Popped in for Thurs lunch favoring Pat's with fewer but better ratings and less expensive option in…read moreMurphysboro. First time...so went withh the sampler at $18 and most of their meats are included except the pork steak (makes sense to me since that's usually a separate feature in these parts along with Kentucky). It was three of us and we were given the heads up that the sampler can feed two. Figured we could start with that and order more. The order was a very generous helping of two large rib tips, two pork rib bones, two wing pieces, and pulled chicken, pork, and chopped brisket. Our choice of two sides were slaw and mac & cheese. Three buns were thrown in given the three of us in the party (thanks for the flex). Local bottled Big Muddy root beer is the same $1.50 as the can sodas in the case and it is made with honey and cane sugar. Of the things I tried, I thought the rib tips were excellent - smoked pink and moist - got a meaty piece with only a small piece of cartilage. The chopped brisket isn't my thing - I prefer sliced. My daughter said the ribs were great (figured would be as good as the tips). The wings I believe were smoked too rather than grilled and the taste from the rub/marinade wasn't something I was familiar with. Tender and not dry. Pulled pork and chicken were solid. We still had leftovers - so I'll get my chance to try the ribs and focus on the flavor of the wing. Will have to get the pork steak next time and order plates next time focusing on our faves. Roomy dining area with some tables near the windows. It was getting warm out there so having plenty of indoor seating on a quieter Thursday lunch was welcome over overflow seating outside at the covered picnic tables.

I live in the Midwest, in a small city. Our BBQ places are easy to find: look for a big, shouty…read moresign; the owner's $120,000 extended F250 taking up a space right in front of the door; and an ambiance that includes corrugated steel walls, self-consciously Texas-y lamps over closely huddled booths, and servers all wearing the same hat and shirt. Oh - and the food is usually fine, except no fried okra. Pat's is not in a city. It's outside a small southern Illinois town. Pretty far outside, in fact, which is where true BBQ is supposed to be located. The parking lot is gravel. The only pickups there belong to customers, and their worth is more in the range of $12,000, except to their owners, who use them as trucks. And the sign is a sign. It tells you where you are. Oh, wait - there are BBQ competition trophies in the entryway. Stand and marvel. There are more inside. Marvel more. Because other than these and some pics of family and locals and celebrities I didn't recognize on the walls, that's about it for decoration. Stare at the menu, menu board and signs. Pay attention to the happy person behind the counter when she tells you what they're out of, because the best BBQ places are out of something you want. Note the teasing banter between local customers and the kitchen staff, because everyone knows someone back there. And order. We got the pulled pork plate. My sister got potato salad and green beans. I got the fries. I got the local(?) root beer. They don't do fried okra, but this IS the Midwest. It all came to our table in a reasonable amount of time. The BBQ sauce came in a cup on the side. Ketchup was brought to us. So why only four stars? Everything was perfect, right? And prizewinning? Yeah, but BBQ is personal. Everyone has an opinion. I lived in northern Alabama, which styles itself as BBQ Country. As does Texas and Kansas City and Memphis and everywhere. Pat's, much beloved by regulars for its mild smokiness, juicy juicy soft texture and other features, seemed a bit too mild and even soggy to me. I know - I have no taste. And it was good. Just not five stars great. And not enough sauce in the container, though I could have gotten up to ask for more. And the potato salad was fine and the fries a little too starchy, but only a little. That said, the beans were the wonderful dark green juicy soft salty ones that are too ... wonderful. Get those. The root beer, brewed with honey, y'all, was the best ever. Get that, too. The dessert was what they were out of, dang it! Overall the experience was just great. Someplace to go back to. And you should go there.

I haven't had this in a while, and it was before I cut out red meat for health reasons…read more I went during the Apple Festival and so everything was pre-made to help with the demand. It was Saturday night and the area was BUSY. I asked for a Monte Cristo without ham (cause red meat). Monte Cristos are one of my FAVORITE food items. The owner said she couldn't because of the pre-made situation. It was hard to hear, but she made sure it was ok for me to still have it and was sincere. This says a lot about her character -- which often shows up in other areas of business (ie, cleanliness, quality). I was able to pull the ham off easily because it was neatly assembled, which was GREAT! Made it so easy. Sandwich was fantastic, a flavor I remember. And consistent to a previous one I had years from before from Haute Wheels. Service was FAST, and made fresh! Just an overall stellar experience. It was so delicious I kept talking about it after I got home. Looking forward to the next time I can visit this truck! Thank you!!

