Create Your Own Cheesecake & Cheesesteak almost sounds poetic.
But it’s the meaning behind C.Y.O.C., a restaurant with locations in Waukegan and North Chicago.
The unique concept began five years ago when owner Joshua Kirkwood of Waukegan wanted to create a place that reflected his passion: cheesecake.
Served in scoops rather than slices and presented in a gelato-style case, the cheesecake comes atop a heaping spoonful of graham cracker crumbs.
“These made-to-eat by the scoops are not like anything you’ve ever had,” said supervisor Veronica Roque of Waukegan. “All the ingredients are in the front so you can see them.”
Top flavors are Strawberry, Pineapple Upside Down and Red Velvet Cake. New flavors are created and changed out often, like Dare You to Try Me Triple Chocolate.
So where did the cheesesteak come in?
“He needed something to go with and rhyme with cheesecake. He already had the name,” Roque said of Kirkwood.
And thus, cheesesteaks were added to the menu.
Twenty combination meals are offered, combining steak, cheesesteak, steak and chicken wraps, steak and eggs, steak fries, chicken fries, chicken strips, chicken and eggs and chicken Buffalo. Roque said the Steak Deluxe and Chicken Buffalo are the most popular sandwiches.
Sandwiches can be ordered with C.Y.O.C.’s special sauce blended with seasoned mayonnaise. Nine cheeses — provolone, white American, white cheddar, cheddar sauce, Swiss, mozzarella, habanero jack, pepper jack and blue cheese — can be ordered as a topping on anything.
Sides include fries, Mac Bites with pepper jack cheese, and Sweet Potato Tater Tots, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and topped with whipped cream.
The North Chicago location, which serves Naval Station Great Lakes sailors and their families, offers breakfast entrees like chicken and waffles, omelets, hash browns and pancakes.
“We Philly-fy everything,” Roque said. “Our philosophy is to give customers a chance to build and create and mess around and have fun.”
Pricing: Cheesecake flavors by the scoop range from $3.75 for original cheesecake to $4.49 for Pineapple Upside Down. Specialty cheesecakes range from $4.50 for a Cheesecake Sundae to $6.50 for Banana Split. Add toppings, sauces and candy mix-ins for 50 cents. Cheesesteaks range from $5.19 for a Chicken Cheesesteak sandwich to $10.44 for a King Steak & Chicken Meal with fries. Sides are $1.59 for fries, $2.49 for Sweet Potato Tater Tots and $2.99 for Cheddar Ranch Fries.
Hours: Open 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Saturday, Waukegan. Open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, North Chicago
Address: 2114 N. Green Bay Road, Waukegan, and 2314 Green Bay Road, North Chicago.
Contact: 847-406-2962 Waukegan and 847-578-1111 North Chicago or visit cyocinc.com.
Shonda Talerico Dudlicek is a freelance writer.
