I had received an e-mail, asking me to post a press release about a place that had just opened out in Wasco, along with a personal note stating "I hope that you will consider reviewing the new Wasco restaurant."  In a moment of BBQ-craving weakness, I succumbed to the request.  My greatest fear however -- now that I have sampled the likes of Sweet Baby Rays -- was that I would end up making comparisons, if only because Billy's had been, and I quote from the release: "Voted 'Best Barbeque' of Kane County."

Billy's resides in a smallish storefront (about eight tables and a half-dozen booths) in a small strip mall in Wasco.  What I noticed -- actually Lauren noticed it first -- was an enticing sign prominently displayed just outside the door announcing Labatt beer on tap for $1.75... I was immediately thirsty!  Stepping inside, we observed that there were but two other couples there.  This was not a good sign.  We picked a table in the middle of the room (we were told we could sit anywhere we wanted), were given menus and asked if we wanted something to drink.  My thirst for Labatt quickly dried up as I was told: "Naw, we're outta that -- emptied the keg last night."  It was my second disappointment of the evening, the first being the large stain on the seat cushion of my chair.  I chose a different beer and Lauren asked for a glass of Merlot.  The beer was cold and it helped ease the tension a bit... the glass of wine had remnants of the red dripping down the stem and from the base.

The glare from the bare bulbs hanging from the ceiling was intense and almost uncomfortable; the combo of poor acoustics and bright lights made the place feel like an interrogation room but I tried to ignore it.  Another distracter was a pair of employees sitting at the bar, conversing and facing a large-screen TV that was displaying a drag racing event... but I digress.

The menu was filled with great-sounding entrees, salads, sandwiches, appetizers and extras; what made my eyeballs pop was the prices.  Actually, they were not all that bad when compared to what I have seen on other menus from similar venues.  But... when "all things restaurant" are factored in to the equation -- including location, ambience, plate presentation, service and decor -- well, let's just say that all things were suddenly not equal.  Ten bucks for a burger -- anywhere -- is a lot to pay, no matter what the size.  Sandwiches on the menu were generally $8-9, seafood (except for catfish) was $18-20 and combo platters ranged from $11-22.

Lauren decided to simply have a Roadhouse Burger ($9.99), while my unsatiated BBQ hunger would not allow me choose anything but The Rancher($14.99): "a half-slab of hand-rubbed, slow-smoked ribs, slathered in our Roadhouse BBQ sauce".  The burger -- a half-pound mound of beef that was topped with "Billy's Butt Rub", three giant onion rings, house-smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, tomato and shredded lettuce --  was about eight inches high and would have been impossible for anyone save the Jolly Green Giant to get his mouth around.  Lauren removed the rings from the Tower of Babel Burger and still was not enthralled with how taking a bite must have appeared...  In any case I will say that, except for the fact that the burger was ordered medium and delivered rare, both the burger and the ribs were very good; the tasty rib meat literally fell off the bones, and the burger was certainly superior to another that we tasted recently at a venue in Aurora.  Lauren was allowed one "side" with her burger and I was allowed two with my ribs.  We both selected cole slaw and I also chose the sweet potato fries.  The fries were excellent; the cole slaw was not... neither of us ate a bite beyond the first.

Since the ribs were the only ones that I have tasted in Kane County, I cannot argue the fact that they may actually have been the best in the county -- according to the accolades provided in the press release.  They certainly were very good.  But I definitely could not help but compare them to the ribs I have had in a county to the east of Kane...  I also need to repeat something I stated above: "...when 'all things restaurant' are factored in to the equation" -- because as good as Billy's might be or is capable of becoming, they still have a lot of work to be done.

Perhaps the best news of the evening was that we had found a coupon in a local magazine, allowing for the price of the burger to be deducted from the total bill.  I give Billy's Roadhouse Saloon and Grill Three Zins.

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