JoJo's Shake Bar Brings Me To The Yard

We'll be heading to Chicago on Friday, and when it's for a scheduled doctor visit, Jason treats me to some of my favorite Windy City cuisines afterwards. However, I still haven't decided where we'll dine this week yet. I mean, I usually  never say no to Giordano's deep dish pizza, but I also have a soft spot for JoJo's Shake Bar. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll see that their freakshakes are my jam! 

If you live in the Chicagoland or surrounding areas, you'll see a lot of advertising for JoJo's on your social media. Pictures of their milkshakes are drool-worthy (and enough to send one into a diabetic coma, I'm sure), but are they worth the social media hype? If you ask me, I'll tell you I'll make the 2 hour drive from my house just for a milkshake. If you ask Jason, he'll tell you he has no desire to ever step foot in there again.  So, I suppose it depends on how much you love milkshakes and sugar?

Let me start my review by saying that I had someone on Instagram send me a message after I posted my freakshake pic and tell me that I need to eat better. Not that I have to explain my eating habits to anyone, but JoJo's should be treated as a special treat, not for every day food, which is what I do. I've been 3 times in 2 years, so mind your own business and move along if milkshakes and candy aren't your thing. For those of you who are interested, continue on :)

Before the pandemic, we got to dine indoors. Y'all remember those days? JoJo's Milk Bar is an Instagram worthy little eatery with a full menu consisting of grub like sandwiches, tacos, lasagna, biggie shakes and hot cocoa, and my personal favorite, cheese fries. Vegetarian or Vegan? Not an issue! They can accommodate your dietary needs. 

And, where else are you going to get to dine with Biggie and The Queen, who both have milk mustaches!? 

The first shake I ever ordered was The Gold Digger. 

This milkshake is made with vanilla ice cream infused with caramel. It's topped with gold toned candies and cookies. But, as much as I loved the milkshake, I'll will agree with Jason and say that you're paying for the novelty of these shakes and they really aren't worth the $14 asking price. We split this one and I honestly didn't feel like the actual milkshake was enough to satisfy two people. We had the waitstaff box up the candy and cookie toppings so we could give them to the girls when we got home. By the next afternoon, the toppings were getting pretty stale and hard, so we ended up throwing them out since nobody wanted to eat them at that point.

While I was in Chicago in early December, Jason thought he'd treat me and my bestie to dinner at JoJo's. By treat, I mean drop us off at their outdoor dining winter wonderland and go find himself food elsewhere LOL. I had seen their special peppermint winter shake on their Facebook page and really didn't want to miss out on getting my hands on it before the season was over. Dining indoors was not (and to my knowledge, still not) happening, but they did set up a huge heated outdoor tent decorated in winter/Christmas theme for diners. Now, the setup was all kinds of adorable, but my excitement for my birthday meal went south rather quickly when the hostess told me there was a $20 SIT DOWN FEE. Like, what in the actual fuck is a sit down fee? She didn't tell me of any fee when we put our names on the waiting list and Jason had already drove off, so I paid the $20 just for the privilege of dining at JoJo's, which soured the birthday meal a bit for me. But, it was my bestie's first time here and I did love the decor, so I let it go. We both ordered the Winter Peppermint Shakes and cheese fries. Absolutely delish! 

But again, as much as I love the shakes and fries, our total with the sit down fees and tip came to $85. For 2 shakes and 2 baskets of fries. I didn't even pay that much for food in New York! 

I was going to wait until they took down their Christmas tent dining area to post my review since I didn't want to encourage anyone to show up and get blindsided with a sit down fee, but it appears that they have converted the area to a Candyland theme until the end of April, so I'm sure a sit down fee still applies if you plan to tent dine. For me, on top of the high food prices, tips and sit down fees, JoJo's is not worth the hype. But, the food is really good, so I personally won't stop patronizing them when we're in Chicago, but will place a curbside to-go pickup order for my future visits. 

