May 1, 2011

SmashMouth: different but good

By Brandon Stookey

If someone wants quality food, it either costs big bucks or they stay at home for dad's famous grilling. Few would ever consider a burger and pizza shack to offer good food and reasonable prices, but SmashMouth proves otherwise.

SmashMouth opened five months ago in Schererville, located off Cline Avenue and West Lincoln Highway, offering a respite from fast food chains that rely heavily on frozen burgers and fries.

SmashMouth does not offer a wide variety of healthy selections, and yes, the food is drowning in calories. What it does offer is a unique menu cooked entirely from scratch.

Combo meals at SmashMouth cost $8.99 and this includes fresh cut fries and a drink. Meals take approximately 10 minutes to prepare, and may cost more and take a little longer to prepare than a regular fast food chain, but the quality of the food offered is significantly better.

The restaurant itself is not overly spacious, but is comfortable in a sports bar sort of setting. Seven flat screen TV's adorns the walls, which are painted and decorated in a black and red color scheme, giving SmashMouth a very lively feel.

Inspirational quotes are written along the upper portions of the walls, such as "Do one thing everyday that scares you," and "It's never too late to be what you might have been."

The waiters and waitresses are friendly and attentive, but what sticks out most are the black disposable gloves the employees wear. This does not add or take away from the restaurant, but the emphasis put on fresh food and the ominous looking gloves makes one wonder if the food is being slaughtered on-site before being served.

The menu ranges from pizza and burgers to BLT deviled eggs and butternut squash soup. The soups are served as a special and rotate weekly. Also offered as a limited time special are crab cakes, among other options.

SmashMouth's specialty is its hamburger with secret bistro sauce. The sauce has a slightly tangy, sweet taste to it that immediately makes one think of other things to try it with, such as the fries.

Joseph "Chef Joe" Arvin, owner of SmashMouth, said eating at his restaurant is an experience equivalent to a culinary journey. Arvin received his culinary degree from Baltimore International Culinary College before opening the restaurant with his friend Brian Brundage.

Arvin's self-proclaimed culinary journey is certainly one worth taking, so long as the customer is not a health nut. Still, with options such as salad and more typical items also offered on the menu, even the health-conscious and less curious can reward their taste buds by taking a visit.

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