Most people dread the middle of the week. In one corner of Highland, Indiana, plenty of locals circle Wednesday on the calendar instead.
The reason is a short stack of tacos filled with prime rib, sold at a supper club that has been feeding Northwest Indiana since 1947. Truman was in the White House when the doors first opened, and the place still runs with the same old-school spirit.
The booths are snug, the steaks are charred over flame, and the tacos show up only once a week, which turns every Wednesday into a small local event. Ahead, you will learn where to find this spot, how the taco night works, what makes the prime rib famous, how to snag a table on a packed evening, and the practical details that save first-timers from rookie mistakes.
Grab a fork and keep scrolling.
A Supper Club Address on West 45th Street
Every great food ritual needs a home base, and this one sits on a busy stretch of road in Lake County. Town Club Restaurant is at 2904 W 45th St, Highland, IN 46322, in the northwest corner of Indiana.
Highland is a short drive from the Illinois state line, so the club draws a crowd from both sides of the border. Still, the regulars are mostly locals who have been coming for years.
The restaurant is classified as a steak house, but calling it only that would sell it short. It is a true supper club, a style of dining that once dotted the Midwest and has slowly grown rare.
Surf and turf has been on the menu here since the very beginning. Steak and seafood share the spotlight on a long, wide-ranging menu that rewards repeat trips.
The building itself does not shout for attention. It blends into the neighborhood like it has always been there, which, in a sense, it has.
That low-key presence is part of the charm. The club does not need flashing lights or trendy branding to fill its seats, especially once the middle of the week rolls around.
So what keeps people coming back for more than seven decades? The answer starts with a date stamped right on the sign.
Roots That Reach Back to 1947
Seventy-plus years is a long time in the restaurant business. Most eateries are lucky to survive five.
Town Club has been serving steak and seafood since 1947, and it wears that number with pride. The sign out front boasts about being the best and the biggest in town since that year, a claim that has become a bit of a local slogan.
The club is known as a neighborhood fixture. Generations of Highland families have marked birthdays, anniversaries, and ordinary Tuesdays inside its walls.
What stands out is how little the core identity has shifted. The kitchen still leans on flame-charred meats, the dining rooms still feel like a different era, and the menu still treats dinner as a full event rather than a quick bite.
Some places chase every new trend. This one seems to have decided long ago that the old way worked just fine.
That loyalty to tradition can surprise first-timers. Some call the look dated, while longtime fans insist that is exactly the point and hope nothing ever changes.
History alone does not pack a dining room on a weeknight, though. For that, the club has a secret weapon that only appears one day a week.
The Wednesday Taco Ritual
Tacos at a 1947 steakhouse sound like a plot twist. In Highland, they have become the main event.
Every Wednesday, the club turns its famous prime rib into tacos, and the word has clearly spread. Taco night is the busiest night of the week for many regulars, and some plan their whole week around it.
The tacos are available only on Wednesday. That limited window adds a little urgency, since missing it means waiting another seven days.
Fans often mention the green sauce served alongside. It has earned its own small fan club among the Wednesday faithful.
The tacos have been sold a la carte, at around $3.50 each in recent memory. That makes them one of the friendliest ways to sample the prime rib without committing to a giant slab.
Ordering three seems to be the popular move. It is enough to feel like a full meal while leaving room to justify a return trip.
The idea blends supper club tradition with a casual weeknight twist. It brings in younger diners who might never have tried a classic steakhouse otherwise, alongside longtime regulars who already know the drill.
Dining in is only one way to join the fun. The other option skips the booth entirely.
Carryout for the Taco Curious
Not everyone has time for a sit-down supper on a weeknight. The good news is that Wednesday tacos travel.
The club offers carryout, and calling ahead to place an order is a simple way to get in on taco night. It works especially well when the dining rooms are full and the wait for a table stretches long.
The staff handles phone orders in a friendly, accommodating way. First-timers who have never tried prime rib tacos can ask questions without feeling rushed.
Carryout is also a smart strategy for families. One person can swing by after work while everyone else sets the table at home.
A quick tip helps here. Since the tacos are a Wednesday-only item, calling earlier in the day makes sense before the evening rush builds.
The phone number is easy to find through the restaurant website, townclubon45th.com. Prices on older menu photos floating around online may not match today, so confirming the current cost when ordering avoids surprises.
Many people who start with a carryout order end up coming back to eat inside. The tacos are a gateway, and the full supper club experience is waiting on the other side of the door.
That experience starts with the cut that made the tacos possible.
Prime Rib Sized for Serious Appetites
Ask anyone in Highland what Town Club is known for, and prime rib is usually the first answer. It is the most talked-about item on the menu by a wide margin.
