Jeff Middleton’s lifelong dream was to open a restaurant – after visiting Middleton’s on Main in Wauconda, four diners decided he was doing a good job of making his dream come true.
The dark wood Irish tavern décor is perfect for a cool autumn day. It’s comforting and cozy inside, albeit a little bit noisy, but that’s the way in an Irish bar.
I can’t get to the food until I write about the beer – 100 some different kinds are available, and the waitress gladly offered us a taste of a wheat ale and a red beer. One of us chose the root beer, actually an alcoholic beverage made out of root beer. Another chose a red ale.  Each had different flavors, but were both smooth and thirst-quenching. You’ve got to try a few of the many beers here – you won’t be disappointed even if you’re not a beer drinker.
Middleton’s on Main has an overwhelming array of appetizers from wings to dirty bastard ale fondue and oven baked soft pretzels to pork belly bruschetta. Having had a martini and some fruit and cheese earlier, we opted out of the appetizers.
You can get sandwiches, salads and panninis here, but we wanted a full meal, and the specials sounded delicious. One of us, a prime rib lover, went for the slow-roasted prime rib special – another scallops lover was happy to learn of the seafood dish accompanied by risotto.
The prime rib was just the right size, tender and filling – along  with garlic mashed potatoes, pea pods and red peppers.