During a road trip my son said the dreaded words, "mommy I have to use the potty" and luckily I saw a sign for the Belvidere Oasis in 1 mile. We quickly parked and ran to the bathroom, which was super clean. We refilled our water bottles at the bottle refill station and then set out for snacks. But had to do a ten minute detour at the child play area. This was AMAZING and we will always stop if we pass by during any road trips for a bathroom and fun break. My son loved the toddler play area and I had to bribe him out with a pretzel. The restaurant options were a shawarma place, Auntie Ann's pretzels, McDonalds, the chain pizza place and I think it was panda. Overall great experience. read more

Belvidere Oasis - Child play area - Food Court Near Me - Belvidere, Illinois

We stopped here while driving up from Chicago to Madison and this was a great find! Pros: + Wonderful rest stop + Super convenient to get off the high way northbound + Plenty of restaurants available + Easy to access from the highways IG: QueenOfAdventureNYC read more

Placed an order for pickup with Panda Express. Arrived to be told they did not have the fried rice I wanted, so would I like white rice or noodles. Ummm, neither because I ordered fried rice for a reason. Because the order was a pickup, everything was sealed shut, so I did not look at anything until I took it all home to my family. Started dishing the food out and realized I did not receive the teriyaki chicken that I had ordered. So back to the restaurant I go. Instead of replacing the whole plate because everything was cold by now, they were only willing to replace the teriyaki chicken that I didn't receive. Will not be going back there again!!!! read more

This is the only remaining open oasis and it's sooooo nice. The bathroom was spotless and the view over the expressway is cool to see. I wish they'd bring more of these back because they're needed when you're stuck in traffic for hours. read more

Belvidere Oasis - Food Court Near Me - Belvidere, Illinois

See all

I've been here before but last time hit me hard. It's my own deal and not necessarily reflective upon the Oasis. Before that, I gotta say that I get "Midnight at the Oasis" in my head every time passing through. But anyway, like another reviewer, I find the falafel place to be the go-to spot here. It's different strokes for different folks, but I am confused when others line up at other places. ("You're waiting on line at a fast food chain, over a dozen deep?? Okay!") It's judgy of me, but I do wonder. Then I overlooked the plain freeway, eating my falafel wrap over the mass of moving vehicles, trucks hauling, people on trips, people commuting. It's not scenic, but it stirs the imagination. It made me think of previous travels and road trips and that life won't be the same again and that the great people in my family from two generations ago who I would visit are all gone and how sad that is, and that's that, minus the embodiment of the living through their seemingly lost, but positive qualities: authenticity, a gentle curiosity in people's well-being, a sense of wry humor, relaxed smiles. We go on in spite of death and because of memory. All that from a clean place with decent bathrooms? Is the moral of the story to eat more falafel? Probably not. ;-) Thanks for reading my observations and reflections. And thank you, great aunts and uncles, especially Alice and Mary. read more

This is my favorite Illinois highway stop and maybe one of my favorite in the US. They have Starbucks, Panda Express and Auntie Annes, plus a big gas station and a CAR WASH. Most Oases don't have car washes, but I'm thrilled to report this one does! Great stopping center, I always go here when I travel from IL to WI and back. read more

Belvidere Oasis - Car wash! - The image shows a car windshield heavily covered with rain and water droplets, making the view outside blurry. Silhouettes of people are visible through the rain, along with faint outlines of objects and possibly a street scene. The weather appears stormy, with water streaming down the glass and reducing visibility. - Food Court Near Me - Belvidere, Illinois

Such a cool place to rest on the freeway. There are a bunch of food/snack options. The best part would be to watch the traffic speed below you, whilst enjoying a delicious icecream! Great experience if you have little ones, or if you are a little on at heart yourself! read more

