Conflict of Locale

I decided to change things up a bit (yeah a lot because I have so many posts…) and try my hand at a restaurant review. After spending three weeks apart from my partners in crime (roommates and best friends) we met up for a lunch to discuss the many events that had occurred since we had last seen each other. Don’t think there would be a lot to talk about? Think again. Three weeks is a long time for the ever changing world of a college student. Because of a lack of time and general lack of places to choose; we choose to dine at Uno Chicago Grill in Columbia, MD (10300 Little Patuxent Parkway Columbia, MD 21044). Growing up near Chicago I was able to enjoy some delicious Chicago delicacies. Deep dish pizza (Gino’s East), Italian beef, breaded steak and Chicago style hot dogs are just to name a few.  This fact had also always prevented me from dining at Uno’s (my mom always made a strong argument on why not to dine there claiming it was not REAL Chicago style food).

If you are used to food right from its area of origin, then you will most likely be disappointed when it almost always fails to impress you when it is served outside the area. Another great example outside of deep dish pizza would be ordering crab cakes while you are in Indiana. These should not be served anywhere outside of the East Coast (particularly Maryland), especially somewhere that excels in corn production and consumption. Despite the fact I did not try Uno’s pizza, I was still not very impressed with the overall after effects of my meal. I ordered a firecracker chicken sandwich. It tasted pretty good and was fairly priced, but each time I ate it (the actual meal and leftovers) I wound up with a nice stomach ache. While some people can not stomach spicy foods, I sure can. The fact that it was barely spicy and still left my stomach in knots was just plain sad. The menu had many different options which made me wonder why it is considered a “Chicago Grill?” The only thing truly Chicagoan about it is the fact it serves “deep dish pizza.”

If you have never experienced deep dish pizza you are truly missing out. It is a wonderful combination of a very thick crust with a layer of whatever toppings you choose on the bottom which is then covered by mass amount of cheese and finally the thick tomato sauce on top. It makes New York style pizza look like a sad piece of flimsy cardboard. Now Uno’s deep dish is far from this. The only thing that makes it even remotely deep dish is the fact the crust is thicker than New York style pizzas. That’s really about it. While I didn’t actually consume it I will save my self the disappointment and just criticize it from afar.

Pros:
-Variety of menu choices
-Decent prices
-Nice interior and overall dining experience

Cons:
-Food could be better
-False advertising: this isn’t actually Chicago style food!

I would have to give Uno’s of Columbia 1.5 forks. It wasn’t the best food I’ve ever had but I didn’t end up with a full blown case of food poisoning so  I guess it was all right. I wouldn’t personally eat there, but if you feel so inclined to enjoy the rip off Chicago cuisine, be my guest.