Who Serves the Best Clam Chowder in Lincoln-Way?

This week, local editors Joe Vince (Frankfort), Paul Dailing (Mokena) and Michael Sewall (New Lenox) tried clam chowder at restaurants in their Patch towns.

Read our reviews below, learn how to post your own and comment for a chance to win a gift card to a local restaurant.

Next week, we'll be trying out orange chicken. Know a place in Frankfort, Mokena or New Lenox that serves it perfectly? Leave a suggestion in the comments section.

Papa Joe's, New Lenox (4 of 5 stars)

The good: At $2 a cup or $6 for all-you-can-eat soup and salad, this is well worth the price when served on Fridays. The clam was tasty and chewy, and the broth was creamy without being too thick.

The bad: The onion and celery didn't add much taste, and I had to add a bunch of pepper to help bring out the flavor. Then again, I love pepper.

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Golden Oak Restaurant and Waffle House, Mokena (3 of 5 stars)

The good: I didn't realize the clam chowder special meant red clam chowder, also known as "Manhattan" or, to a friend of mine from Massachusetts, "sacrilege." It was surprisingly tasty, like a minestrone with bits of clam.

The bad: It was like a minestrone with bits of clam. It could have used a little more of the bivalve. The red chowder is a limited-time offer, by the way.

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Jameson's Pub, Frankfort (4.5 of 5 stars)

The good: I love a good cream soup, and Jameson's delicious clam chowder hit the spot on a brisk, fall afternoon. What really stood out was how much clam was packed into the smooth, thick and creamy soup. Inferior restaurants will overload a chowder with potato chunks and skimp on the clam. That wasn't the case here. 

The bad: The chowder separated a bit at the bottom and got a little soupy, but that's a minor quibble. Another nitpick: Jameson's only serves clam chowder on Fridays. 

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