It's all in the family. That's what great about Mulkey's Restaurant in Rock Island.
Change is only good when something needs to be changed, and nothing needs to be changed here. Mulkey's has been owned by the same family for over 60 years.
When you enter the dining room, there is no doubt that this place is family-owned and has family pride. Photos of four generations of Mulkey men — Bob, Chuck, Ryan and Charlie — are hanging on the wall. Each photo looks the same — white shirt, black bow tie, mustache and goatee — with the exception of the youngest Mulkey, who broke tradition by not sporting a mustache and goatee in his photo, which was taken several years ago when he was 3.
Bob Mulkey and his wife, Alice, opened Mulkey's in 1957. Bob had a cousin who worked for Tri City Equipment and sold Henny Penny Chicken Fryers, which were first introduced commercially in 1957. He convinced Bob to buy one, and a franchise was born.
Henny Penny Chicken Fryers employ a form of pressure cooking — the meat and cooking oil are brought to a high temperature, allowing the food to cook more quickly. Very few Henny Penny franchises are left in the United States, and only the franchises can use the original Henny Penny breading mix that gives this chicken an old-school taste. You know a restaurant is a Henny Penny Chicken franchise when you see the Henny Penny Chicken wearing glasses on the marquee.
Chuck came back from college in 1971 to work in the family business alongside his mother after Bob died unexpectedly. Chuck got his start in the business breading chicken when he was 11 years old.
Chuck's youngest son, Ryan, began pouring gelatin and peeling potatoes at the restaurant when he was 10. Ryan returned home from college to work at Mulkey's when Alice passed away. Ryan is now in his 18th year at the restaurant, and Chuck continues to work a couple of days a week.
Part of the charm of Mulkey's is the staff. The night manager, Joe, has been there 38 years, and the morning cook, Tammy, has been there 42 years. Between 80 percent to 90 percent of the employees are from four families, some on their third generation. Many of the customers are greeted by name when they enter, and it is easy to feel at home here.
Mulkey's is known for its breakfast and lunch selections, in addition to dinner choices. The breakfast menu has all of our favorites: eggs, omelettes, Denver scramble, country-fried steak, buttermilk pancakes, and biscuits and gravy. We wish we lived around the corner so we could walk over for breakfast on a whim.
Tammy's skillet, consisting of scrambled eggs with ham and sausage over fried potatoes topped with cheese, is first on our list.
The salad menu has great-sounding choices, including a raspberry chicken salad. You can order a variety of sandwiches, including some unique ones like a grilled turkey Reuben, Texas burger, and a blue cheese burger. A low-cal plate and vegetarian sandwich are available for those watching their waistlines.
We were hungry for old-fashioned home cooking, so we decided the area of the menu for us was Mulkey's Features. It was hard to choose, so we ordered all three: Henny Penny Chicken, a whole catfish and a hot roast beef sandwich. All entrees come with a choice of salad or homemade soup, choice of potato, and a roll with butter.
We had to have the Henny Penny Chicken first. Do not confuse this chicken with fried chicken, it isn't fried; it is broasted. Broasted chicken is pressure-fried, a process that yields a more tender and better-tasting product. This chicken is crispy on the outside, but juicy on the inside.
The four pieces of white and dark meat chicken were a bargain for $8.25. We had ours with a baked potato and coleslaw. The coleslaw is a classic — perfectly creamy and tangy.
The catfish is cooked the same way as the chicken is. It, too, turns out crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside with the catfish taste we love. It was more than enough for one person at $10.49.
The hot roast beef sandwich featured tender slabs of roast beef layered on top of white bread, topped with a generous scoop of whipped potatoes and covered in brown gravy. Priced at $8.89, it is the perfect comfort food for cold fall days.
We opted for the lettuce salad with Alice's creamy garlic dressing, another Quad-Cities staple. The red-tinged dressing was thick and well studded with garlic.
Specials offered daily include chicken a la king on Mondays, liver and onions on Tuesdays, hamloaf on Wednesdays, beef tips on Thursdays, Swiss steak on Fridays, and roast beef on Saturdays. Everything on the menu is available for carry-out. You can order tubs of Henny Penny Chicken ranging in size from 6 pieces to over 200 pieces. Mulkey's also offers catering services.
Located at the top of the hill above Augustana College, on the corner of 38th Street and 14th Avenue, Mulkey's is open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day except Sundays. On Sundays, it is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for limited carry-out (anything broasted), in order to allow their employees a day off.
Some places need to stay the same, and Mulkey's is one of them. We look forward to eating here for years to come.
He said: Mulkey's chicken is some of the best I have had in the Quad-Cities. It was crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The hot roast beef sandwich took me back to Bakers Cafe.
She said: The hot roast beef sandwich reminds me of my dad. It was his favorite meal. You get near perfection when you combine the food staples of white bread and gravy with beef and potatoes.