My husband and I, along with three other couples, rode Amtrak from Carbondale, IL to the Centralia House, on June 13th. We had a wonderful experience with great food and great service. Would definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

Centralia how has been great since I started coming in the early 1980s as a kid. Food and service are excellent. The place looks great after the remodel and reopening. Sports bar attached is also solid. read more

The steak was excellent...everything else was disappointing. Their "famous shrimp" was messy, hard to eat (tail and shells still on) and is a cajun sauce...that was gross...couldn't eat more than the one bite. My mashed potatoes were cold...like no effort to heat them up whatsoever! Service was lacking as well...no ice in the water and they just dropped off a decanter of room temp water. Would not go back! read more

I had a steak.My friend had a steak.It was absolutely cooked perfectly service with beautiful.Everything was just really, really nice.I've recommend this place for anybody ate a little pricey , but nice place definitely will be going back is atmosphere was just beautiful read more

i was so excited to eat there since new owners from out-of-state took it over! i went to their lounge next door around 3pm and got a drink and told them i would like to reserve a table for dinner when they open at 4pm. the bartender told me they didnt open til 5pm but would put me on the list. so, i sit there in the lounge knowing i had a dinner reservation for 5pm when they opened. at ten minutes after 5, i asked the bartender if my table was ready, 10 minutes later, they come to seat me. Low n Behold, when i walked into the dining aea to be seated, there was many people already eating!!!, i got upset, and talked loudly that this was not right!, ive been waiting more than 2 hours!, immediately the owner and another employee, came and pushed me out the front door from saying aloud what happened to me! also, i have a friend that sales whole sale, and he told me they do not even buy locally!, all the years i and many friends used to congragate there, we will never again!!! SAD!!!wish they could have kept it a local place, but know longer is a local place!!! matter of fact, i can grill a steak better and 4 times cheaper!, They are way too high for what you would get there! read more

This restaurant is a beautiful example of how a restaurant can keep it's age-old elegance and still be current with the times! We ordered the Creole Shrimp and the Centralia House Shrimp. Let me tell you - the moment I saw "BBQ Sauce" and "Shrimp" paired together, I reacted with a big, fat NOPE! But when it arrived, I realized this BBQ Sauce was unlike any other I'd had before. The Centralia House Shrimp was AMAZING!!! Succulent shrimp doused in a savory sauce with a hint of citrus. This dish was truly delicious. The Creole Shrimp was good, however, not as good as the Centralia House Shrimp. The BEST part of the dining experience - the warm loaf of bread served with butter as an accompaniment to the food. So much so, that despite being a bashful dame, I went out of my way to shamelessly order another loaf! The service is friendly, the restaurant is clean, the food is delicious, the town is a joy. Definitely visit this hidden gem!!! read more

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Found this place when we stopped for the night on the way back to Ohio. Outside was kind of sketchy and we almost turned around. Glad we didn't. Inside is like a step back to the 1800s. Food was excellent and the wait staff was outstanding. I highly recommend. read more

Very nice restaurant great food atmosphere if you love filet this is the place to go all their food is good I like there centralia house shrimp read more

I was excited to try this place out. It is a sad train wreck happening. A couple regulars tried to guide the manager to bring us a menu. The restaurant was almost empty at 5:30 and I left a little after 6 since the prospect of getting food was zero. The manager let us know we could get a good salad down the street and he wants to keep his kitchen happy. read more

Old decor, but nice staff. Good prices, especially lunch specials The fries are great! read more

Centralia House Restaurant - Chicken fingers and fried - Steakhouses Near Me - Centralia, Illinois

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What a cool place!! Went here with a big group of people to celebrate my bday...rode the Amtrak up/back from Carbondale, it was a perfect and fun night out! The atmosphere is awesome, staff were welcoming and so friendly, and the food was so delicious. They even brought me a bday dessert! read more

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A Centralia treasure. Great food with excellent steaks. The bar area is great and the staff is always accommodating.

