Mishawn D.
Yelp
Our last visit to Houlihan's was last February to celebrate my acceptance into grad school. Beating the rain storms and homecoming crowd, we stopped in for a late lunch/early dinner:
Location: 8/10 Houlihan's is Oak Park Mall's neighbor and while the location is ideal, it is almost always crowded. If you don't mind waiting and a more laid back crowd, Cheddars may be a better option. For an early Saturday evening, it surprisingly was not crowded. As we were paying, that changed with the homecoming crowds trickling in.
Customer Service: 9/10 Mars took our drink order but another waiter took care of us the remainder of the visit. We did not get his name, but he was pleasant and offered great dining options. He displayed a great attitude and rapport with the customers and seemed to genuinely enjoy his job. His joy was infectious and positively impacted our visit. The hostess was also very nice and accommodating, which was refreshing.
Food: 5.5/10 We immediately noticed the menu and how pared down it was compared to our last visit. We found the options were limiting and had a hard time choosing. I opted for the Thai chicken wings and fries. Hubby got the KC burger with fries. Sadly, the wings were overcooked and drowning in the Thai sauce. The fries were crispy and fresh. Hubby was not a fan of the KC burger with barbacoa on it. It was cooked well but he felt the flavors were not a good pairing. For dessert, we got the caramel butter cake and ice cream. It was decent and not too much. I would get it again. Our total meal with tip was $60. The price for the food was definitely not worth it.
Bathroom: 2/10 I usually do not comment on restaurants bathrooms, but the bathroom was aesthetically confusing. The sink counter was wood and the faucet was not automatic. It also looked like water was thrown all over the sink and one soap dispenser was broken. There was also water on the floor from other people dripping water on the floor, which made it slippery. Eek.
Overall: 6.5/10 This was an underwhelming visit. Last year, the wings looked and tasted way better. The fries carried the meal, as did the dessert. Service was awesome, especially our waiter and everyone worked well together. Not sure if we will be back.