Sweet Baby Cheeses – In Eastland Mall next to Chick-fil-A sits a sunny yellow and orange corner eatery with a sandwich menu. The counter space that once served gooey Cinnabon confections now is covered with flat iron grills that press out more than 10 different cheesy sandwiches and melts. The menu varies from the classic grilled Velveeta cheese on white to a more sophisticated shroomer with portabello mushrooms, spinach, and provolone thinly pressed between two large triangles of crunchy sunflower bread. Side items of soup and chips are a la carte, but these sandwiches are large. The idea: When the cheese oozes from the bread and plops on your wrapper, you’ll say, “Sweet baby Cheeses! This is good.”
Mojo’s BoneYard Sports Bar & Grille – Owned by husband and wife Jeremy and Tiffany Wynn, the East Side restaurant/bar is dimly lit, polished, and nonsmoking. The latter is a major departure from what used to house Ollie’s Sports Bar & Grille. Clientele tends to mosey in after the workday for the daily drink special or to bring buddies to lounge in a booth on game night. The menu provides essential bar food such as burgers, jalapeño bites, wings, pizza, and fish and chips. For the health-conscious customers, the duo offers chicken salad, taco salad, and grilled options. But this hardly feels like a place for portion control. The signature Mo’ Steam Burger is a monster half-pound patty loaded with toppings and smothered in a secret cheese sauce.
Cleavers – Off the Lloyd Expressway across from Harrison High School’s football field is a Chicago-inspired restaurant specializing in generous portions and an assortment of meaty sandwiches. The menu caters to carnivore customers who crave all foods polish sausage, hamburger, roast beef, and pastrami. A busy lunch crowd scurries in for the daily special or the stand-by Italian beef dipped in au jus sauce. The down and dirty pork loin sandwich on garlic bread is Man v. Food-sized and comes with a mound of crisp shoestring fries. The Chicago-style hot dog — topped with relish, mustard, sport peppers, onions, and tomatoes — puts you in the Wrigley Field stands sans the ballpark price.