Linden Grill, South Bend

Cuisine Type: American
Established: 2000
Handicap Accessible: Yes
Number of Tables: 11–25
Parking: Free street parking
Most popular offering: Burgers, wings, pork chops, and fish
Kid-friendly: Yes
Alcohol: Full bar
Delivery / Take-out Available: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes

Alfonso Mack's journey to becoming a chef and restaurateur was hardly a straight line. Though he spent time in the kitchen with his mother and grandmother, taste testing and analyzing family recipes, he didn't really embrace cooking as a career option until college. As a basketball player, he often found himself hungry after a late practice, without anywhere to go to get a basket of fries to continue dunking basketballs into. He started making quick meals for the other players, and soon realized that he loved seeing friends enjoy his food as much as he loved cooking it. So, after graduating college, he founded Linden Grill.

Today, Alfonso focuses on preparing "soulful food cooked fast," and his menu reflects that aspiration. He whips up pork chops, burgers, and wings in a blur. He particularly recommends the philly cheesesteak, a gem on his menu he wishes more people ordered.