OMG! I just happened to visit the Wooden Duck for my first time, during Blackburn Colleges…read moreHomecoming. The restaurant was packed and the staff hustled to provide good service. Lucky for me, I was able to get a seat at the bar. My adult beverage was a draft Flight by Yuengling. For lunch, I went with a Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with a side of Fries. The tenderloin was crisp and had good flavor. However, it had a perfect shape, so I could tell it came from a bag and was not done in house. I enjoyed the thin crisp fries. A roll of Paper Towels served as your napkin. Typically I prefer linen, but for a dive bar, paper towels do the trick. I also liked that the Wooden Duck has hooks under the bar. Hooks provide a safe place for purses and jackets. I got a giggle when I used the mens room and the owner showed his political views by having a caricature of the governor in the urinal. They even had a witty disclaimer, so you shouldn't be offended. I got a second giggle when I looked around the bar and realized, about 60% of the guest were an alternative lifestyle. So everyone is welcome at the Wooden Duck.

How did I get here. We retired to a small town that doesn't have a DMV office. So we drove the 20…read moremiles to the thriving metropolis of Carlinville (not really,charming for sure, but just big enough to have cheap plaza office space for a state govt. office). So of course although my wife had done extensive research on all the documentation we would need to pay a state to drive our car...we had missed one. So we went to the Wood Duck for lunch while we waited for our credit union to send us a lien release form. We had talked to the kind soul at the DMV and she was "all-in" on this place. She was so right. It is an intimate space, with a small bar out front, and then a few more tables in a back area. We took a booth right in front of the kitchen. It is a very "locals" place. There were some police having lunch (likely the entire force, at least by weight)...and one of them stared me down as if he had never seen a veteran, former DoD executive, in a collared shirt, and khakis in a public restaurant before. [Yes I was the only pepper in the salt]. The actual restaurant staff was excellent, and welcoming. Our server was a whirlwind of effecient hospitality. I got a pork tenderloin sandwich (and later the same day was invited to join a pork tenderloin sandwich group on FB)... ordered the fries, not clear if that came with them, didn't keep the reciept. My wife got a cheesburger that she was very happy with. My tenderloin was crispy, juicy and a bit too salty in a good way. This place is a definite keeper on the list of places we will be willing to travel to over time. Perhaps if I come back often enough, Barney will get used to "others" visiting his little fiefdom.

I am so proud of myself. Today, I went to The Pump House and I did not order chicken wings. It was…read morea struggle, but I forced myself to order something else off the menu and I am glad that I did. Instead of my typical order of wings and fries, I got the Pump Jack Burger. It's made with Angus beef topped with Pepper Jack cheese, Grilled Balsamic Onions, Mild Banana Pepper Rings with a Sweet and Spicy Sauce, all served on a Onion Roll. It was served with a side of Fries. I was impressed by the size of the burger and that it was hand pressed. A hand pressed burger always tastes better to me. I requested that it be prepared medium rare and it was done perfectly. The fries were soft, I'd prefer mine a little crispier, but they were seasoned well. I got a giggle from their ketchup bottle, it said it was "Fancy". They have an impressive variety of beers. They offer draft, bottle and canned. I personally always go with one of the many craft beers they have on the menu. When dining alone, I always sit at the bar. The bartenders are typically female and are friendly. I am fan of hooks under a bar and Pump House takes it even a step further. They also offer, outlets. If your phone needs a charge and you've got a cord, you are set to go. Offering outlets under a bar, is top notch customer service. Now that I know they have great burgers as well as their wings, I'll have to rotate between the two when coming to dine.

Update Haven't been back here too much but called in for an…read moreorder to go tonight. Pump House! You need new cooks! The ones you have don't know how to cook basic food. Like I said in my first review you need to learn low and slow for a pork steak. Oh we don't have that anymore. Thank goodness. Your pork steak was chewy and not done appropriately. Horrible to try and eat. Tonight one of us got the chipotle chicken sandwich. The chicken was cooked to death. Ugh. Came out like chicken powder, you know the kind they put in your dog's food? Way too dry. Hard to eat. All the menus online are out of date so just about everything we chose we were told oh we don't have that anymore. Not good business practice. Put out a new menu and delete the old ones!! You fit right in with the rest of the crap food we are served in this area. Not a bit better. We won't try again.

So good! The burgers are delicious! The service is great! And it's always clean! Been a favorite of…read moremine!

