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| - Okay, I first have to say how delighted I am that Bill Johnson's is still here, at Van Buren & 40th, just like it's always been, and it's still old-timey and full of delightful kitsch (although they had to get rid of the sawdust on the floor long ago).
That said...
What happened here? We went for lunch on a Sunday. It was crowded, and there was a wait, but I was eagerly looking forwarding to eating here again, since I hadn't in so very long.
The staff was wonderful, the service quick, and the food... bland.
I had a BBQ burger, the Jack Daniels bacon burger, with onion rings. The meat was fine, but the bun was cold as ice, the onion rings were cold and soggy, as though they had been out of the fryer for hours (and this was at quarter to noon, so the lunch crowd hadn't even really started yet - they were still serving breakfast), and the coleslaw was bland. I was so deeply disappointed, I couldn't articulate it.
The rest of my party had ribs, the sampler platter, and the fruit platter (from the breakfast menu). The fruit was wonderful. The rest was exceptionally bland. The fries, like my onion rings, were cold and soggy. The BBQ sauce had no zing.
What happened to my Bill Johnson's?
We didn't stay for dessert -- I'm glad, because I want to hold on to my memory of the deep-dish pies, the way they used to be. I don't want that ruined, too.
I hear they're going to be closed -- I hope not. I would hate to see that happen, even if I was disappointed in the food this time. The memories are too good to lose this place. Just get that good cook (and a decent fry cook!) back in the kitchen, and it'll be golden again.
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