See all

I've been driving for five hours and I roll into this place just hoping, praying for some relief. I can't believe I thought I could make this drive in one day. It's time to eat dinner and then start thinking about how I need to lie down. Oh heck, I need to lie down. I need to lie down so much. I haven't been horizontal enough this week. My ankles are swollen, for the first time in my life. I can barely walk. Shawarma sounds good. I look at the menu. My head is swimming, a little bit. The lady ahead of me orders a wrap. I just do the same thing. I haven't been able to think for myself since the summer of two thousand--maybe not even then. A guy walks out from the back. He looks at me. I can't explain the look in this guy's eyes. He's a cartoon character. He looks like Senshi from Dungeon Meshi, but without the beard. Big, round eyes, all the way open, earnestly commanding my every scrap of attention. He stares me down the entire time he's filling the pita. He holds up a big white squirt bottle of something, and he asks me a question I can't hear. I think he's asking me if I want that on my wrap. "Yeah," I say, "Give me everything someone normal gets on one of these." I don't know what it is. Middle Eastern mayonnaise? I mean, probably. Right? He squirts it, not too generously, but you know, he gets it on there. He puts the bottle down and picks up a red one. "Spicy?" "Yeah. I like spicy." He's still staring at me. Like he's taking a final exam. He's defending his dissertation, right now, with this wrap. He squirts the spicy onto the wrap. I am excited. I take the wrapped wrap over to the seating area and unwrap the wrap from around the wrap. I begin eating. Yes, this is Middle Eastern Food. I have been to the Middle East. I remember now. I was baptized in the Jordan River. I learned to speak Turkish. I've perused aquamarine jewelry in Smyrna. I floated on top of the Dead Sea. Suddenly, the next table over having recently been vacated, a Cleanliness Goblin sprays some Windex or some Quaternary Sanitizer or something onto it. The artifice of fans conspires to blow the atomized chemicals directly into my mouth, onto my glasses, into my wrap. I look over. The goblin doesn't notice. I almost scream. Scream, really scream, maybe for the first time since I finally realized what someone else had done to me, that kind of scream, the sort of thing you reserve for body horror, for violation of the most serious kind. I quickly realize that I am overreacting. It happens a lot. My squick meter is not calibrated correctly. I don't scream at her. I don't scream at all. I sigh and finish the wrap. What else is there to eat in this oasis? Pretzels? Subway? Give me a break. This is the only real food you're going to get here. It's good. Eat it. Eat it read more

Belvidere Oasis - Chicken Shawarma Wrap - Food Court Near Me - Belvidere, Illinois

Oasis... fantastic structures... often immitated, never duplicated, the giant windows looking out over the highway are a special blend of art and traffic hazard. plus you have food service and other services serving travellers coming or going; everything is shared but gasses and parking. Plenty of room to sprawl in climate controlled comfort. Ample facilities are usually well attended but it is a state enterprise... Dining options include Golden Archies as well as variations of Asian, European, Central- and North American flavors, and Panera plus some specialty items along the concourse. It's like a food-o-rama so explore!! I really miss the cars from Volo but they're gone forever: Doozies, Corvettes, and other clown cars :-( Sooner rather than later I'll be missing the oases as well - two down, four to go, and one of thse is already scheduled... read more

Belvidere Oasis - outside - Food Court Near Me - Belvidere, Illinois

Clean, spacious, lots of restrooms and snack/meal choices await you at the Belvidere Oasis. Very glad we stopped in - had an Orange Julius, just like it was in the 1970s. Would definitely stop here again - 5 great travel break stars read more

See all

Very similar to the other Illinois Tollway locations you'll find. This is complete with plenty of food options, free tourism guides, gas station, and plenty of parking. I found the bathrooms here to be a bit cleaner than some of the oasis locations closer to the city, maybe because this location doesn't appear to be as busy. Overall, its a nice restful place to stop when travelling. read more

See all

Stopped here for a bathroom break and some lunch before a ski day at Cascades. I wasn't sure what I had a taste for but as soon as I walked in and saw Pita Express, I was sold. I'd been craving some shawarma so this was perfect timing. I got the chicken shawarma salad - I probably would have gotten the wrap but I gave up bread for lent and so pita wasn't an option (sad face). I will say my friends split a wrap and they said it was good! For my salad, I had them drizzle some tahini sauce and hot sauce on it, and also got some hummus on the side. Yaaaaas! It was great. Exactly what I needed for some skiing fuel - and it was also super flavorful! My meal was gone within 3 exits from the damn oasis. But unfortunately...I'm taking a star off because the guy that was helping me was wearing his mask...underneath his nose...while talking on the phone. Not a good look, my guy! read more

Belvidere Oasis - Chicken Shawarma Salad with Hummus - Food Court Near Me - Belvidere, Illinois

Everything is in one spot very convenient very busy but manageable. Love this pit stop

Go to the Pita X-Press... it's real food in a highway food court. Friendly with great service. Grab some baklava to go. Get the Shawarma - I found this gem some 5 years ago and am delighted to see they've survived the last couple of years... even when the Starbucks at this location did not! read more

Belvidere Oasis - Go to this place... best Mediterranean and shawarma you can find. It's worth a stop. - Food Court Near Me - Belvidere, Illinois

Stopped at the Belvidere Oasis on the way home today. There are many options for food and I had to go with a slice of Sbarros pizza. Sbarros reminds me of my childhood as it was one of the highlights of the mall food court. Can't beat a slice @ Sbarros!!! read more

Belvidere Oasis - a slice of pepperoni pizza - Food Court Near Me - Belvidere, Illinois

See all

Bathrooms were clean but lacked towels and soap in some dispensers. Standard oasis food options: Subway, Panda Express, McDonalds, Sparro and that pretzel place, but nice to see Panera as well. Grabbed something from Panera, server was prompt and friendly. Plenty of seating and parking. Perfectly fine oasis, just nothing special. read more

