We had an opportunity to spend one last night in town, and wondered if we should go out for one last dinner on this trip… If our answer was yes, the destination was going to be Cooper’s Hawk Winery and Restaurant.
Never Reviewed
We had been there numerous times since that location was originally opened (back in 2017). Every single previous occasion was a certified winning experience. Only thing is, for some reason, I had never reviewed the restaurant. No excuses for that faux pas.
What More Could One Ask?
Was it expensive, even back then? Yep. Worth it? Double yep! Did I expect it to be even more so, this time around? Triple yep! Fine dining, great wines, excellent service, exquisite cuisine, plating and presentation, and all the accoutrements! What more could one ask?
Well, the decision was made to go and enjoy Cooper’s Hawk again, before we would subject ourselves to lots of additional windshield time, race car driver wannabes and crazy road warriors the following day. We even invited a couple of our best friends – they love Cooper’s Hawk, too.
Beverage Before Dinner
We made an early reservation (5:30 PM – as we needed an early start time the following morning). That way, we could meet our friends and enjoy a leisurely cocktail before dinner. Our friends met us just outside the front entrance to the restaurant. Lauren checked us in at the hostess station and informed her that we had a reservation (she confirmed it) and were going to the bar for a beverage before dinner. We assumed that we would be informed when our table became available… And that is about the time when the wheels came off.
Happy Hour
The bar was a tad busy, but not terribly so. For the length of time this Cooper’s Hawk had been open, this gig should be no big deal for seasoned staff / servers. Maybe it wasn’t… and maybe it was.
The waiter never asked if we wanted to look at a menu. He never informed us of any specials on the menu – until we asked about it – (and there were numerous specials, as we were smack in the middle of “WINE OʼCLOCK” Happy Hour. We ordered Smoked Salmon Spread (Whipped Cream Cheese, Dill, Cucumber, Lemon, Toasted Crostini $10.00) and Crispy Tempura Shrimp (Asian Slaw, Sesame Chili Crunch Aioli $10.00). Short story: Service was painfully slow, from both the kitchen and bar alike and the crostini for the salmon dip was anything but crisp! Trust me when I tell you: “those are not difficult appetizers to construct”.
Only the Beginning…
We had to ask if our table was ready (as it was now about 5:40 PM), even though we had told our server that we had dinner reservations in the dining room that evening. The guys sent the girls to hold our table while we waited for the tab to be delivered.
Service was also painfully slow in the dining room, seeming to take an inordinate amount of time just to deliver a beer, a glass of wine, and two Old Fashions. That was only the beginning of a disappointing evening. This was not the Cooper’s Hawk I Remember from just a few years ago.
How to Ruin a Filet Mignon
My Pistachio-Crusted Grouper ($32.99) was… just OK. Lauren’s Asian Ahi Tuna Sashimi ($17.99) portion was quite small – see photo – when compared to the same dish she enjoyed on our last visit. The real travesty was served to our friends. They both ordered Filet Mignon ($45.99). Mary’s filet was a perfect medium rare, just as she ordered. Tom’s request was for medium rare as well, but the filet he received was almost embarrassingly medium – and closing in on medium well.
Tom was quite gracious, but obviously disappointed (he really loves a good filet). When he finally got the attention of our server, he apologetically asked for a replacement. After a painfully long wait, a new filet was served. It was even more overcooked than the first version. What to do?
Because by now, Mary, Lauren, and I were mostly done with our dinners, as Tom sat and waited… and waited… and waited!
Distraction Score?
For me, an even more important question now came to mind: how could a skilled/trained & experienced grill man put two filets on at (supposedly) the same time, cook one perfectly and ruin the other one, and then ruin a second one, too? Frankly, I have no idea. When the third filet finally came out of the woefully struggling kitchen, Tom simply asked for a to-go box.
By this time, the restaurant was jam-packed and becoming obnoxiously noisy. It was very difficult to carry on any sort of meaningful conversation at a volume that was anything less than eleven (out of a possible ten). Distraction? You bet – off the scale!
Final Thoughts
It took me a very long time to wrap my head around our evening at Cooper’s Hawk. The second paragraph of this review (What More Could One Ask?) explicitly explains what I expected… but did not get. I am not sure what happened that evening, but I really hope it’s not standard for a place that I once considered as a very fine dining experience.
Especially with the prices charged, I can only say that I was personally very disappointed (for myself, for Lauren, and for our friends) in our evening meals, service was lacking and plating/presentation was unimpressive. I can only add that management needs to take a hard look at themselves, and Cooper’s Hawk kitchen staff, bar staff, and wait staff. Sorry to say that Cooper’s Hawk receives a not-so-well-deserved 3 Zins.
Your Table is Waiting…
Ralph Pancetta
Cooper’s Hawk is located at 3710 E Main St in St Charles, Illinois.
