Restaurant Review: Scotch & Sausage

As much as I loathe the term “man cave,” the overused macho idiom certainly fits the new Scotch & Sausage to a subterranean T. “If the apocalypse happens while we’re eating, I think we’re safe,” said my friend as we settled into the Oak Lawn eatery’s bunker-like space. Concrete floors, low exposed-wood ceilings, and black metal benches give the restaurant a rugged yet cozy feel. My whiskey-loving friend was thrilled with the more than 100 bottles to choose from. The rest of us appreciated the many local craft beers on tap. And then there was the food. Stick to the menu’s straightforward sausages, and you’ll leave happy. The Danger Dog—a plump, 100-percent Angus beef frank wrapped in bacon—and the habanero-spiked Polish sausage were juicy and satisfying. But many of the more creative offerings, such as the boar sausage with cranberries and dried apricots, were underseasoned and dry. Better yet: just make a meal out of the Scotch eggs and fries. Soft-boiled eggs are wrapped with sausage and coated in corn flakes. They were addictive, as were the triple-cooked Belgian fries. Pair them with steins of ale and you’ll be ready to hibernate. Though management may prefer you return to your own cave for that.