Al's Steakhouse Re-Opening After 5-Week Shutdown Amid Coronavirus

JOLIET, IL — The thousands of people who have missed Al's Steakhouse on Joliet's West Jefferson Street for past five weeks are in for some good news. On Thursday morning, Al's Steakhouse announced on social media it will reopen Friday to handle takeout orders.

Starting April 24, Al's will be staying open 4 to 8 p.m. daily. Al's will begin taking curbside orders over the phone around 3:45 p.m. on Friday, its owners said.

Al's Steakhouse owner George Daskalakis told Joliet Patch that the curbside pickup will feature a limited menu including "some appetizers, some sandwiches, burgers, chicken, a couple of fish and a couple of steaks" among other entrees.

The steaks include a 10-ounce filet mignon, rib eye and New York strips, he said. There's also barbecue ribs and broiled pork chops.

"We're trying to give some variety," the Al's Steakhouse owner said. "We have a lot of loyal customers, and we're trying to do this for them."

By Thursday evening, Al's Steakhouse owners posted their new limited menu - it's seven pages -on their website here.

They plan to include some family value options for customers, similar to what Syl's Chophouse in Rockdale has been offering while its dining room remains off-limits to guests.

The phone number for Al's Steakhouse is 815-725-2388.

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Al's Steakhouse is one of Joliet's most prominent restaurants to be adversely impacted by the ongoing international health crisis. It has several banquet rooms, and during a given week Al's hosts numerous funeral luncheons, birthday parties and anniversary dinners.

When Gov. J.B. Pritzker ordered all sit-down restaurants, bars and banquet halls to close to dine-in guests on March 16, Al's Steakhouse tried staying open for a few days for carryout. But on March 20, Al's announced on its Facebook page that it was temporarily closing.

The owners of Al's told Patch they are optimistic that the Joliet community will be happy to see them back. Al's has been at 1990 West Jefferson St. since 1959.

Joliet Patch continues to write about the city's small local restaurants and businesses during the ongoing health crisis. Patch created a simple survey to let everyone know they are open and their current hours of operation. More than 130 Joliet businesses have been added to Patch's list so far. If you want to add your business to Joliet Patch's list of open and closed businesses, you can do so here.

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• Illinois Coronavirus Update April 23: 35,108 Cases
• Linda's Pizza Westside Opens For Lunch Amid Coronavirus
• Chefy's: 'We've Been Called The Hidden Secret' Of Joliet