Ferak: The Dock At Inwood's Chicken Tenders, An Affordable Lunch

JOLIET, IL — I've mentioned this before and I'll say it again, people around the Joliet area generally aren't in the mood for spending $15 to $20 on a lunch. Fortunately, there's another well-run restaurant that opened on Joliet's busy West Jefferson Street, The Dock At Inwood.

It's owned and operated by the Trafton brothers, Rick and Mike, two long-time Joliet Police officers, who are now both retired from the city. But this is not a police bar. It's a family-friendly, laid-back restaurant that plays lots of country music.

I wrote about the opening of The Dock at Inwood in January. This week, I returned because I had heard several great things about their lunch menu.

What was I hearing? The food is great and the prices are very affordable. That should make the residents of Joliet very happy.

One of The Dock's most popular lunch items is the $5 chicken tenders. It's a good size plate, as you can see from the photo at the top of this article. This is the first time I've gone out of my way to review a local restaurant's chicken tenders, and I'm glad I started with The Dock at Inwood. Their chicken tenders deserve high marks.

Besides, who doesn't like chicken tenders? And for only $5.

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The Traftons told me they have been extremely happy with how The Dock's done so far. Actually, their bar and drinks are a big draw, especially their margarita flights.

Since January, the Traftons told me Thursday, they have sold 2,700 margarita flights. That number is set to climb this weekend, with the start of the three-day Taste of Joliet on the opposite side of their building at Memorial Stadium.

"The chicken tenders and our pizzas are wonderful," remarked Mike Trafton, Joliet's former chief of police. "We also smoke our own brisket and pork.

"We make everything homemade, and we use (Joliet's) Milano bread, and we're proud of that, too."

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The Traftons have been around Joliet for more than 30 years and they know the community inside and out. They know what works and what won't make it in Joliet. And that's why, they said, they have arranged their food selections in the hopes of being affordable for all Joliet residents.

That's why they offer the $5 lunches, including the large plate of chicken tenders.

"Tuesday night, the place was packed," Mike Trafton said during Thursday's lunch interview.

"We want to show the people of Joliet that we are invested in this," Mike Trafton told Joliet Patch. "We're an active ownership, and we're proud of what we do and our product. The mayor and city council and the Joliet Park District have all been great. We want the city to be proud of this place."

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The kitchen at The Dock At Inwood is open daily from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and their bar area can stay open until 2 a.m., although oftentimes it closes around 11:30 p.m.

"We're not a night club," Mike Trafton stressed. "We've had no problems since we've opened. We're a family place."

If you head to Taste of Joliet this weekend, The Dock At Inwood is just across the parking lot from Memorial Stadium.

One last thing: Rick Trafton said that The Dock at Inwood would be switching up some things on their new food menu, which they hope to roll out in late July. They will be focusing on fried chicken, a brisket Phily sandwich, spaghetti, meat balls and pasta "and a couple of new appetizers."

Original Joliet Patch article from January: New Place Scores Big At InwoodNew Place Scores Big At Inwood