Best Bacon Ranch Fries Ever Had Even After You Save Them For Next Day They Are Still So Good...read more

Their chicken salad is out of this world. Now I know not a lot of people are chicken salad fans,…read morebut I love their chicken salad and her soups are very good. She has a nice cookies and lots of fun Chatzky.

Ruined our wedding and still charged us. we paid $4000 for them to cater our wedding, they were…read moresupposed to begin serving food "Serving" at 5, they didn't even show up till 6:30. They managed to set up the food in about 15 mins but by that time over half the guest had left. They upcharged us from $2700 for 75 people to $4000 for 125 ppl by the time the cold food was served we had less then 75 ppl left. They offered $500 back that's all. Worse once the food was served most of it was cold including the bread that was still freaking frozen. The workers who were there though were extremely polite and hard working trying to please everyone but hard to do when the company don't bring the food. I only recommend this company if you want to pay extra for sub par food, and have them show up 2 hours late

Excellent BBQ! Place was busy at lunchtime when I visited. Took a few minutes to obtain my to-go…read moreorder, but worth the wait.

This is probably the WORST food I've ever eaten.So sad this is what was once Tom's has become!…read moreTonight was "pasta night". Funny it's supposed to be a BBQ place and there was no bbq. I think Nate and Michelle should stick to running a food truck! Out of everything, pasta was worse than Fazolis, the "fillet" was a cheap frozen pre grill marked steak folded in half to look like a filet, out of asparagus, side was frozen french fries, salad was floating in dressing. Had 3 servers, was told people were walking out so guess that should have been our clue to run for the exit as well! Michelle spilled a drink on my friend's phone, no apologies, I had sweet tea, Michelle sits the pitcher down and says "there's the pitcher". Michelle brings my friend a refill and slams her soda down. No apologies or nothing! I'm sure this place will be going bankrupt soon and back to the food truck big Nate will be going to! We did have lots of laughs because we've all never been somewhere so terrible! As we're walking out Michelle says "be careful don't let grandma fall", the woman she's referring to was highly offended because she's not a grandma! A frozen dinner or McDonald's would be better than this place. Some are food truck people some are restaurant people, we clearly know what kind of people Michelle and Nate are.

I always get the pork bbq sandwich with Apple City Red sauce and coleslaw…read more Really like the vinegar slaw on occasion. I almost always call it in and pick it up at drive through and they always get it right.

My family has been ordering from here for years. We used to get it every year for Father's Day. We…read morestopped doing that five years ago because the quality and consistency had gone way down. My dad passed away three years ago today so we decided to order it in his honor. Big mistake. The ribs and the pulled pork were way over cooked almost to the point of being inedible. I will say the cheesy potatoes were good. I wouldn't recommend to anyone let alone someone expecting award winning bbq. Sad face

My husband and I stopped at Faye on the way through to the Giant City / Makanda area…read more We were welcomed upon entering, but didn't order immediately. We took a look at the photo display set up in the front. We ordered at the counter and I asked for advice. The staff member offered helpful input. I ordered the healthiest most delicious porridge. My husband ordered the avocado toast with bacon and an egg. He really enjoyed the chili crunch oil. We ordered a cardamom latte with cold foam and a salted caramel. We added on a biscuit with bourbon butter to go! The arrangement of the floor was spacious. The bathrooms were family and seemed sufficient for wheelchair users.

