Restaurant Review

Ditka’s, 100 E. Chestnut St.

If you are not a football player, you will need the appetite of one.  Ditka’s Restaurant serves up gigantic portions of hearty food.

With low lighting and jazzy background music, the dining room at Ditka’s is considerably more austere than the Cigar Bar upstairs or the bar/lobby downstairs.  However, true to its name, the walls in the dining room are completely covered with Bears memorabilia, as well as sports paraphernalia from various other football teams. 

The décor is interesting to study while you wait for your food, but once the food does come, you will find that it has your undivided attention.  As an appetizer, try the roast beef nachos; the exuberant amounts of meat in this dish make it a meal in itself.  Have only a few bites and then wrap the food away, for the main courses prove to be even heartier than the appetizers.

The Fridge Burger is the only burger on the menu, but this half-pound burger can be customized exactly as you want it.  It is a solid choice for the less adventurous diner.

If you are in the mood for steak, you will find every size and cut imaginable on this menu.  There are steaks for every appetite and budget; our pick was the chicken fried steak with came slathered in a hamburger gravy.  If you order this steak, loosen your belt: you will be full long before you’ve made a dent. 

All entrees come with your choice of sides; try the baked potato.  It resembles a small football more than a vegetable; at almost a foot long and several inches wide, it takes courage to tackle. 

The dessert choices are all winners, but be sure to share.  The chocolate layer cake is actually one-fourth of an entire cake, and can feed at least 6 people.  The (massive) portion you are forced to take home will serve as dessert for several days.