Utica's Lodi Tap House, a second location for the popular craft beer and burger bar based out of Maple Park, has been serving up a uniquely Illinois-focused menu since they first opened their doors in early 2019.
While they're a relative newcomer to the Starved Rock Country food scene, they've certainly made a splash with their line of signature "Smash'd Burgers" (one of which, the Smash'd Burger & Curds, was featured on a 2018 episode of the culinary review program Chicago's Best). These black angus patties, adorned with melted velveeta cheese, severed on buttered brioche rolls, sound undeniably delicious.
The burger has earned high marks from numerous reviewers on YELP and Facebook, with many people citing it as the highlight of their trip to Lodi. For my curbside pick-up order, I decided to try one of these famed Smash'd Burgers, to see if they live up to the rave reviews. To compliment the burger, I decided to order an extra side of their popular beer battered cheese curds and a Flibert's Old Time Soda, to round out the meal.
Lodi Tap House's Utica location has temporarily adjusted their hours during the shelter-in-place order. They're now closed Mondays and Tuesdays, open Wednesday through Friday from 4PM to 9PM, and Saturday through Sunday from noon to 9PM. During this time, they've also expanded their services to include delivery to Utica, Lasalle, Peru, Ottawa, Oglesby and Spring Valley.
Lodi, like many other local restaurants, has taken steps to make ordering during this strange time a simple and streamlined process. You can head to their website (www.loditaphouse.com) for a direct link to their GrubHub page, or you can just give them a call like I did, at 815-667-4345. After being cooped up in the house, like so many others, I choose to give their curbside pick-up a try!
After just a short time on hold, I was able to place my order. The friendly employee told me the order should be ready in just fifteen minutes, and you're given the option to either paying in person upon arrival, or you can minimize contact and do it over the phone with a credit card.
Once you arrive in front of Lodi, a large sign in their window directs you to call 815-667-4345, to let the staff know you're ready to pick up your order. Within just a few minutes, I had my food and was on my way to enjoy it in the comfort of my home.
Though Lodi offers some truly zany burgers, like their April Burger of the Month, The Texan Chainsaw (a Smash'd patty with mozzarella and fried onion petals, topped with a cheese curd slab, honey jalapeño, glazed bacon and then drizzled with roadhouse sauce) I selected the traditional Smash'd Burger for my first outing at Lodi.
The standard Smash'd Burger features a single black angus patty, with melted velveeta cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle and onions on a buttered brioche roll, served with your choice of sides. I opted for their house fries.
Though it might not be everyone's cup of tea, I really liked the inclusion of velveeta cheese, it's appropriately nostalgic and unpretentious for a restaurant that prides it's self on being aggressively midwestern. On top of that, it meshes really well with the generously buttered brioche roll.
This take on an Americana classic is pressed on the grill to seal in the black angus flavor, and the result is quite delicious! It's a juicy, flavorful burger with crispy edges, and plenty of surface area to catch your condiments. I'd recommend it anyone that's previously enjoyed pressed burgers at other establishments, it might just be your new favorite.
Lodi's cheese curds weren't your standard fare, they're enormous house battered chucks of white cheddar curd. These gargantuan chucks of cheese were nearly golf ball sized at their largest, and came with a large side of their house made spicy banger aioli sauce. The breading was particularly delicious, soft but still crispy, setting it apart from a lot of the other fried curds in the area.
The spicy banger aioli sauce was another highlight, a spicy take on dijon mustard that paired surprisingly well with the white cheddar curds!
Knowing I'm fan of all it's ingredients, I think I'd order Lodi's famous Smash'd Burger & Curds that was featured on Chicago's Best. This burger includes a single black angus patty, melted velveeta, buttered brioche roll, topped with their homemade white cheddar curds, the spicy banger aioli and green onion.
Though I didn't purchase any on my trip, it's also worth noting that Lodi is offering a great selection of packaged craft beer for curbside pick-up or delivery! Lodi prides themselves on offering a truly Illinois-Centric selection of alcohol highlighting products made by local breweries, wineries and meaderies.
You can see their in-stock selection of cans and bottles by heading to: this link!
For more information on Lodi Tap House Utica, head to: www.loditaphouse.com/utica
Be sure to like them on Facebook to see future Burgers of the Month and limited time specials.
Lodi Tap House
101 Mill Street
North Utica, IL 61373
(815) 667-4345