I love a good soup and sandwich cafe and I think Faye has the whole package: chic, farmhouse…read moredecor, bright, airy dining space, a small market of curated kitchen goods and, of course, delicious food! I got a you-pick-two with red pepper soup and a strawberry salad. While I was deciding, my eyes wandered over to the baked goods (this is absolutely a trend with me) and I saw a peanut butter pretzel cookie....whaaaaat? No way this wasn't going in my belly! Then I glanced over to the drink case and I saw....Topo Chico! In Murphysville, IL?!? This place stands out for curating the best in a small town. Now I'm really excited for my lunch! And it did not disappoint. The red pepper soup was roasty and hearty, definitely a good choice for this chilly weather. And the strawberry salad was fresh and refreshing. Does that make sense? The ingredients were so fresh and crisp - sweet strawberries in January I'd no small feat! - but it was light and hit the perfect note as an accompaniment to the red pepper soup. And that cookie? Do I even need to tell you how delicious it was? I didn't even offer my friend a bite. I ate the whole thing and I'm not ashamed. So good! A delicious lunch and nice respite in a small Illinois town. Worth going out of your way, for sure!

If you have never heard Winston's Bagels, let me introduce you...Foodie, meet Winston. Winston,…read moremeet foodie. You can now fall in love. Winston's Bagels are LEGENDARY in Carbondale, IL. The genius behind the tasty treat is Winston. He's a hippy 60(?) something man with a food cart who, in my day set up his mobile shop on "The Strip" - Carbondale's main bar scene. I hear he's moved onto Grand now, but wherever he is, YOU NEED TO BE THERE TOO. Here's the scoop... Winston comes out at night, just about the time the college kids are bar hopping. He sets up his small mobile cart, and starts cranking out The. Best. Bagel. Treat. You. Will. Ever. Eat. Winston grills the bagels over charcoal, which gives the bread a traditional char taste and creates this fantastic crunch when you bite into it. He drizzles the bagel with margarine (I think it's Parkay from the yellow and blue squeeze bottle), and generously tops each bagel side with plain cream cheese. Then the magic happens. You choose your toppings. I'm partial to the Everything: apple, cinnamon, sunflower seeds, cucumber, red onion, garlic powder, bacon bits, and raisins. It's the perfect morsel to have when you're out drinking in Carbondale - every college student learns this lesson to perfection at SIUC - or even if you just have a late night craving for a sweet / savory treat. Of course as alumni (Class of '95!), we all crave a Winston Bagel now and then, and when we go back it's a must eat treat! I've tried to make them at home, but it's just not the same. It's missing Winston's je nais se quoi. He generously doles out hugs, stories, jokes, and charm along with his bagels. Plus the man is a total genius. He charges $2.25 for a bagel. That fits any pocket book - and more often than not - you give him three dollars and tell him to keep the change. The man is making some dough. I hear he takes a couple vacations a year just with his tip money. Go fall in love with Winston The Bagel Man. He'll be there in Carbondale grilling his bagels into the wee hours of the morning!

I noticed that Winston's Bagels has 5 stars with 11 reviews, and I am not surprised one bit. This…read moreis the ONE THING every SIU-C graduate talks about and craves after they move away. At last visit, they were $2.25 each and still worth every bite. Winston sets up shop across the street from Pinch Penny Liquors near Saluki Bookstore. Options are the same as I remember: Cream Cheese, Garlic Salt, Butter, Ground Cinnamon, Cucumber, Apple, Raisins, Sunflower Seeds, Bacon Bits, Onions. I used to get sunflower seeds, butter, and cucumber but recently tried all-but-onion and am not quite sure I can go back. Remember cash only, and they don't break $20s. Definitely tip Winston or any of his helpers running the cart! Truly an institution in Carbondale!

Great coffee, amazing service, and awesome location! Good place to meet with friends, read a book,…read moreand relax.

This place is a gem. Terrific coffee, nice ambience, and…read moresuper friendly staff. Plenty of tables, so a great place to chill or do work for a couple hours. My go-to coffee shop when I'm in southern Illinois.

I Am Java is the kind of place that makes your morning better the moment you walk in. The staff are…read moreincredibly friendly--genuinely welcoming and quick with a smile, which sets the tone for a great day. Their pastries are fresh, flaky, and just sweet enough to satisfy without overwhelming. And the breakfast sandwich? Perfection. Warm, savory, and made with care. It's the kind of spot that feels like a neighborhood favorite from your very first visit.

Such sweet customer service! Love place and love the I am Java coffee! We appreciate them so much!read more