Naperville gets 'family friendly' restaurant at former Show-Me's

Naperville's newest restaurant is set to open its doors this week and its manager is hoping to do it with as little fanfare as possible; a far cry from the previous tenant at 1126 E. Ogden Ave.

The Linebacker Grille will open at 5 p.m. Thursday in the former Show-Me's site, 1126 East Ogden Ave., with a fine-dining and more family friendly approach.

"When the clock strikes 5 (p.m.) I'm just going to open the door and the people who want to come in, will," General Manager Gary Beckner said. "When they get here, they'll get great food and drinks and top-notch service and they'll come back. That's how you open a successful restaurant."

He realizes some of his first guests may be lured in by the name and think they're entering a sports bar, but he hopes they'll stay for lunch or dinner and one of his 66 bottled craft beers at the full-service restaurant.

"Chicago is known for its football and its linebackers. We've got (Dick) Butkus, (Mike) Singletary, (Wilber) Marshall, (Brian) Urlacher and (Lance) Briggs," Beckner said. "When I decided I wanted to be a part of this project, I picked that name to pay homage to that tradition of excellence."

Beckner, who has 20 years of experience in the management and corporate ranks of country club restaurants and the Burger King and Tilted Kilt chains, said he hopes to bring a similar tradition of excellence to Ogden Avenue.

Servers will wear black dress shirts and black pants and every table will be covered with a tablecloth.

And while you order a burger and catch the game on one of the 29 big-screen televisions, a chef also has been brought in to prepare steak and seafood dishes,

The menu will feature dishes mostly in the $11 to $17 range, with the most expensive item priced at $21.95. The Linebacker Grille also will feature a full $3.95 kids' menu.

"I'm serious when I say I want people to bring their families and their children in to have a great time," Beckner said.

That being said, Beckner believes he'll attract a following of craft beer aficionados with his drink menu. About 80 percent of the 66 bottled beers and 12 taps will feature craft brews including selections from Two Brothers Brewing Company in Warrenville. He also hopes to feature between 30 and 40 bottles of wine.

Beckner said he doesn't want to focus on the failure of Show-Me's, which opened in February 2011 and was shuttered by November, but he hopes neighbors recognize and make the distinction that the Linebacker is a different place.

"Sure, there was the scandal with the servers' outfits and things like that," he said. "But anyone that ever went to Show-Me's knows it failed because the service was poor and the food was subpar. That won't be happening here."

And it won't be happening as late.

The Linebacker Grille will be closed Mondays and open from 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, and from 10:30 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

In late summer, Beckner hopes to build a new 40-seat patio on the northwest corner of the building.

Mayor George Pradel, who said he lost several nights of sleep prior to Show-Me's 2011 opening, said he has been sleeping easier since he found out Beckner's plans for the lot.

"I love what he's trying to do here and how they've gone about it," Pradel said. "I'm ready to welcome the Linebacker Grille to Naperville and I hope they do a great business while pumping up that Ogden corridor."