The house style is charred prime rib. Instead of serving it straight from the roast, the kitchen finishes it on the grill, giving the outside a dark, flame-kissed edge.
That approach divides opinion a little. Some diners who normally avoid a charred cut end up won over, while others prefer a more traditional style, so it helps to know what is coming before ordering.
Portions are not shy. The prime rib comes in 20-ounce and 25-ounce cuts, and there is no smaller option.
That means two choices: share, or plan on leftovers. Plenty of diners take home a box for the next day.
Regulars describe the cut as consistently hearty and generous. It is the dish many order every single time without even opening the menu.
The size and the char together create something that feels very specific to this place. It is not a copy of a chain steakhouse plate, and it does not try to be.
Prime rib is not the only meat that meets the flame here, though.
Steaks That Meet an Open Flame
Fire is the quiet star of the kitchen. Steaks at Town Club are cooked over an open flame, which gives them the signature char the club is famous for.
The rib eye is the second most popular cut after the prime rib. The menu even features a house version called the Club Ribeye.
A practical tip goes a long way here. Since flame cooking is fast and intense, being clear about your preferred doneness helps the kitchen land it right.
When a steak misses the mark, the staff has been known to offer a remake or adjust the bill. That kind of response matters at a place built on repeat customers.
Beyond the big two cuts, the menu is long and varied. Seafood appears alongside the beef, keeping the surf and turf tradition alive for those who want a break from red meat.
Meals here are generally described as comforting and well portioned. Nobody seems to leave hungry, which fits the supper club spirit perfectly.
Lunch is an option too, with a steak sandwich available during the daytime hours. It is a lighter way to try the kitchen before committing to a full dinner.
Speaking of full dinners, the way a meal is structured here might catch newcomers off guard.
Dinners That Arrive With the Works
Modern steakhouses love to charge separately for every side. Town Club plays by older rules.
Most dinners on the menu are not a la carte. Instead, they come as a full spread, the way supper clubs have always done it.
A starter platter lands on the table for everyone to share. Then each guest picks either soup or salad, though not both.
Entrees typically include a choice of potato or vegetables. The vegetables in particular get a surprising amount of praise.
This setup explains why the price range of roughly $20 to $30 per person feels like solid value to many diners. The bill covers more than just the main plate.
The course-by-course rhythm also slows the evening down in a good way. Dinner becomes a sit-and-stay affair rather than a dash between errands.
Some guests describe feeling comfortable and unrushed while dining here. That relaxed pace is part of what separates a supper club from a standard restaurant.
One note for planning: on busy nights the courses can take a while to arrive. Building in extra time keeps the evening easygoing.
Of course, the setting matters as much as the plates, and this setting has a personality all its own.
A Room That Never Left the Past
Renovation crews have apparently skipped this address for decades. And plenty of loyal diners are thrilled about it.
The atmosphere is pure old-school supper club. Expect cozy booths, close-set tables, darker lighting, and decor that clearly predates smartphones.
A jukebox plays in the front area on many nights. When it is going, guests say it feels like a trip back in time, in the best possible way.
The back dining room has no windows. Some find it snug and inviting, while others feel it is a little cramped, so it helps to know the layout in advance.
Is it dated? Absolutely, and many fans argue that is the whole point.
They see the retro look as intentional, a living piece of Midwestern dining history.
The space is also kept clean, which matters in any older building. Dated and tidy can happily share the same room.
This is not a sleek, minimalist steakhouse with designer lighting. It is a throwback for people who want their dinner to come with a sense of place.
Anyone craving that retro mood will feel right at home. And the people running the room add even more to that feeling.
Familiar Faces Behind the Counter
Family-run spirit is easy to spot here. The owner often greets guests at the front, and on Friday nights he can sometimes be found sitting with his own family in the dining room.
That presence sets a welcoming tone. Many describe the club as a place where nobody stays a stranger for long.
The servers tend to be seasoned pros who have been around the block. Several have earned shout-outs by name from grateful diners over the years.
First-timers sometimes end up chatting with regulars at the front. Making new friends over dinner is not unusual in a room this close-knit.
Service gets plenty of praise for being friendly and attentive. Some diners say they would return for the hospitality alone.
Fairness calls for a balanced picture, though. On packed nights, the staff can get stretched thin, and slower service has been noted at times.
Patience pays off on those evenings. The crew is often juggling a full house with only a few hands on deck.
The warmth of the place makes it a natural choice for special occasions. That reputation leads straight to the next part of the story.
Where Highland Celebrates
Birthdays, anniversaries, out-of-town relatives: they all seem to end up here eventually. For many local families, Town Club is the default celebration spot.
