Schoop's - @@@

Just wrote up the review of the hamburger at Schoop's which I thought was really good. I also had another sandwich and some various sides that I figured I would write up separately.

I actually first ordered the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich as I was instantly intrigued by it. This curiosity started earlier in the year when I read a serious eats article about the origins in the Midwest. When I saw it on the menu, I couldn't help but order it to try. It is this massive breaded tenderized piece of pork which to me tasted more like the loin rather than tenderloin. I say this because I thought it was a bit dry and tough, and also due to the size it would be hard to get the tenderloin that large. Obviously could be wrong but that was my impression. It was topped with lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise; reading some comments in the original article it sounded like mustard is the more traditional condiment. Also due to the somewhat perfect round shape, I am wondering if it was a premade patty. Because I thought it was a bit dry, I would give it a @@ with the complete disclaimer of no other baseline.

Also pictured are the fries which were decent but nothing to write home about. Thus I will not write about them; they are standard restaurant fries that were served fresh out of the fryer (a good thing).

Not pictured was the meal-capper...a salted caramel ice cream sundae. This was quite good, creamy and no doubt unhealthy. Handmade in front of you, the small was pretty large (20 ozs maybe??) and they had a large 32 oz monster that would be completely crazy. I had a 3 hour drive in front of me and didn't even finish the small. That's a lot of sugar!! The only bummer about the shake was that I was hoping it would keep me awake on the drive home but still had to stop at two rest stops on 94 for a quick nap. I would give it a @@@ with an extra point maybe for the size.

Overall would recommend the hamburger with fries and a shake. Solid combo and served hot and quickly if you are in the need for a quick bite. Also good to hang out at as they have little jukeboxes at each booth and seemed like a good local joint.

Original serious eats article:
http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/01/best-breaded-pork-tenderloin-sandwiches-midwest.html

Schoop's Hamburgers - @@@@

Out in Chicago for the weekend and stopped on the way back to go out to eat with a friend who lives on the IL/IN border. I wanted a burger and she recommended a local spot called Schoop's that serves a thin, griddled burger and is an Indiana landmark.

Sounded good to me so we checked it out. It is a definite throwback style restaurant in that it has a few booths and a short bar area to sit at. Reminded me of a diner but cleaner. For the hamburger, it was really good. I only got the single with cheese but it was really beefy and served piping hot. Lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise were already added on and was between a soft toasted bun. As you can see, the patty itself was bigger than the bun which is always a good thing. It had a nice crust to it; and though a server didn't know for sure how it was made I am assuming it is on some griddle-like apparatus. The patty is also thicker than I would assume and balanced out the burger well.

I would recommend trying this burger place out if you are in the northwest Indiana area. Good, affordable burger with friendly and quick service.  Thanks Elizabeth for the recommendation!!

215 Ridge Rd
Munster, IN 46321