Belvidere Oasis - Food Court Near Me - Belvidere, Illinois

A great place to pull off the road, gas up, and fill up on your fast food fix of choice, especially great for an indecisive family. With choices like McDonalds, Popeyes, DQ, Panda Express, and Sbarro there is something for everyone. There is also lots of seating, big bathrooms, a picnic area, and a little play place for the little ones to stretch their legs. We usually stop here at least once every time we come through the Chicago area. read more

I love this place! Two bathrooms inside, and everything is spacious and clean. Lots of places to get food or snacks at for a pit stop while on a road trip. We stopped by here for breakfast at Panera Bread on the way to Devil's Lake in Wisconsin from Chicago Northwest suburbs. Everything was top notch. Bonus for those who are still playing Pokémon Go--there was a Pokestop at the end where Panera Bread was, so I could spin it and collect some poke balls, and there were lots of Pokémon popping up to catch, too! read more

It was a nice place to stop off for a bathroom break with several fast food counters inside. I entered and was looking for the restrooms when the lady at the popcorn stand said, "Bathrooms to your left". The smell of the popcorn was getting to me so I thought I would stop on my way out to purchase a bag. I stood there for a while as the lady attending the station had her back to me shoveling in popcorn while on a laptop. I stood there long enough to look at each flavor and read the menu without being noticed. After watching her sitting there shoveling popcorn into her mouth and not noticing me, I decided I did not want her waiting on me without knowing if she was going to wash her hands or going to put a mask on. So, I left and can't review on the good smelling popcorn. But, the restroom was clean and this is a place with easy off and on ramps. The 4 stars are for the convenience of access off the Interstate and the available food stations and clean restrooms. read more

This is one of those must stops on my way out of chicago or on my way in.. Not because it special or has anything better except then other stops well maybe the 7-11 which is rare to find bascially its a rest stop situated in the perfect location....as they say location location location.... read more

Belvidere Oasis - Food Court Near Me - Belvidere, Illinois

I wish I could give this a 0 star review as they give you a 0-ply toilet paper and petty much would have been better off just shitting on the side of the road somewhere. I mean clean bathrooms and all but my hands... not so much. Oh well next time I'll bring my own TP. read more

DO NOT go here. The x-press pita worker had no mask on and a group of teenagers being served at the DQ had no mask. There are multiple signs on the door masks are required! Most businesses in here were closed. read more

I driver through here a often, and every time i eat inside I say can't they wash the tables so that they are not sticky at least?! Maybe you don't notice it if you wear long sleeves, but you can ignore it when you put your hands on the table while eating and they stick to the table, I could understand if it happened once, but it's all the time, in past few months that I stopped to eat here. read more

Belvidere Oasis - The tables here are this sticky - Food Court Near Me - Belvidere, Illinois

Horray! I have finally been to all the Oasis in Illinois. I've passed this place up a couple times and never really needed to come here. Wanted to come here to grab a quick drink and use the restroom before I went further out of Illinois. It's the only oasis on I-90. Located in a convenient spot as well. All the shops and restaurants are all the same though, I was expecting something different. Definitely a great place to check out. read more

It's clean, it has decent bathrooms and ample parking. Other then a Starbucks the food choices suck. But hey, welcome to middle of nowhere Midwest. read more

Generally speaking, I've never thought of the cleanliness here as particularly good. I agree with some of the other yelpers that some more attention can be paid to clearing the tables. The I-Pass station is the worst. Terribly slow and alarmingly long lines. So slow I decided to drive another 20 minutes to a gas station that could take care of my I-Pass needs. The Mobile stations and McDonalds drive thru never have given me any trouble. Aside from that, this place feels like a mall food court moderately tended to. As always, watch your kids here. read more

Great place to stop on a road trip! Lots of options to choose from and plenty of seating. The the whole stop including the bathrooms were very clean and well maintained! read more

Great place to stretch your legs it's one of the biggest service plazas I've seen. Lots of places to eat and a Starbucks. It's really clean with big restrooms and a little playground for kids. They also have a service center if you have questions. It's worth stopping. read more

See all

Clean, spacious facility with lots of natural light. Food options are typical fast food fare. Panda Express, a popcorn shop, can't remember the others, but we had Sbarro and McD's. Sbarro - 2 stars $4.37 for a slice of the works $3.79 for sausage slice McDonald's - 2 stars. We got the oatmeal, egg mcmuffin, apple juice, hash brown. read more

This is a nice, timely stop when making a run through Chicago. It has a nice variety of places to eat as well as clean bathrooms. The gas wasn't horribly overpriced, so we topped off the tank so we wouldn't have to worry about the stop-and-go traffic as we approached the city. Our big reason for stopping here was to get an iPass. There were a few people in line for various reasons, but it moved along nicely and we were processed quickly when it was our turn. On our way back to Madison, we planned to stop at the Oasis again, but the dog was sleeping nicely in the back so we kept going! read more

