It doesn't matter how many devoted grandmothers swaddle you in fresh-from-the-dryer quilts, no one wants to eat uncooked lasagna. Alleviate granny's worrying and warm your belly with the edible cozies of today's Groupon: for $20, you get $40 worth of creative comfort food and drinks at Joey's Brickhouse in Lakeview.

The brunch and dinner bites at Joey's Brickhouse are crafted with care to provide comfort, companionship, and the metabolic energy required to consolidate your credit for up to 48 hours, assuming a healthy digestive system. Classic brunch omelettes and skillets are complemented with creative Jewish staples, such as fried matzoh ($7) and home-smoked lox, eggs, and onion on a toasted bagel with cream cheese ($8). For some lighter brunch-time fare, enjoy an ahi-tuna and avocado salad ($10) or a Southern-fried chicken sandwich ($8). Dinner appetites ignite with the savory flavors of sloppy-joey cheesy fries and six-cheese artichoke dip with bagel chips, preparing palates for decadent Italian-infused entrees. Joey's Brickhouse has mastered the simple succulence of spaghetti and meatballs, deftly adding sausage and parmesan to the mouthwatering mix, whereas the layered flavors of braised lamb shank over noodles and white-wine-stewed tomatoes will tickle your every taste bud in a way that makes Willie Wonka's three-course-meal gum blush. The restaurant also offers homemade pizza pies, made your way ($12–$15).

Equipped with a happy, nourished body, you'll be inspired to do things you never thought possible, such as playing solitaire double Dutch and licking loose sauce off your elbow. Gather your friends for a fun, filling feast, washing down your grub with a frothy brew, an elegant glass of wine, or some pureed leftover grub when you get home.

Reviews

Joey's grabs good reviews from Time Out Chicago, the Chicago Reader, Centerstage Chicago, Metromix, and Zagat. More than 130 Metromix readers give it an average of 3.5 stars, more than 160 Yelpers give it three, and 74% of Urbanspooners recommend it.

• Dinners here start when your server hands you the Long Island iced tea list… the menu is accordingly full of the kind of simple, filling food you want to eat when you're drunk. We liked the tomato soup with "grilled cheese croutons" (actually an entire sandwich) – Time Out Chicago
• The menu is mostly down-home--steaks, baked Amish chicken, jambalaya, meatball casserole, seafood pasta, onion rings and fries, corn on the cob, and an assortment of salads. Everything is made from scratch, with some impressive results. – Chip Dudley, Chicago Reader
• Morelli says Joey's theme is fun, and it's hard to disagree. From the one-pound stuffed burger to the homemade s'mores, Morelli swears Joey's can save even the worst date. So long as you bring your appetite. – Emily Fiffer, Centerstage Chicago
• Also available, sandwiches such as an eggplant-portabella with Taleggio cheese and baby spinach and entrees including Pork Squared, a center-cut chop and grilled baby-back ribs. Homemade doughnuts are on the house - just ask. – Metromix