Meeting friend in Greenville, Illinois for lunch. It's small college town. She picked Kahunas cuz…read moreshe thought we'd be sitting outside at patio but it was too hot and humid so we decided to stay inside. This place looks nice and really cool. It's more like beach themed burger place. You'd order off counter before you seat. Their menu looks so good and difficult to pick. I ordered Big Kahunas burgers. It's double burgers with lettuce tomatoes onions and light mayo. It was good. French fries was good too. I'd come back again and try many other foods.

We read about this place in our Route 66 guide. Traveling from Chicago to Santa Monica on a Route…read more66 journey, we earmarked The Ariston Cafe as a place to stop and we're glad we did. We sat up at the counter and had a great experience dining with other travelers and locals. The waitstaff was friendly and helpful even taking a photo of us behind the counter. The entre and pie were great!

Route 66 icon! If memory serves me it's been in operation since 1924. Inside the decor is…read moreauthentic to the 1950's, but this is obviously well cared for, which was very apparent when I saw the counter swivel stool-chairs: they look brand new! I was on a road trip up from Florida to Wisconsin with a friend. We were going through Springfield, Illinois, so we could visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum & Library. So that's how I ended up in this neck of the woods. Needed a spot for dinner and this popped up as an option and sure glad it did. My friend & I both opted for the Fried Chicken dinner and this place makes the best fried chicken I've had in decades! OMGOSH! The meat was fully cooked, but still so incredibly juicy. The crispy skin and coating was unreal, it was so good - it was truly "finger-lick in' good". While I'm borrowing that old slogan, The Ariston Cafe's fried chicken is like the fried chicken ideal of perfection. They have a classic salad bar and that hit the spot, especially on a road trip where you're not often getting enough veggies. I'm writing this review some weeks later after getting back home. If the place had been average, I wouldn't bother, but when a reminder to do a review popped up, I had to do this as the waitresses and cooks deserve it, as do the owners & all the staff. Waitresses were all nice as could be and helpful. It's like walking back in time when you go inside, and it reminded me of great restaurants in the area I grew up in. If I make it back up that way again, I'll plan my travels to include another stop in at The Artisan.

Small but great! The service is good and the food is good! Very close to home! Taco Tuesday has…read moregreat nachos. Only accepts cash.

The food is pretty much run of the milk. Good service is on the 3 1/2 out of five stars ambience…read morewell it's just a good old little town bar where everybody knows your name but it's not cheers. It's yellow dog. But that's what makes it special to all of us that live in Warden. It's a nice place to go and just talk with your other fellow residence. That like myself ENJOYS A Cocktail or five

Love this place, the burgers are amazing! I also recommend the fried pickles, and I love they give…read moreyou a fortune cookie!

I finally tried a Hot Dog at Burger Bar and it was as delicious as their burgers. It was National…read moreHog Dog Day and I thought it was the perfect time to give one a try. Their dogs are 12" and All Angus Beef. It was served in a 12" bun that was lightly toasted. They have a variety of Specialty Dogs to choose from, but I went with a plain dog with onion & relish. Once the dog arrived at my table, I added, mustard and ketchup. Yes, I like ketchup on my hot dogs. The dog came with a side of crispy fries and the portion was just the right size of a serving. My server was the same one I have had numerous times for burgers. He has always been friendly and attentive. Being a single diner, he gave me the same attention that he was giving to his tables of 2 and 4. If you're a game of chance person, they've got several video gaming machines for you to play. The ambiance is plain and simple, nothing fancy. You're here for burgers and dogs and that is what you'll enjoy.

Truly can't complain. Restaurant was clean. The staff were insanely friendly and the food was…read morecooked to order perfectly! I would have ordered 2 more pieces of salmon but I practiced restraint. Will definitely eat here when I visit Carlinville again! Everyone should!

Always amazing! We have never had a bad meal at Portillo's and don't suspect we ever will. Every…read moredelicious plate is served with pride from the most wonderful people. If you have not tried this restaurant, please do!

Good little place on the Main Street in the little town of Gillespie. Were in town for an…read moreerrand and stopped in on a Monday eve. Clean with a nice, Mexican decor. Server was very pleasant and efficient. Chips were very nicely thin, crisp and fresh, and the sauce had a nice consistency and a moderate spice. They have a big menu, with all of the expected items and much more! We had the Pollo Pablano and the Pollo Cancun. Both were very good and were dishes we would order again. Oh! Almost forgot about the margaritas. Very good and reasonably priced! We're glad we stumbled on to this place. We'll come here again if we are in Gillespie!

Best Mexican restaurant and great family who runs it. One of my favorite local businesses to…read moresupport.