If you like massive milkshakes/freakshakes, and if you're ever in the South Bend/Mishawaka Indiana area, I insist that you stop at Caracas Bistro. Their milkshakes are about twice the size of JoJo's and only cost $9. And are worth every calorie, imo. 

What's your favorite milkshake flavor?

Getaway Grille & Cubbie Bar is a Home Run Eatery for Chicago Cubs Fans

Who's excited that baseball season is upon us once again? I know Jason is. He's still floating on cloud 9 after the Chicago Cubs epic World Series win. The only thing that could have made that series better would have been if they would have brought the win home at Wrigley Field, but hey, a win's a win, right? A well deserved and much anticipated win at that.

When we were up at the ice festival a few months back, we decided to stop for lunch at the Getaway Grille & Cubbie Bar located in Bridgman, Michigan. Jason's been wanting to dine there for a while, so he was pretty excited to finally get the chance to go in for a bite.

I imagine if I were to let Jason take over the decorating of our home, it would turn out exactly like the Getaway Grille & Cubbie Bar's setup. From the minute you set foot on the property, you are immersed in all things Chicago Cubs. The bear paw walkway will lead you to a dining experience that's almost as fun as being in The Friendly Confines itself.

The interior is fully decked out in Cubs memorabilia. From the decoupaged baseball card tables, to the player photos on the walls, and the fun little signs, a true Cubs fan will get a kick out of the atmosphere.

 Even the walls are painted to resemble the brick wall at Wrigley Field, and they made sure to add in the ivy, too.

Not a space is left untouched by Cubs decor. Our waiter told us to check out the bathrooms which have the Cubs Greats hand drawn onto the walls.

As much fun as the decor is, we really were there to eat. The menu consists of Cubbie eats, from the Holy Cow Burger, Lost in the Ivy Salads, Seventh Inning Stretch Sandwiches, and Batter Up Baskets.

How can you go wrong with ordering when you can have St. Louis Sucks, Don't Hate On 1908, or a Bleacher Bum? The food was really scrumptious and portion sizes were fair. Allison had the Irish Nachos and Jason ordered the Italian Beef. My only complaint was there weren't really any options for vegetarians except for the salads, which was a bit disappointing. They were totally cool though and allowed me to order the mushroom & Swiss burger minus the beef patty and added extra sauteed mushrooms to the bun to make up for the loss.

If you just want to stop in for a drink, head over to the bar for a cold one and watch the game on the big screens. 

Once we were finished with our meal, we took a few minutes to admire the outdoor decor.

Then took a few photos with the stadium seating prop :)

If you're a Chicago Cubs fan, a visit to the Getaway Grille & Cubby Bar is a must. You won't be disappointed!

Do you watch baseball? Who's your favorite team?

Easily Support Your School Through Red Robin's Burger for Better Schools {Giveaway}

*Disclosure- This is a sponsored post. The Red Robin's Burger For Better Schools information and gift card have been provided by Red Robin. 

We haven't been back to school for a month, but already the fundraising booklets are pouring in. I don't know about you, but I tend to cringe every time my girls bring home yet another request. Now, don't get me wrong. I know that schools rely on those funds to get much needed classroom supplies, and we definitely do our part in purchasing off those forms to help give the schools the support they need. I just wish the school fundraising would be a little more practical in what they are asking us to buy. $12 for a roll of wrapping paper, $16 for cookies, $25 for a cup. Really!? A lot of it is stuff that's not only way over priced, but will sit here unused, collecting dust. That's why I was really excited to hear about Red Robin's Burger for Better Schools program!


Now, it's easier than ever to help your school, simply by doing what you already do; dining at Red Robin! Every time you dine at Red Robin, they will donate 1% of your total bill (excluding taxes, gratuities and gift cards) to the K-12 school of your choice! Red Robin's Burger For Better Schools is an extension of Red Robin's loyalty rewards program. Red Robin Royalty provides members with additional perks when they dine at Red Robin restaurants throughout the year, such as every 10th item purchased is free, a free birthday burger, and exclusive surprises.

