You know what I’m always thinking about right before lunchtime? The weight room: filled with sticky benches, rusty iron bars, sweaty pubescent boys, and smelly tough guys galore. That’s the kind of style Muscle Maker Grill is going for. Haven’t heard of it? I hadn’t either; it’s hidden next to Jewel Osco off of Waukegan road and is still about six weeks new to Glenview.
New-Jerseyan Rod Silva originally created the Muscle Maker Grill at only eighteen years of age. He was a fitness fanatic when he owned his smoothie store, and often brought his own homemade dishes into the shop for lunch and dinner. People started asking about his gourmet entrees, and shortly after, the Muscle Maker Grill was born.
Now I don’t really fit in with the whole muscle-man scene, so it’s safe to say this place wasn’t exactly my style. However, the enormous menu they offered impressed me. Choices range from spicy ethnic dishes to chicken wraps, pastas to baked potatoes; there was a whole wall dedicated to a huge selection of wholesome and nutritious foods, great for calorie counters and those with gluten intolerance.
Of course having to be difficult and finding nothing appealing on the giant menu, I did what any fussy eater would do and got chicken nuggets. These weren’t ordinary though, they were honey barbeque and supposedly “healthy” nuggets.
As I went to pay, the grumpy guy behind the counter got annoyed by my twenty questions about the company’s history, so I took my curiosity elsewhere. While waiting for my food, I looked around the counter and saw protein bars the size of bricks and a bunch of ads for things that looked athletic.
I turned to face the rest of the room, what was this place? There was red leather everywhere, and everything seemed so retro. There were only two other women in the whole restaurant, and they were wearing gym clothes and running shoes, probably talking about Brazilian butt workouts or something.
My friend and I picked a table towards the back, and one of the workers soon brought us the little bowl of nugs.
“You try it first” I said to my friend.
“No, I don’t want to” she forked one up and smelled it.
“Well?”
“Smells fine,” She shrugged.
I took the first bite.
It was good at first, a little flavorful for my bland liking, but not too ba…
“Ew! Ew, ew.” I fanned my hands by my face and scrunched up my nose until I swallowed it. My friend sat across from me dying in hysterics. I changed my mind, its not good. It was gross, I thought so at least, my friend didn’t think it was that bad. The meat tasted grainy and the sauce was unexpectedly tangy and tart.
While the rest of the little bowl sat in front of us, I took another bite. This time, not so awful, and by the third bite, I had gotten used to it. Like I said before, if you’re a dieter, this place is great for you because it’ll fill you up in a small proportion. However, for picky-eaters like me, beware…
We had only stayed for another five minutes or so, until we agreed to get out of there. Although the place is very clean, it was cold and unwelcoming; we were happy to leave and get out into the sunshine.
Overall the Muscle Makers Grill could be a total hit or miss, depending your style and taste. For me unfortunately I’d give it a two out of five star rating, the setting of this restaurant was just not a suiting one for me. However, if you’re looking for a clean, fit meal, don’t let this deter you from checking it out because it could be your next hot spot.
