JOLIET, IL — In recent years, Joliet’s reputation has risen as one of the top restaurant cities in northern Illinois. Inside the cozy confines of 1511 Plainfield Road, Miguel “Mike” Villarreal and his dedicated and dependable staff have transformed the former Chefy’s Kitchen into The Grill At Fritz’s Pour House — an incredibly popular regional destination for food and drinks.

During Saturday’s Joliet Patch’s interview, Mayor Terry D’Arcy raved about Fritz’s quality of food and the atmosphere. D’Arcy said the meals, including the desserts, are phenomenal, and the atmosphere reminds D’Arcy of visiting Ireland’s landmark pubs.

Half the friendly crowd already knows each another, and first-time visitors immediately find themselves at home, chatting with other guests inside Fritz’s, D’Arcy pointed out.

“It’s really like a hidden gem. It’s so well-run, and it feels good once you’re in there,” Joliet’s mayor remarked. “I brag about CUT 158 (Chophouse) but this is a real neat place. And, it’s not huge.

“I love the steak bites, and all the specials are excellent food and great atmosphere. It’s worth the drive.”

Steak Bites With Taziki Dip: An Appetizer Favorite

In November 2021, Joliet Patch reported that Villarreal, long-time owner of Jody’s Hot Dogs at 326 Republic Avenue, had launched a second restaurant endeavor in Joliet, calling it The Grill At Fritz’s Pour House.

Fritz’s is considered the oldest operating bar in Joliet, and the longest family-owned bar in Will County, according to Villarreal.

As he begins his third full year running the restaurant at Fritz’s, Villarreal said the community’s response to The Grill is “beyond my expectations.”

“I couldn’t do it without my staff,” he said. “Nobody ever thought we would be selling imported black truffles in the winter.”

Last Friday’s daily specials, plus the regular restaurant lineup, read like a Hall of Fame menu worthy of any five-star dining experience across the Midwest:

Beef Wellington. Porterhouse. Crab Stuffed Lobster. Pork Poorboy. Crab Stuffed Salmon. Chicken Pot Pie. Skirt Steak & Truffle Risotto. Cheese Ravioli. Short Rib Ravioli. Honey Garlic Salmon. A 3-Pound Tomahawk Steak. Catfish Jambalaya.

The appetizers were frog legs, steak bites with Taziki dip, goat cheese and last, but not least: one of the crowd’s absolute favorites, the chicken fried bacon.

Save Room For Plenty Of Desserts At Fritz’s

The Grill At Fritz’s regular menu includes “award-winning fried chicken,” a Mississippi pot roast dinner, pork tenderloin dinner, grilled Grecian style pork chops, a surf and turf featuring a 10-ounce ribeye steak with four shrimp.

For sandwiches, you can order the cubed steak with garlic poorboy, a catfish poorboy, a corned beef Reuben or a half-pound burger.

And how about this for some sides you don’t often find around Joliet: half dozen fresh or New Orleans-styled oysters, clam strips, Rockefeller oysters, mussels and saganaki sticks.

Villarreal hopes you and your group save room for dessert. Friday’s desserts featured an Italian lemon cake, carrot cake, key lime pie, bread pudding, beignets and funnel cake fries.

“Definitely A Positive Force In Our Community”

During Friday’s interview, one of Villarreal’s head chefs, Bradley Skoczylas, brought out an entire tray of roasted garlic basil and tomato Focaccia bread.

“We are pretty popular,” Villarreal said, explaining that he owes a debt of gratitude to Brian Bessler, founder of the Joliet Area Bar & Restaurant Guide on Facebook as well as the spinoff Facebook site called THE REAL Joliet Area Bar & Restaurant Guide.

“We’re definitely a positive force in our community,” Villarreal said. “And I tend to favor teachers and nurses. We work with the St. Joe’s nurses and the community’s first responders.”

The Grill At Fritz’s Pour House now tops 6,800 Facebook followers.

“We never claim to be the best. We just try hard,” Villarreal said. “We appreciate the support from the community. It’s been overwhelming. I can’t stress enough that my team is grinding hard.”

Reservations Strongly Encouraged For The Grill

During Friday’s interview, Joliet Patch asked the owner of The Grill to identify one of his favorite menu selections that customers ought to try. “Oh, I love the blackened catfish,” Villarreal raved. “I love the Grecian pork chops. Those are my two favorites.”

If you are visiting The Grill at Fritz’s Pour House, “you don’t need reservations, but they are recommended,” Villarreal said.

For groups of five or more people, however, reservations are strongly urged. “We prefer 24 hours in advance or better,” he suggested.

The Grill at Fritz’s is closed Mondays. Its normal hours for the kitchen are: Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

As much as customers enjoy indulging in the food, the ambiance of Fritz’s is another huge draw. There are black and white, 1950s-era photos displayed on the walls, when the property was known as Fred’s Restaurant.”

However, the sign on the black and white photo reads, “Fred’s Air Conditioned Restaurant.”

According Villarreal, air-conditioning was so new and such a luxury during the 1950s, that bars and restaurants wanted to make it part of their advertising slogan.

“Most people don’t realize that it’s been a restaurant-bar since the 1950s,” he said, explaining that the property along Route 30 served as a gas station during the 1930s.

Beef Wellington Becomes Crowd Favorite

Late last year, The Grill introduced Beef Wellington as one of its limited specials. Four months later, customers are still flocking to The Grill at Fritz’s to order the Beef Wellington.

“We did think it would be short term, but it’s been months now,” Villarreal remarked.

“We get one or two phone calls every day asking for it,” long-time cook Brian Deininger beamed with pride. “We (recently) had a table of five, all Wellingtons. It’s one pound of just fillets.

Besides the Beef Wellington the crab stuffed lobster is another popular house specialty. “We probably bring 25 to 40 a week,” Villarreal said of the lobsters.

No Plans To Move The Grill Elsewhere

Because of its ambiance, reminiscent of the bar in Boston on the famous television comedy starring Woody Harrelson and Ted Danson, restaurant seating is limited inside The Grill, but that does not have Villarreal thinking about relocating to a more spacious site.

However, there is an adjacent liquor store to Fritz’s property.

“The liquor store that has been a thought,” Villarreal said, stressing how it’s only an idea. There are no serious talks underway about expanding into the liquor store as of now.

Meanwhile, people continue to trek to Fritz’s from cities and towns far, far away from Joliet. They’re driving to Joliet to experience The Grill for themselves.

“I even heard some people are coming from central Illinois,” Villarreal explained. “Definitely a long reach. It’s got a ‘Cheers’ like vibe to it. Everybody knows everybody.”