Sauk Trail on 17

Last night was date night, so we chose a restaurant that is quite literally two miles from our house, and completely new to us. We walked in to a beautifully decorated restaurant, and were greeted by a hostess who looked like she was ready to hit the gym (think black stretch capris, black t shirt, and tennis shoes), as we saw more staff members it became clear that each was told they had to wear black, but were given no other regulations. I understand black is thought to be sleek, and almost professional looking, but not when it is shorts or tank tops (by the way...tank tops in the kitchen, big health code violation!). I will say that despite the dress code, or lack thereof, the staff was all very friendly. We were seated at a table that had bench seating on one side, chairs on the other, and as we waited for our appetizer I examined the bench seating and was thankful Michael chose that side to sit on, I doubt the upholstery has ever been cleaned. Imagine one of those crime scenes where they turn on the black light and you can see all of the traces of blood, this is exactly how the bench looked. Our fried pickle chip appetizer came out quickly, and it was delicious, we loved the addition of fresh dill in the breading of the pickles. As we waited on our meal, I can honestly say that our water glasses were never empty, and it wasn't just our waitress, but all of the staff who would fill our glasses; as someone who drinks water like it's going out of style, I appreciated this! When we got our meal, the first thing Michael saw was onions on his pulled pork nachos, which he asked to be left off...the food runner was very accommodating, and took the nachos back and fixed them for him. I do have to say that for $9, the full size pulled pork nacho appetizer was well worth the money, although they would be even better with tortillas fried in the restaurant, rather than store bought. I ordered the Smoker combo with hesitation as it was $17, but I wanted to be able to sample their smoked meats. My plate came with 4-5 smoking hot ribs, a warm pulled pork slider, and a slice of smoked sausage that probably cost fifty cents at the grocery store; I also got a salad, and a side of macaroni and cheese that Michael told me was really good and cheesy.  The ribs were blackened on the outside and perfectly moist on the inside, some of the best I have ever had; despite not being very warm, the pulled pork slider was delicious as well; and as for the smoked sausage, well it was more like a piece of Oscar Meyer kielbasa cooked on a grill, I had really hoped for a fresh sausage link that they smoked in house themselves. All in all, it was not enough meat to be worth $17, it was good, but not enough to warrant the price. My conclusion, Sauk Trail on 17 has great food, good service, and a poor ambiance, next time we might just have to try take out, so we know that the stains we are sitting on belong to us!