Signing up for the program is a snap. Simply go to http://royalty.redrobin.com to register before you dine at Red Robin. You just enter your email, telephone number, then select the K-12 school of your choice. Enter your phone number when paying your bill and 1% will be directed back to your school. How easy is that!? Not only is it easy, registering for the Burger for Better Schools is free. You can't get better than that!

Members who have opted into Burgers for Better Schools can follow their progress in supporting a K-12 school of their choice on their Red Robin Royalty account dashboard. Details include individual contributions, how many others are supporting that school, and total donations raised by all supporters. At any time, Red Robin Royalty members can donate an additional sum to the school of their choice by using the credit card option featured on the Burgers for Better School homepage. You also have the option of changing your school selection at any time throughout the year.

Dining at Red Robin is definitely an appetizing way to help support your local school. It's one of my family's favorite places to stop, not only for burgers, but for their bottomless fries and delicious drink options (check out the yummy Freckled Lemonade on my Instagram!).

My family can never agree on one set dinner item, so we appreciate that Red Robin has a huge selection of menu options. There's something to please everyone, even our 2 pickiest eaters.

The Gourmet Cheeseburger

Royal Red Robin

Grilled Turkey Burger

Clucks and Shrimp

Ending the meal on a sweet note always makes everyone happy! Red Robin has some amazing desserts, but this time we opted for the Chocolate Fruffles. They were definitley Yummm!

To sign up for the Red Robin Royalty program and become eligible to support your local school through Burgers for Better Schools, visit http://royalty.redrobin.com.

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What's your favorite menu item at Red Robin? 

Dining At Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Earlier this week, I shared with you the fun activities to engage in at Wizarding World of Harry Potter's Diagon Alley. Today, I want to discuss the food options. The first trip we made, 2 years ago, we dined for lunch at The Three Broomsticks.

Here you will find a nice mixture of dinner options that appeal to both British and American tastes. Shepherd's Pie, Fish and Chips, Ribs, Turkey Legs and Rotisserie Chicken are all on the menu. The prices seemed reasonable, and the portion sizes were fair. The bill for the 4 of us came to $70 for lunch with 4 Butterbeers.

This trip we had lunch at The Leaky Cauldron. 

The Leaky Cauldron is really geared towards the British palette. Bangers and Mash, Fish & Chips, Beef, Lamb & Guinness Stew, Cottage Pie and Toad in the Hole were some of the options. If you have picky eaters, I would not suggest taking them to The Leaky Cauldron. Allison was not pleased with the food options, and ended up settling for mac and cheese off the kid menu. In all honestly, Mariah didn't care for her beef stew, as it had way too many herbs mixed in, so I traded her my burger.

You won't find any muggle type beverages on the menu either. If you are looking for a Coke, you'll be out of luck. The beverage options are Butterbeer, Pumpkin Juice, Lemon Squash, Fizzing Orange Juice and a selection of beers for the 21+ crowd. Again, the total was right around $70 for the 4 of us.

There are carts around the park that sell cold Pumpkin Juice. We weren't sure what to expect, but had to try some. Mariah and I loved it, but Jason and Allison thought it was terrible. It almost takes like liquid pumpkin pie, and it is very sweet!

We couldn't leave without a visit to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. They have a wide assortment of ice cream flavors, and we were quite intrigued by some of the options. Chocolate Chili and Earl Grey & Lavender grabbed our attention, but we played it safe and stuck with the more traditional flavors. The Salted Caramel Blondie was delicious, but I'd say Mariah got the winning flavor when she went with the Butterbeer ice cream. It really was scrumptious! You can also pick up other Harry Potter Treats here, like Treacle Fudge! Yum!

For any Harry Potter fan, I'd definitely recommend budgeting some vacation money to sample the food. The experience alone is worth it, I think!

Would you be adventurous and try the Chocolate Chili or Earl Grey & Lavender Ice Cream?