Centralia house is an excellent fine dining establishment. They've recently added a sports bar next door, the Sporting House. Great food, great atmosphere and 21 TV's. Highly recommend! read more

Came in for lunch today. No one was really there. The food was decent - had a black and blue burger and a cup of their 2 bean soup. Historical building. Nice staff. read more

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I don't eat red meat, but I do come here for the bar. I think this is the nicest bar in town. Great cocktails (They make a good Manhattan compared to other Places in the area, so I always find drinks much more suites in this area of the country than anywhere else) and the place is clean and absolutely gorgeous. Nice date spot, and I love the staff here. They know the amazing history of this bar, which was a hotel and upscale brothel at the turn of the century, and are happy to share the stories and lore. I brought my cousin who was visiting from Chicago here, and we had an truly amazing night. read more

Everyone is so nice and the food is always very good. This is one of our favorite restaurants. We go here for hot wings on Wednesday's or for a romantic steak dinner. read more

Centralia House Restaurant - Steakhouses Near Me - Centralia, Illinois

If you are within an hour from this place you must take the trip to Centralia House. Excellent food and service in an old time Roadhouse environment. read more

Wonderful evening with our family at the Centralia House - beautiful piano music, excellent food and superb service. This restaurant is a gem and worth the drive if you are anywhere near Centralia, Illinois. The ambience is cozy, friendly and elegant. Be sure to ask the manager about the history of the restaurant and building. read more

You go to Centralia House for history...Abe Lincoln in fact did dine here...maybe you don't come here for the food though. Well, for Centralia, IL, you don't have much choice in the way of fancy dining, so in that context this place is pretty good. Prices though are expensive compared to what you would get in food quality in a bigger city. We shared a Centralia House shrimp starter, which is Cajun style super-jumbo shrimp in a fairly tasty sauce. Salad was disappointing iceberg lettuce. Dinner was a moderately bland steak with sauteed vegetables. The atmosphere is lovely and it really is historic. Service was also quite good. If this were SF, I'd never ever eat here, but given its location, I'll probably be back. read more

Been going here for decades as I grew up in Centralia. Its historical spot with great food! The nicest in the area, for sure. Great service and food. I recommend the Centralia House Shrimp (app or dinner)! Its spicy but not too much and you can ask for them to peel it for you - which we regularly do. Every entree is paired with a salad or soup. Another favorite dish is the Centralia House Dinner a filet and their shrimp. Their filet is perfectly cooked and served with a Bordelaise sauce! If you are around, its highly recommended. Food is great when done as take out also! read more

I have a downtown business and eat there at least once a month. NEVER had a bad experience there. RECOMMEND - YES.

My ribeye was cooked to perfection with excellent flavor. My wife had the chicken fettuccine and was also very pleased. Great atmosphere and service. Met the owner who was actively working the dining area. It's always nice to see that as he obviously takes a lot of pride in what they are doing. Recommended! read more

The Ribeye, oh my. So tender. So flavorful. Great house made dressings. Fresh baked sourdough bread. Unmatched in Centralia.

Best restaurant in town !everything is always made well! never disappointed by there food !there service is great ! Most places I go they interrupt u in a conversation they do not they take service seriously and the escargot is incredible also my girlfriend says they have the best shrimp she has eatin before! read more

Was in town to perform a show at the Kaskaskia college and we yelped this place. I can't imagine a better place to eat in Centralia if you want real food that is good. Fantastic historical building and fresh food. If you're looking for Applebees prices then you'll get what you pay for, crappy frozen trucked in food that's been reheated. Support a great non chain restaurant. Great service we had at the bar too and they were slammed. Three Cheers to the Centralia house! read more

I grew up in Centralia and went away to school. While I was gone, the Centralia House opened. I have been back 50 years now and the Centralia House continues to be great for my family. (Great food, drinks, and friendly service.) I have never had a bad steak but I also usually go for Creole dishes. Also the 3 bean soup is wonderful. Our kids live in Manhattan, Phoenix and San Carlos, Ca. They understand good restaurants, but are always ready to go to the Centralia house. It gets busy sometimes. Especially when a group ride the train up from Carbondale to eat at the Centralia House and then, after dinner, take a southern bound train back to Carbondale! History is nice but food trumps history for my family. read more

have never made it here for dinner.....just lunch...but a beautiful old restaurant....very friendly and attentive staff....my lunch was a very very good hamburger...cooked to my specs...along with a flexible group of sides....have to come back some evening for dinner... read more

Centralia House Restaurant - a stained glass window - Steakhouses Near Me - Centralia, Illinois

Came here for dinner as this used to be the best restaurant in town. We had reserved a table for 7, but when we arrived it was set for six. The staff rather than adding a place for us, argued that we were wrong and no way that there was an error. They did add a place setting harping about it the whole time. Staff was poor in service and rude. Appetizer came ou the same time as dinner. Steak which was to be medium well was rare and after sending it back, it was rudely returned by the wait staff. Food was ok nothing great. Will be a long time before we return! read more

