling as...well...Northwoods orange juice.   In the end, I didn't want to be the guy that ruined breakfast, so I agreed to come to this place and they did it for me.