Great store. Fresh items. Especially the flatbread the spices are top notch…read moreGrape leave selection is awesome

One of my Newest mom n pop places Ive added to my biweekly grocery stops. The Customer service is…read morefabulous. The owners are attentive and helpful. They have a great selection of things you cant find in a Corporate ran store.10/10 RECOMMEND

Review Visit: September 17th, 2014…read more Sugar. Spice. Everything nice. Like in a lot of smaller towns, you'll usually have or find a business that deals in candy. Sugary confections. Sweet treats. Candy from yesteryears. Soda (pop) in more varieties than you care for it to come in. Things you think you'd never see again and things you fall in love with. Holland's Mercantile fills that role for Washington, IL. My friend Matt and I decided to spend an afternoon exploring the Washington Square to see what the town and it's folk offered. The words on the front of the store's glass got me excited at the possibilities held inside. As we opened the door and headed in, the excitement increased tenfold. It was like being a kid in a candy store. Except that we are adults... in a candy store. Upon entering, I first noticed the long row of candy in the glass containers where you can scoop out as much as you want. Lining the walls were a million different candy from a million different times and cultures. I saw things I hadn't seen in years. They had stuff I didn't think existed in time where color TV is the norm. On top of the candy, they also had a display case full of baked goods. Whether these are made in-house or from a local bakery, I am not sure. Either way, the stuff looked fantastic behind the glass. Turtles. Truffles. Caramel Bars. It all looked so good that I think my blood sugar level elevated just looking at the offerings. This store has more than just candy, baked goodies, and sweets from everyone's childhood. They also had the novelty toys from the same time period the candy/sweets come from. There were novelty toys that tied in to current day trends but they also had toys that kids from our time would enjoy just as much as kids from the time from which they came. I also think there was a back room that was full of a combination of everything the store offered. On this day, I let my inner child run wild and I picked up a small sack full of candy. I didn't want to get too much because I don't have the best self-control when it comes to my sweet tooth. Next door is another Holland's store that offers up popcorn in many different flavors and even more soda to pick from. This store did remind me of the candy store from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, minus the Candy Man tossing candy to and fro. Though that would've been quite the sight to see. The store just has this feeling of being a great place to get your sweet tooth fix while reliving items from your childhood and also your parent's childhood. I will end this with a warning. If you have kids and bring them here... expect to drop a lot of money on sweets and toys. It's easy to spend a small fortune in a place like this. Also, don't let your kids see Holland's Caramelcorn next door. They might get loaded up on sugar and then get popcorn cheese everywhere. How sweet it is.

The best variety of popcorn indulgence is waiting for you at Hollands. It is hands down better…read morethan Garrett's! I make trips to central Illinois, and this is one of my must do stops!

Review Visit: May 13th, 2015…read more This ice cream is '¡muy caliente!" I knew Mexican soda was a thing but Mexican ice cream? Not in the capacity to have it's own ice cream shack. Well, queue my surprise when I learned that there was a Mexican ice cream shop in Peoria. One that has a name that leads you to think that maybe... just maybe this place is delicious. Doing what I normally do (as avid readers of this blog will know), I gathered up one of my friends who likes to travel (Matt) and we headed over the Illinois River (not the Peoria River) to get some ice cream (and add more bracketed comments to this paragraph for no reason). The location of Las Delicias is a bit of an odd one. Actually, those whole road of shops is not a greatly planned out area. You have all these shops along Main St but the parking situation leaves a lot to be desired. You usually have to hunt for a place to park and sometimes walk a small distance to your destination. I just wanted to put this in here as a warning should you want to venture down Main St. Matt and I found a place to park and headed in. Upon entering, we were greeted by a friendly cashier and shop that was small and felt homely (in a good way). This place truly felt like it was a family-owned. Matt and I browsed the handful of offerings and I was surprised by the flavors. Granted, this was over 5 years ago, so I don't remember the specifics and I failed to take a photo of what was being offered at the time. I grabbed some kind of strawberry ice cream while Matt got himself some flavor that I never heard of before. We paid for our ice cream desserts and headed out. I think there were a few chairs inside to sit but due to the small-sized of the restaurant, we opted to eat outside as we walked back to my car. I am a sucker for strawberry (and peanut butter) flavored treats. At this point in my life, I had quite a few different strawberry-flavored items but this one is the only one that instantly blew me away. Something about the quality of this dessert was unreal. It was far and above beyond anything you would find in the store unless you option for the expensive stuff. This stuff tasted homemade and had love in every scoop. I can't properly describe how much I loved this ice cream cone and how sad I was when it was gone. If you find yourself in Peoria and are on a circuit of trying out all the ice cream places, this one needs to be at the top of your list. You won't regret it. If you do go and you do regret it, lo siento. That's what life is all about though, right? Trying new things and seeing what the world has to offer.

