Chophouse on Main — Restaurant in Mahomet

First time eating here since it was J.T. Walker's. I stopped in for drinks once, which was interesting. On that night, I asked the bartender for a taste of one of their wines, and she gave me a shot glass of wine. I explained to her that people who ask for a taste expect a little wine in a regular glass, so that we can swirl it, smell it, and do the other snobby things we do. She said that no one had ever told her that. Red flag number 1. Poor training. I decided to eat there the other night, because I was in town. The menu has a good selection, but the bartender said that shepherd's pie was the special. I asked her how much it was, and she said "about $20." That seemed steep, but everything on the menu is steep. I ordered it anyway. When it came out, there were a couple of things. First, the lamb that was indicated as the meat looked and tasted an awful lot like ground beef. Second, the vegetables were clearly either frozen mixed veggies, or out of a can of Campbell's vegetable soup. Red flag 2. Clearly, no chef had made this dish. It tasted fine, but not exceptional. The bartender recommended dessert, and I ordered the chocolate tort. What I got was a frozen dessert, that was served with the little cardboard coaster that it sat on in the box while it was in the freezer. They didn't even try to make it look like it was actually prepared in the kitchen. Red flag 3. The final insult was the bill. The shepherd's pie, which was "about $20" was actually $28. Way too much for a dish made of hamburger and Campbell's soup. My total for the meal, dessert, two glasses of wine, and tip came to $72. Crazy pricing for mediocre, Costco grade food. J.T. Walker's was far better in its food selection and preparation. This version seems to be nothing more than a cash grab in a town dying for a decent restaurant. Take your credit card, and expect to be underwhelmed by a meal that probably cost $1.50 to serve, but for which you are paying...

I just went to Chop House on Main for my birthday dinner. I had read the reviews, and most were very good. However, restaurant reviews more so than others, tend to be extremely subjective. I am rather picky when it comes to restaurant selections, but the emergence of a relatively new local restaurant peaked my interest. Entering the Chop House, we were immediately impressed by the ambience. So many new restaurants, for some unknown reason, like to mimic the bright white lighting found in big box stores, not warm and not comfortable. We found Chop House on Main cozy, welcoming, and warmly lit. The restaurant is also perfectly decorated, reminiscent of an earlier era with exposed brick and classic wood trim. We started the night with Cosmopolitans which were well balanced. Not too sweet and just the right amount of strong. As for the food, the onion ring appetizer was outstanding. We loved the homemade breading and the horseradish sauce. My salad with blue cheese dressing was also perfect. The dressing did not taste mass produced and was right on. The salmon my date ordered was one of the best, if not the best I’ve had at a restaurant. For myself, I ordered the ribeye, something I rarely do since that cut of beef is fatty by design in order to attain the incredible flavor for which it is known. I usually don’t order it because it often turns out to have too much fat and more gristle than is acceptable. This night however, I threw caution to the wind! The result… I was pleasantly surprised! it was delicious and filling! The final verdict? A great meal, great atmosphere, and great service! We will definitely be back! We are looking forward to trying other items on the menu and hanging out on the second floor which looks to be a great place to catch an Illini game! Job Well done, Chop...

Chophouse on main describes itself as “High quality dining”, however high quality doesn’t belong anywhere near the description of this restaurant. I spent the most regrettable $200 of my life here to literally not even eat my meal. Let’s start with their alcohol selection. $6 for a shot of fireball whiskey. Enough said. Their wine list is regrettably short. Their Pinot noir is sold for $12 in stores and they’re selling for $11 a glass. Up charging cheap wine doesn’t make it premier. We ordered crab cakes as an appetizer with salads. Salads were fine and the crab cakes were not abhorrently bad, although seasoning did not exist. At $40 a steak, for a filet mignon and New York strip I am appalled. $40 is not unheard of, however when paying that price you would expect it at least be seasoned. The steaks were unseasoned without a speck of salt. We ordered both steaks medium rare and the filet mignon came out medium well, the strip rare. The strip was half the thickness you would expect for a decent cut. If I were to guess, it was a $7 cut of New York strip. On top of both steaks being cooked improperly, and the most sinful thing, being unseasoned the New York strip was tough and the fat cap entirely unrendered. These were quite possibly the worst steaks I’ve ever had. One steak, not being seasoned is a mistake. Two is not a mistake and I would not expect anything else out of the kitchen would be good. I would suggest minimize your menu, hire a chef, and focus on...