Visited Centralia House on Saturday night with my husband. It's been a while since our last visit but something has definitely changed and not for the better. We waited 15 minutes after being seated (with reservations) before we could give our drink order. After receiving our drinks, we immediately gave our appetizer and dinner order. 30 minutes later we still had not received our appetizer. When it arrived 40 minutes after ordering, the waitress apologized. However, after a full hour and 10 minutes after placing our dinner order, we still had not been given our dinner. We approached the waitress and explained that we needed to leave to attend an event and asked to cash out our check for the drinks and appetizer. She again apologized and then behaved as though she was doing us a favor by not charging us for the dinner we never received. Wow! read more

The food has gone down hill. The bread is hard as a rock. Items on the special menu are not orderable and dessert items are left off the menu to order. Service good but overpriced for the food. read more

The Centralia House Restaurant is one of my favorite places to eat as well as take other people, BUT this past Wednesday was horrible. I was with a group of people for a luncheon meeting. First the waitress has only waited on me once before and I was not satisfied with her service then or now. 2. I ordered the cajun bean soup and a chicken cobb salad. The soup was warm, not hot and the salad was horrible. The chicken tasted like rubber and was unchewable. This was the worst salad I have ever had there. I returned the chicken patty but should have taken a picture because it looked like it had been taken from a freezer and just put on top of the salad. I returned the chicken patty when she had time to get back to our table. Never once did she smile or apologize for anything. The waitress was not timely in her attentiveness to our table as there were only 7 people. SHE WAS THE ONLY WAITRESS WORKING AND THERE WERE ABOUT 25 DINERS. Altho the company I was dining with was paying for the luncheon she did not bother to explain any change in the bill which I had asked her to take the chicken off. One of the other diners ordered a steak salad and she said the steak was not well heated. She did not finish her salad either. Another of our diners ordered fries with his burger and the fries never came even tho he told the waitress he did not receive his fries. Lets just say that this was a disaster of a lunch and one of the worst experiences of eating there. I haven eaten there at least twice a month for the last 15 years and the two regular waitress that generally work at nite are excellent servers and so pleasant and courteous. Dining there has always been pleasant and the food great. On this day January 15th at 11:30am was awful!!!!!! I think it will be sometime before I return. read more

It is a shame when a restaurant has such rave reviews and fails to deliver. My husband and I went to Centralia House Restaurant for the first and last time today. We arrived at 4 pm when they opened. The waitress asked us if we wanted a booth or a table, we chose a booth. She took us to a booth in the front of the establishment that had duct tape in multiple places across both booth seats. Once a group of three were seated behind my husband he quickly found that the seat was loose and was jostled around every time the ladies moved. However, we did not comment to one another about the lack of repair and maintenance to the seating until after we left. Our waitress brought us water, a bowl of butter packets, and asked us what we would like to drink: soda and iced tea, no complaints there. However, I wondered, what is the bowl of butter for? She did not bring any bread to the table, so we drank our soda and tea and waited. We waited some more. And a little more. The waitress returned and took our order. We ordered escargot, something neither of us has eaten but wanted to try, you know a bucket list kind of thing, lol. My husband ordered the ribeye steak with vegetable melody, Caesar salad (which I ate). I ordered the Seafood Fettuccini Alfredo and chicken and white rice soup (this is how it was described by the waitress...) which was the other choice between the salad. The escargot arrived with six slices of some pasty bread. The bread was not terrible, but it was not good either. The escargot was terrible. Now, I realize we had never eaten escargot, but I was prepared for the texture, which was not the problem. The problem with the dish was that it was tasteless and drenched in oil. When the waitress returned, I asked her if they received much demand for the dish because it was not good (I was not rude. I said we did not care for it). She stated that escargot was one of their most asked for dishes. She did not apologize that we did not enjoy it, did not offer to comp the item, she took the plate, that still had four of the six escargot on it, with her. An hour later our entrees arrived. My husband's vegetables were frozen from a bag and not even a good quality frozen brand as the broccoli was only stalks, no florets, and the vegetable's color was bland, not bright like fresh steamed vegetables. My seafood fettuccini alfredo, which was advertised in the menu as having diced shrimp, crab, and shallots, was full of imitation crab meat. I took my fork and dug around and noticed there was a lack of shrimp, though I did see some small chunks, it was sparse. They charged $22 for imitation crab and pasta. I walked around the corner and asked to speak with the waitress. I explained the dish had imitation crab, which she looked at me like, "and?" I said, "the menu describes the dish as diced shrimp and crab." She brings the menu over and looks at it, like I'm lying, and reads the description, diced shrimp, crab, shallots, and tomatoes (which I had them omit). She tells me that she can have the manager come out. A couple of minutes pass and a man with a casual tee-shirt and jeans comes out from behind the bar. He looks annoyed. He approaches me, and we converse. I tell him the same thing I said to the waitress. He says, "yeah? It is a blend of white fish and crab." Folks, I have had my share of imitation crab, and I am quite aware of its ingredients. It contains Alaska Pollock, Water, Egg Whites, Wheat Starch, Sugar, Corn Starch, Sorbitol. No crabs were harmed in the making of this meat. As the manager argues with me that apparently imitation crab is crab and can be advertised as crab and that if the dish had blue crab meat in it, the dish would be a $40 dish. I said, "I am a little confused then because on your specials" (and I pull the paper from their menu and show it to him) "you are offering a Seafood Smothered New York Strip for $28 and the description says it's smothered in shrimp and blue crab meat. Is the crab meat imitation?" He says no, it's real blue crab meat to which I reply that they're only charging $28 for the dish and it comes with a steak and whole shrimp, my dish was pasta and diced shrimp, well and supposed to be crab, for $22. Having no other point to make he says, "So what do you want me to do?" He isn't remorseful, he's rude, and he doesn't apologize. I said, "I guess just come get the dish and remove it from our check." I return to the table where my husband has taken one bite of the veggies and is eating his steak. I explain what occurred and he is flabbergasted. I ask him if the steak is at least good. He said it's not what he expected from the reviews and is pretty tasteless, but he finished it nevertheless because he was very hungry at that point. His steak looked promising when it arrived but the waitress did not ask him to cut it and check the temperature. It was overcooked. It is a shame that what must have been a wonderful restaurant has been run into the ground. read more