Some regulars call it their go-to restaurant for any milestone worth marking. The classic setting gives an occasion a sense of tradition that newer restaurants struggle to match.
Hosting visiting family is another common reason to book. It is the kind of place locals proudly show off to guests from elsewhere.
Big groups are welcome too. The staff has handled parties as large as 13 with care, which is no small feat in a cozy space.
A few planning pointers help larger gatherings run smoothly. Calling ahead with the group size gives the team time to arrange seating.
Since prime rib comes only in very large cuts, groups can split portions or simply embrace the leftovers. Nobody leaves needing a drive-through stop afterward.
The full-course format also suits celebrations well. A starter, soup or salad, and entree turn a meal into a proper evening.
Of course, all this popularity has a side effect. Getting a table is not always as easy as showing up, especially on one particular night of the week.
The Reservation Game on Taco Night
Walking in unannounced on a Wednesday is a gamble. Taco night packs the house, and seats go fast.
Reservations are strongly recommended, especially midweek. Some lucky diners have scored short-notice tables by calling the same day, but booking in advance is the safer bet.
The club is popular across the whole week, not just on Wednesday. Friday and Saturday evenings draw their own steady crowds.
A quick phone call is the easiest way to lock in a spot. Details are available through townclubon45th.com.
Timing matters too. The kitchen closes earlier than many diners expect, so a late reservation leaves less breathing room.
Arriving a few minutes early helps on busy nights. It gives you time to find parking and settle in before the courses start rolling.
For anyone unable to land a reservation, carryout remains a solid backup plan. The tacos taste just as worth the effort at the kitchen table.
Lunch is another clever workaround for skipping the evening crush. The doors open at 11 AM, and midday tends to be calmer for a first visit.
Once the table is secured, the next challenge is simply finding the front door.
Parking Puzzles and a Sneaky Entrance
First-timers have been known to drive right past. The entrance is easy to miss unless you are watching closely.
Parking is located in a small lot behind the building. On busy evenings, those spots fill quickly.
A little patience and a slow approach along 45th Street go a long way. Keeping an eye out for the sign that boasts about 1947 makes the turn easier to spot.
Since the lot is compact, carpooling is a smart idea for groups. Fewer cars mean less circling and more time at the table.
Arriving a bit before your reservation also helps. It leaves room for finding a space without stress.
The modest exterior is part of the hidden quality that fans love. Some describe the club as tucked away right in the heart of Highland, despite sitting on a main road.
Highland itself is easy to reach from much of Lake County and the south side of the Chicago area. That makes the club a manageable weeknight drive for plenty of people craving tacos.
With parking sorted, one more practical piece remains. Knowing when the kitchen is open and what to budget prevents any unwelcome surprises.
Hours, Budget, and a Menu Photo Warning
Mondays and Sundays are off the table here, literally. The club is closed both days.
From Tuesday through Saturday, the doors open at 11 AM and close at 8:30 PM. That schedule covers lunch and an early-leaning dinner service.
The 8:30 PM closing time is earlier than many steakhouses. Night owls should plan to eat on the earlier side.
Wednesday is the only day for prime rib tacos. Showing up on a Thursday hoping for tacos will lead to a very different, though still filling, dinner.
Most meals land in the $20 to $30 per person range. Many diners consider that reasonable given the full-course format.
Here is a helpful heads-up. Old menu photos circulating online can be years out of date, and current prices may be noticeably higher than those images suggest.
Checking the official website or calling ahead is the best way to confirm today’s prices. The same goes for the taco price, which has been around $3.50 each but could change.
A little homework keeps the bill from becoming a plot twist. With logistics covered, only one question remains: is the Wednesday hype worth it?
Why Wednesday Keeps Winning
Plenty of restaurants try to manufacture tradition. Town Club simply kept the one it already had.
The club is not for everyone, and it does not pretend to be. Diners hoping for sleek modern decor or tiny tasting plates may want to look elsewhere.
For everyone else, the appeal is clear. Flame-charred steaks, giant cuts of prime rib, full-course dinners, and a room that proudly stays stuck in another decade.
Then there are the Wednesday tacos. They turn a hump day into something to anticipate, offering a fun and affordable way to sample the famous prime rib.
Some nights run slower than others, and the charred style is not every diner’s preference. Knowing those quirks ahead of time helps set the right expectations.
Most people leave planning their next trip. Many first-timers say they will be back, and the long line of regulars suggests they usually mean it.
A few smart moves make the experience smoother. Book ahead, arrive early, look carefully for the entrance, and confirm current prices before you go.
Since 1947, this Highland supper club has kept its doors open by staying true to itself. On Wednesdays, that loyalty comes wrapped in a tortilla.
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