Classic roadside stand in Thomson for ice cream and fast food. It was on a drive along the Mississippi River that we came across it, which is one of the few places to eat in town. Bear's Drive-Inn caught our attention with the big bear on the side of the building. Pretty basic drinks and food as expected. The prices are pretty good for the area it seems. About the only people who come here are the locals and those who happen across it whole coming through going to somewhere else. It was warm and we thought to stop here. This is like the local version of Dairy Queen it seems. Got some cold treats including the Frazil. It's about $1.50 for the small one. This is basically a slushie. As for the hot food, it's basic. It's about $3 for a pretzel. This may be the healthiest food really. Other items are burgers and hot dogs. These looked pretty greasy from what we could see. Of course don't expect healthy. This is one of the few places to eat for miles. Has okay stuff but it's a classic. It's pretty easy to spot with the big bear on it. They're cash only, which is another bad thing. read more

Bears Drive-Inn - Blue Raspberry Frazil And Pretzel - Bars Near Me - Thomson, Illinois

After driving all day and Antique shopping in Galena we finished up in Thomson. No special reason, just based on a bargain hotel on the same road. This is a nice burger Stand. We Both got bacon cheeseburgers and fries. Pretty normal. Meat patties could have been juicier. But the malt and shake that came "with " were excellent. I d go back just for that. Actually I was hoping they served Breakfast tomorrow. They don't ! This small business is cash only. read more

Bears Drive-Inn - Street Sign - Bars Near Me - Thomson, Illinois

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A walk-up food stand from the 50's, seemingly unchanged and preserved in time. Just off of IL-82, they serve your standard fast food fare, but it's earnest, fresh, and served with a smile. If you've ever been to an independent Dairy Queen, this is the same vibe! My BBQ pork sandwich was classic, the peanut parfait was massive. Highly recommend if you're passing through! read more

Bears Drive-Inn - Peanut parfait. Blows Dairy Queen's out of the water. - Bars Near Me - Thomson, Illinois

Absolutely love the banana shakes, please please please add an extra extra large size for the shakes.. I finish my larges before I hit savanna lol. Please put this into serious consideration read more

what happened? The food was always so good until now.the cheeseburger had a smell to it and grey. pre made Pattie's. they used to be regular beef fried thin and crispy. I loved them. something has changed. onion rings were a bit greasy too.I won't be ordering dinner again. maybe just ice cream read more

On a lonely stretch of Route 84, not too far from a state prison that the state can't afford to open and run, is a tiny, unassuming little "Drive-in" that can handle about six cars at a time. They have all the usual fare--hot dogs, hamburgers, pork tenderloins as big as the plate, with the absurd little bun atop it like a mis-sized hat. And don't forget the single, solitary pickle. They have all the ice-cream treats you could want, including sundaes, banana splits, and mixers--ice-cream swirled with an almost infinite choice of candies and other treats. I went with my go-to choice, m&m, and shared a small with my nephew. So if you're on a road trip and happen to not blink while you're passing through tiny Thomson IL (once the melon capital of the world, and still touted as such in encyclopedias written before the 1970's), stop by for some tasty, simple drive-in food. And don't forget the bears. The glassy eyed, cheerful bears. They know what you need, and it's ice-cream with candy in it. read more

We went for a Sunday drive, taking 88 west from Chicago to the Mississippi River. Turning North at Clinton, we got hungry. Bears Drive-Inn was a great stop for a patty melt and fries in a small Illinois town. read more

Bears Drive-Inn - stopped in for a patty melt - Bars Near Me - Thomson, Illinois

Definitely nothing special here. stopped in here on our way back from camping at thomson causeway....I got the pork tenderloin my wife got the Philly steak...we split an order of "loaded" potato wedges....the potato wedges consisted of potatoes with only bacon bits and a side of nacho cheese to dip. The tenderloin was straight out of a school cafeteria (remember those) the Philly steak sandwich was just o.k., we also split a small milkshake which was pretty good for a cheaply produced shake because it had lots of ingredients to choose from, we choose bananas and caramel for ours. It seems like they have a lot of ice cream treats to choose from at least. I had a lemonade with my sandwich which tasted like a watered down pre mix. All in all, it wasn't terrible but it wasn't all good either read more

Bears Drive-Inn - order window - Bars Near Me - Thomson, Illinois

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Been going to Bears all my life, and until recent years, it was always enjoyable. Today, however, I waited about 25 minutes for a Double Cheeseburger with "Loaded" Potato Wedges... Apparently, "Loaded" meant a very small portion of bacon and a cup of cheese to dip the wedges in. The burger was decent, but the menu seems to have decreased quite a bit. They also don't accept cards, which would've been no problem 10-15 years ago, but there's no excuse for that now. The 3 stars come from the nostalgia. Based on today alone, it'd have been much less. read more

Went to bar's to get lunch at 11:45...was told they had a phone order, so it would be a 45 minute wait. They were using all the grill space and fryers for one order. I understand big orders, but doesn't seem to make srnse to totally close the restaurant for almost an hour for one order. Seems to be going downhill in recent years. read more

This is a wonderful place to eat..Fun 50's style restaurant with outdoor seating, or you can pick up your order. Very large menu, lots of variety...and priced great. Also, the BEST ice cream you ever tasted. They have shakes, malts, sundaes and whatever else you can think of that's made with ice cream. I highly recommend Bears..it's fun and the food is delicious! read more

Bears Drive-Inn - a black and white picture of a panda bear - Bars Near Me - Thomson, Illinois