Centralia House Restaurant - Duct taped booth seat. - Steakhouses Near Me - Centralia, Illinois

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Pleasant atmosphere for lunching in a building that retains its pretty architectural detail. The very comfortable seating includes tables and booths. We enjoyed steak with garlic mashed potatoes and a different take on jambalaya that was quite tasty. The wine list has good pairings for the menu without being overpriced, and the pours are generous. The salad with the delicious house vinaigrette included radish, onion, tomato, cucumber, and heart of palm. The chef went the extra mile by providing me with a dinner menu item not ordinarily available for lunch by making a slight change - garlic mashed potatoes instead of baked, which are available for dinner only. And they tasted great. The jambalaya was delicious, big juicy shrimp well seasoned. No room left for dessert, but will be looking forward to that on our next visit. Be sure to check hours at their website: http://www.centraliahouserestaurant.com/contactus.html read more

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The Centralia House is a great restaurant and possibly Southern Illinois finest! I travel frequently for business dining at some of the best steakhouses in the biggest cities. I have had filet's possibly as good but never one that I thought greatly exceeded my local favorite. Centralia House beats the higher end chains...Morton's, Ruth Chris and Gibson's and it's ambiance is awesome. I am not sure what restaurants in "bigger cities" one of the other posters is referring to that are a better value. No doubt by Centralia's standards it is expensive but it is inexpensive compared to dining at a comparable quality restaurant in a big city. My other menu favorites include their Caesar salad. It is excellent although my wife and I order the Caesar dressing on the side as they put way to much on. Their two bean soup is excellent. If you don't mind a little work, the Centralia House Filet & Shrimp Combo is excellent. My wife loves the pepper steak as she loves the bordelaise sauce. The dusted Portabello mushroom appetizer is incredible. They have a decent (for the area) wine list. Cocktails are on the high side. They have two excellent beers on tap. Weidmer is an exceptional hefeweizen and much better on tap than in a bottle. The other beer on tap is Michelob Amber Bock. The banana foster desert is excellent and the presentation is table side. Very reasonable lunch and they often have great specials. While the quality of the lunch is good, it is their filet that keeps me coming back for dinner. read more

One of our favorite places to dine. Great wait staff and amazing food (depending on what you order). My favorites are the dusted portobello mushrooms and the ribeye. read more

this is fine dining with the ambiance of an old railroad hotel. I've been coming here for many years and over the course of different owners. Live piano on weekends and a simple but varied menu. Sure I've had a rare not so great meal here, it's the only place around with the skill and nerve to experiment. But the standards are the best you will find within 70 miles and the prices are small town read more