Great variety it options, traditional and non-traditional flavors and very consistent in quality! I…read morelove going here for the yogurt cups and horchata as well!

Such a lovely stop -- the kind of shop where you're greeted with a smile and feel instantly at…read moreease. Everything was neat, inviting, and thoughtfully arranged. The chocolates are rich and memorable, the treats creative, and the caramel apples... well, they're worth coming back for on their own. A place that feels both special and welcoming -- highly recommend.

I grew up in central Illinois and would visit this shop in high school. I've loved their chocolates…read moreever since I first tried them, and missed them desperately when I moved out of state. I'm so thrilled to see that they now ship nationwide, and I'm able to enjoy a little taste of home all the way out in Colorado. Looking forward to my shipment coming!

Wow! Just wow! This ice cream & yo-cream shoppe has it all. When you first walk in you get to…read morechoose between cups that are flat rate pay or per oz. pay. We chose the oz. Now, I don't like to brag, but we bought $37 worth of ice cream and yo-cream in there today and there are only two of use. We ate all of it, every little sprinkle, m&m, nut, brownie chunk, chocolate rock, Andes' mint and gummy worm, cherry, chocolate, pineapple, vanilla swirl! We like to have died happily ever after today. It looked like a pink piglet silo inside, which I appreciated, because I felt like a little pink pig eating all that. Afterwards, we rolled out the door and barely made it into our vehicle without using a crane. Best birthday ice-cream I ever had and I'm turning 47 this year. . . See you all summer long! Oink oink

a very cute shop with lovely outdoor seating. the froyo was really yummy and they had so many…read moreoptions for toppings!

My roommate had ordered us a tres leches cake with extra fruit on top. And when we picked it up it…read moreonly had six strawberries on top and covered in chocolate. I know a language barrier because my roommate speaks very fluent Spanish it's his first language. We would have really enjoyed it being this is not our first cake from them. Just very disappointed it didn't have any peaches, black berries, or anything like that on top like ordered. I have included the picture they have on their Google ad that we had asked for, and a picture of what we got. But I still want everyone to understand the food was amazing.

I've seen Ortiz Bakery at the Riverfront Farmers market many times, but never stopped. I was on the…read morehunt for authentic tres leches cake for my mom's birthday and this bakery seemed like it would be the best choice. I was a little confused when first arriving opening the door to a number of bakers racks in the middle of the floor - it felt like you were entering the 'back door'. There was also a slightly unsettling 'alarm' that rang as the door was opened, not your typical 'ding dong' of a shop door. I picked up 5 pieces of tres leches cake - $4 a piece... a definite value! The gentleman behind the counter diligently and carefully packed each dripping moist piece of cake into its own to go box. Each piece of cake is topped with a glazed strawberry half - the cake was absolutely delightful. Moist, creamy, utterly delicious! I will definitely be back and highly recommend!

Nice coffee shop with delicious cookies. I like the peanut butter. Hot coffee comes in a ceramic…read moremug, which is nice, ceramic plates for the cookies. Nice young man at the cash register who did NOT say "have a nice rest of your day" making my visit perfect.

Absolutely the best cinnamon roll and sugar cookie in town. It's my favorite spot to get a treat. I…read morelove the seasonal, rotating decor inside, the prices are great, and the employees are always really nice.

My new favorite spot! I could have spent hours looking at all of the little details in this shop…read more There was something different around every corner. I absolutely loved looking through the shelves full of artwork, jewelry, candles, and so much more. Friendly staff and very reasonable prices. I can't wait to go back!

Cute shop offering a huge assortment of unique gifts, housewares, plants, and more. Always fun to…read morebrowse through! Friendly service and reasonable prices.