I remember while growing up the Belvidere Oasis was one od our standby rest stops on our way too and from Chicago. Flashback to over 25 years ago the Belvidere Oasis used to have a souvenir store, restrooms and a McDonalds. Move forward to the present and man how things have changed. There is still a McDonalds and a souvenir convenience store. However you can also find a wider selection of foodie places in addition to McDonalds. Now they have Starbucks, Sbarro, Panda Express, Dippin Dots, Panera Bread, a Wetzel Pretzels and a Gyro place and a popcorn place. Also I think that I spied a drive thru for Mc Donalds. The view remains the same, a flurry of cars driving underneath the Oasis. I like the changes. And in my minds eye I also can still see it the way that it used to be. read more

Midniiiight, at the o-a-sisssss... Well, more like 9 AM. And then again at 2 PM. On a recent trip to the Schaumburg IKEA we ended up making stops at the Belvidere Oasis on our way to an from because it's almost exactly halfway and doesn't require paying a toll to get off the interstate. Most important: the bathrooms are clean and plentiful. There are bathrooms on both sides of the oasis so you don't have to hoof it across the interstate if you're in a hurry. Food: a decent range from ye olde standby McD's to popcorn to a Panera drive-thru. When we arrived around nine on a Saturday, McDonald's, Panera, Sbarro, and Auntie Anne's were open (possibly more, I didn't take a full survey), and Panda Express was open by the time we finished our breakfasts around 9:30. Everything seemed open by 2 on our stop back through. To get to five stars the IPass station would need to be open on weekends - I've been meaning to get one for years, and every time I end up at the Oasis it's on the weekend. I know you can sign up for one online and they'll mail it to you, but I honestly don't think about it until I'm on my way to IL. Long story short, this is a safe and clean stop that'll get you on and off the interstate easily and you won't have to wait in line to use the restroom if you're in a hurry. read more

A Starbucks on the way to Wisconsin or Galena - I'm sold! I was rather disappointed when the Krispy Kreme shuttered however my waistline isn't complaining! Restrooms are nice and clean, the gas is cheap and there's a McDonald's - the oasis has come a long way from the old days of just McD's! read more

This Oasis is really nice. Clean and well maintained. Nice restrooms and several choices for getting a bite to eat. All the employees I interacted with were super friendly and helpful. This is a fun place to stop and rest. Places like this are also in New York State but this is nice. read more

Clean Healthy Middle East food , Showerma chicken, good rice and good Salat, I will back again read more

See all

The Belvidere Oasis has a wide variety of restaurants so there is always something good to eat and there is a play area for the kids. Plus large bathrooms. Highly recommend if your on I90 and need to stop and eat. read more

Always clean, small kids play area, good car wash. It's a great place to fill up before heading into Chicago, to avoid the higher prices of gasoline read more

Truck-stop Trixie? Not quite, though arguable, but I will say that if I'm driving on 90 and can afford to hold it until we get to the Belvidere Oasis, I do. I'll sit on my foot and rock back and forth until until my eyeballs float (#1) or my cold spells turn to over-heated panic (#2). And even when I don't have to make yellow and/or brown, I can usually find some excuse to stop at the Belvidere Oasis. Clean bathrooms + so many options as far as a transient service area go. In fact, if I didn't have a family to gorge with on Thanksgiving I'd totally come here. With the cornucopia of eats and entertainment available, I'd be willing to best that my truckstop harvest celebration would be just as good, if not better than most familial Turkey Day gatherings. Not a bad place to get gassy. read more

While driving to or from La Crosse, WI this is either the first stop of the trip or the last. I think I hit this rest stop nearly every time and there is an important reason and guess what it is. The restrooms? No, although they are well maintained and plentiful. The travel store? No, although I have gotten trail mix there. The vibrating chairs? No, but I love seeing kids in those. The fast food? No, but I admit I have had breakfast here. OK, I will tell you. It's because there is a Starbucks! Yes! I need it to wake up on the drive up and I need it to stay awake on the way back. Plus, you can get gas here as well! Helping people travel wide awake, check it out! read more

Do yourself a favor and hold it until you get to the Belvidere Oasis. This will spare you from the questionable gas station bathrooms of northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. Not only are the bathrooms mighty clean but you'll also find... *A plethora of tables to sit with your not-so-healthy eats *A myriad of food and beverage options (McD's, Subway, popcorn, Greek eats, Starbucks) - at 11:30pm on a Tuesday Subway and McD's were open...just for reference! *Travel shop *Vibrating massage chairs that always seem to be occupied no matter the time I walk in here It's shiny and clean and provides a very quick on/off the highway. See you soon, Belvidere. read more