New Black Road Restaurant Features 'The One Pounder'

JOLIET, IL - This week's Joliet area restaurant feature brought the Joliet Patch to the commercial strip mall at Black Road and Infantry Drive. My purpose? To check out D.A.'s Deli & Dining. It's a brand new restaurant that just opened on July 25 at 2777 Black Road. It replaced Aisha's, which closed last spring. I went with one of the lunch specials, the smothered pork chops. For my sides, I selected mashed potatoes and corn on the cob. My lunch also came with a slice of corned bread.

My lunch meal cost me $7.99, plus tax. These pork chops were outstanding.

I'm not a food connoisseur by any stretch. I'm just a regular guy who likes to try everything EXCEPT for food that is super-spicy or food that has grilled peppers. These smothered pork chops, I'm telling you, are worth giving a try. This is also a friendly and welcoming restaurant.

After I ate, I introduced myself to the restaurant staff. I asked everyone for a bit more information about their new restaurant and what makes D.A.'s Deli special. The owners are Joliet residents Pam and Harold Thomas. Darryl Abernathy, the restaurant's founder, was also on hand Wednesday.

This is his second restaurant. His other location is in Orland Park on 159th Street.

The Joliet restaurant has a dining room and handles take-out orders.

"Our staple is the corned-beef sandwich," Pam Thomas told me. "The soul food is second to none. We call it the one-two punch."

Corned beef sandwiches are available in two sizes: half-pound and 1 pound. The menu boasts that D.A's Deli is the "HOME OF THE ONE-POUNDER!"

Other appetizing dishes from the dinner menu include salmon croquettes, fried catfish, baked catfish, jumbo shrimp, turkey wings, turkey meatloaf and smothered chicken.

There's also BBQ rib tips, short ribs, corned beef and cabbage and of course, my recommendation, the smothered pork chops.

Dinner sides include okra, spaghetti and fried corn. The menu also highlights a number of vegetarian side dishes.

Lunch specials change daily. They start at $6.99. Dinner entrees range from $10.99 to $18.99.

Since opening, Pam Thomas told me, "We've had lots of repeats and satisfied customers."

D.A.'s Deli is worth checking out. I plan to return in the coming weeks for the salmon croquettes.

Then again, maybe I'll pick up the fried catfish. Or maybe the corned beef.

D.A's Deli is closed Mondays, and open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon to 9 p.m. on Sundays.

To learn more about the menu, visit the website for D.A.'s Deli.

To read my previous restaurant write-ups in the Joliet Patch:

My First Mr. Submarine Visit: Ferak Column

Taco Truck On McDonough Street Worth Visiting: Ferak

Images via John Ferak/Joliet Patch Editor