Cut 158 Chophouse: Lunch Crowd Key To Success

JOLIET, IL - One of the biggest news stories of the year will be downtown's ongoing revitalization. There's the new 10-story tall courthouse that is halfway done. John Bays has purchased the Two Rialto Square six-story office building on North Chicago, and his crews are going to town.

Noe Patino is renovating the vacant Montgomery Ward building at Van Buren and North Ottawa into Plaza 66. On Webster Avenue, facing the river, the former AT&T administration building is the subject of an online public auction starting Jan. 28.

To judge whether downtown Joliet is ready to turn the corner in 2019, we need to turn our attention to the new Cut 158 Chophouse.

It's the new steakhouse that opened less than two weeks ago at the site of the former Tin Roof Restaurant. Its address is 158 N. Chicago St. Cut 158 comes from a great pedigree. It's run by the same family who opened Hamburgerseria and the Cork Wine Bar on Essington Road.

The steak selections at Cut 158 Chophouse are just dynamite. And last week, the new downtown Joliet restaurant sold its first signature Tomahawk Steak. The chef who runs Cut 158, Mario Rubio, is also first-rate, coming to Joliet from Chicago's Signature Room.

But let's face it, all the hype in the Joliet Patch or any other media outlet for that matter does not mean much of anything. You and your coworkers, your family and friends will need to judge Cut 158 Chophouse for yourself to determine whether it's going to succeed or not.

This year will be informative because we'll get to see how the city responds to having a first-class dining spot in the heart of the downtown along North Chicago Street.

Cut 158 Chophouse is centrally located. It's across the street from a large city of Joliet parking garage. It's a block up the street from the Rialto Square Theatre.

But for Cut 158 Steakhouse to take off, lunchtime business will be crucial.

Rubio said he just added a sliced Prime Rib French Dip sandwich and a Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. He's also dishing up different soups every day for lunch.

And Cut 158 Chophouse is also adding daily specials for the lunch crowd. Many of the lunch items range in price from $7.50 to $12. There's seven different salads all between $7 and $10.

I tried the chicken lime soup last Friday, and it was excellent. I've never had that flavor before.

The chef's Blackened Ribeye Sandwich gets my recommendation as a top treat for lunch. It comes with hand-cut fries, served on a herb focaccia bun with onion bacon jam, lettuce, tomatoes.

Normally, I'm not much of an onion fan, but the caramelized onions on this ribeye sandwich gave it a wonderful flavor. For dinner, the Cuban coffee skirt steak gets my stamp of approval.

If you work downtown or your business brings you through the area, you should give Cut 158 Chophouse a visit, particularly for lunch.

If you're coming downtown for a show at the Rialto, it's definitely worth phoning ahead and getting a reservation.

Rubio told me he got a terrific response from the couple who ordered the 38-ounce Tomahawk steak last week. They came out on a weekday to celebrate a birthday, and the boyfriend wanted the biggest steak on the menu.

"He loved it," Rubio told me. "They thought it was fabulous, awesome flavor and just delicious."

But Rubio realizes he probably isn't going to be selling Tomahawk steaks by the dozen.

For Cut 158 Chophouse to succeed, it's going to need to be a lot like the Chicago Bears playbook. It's going to need to be a balanced attack.

A strong crowd on weekends and a steady crowd during the weekdays for lunch.

"We want to get the lunch crowd from local businesses," he remarked.

Want to plan your next lunch? Here is the online lunch menu for Cut 158 Chophouse. It's closed on Mondays and open Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday from 11 a.m. to midnight, Saturday 4 p.m. to midnight and Sunday noon to 9 p.m.

Does downtown Joliet deserve a first-rate, high-end steakhouse? You bet it does.

But will this place make a name for itself and become a downtown destination for years? That remains to be seen, and mostly it's up to you.

Images of rib eye sandwich and chicken lime soup via John Ferak/Joliet Patch Editor