Summer is the best. Join Milwaukee Record and Wheel & Sprocket August 3-10 as we search the city and beyond for the Spirit Of Summer.
The summer season here in the Midwest is a painfully brief period that’s perfect for fun, for exploration, and for new experiences. It’s a prime time to embark on impromptu road trips and long, scenic drives to far-flung places. And while you’re on the move in search of “the spirit of summer,” you’ll need to eat. In fact, food itself might even be part of the voyage.
In the same way countless out-of-state travelers make sure to work in pit stops at Kwik Trip, Culver’s, and Cousins locations during their Wisconsin excursions, I recently was able to indulge in a chain restaurant I’ve been wanting to try for years that has absolutely no footprint in our fair state. Yes, reader, I went to a Jollibee.
For those who are unfamiliar, the Filipino chain restaurant, which started way back in 1978, offers an eclectic menu that includes fried chicken, burgers and fries, mango and peach pie, “burger steak” (think Salisbury steak), spaghetti, hot dogs, a savory noodle dish called Palabok, ice cream, and flavored coffee drinks. Having exploded in popularity since its late-’70s outset, there are currently more than 1,700 Jollibee locations worldwide, but only about 75 in the U.S., and exactly zero in Wisconsin.
Last week, while driving through Illinois on my way to visit some friends in Michigan, I resisted the urge to significantly delay my journey by experiencing some of the world class cuisine within my grasp in Chicago proper. Instead, I prematurely got off I-94 and made a comparatively quick stop in the Chicagoland suburb of Skokie, Illinois, which is home to one of the four Jollibees in The Land Of Lincoln.
Beyond the undeniably cute tuxedo-clad bee mascot, this particular Jollibee could pretty much double for any other recently constructed fast food joint.
It’s box-y, sterile, and devoid of any major architectural distinctions that would separate it from, say, a newly-opened Burger King or Chipotle.
That being said, it’s window-laden to allow in oodles of natural light, spacious, and exceptionally clean. In fact, employees were continually wiping down surfaces and sweeping for the entire duration of my visit.
Despite looking brand new, I later learned the date of my visit was actually the 10th anniversary of the Skokie, Illinois location—evidently the first Jollibee store in the Midwest—opening, hence the balloons and a prize wheel I was too embarrassed to ask about as a flabby 40-year-old eating two meals worth of food alone.
Onto the food! Sadly, this was a solo mission, which meant I could only partake in some of the chain’s modest-yet-wide-reaching menu or run the risk of, you know, having a heart attack before I even reached the Indiana Tollway. Still, I tried to make a sizable dent in the menu during my visit.
I started with an Angus Cheeseburger, which was a tasty all-beef smash burger topped with melted American cheese, sliced onion, pickles, and a Big Mac-adjacent signature sauce set between a toasted milk bun. It was fresh and flavorful. It was a great way to start, but I’d quickly learn that even better things were to come.
While the burger could’ve held me over for the remainder of my travels on its own, I ventured deeper into the menu to indulge in an aptly-named “Perfect Pair” combo consisting of a Chickenjoy two-piece and some Jolly Spaghetti. For the poultry, I had the option of all original seasoning, all spicy, or a “half and half” combo of the two. I went with the third seasoning option. The “spicy” varietal was noticeably hotter than the original, but still not overbearing.
I was instantly impressed with the quality of the chicken, which had a crackly and dense breading that gave way to fall-off-the-bone juicy meat within. The side of brown gravy honestly wasn’t even necessary, but it helped make already exceptional fast food fried chicken somehow even better. It was obvious, both in terms of the caliber of the cook and the fact it took a few minutes longer than anticipated to receive my food, that each Chickenjoy order was prepared fresh. The Colonel has nothing on this.
The peach mango pie (akin to a larger and higher quality McDonald’s apple pie with a more exotic and compelling fruit filling) was good too, but the surprising star of the show was actually the Jolly Spaghetti. I know…I was as shocked by this as you probably are. Despite not looking particularly appetizing, the pile of pasta topped with a thick semi-sweet marinara sauce that was oddly-yet-deliciously reminiscent of a combination of ketchup and chili oil ruled. The sauce had a blend of ground beef and small medallions of cut up hot dog. The whole mess was capped of with a generous scattering of shredded cheese.
Trust me, I know it looks unappealing and my description probably makes it sound even worse, but it was absolutely divine. I can’t explain how or why, it was just super good and I’ve been thinking about it for a week. I kept going back in for more and I intentionally saved Jolly Spaghetti to be my final bite of the meal. It’s a must-have if you go and you can bet it’s something I’m going to order ever time I visit a Jollibee from henceforth.
Admittedly, I left a lot of stones un-turned in my maiden Jollibee voyage. There’s a wealth of chicken preparations I neglected to have, ranging from chicken sandwiches to nuggets and tenders. The Palabok Fiesta—a “traditional Filipino noodle dish covered in garlic sauce, sauteed pork, and egg”—looks great as well. And I simply didn’t have room in my stomach nor my budget to add a Burger Steak to my order last week. Despite merely scratching the surface at Jollibee, I’ll be back.
Truth be told, I almost exclusively eat at local, non-chain establishments when I dine out (aside from the occasional Taco Bell trip, of course), but based on this inaugural outing, I might go as far as to say Jollibee is now my high watermark of fast food. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for a Wisconsin location, but until that fateful day comes, I’ll consider making a pilgrimage to Skokie, Illinois once a year to pay a visit to Jollibee. I suggest you do the same.
