The calendar of celebrities appearing at The Lancer Steak House at 50 E. Algonquin Road in Schaumburg from April 11, 1972 through June 16, 1972 was both local and national in scope–and definitely big on the Big Band sound.
- Guy Lombardo, April 11. [It wasn’t even New Year’s Eve and Mr. Lombardo’s orchestra was scheduled to perform.]
- Wayne King, May 21. [The Waltz King owned property in Schaumburg Township at one time, had multiple studio albums and often performed with his orchestra at the Aragon Ballroom in Chicago.]
- Frankie Masters, May 26 and 27. [He and his orchestra performed at many Chicago area locations. Many enjoyed dancing to their music.]
- Sammy Kaye, June 2. [“Swing and Sway with Sammy Kaye” was the tag line of Sammy Kaye’s orchestra.]
- Dick Jurgens, June 16. [With his newer band, he toured and recorded throughout the country.]
As Will Leonard in his April 9, 1972 “On The Town” column in the Chicago Tribune said about Lancer’s, “This spacious and sprawling complex of dining and drinking rooms in Schaumburg includes, among other things, a ballroom slightly smaller than the Houston Astrodome.” Judging by the photo below, it’s no wonder they were able to attract so many of the big name orchestras when they toured in the area.
Originally built on an unincorporated parcel on Algonquin Road that was owned by Manke Realty Co. of Arlington Heights, the restaurant was annexed to Schaumburg shortly before it opened in April 1968 according to Daily Herald articles from April 12, 1968 and October 13, 1969. The address would later change from 50 E. Algonquin to 1450 E. Algonquin Road.
The co-owners were Nick Tselos and Perry Kapos, and the steak house featured not only the ballroom, but also a main dining room with a big, open-hearth fireplace, a cocktail lounge and a piano bar. Leon Pavlos was the chef, per a June 2, 1971 issue of the Daily Herald.
While most of the menu was devoted to steak and seafood, their Lancer Specialties expanded beyond surf and turf. Taken from a menu in the library’s collection, the specialties were:
By 1976, according to a Daily Herald article of March 29, Mr. Tselos had sold his half-interest in the restaurant to Marshall Brodien, a local magician who also played Wizzo the Wizard on WGN’s Bozo’s Circus. Mr. Brodien lived nearby in Medinah and, in the book, The Magical Life of Marshall Brodien by John Moehring, he states, “I went there practically every night for dinner.”
Under their partnership, the banquet business at the restaurant flourished. According to an article by Sally McCormick in the May 23, 1981 Chicago Tribune, “There are two huge banquet rooms, one upstairs and one downstairs that can accommodate 1600 people in all!”
At this time, the restaurant served lunch Monday thru Friday, and dinner Monday thru Saturday. Ms. McCormick stated “American and continental cuisine is served with a flair here… Specialties of the house feature Peppercorn Steak seasoned with freshly chopped peppercorns, London Broil with asparagus and Bearnaise sauce, medallions of pork tenderloin, Mediterranean style chicken with a hint of oregano and lemon, flaming beef tenderloin brochette on a bed of saffron rice and many more.”
After a 17-year run, The Lancer Steak House closed its doors four years later in 1985. But who could forget days such as March 3, 1974 when Bill George, an ex-Bear was honored at Lancer’s for his recent entry into the Pro Football Hall of Fame?
In a mention in David Condon’s column in the Chicago Tribune on that same day, he wrote that the following former players would be on hand to help Mr. George celebrate: Dick Butkus, Wally Chambers, Bobby Douglass, Doug Buffone, Joe Stydahar, Bill and Joe Osmanski, Sid Luckman, Larry Morris, Mike Ditka, J.C. Caroline, Doug Atkins, Ed O’Bradovich, Mike Pyle and Bob Wetoska. Four other hall-of-famers! What a night that would have been!
If you remember dining at The Lancer Steak House or worked there or remember seeing other luminaries pass through their doors, please let us know in the Comments. It’s always nice to add more details to our local history!
Jane Rozek
Local History Librarian
Schaumburg Township District Library
jrozek@stdl.org
History of Schaumburg Township 
