Mystery Diner in DeKalb: Tasty food, huge portions stand out at Hometown Sports Bar and Grill

DeKALB – Restaurants have been known to mislabel and exaggerate at times, so when ordering the B.A. Pretzel (presumably the B.A. stands for Big Ample) from Hometown Sports Bar and Grill in DeKalb, it’s understandable to temper expectations.

However, there was no false advertising when that behemoth was brought to the table, one of the thickest pretzels our group has ever seen at a restaurant. And that was indicative of the experience at Hometown, which has huge portions up and down the menu.

The B.A. Pretzel (presumably named after Mr. T’s character in the classic 1980s television show “The A-Team”) turned out to be as tasty as it was comically large.

Soft and fluffy on the inside, it had the perfect texture on the outside. It also came with three dipping sauces. The nacho cheese was a standard ballpark sauce, and the straight mustard one was intense. But there was a honey mustard that was unique. Usually, honey mustard is just mustard with a little extra sweetness to it. This was practically a glaze it was so honey-like. And with a strong, stone-ground mustard as the base, it really combined two extremes in an interesting way. So the B.A. Pretzel (presumably named for a type of degree at nearby Northern Illinois University) is a can’t-miss.

The kids’ burger was also quite large. As a word of warning to parents, the default side dish is fries prepared as a type of all-natural cut. While delicious, they are a little more adult-oriented with less salt than standard fries, so little picky eaters may not be fans. Ours ended up eating tater tots off someone else’s plate.

But the fries were a big hit at the table, whether plain or smothered under nacho cheese, pulled pork and other toppings in the Macon County Fries. The combination of nacho cheese, ranch and sweet barbecue sauce on the pork did great things together. It also would be a hit with a spicier sauce or jalapeños.

We tried an order of Buffalo Cauliflower Bites. A spicy kick starts mild and builds as the meal goes on, as any good Buffalo sauce should do. And the cauliflower was very well done. It’s not going to fool anyone into thinking it’s chicken, but it came close.

We also ordered a Spartan wrap, a gyro in wrap form. The tzatziki sauce was very good and helped elevate the dish. At times, tzatziki can be too tart, but it was smooth and complemented the flavor of the meat instead of fighting with it.

Across the board, Hometown Sports Bar and Grill blended tasty food with great portions, making it a Bodacious, Awesome (presumably what the B.A. in B.A. Pretzel stands for) selection for a sports-bar style meal.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at the Daily Chronicle. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment we will not publish a review.

IF YOU GO

• WHAT: Hometown Sports Bar and Grill

• WHEN: Closed Mondays, open 11 a.m. to midnight Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sundays

• WHERE: 241 E. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb

• PHONE: 815-217-3325

• INFORMATION: hometownsportsbar.com/index.html