We had planned on coming here while exploring Rt 66, but to our surprise we ended up coming by…read moreagain a couple days later because we found ourselves in the area yet again! Everything about the Ariston Cafe is delightful. If you want nostalgia and a step back in time, this is the place. The building inside and out does not disappoint! And we haven't even gotten to the food yet! You can go big or small here with the food they offer, price wise and size. Plus the menu is divided into American and several options from other countries. And there's a nice salad bar. On our first visit we both had pasta and of course dessert from the large tray they bring around. It's pretty irresistible! The salad bar was just enough to get things started. Everything was delicious. On our second visit we chose classic American food. Again, very good. You just can't go wrong here. See my pictures for specifics. On both visits the staff was great. Very friendly and attentive, yet not intrusive. If you haven't been it's really worth stopping.

Stopped here while touring Route 66. YOU HAVE TO STOP!…read more The burger was like homemade. They even grill the bun. Fries are great. Club sandwich was equally as great. Love the interior. Lots of historic pics. Ask for Cindy for your waitress. She is awesome. She has a quick wit and will have you in stitches.

Delicious food first and foremost. Ambiance is dark but nice. Great service too. Only problem is…read morecheck or cash is all that is accepted ! No debit or credit card even !

Come hungry! My first time here. They just reopened after a…read morelengthy closure due to a fire. Well, the place sparkles, tables are spacious and spaced nicely. The bar is separated from the dining room. Both rooms have plenty of TVs playing sports. I had the Chicken (half) Dinner and he had the whole catfish. Each dinner came with a salad, choice of potatoe, choice of apple sauce or cottage cheese and a side of spaghetti with meat sauce and a vegetable side of corn. Big time food ensemble! Best fried dinner I have been to. Coating was thin, like flour not a batter. Bolongese was seriously meaty and good, not sweet. There are also soups and salads on the menu - so needed these days. Service was prompt, attentive, smart, helpful, just right. They have a full bar. If you want to bring your own wine corkage is $10 . Great for couples families or groups.

I knew I was in for a treat when one of the other customers seated at the bar looked at me and…read moresaid, "You're not from around here. Are, you?" I wanted a new experience for lunch, so I ventured out to Bunker Hill to see what I could find. I remembered Sage House from when I ate at a restaurant across the street, so I went to see what they had to offer. It was your typical bar/diner grub and a good selection of pizzas. Being a fan of chicken wings, I ordered 6 pieces with a side of tater tots. I liked that they offered both breaded and naked wings. I choose naked and bourbon as my sauce. I'm a stickler for my drums and flats being the same number and SH made me happy. The wings were meaty and juicy and the sauce was sweet and flavorful. There was a lot of sauce, so I am glad the waitress placed a full container of napkins next to me. The tater tots were good and crispy. No need for ketchup, I rolled mine around in the bourbon sauce under my wings. The service was hospitable. My server and another employee checked with me frequently as I enjoyed my wings, tots and draft beer. They had a full bar, but I went with one of the beer offerings. If you ordered a mixed cocktail, I'd make it a simple one. I didn't get the feeling they specialized in classic or fancy cocktails. I ended up chatting with the other customer while he waited for his carry-out. I guess his earlier statement/question, was his ice breaker. I now know more about him, than I really need to know.

If I could give 0 stars I would. Terrible service, terrible everything…read more We came in on a Sunday with a party of 9. We asked if they could handle our size of party before coming in and they said yes. We waited 20 minutes before a waitress came to our table and we waited over an hour and a half before we even got our food. We understand there was a party next door but we were completely forgot about multiple times during our visit. First time coming and last time coming.

We couldn't get a table at our usual place so we decided to drive to Morrisonville and give this…read moreplace a try. I've seen their specials posted in a local food group and it looked good. First thing we noticed a sign on the door that said cash or check only so we had to go to the local bank atm and get cash. This place is definitely nothing fancy and would qualify as a dive but our food was cooked to order and came out fast. The only disappointment was the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich I ordered was nothing more than a breaded butterfly pork chop sandwich which tasted fine but certainly doesn't meet the standard for a tenderloin. I think we will probably try again if we're in the area.

Small town cafe Breakfast -Lunch…read more6 am -2 pm 7 Saturday-Thursday Breakfast-Lunch-Dinner on Fridays 6 am -7 pm (all you can eat Walleye) Specials every day--all you can eat Fried Chicken on Sunday 217-526-3535 for information and carry out

OMG! I just happened to visit the Wooden Duck for my first time, during Blackburn Colleges…read moreHomecoming. The restaurant was packed and the staff hustled to provide good service. Lucky for me, I was able to get a seat at the bar. My adult beverage was a draft Flight by Yuengling. For lunch, I went with a Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with a side of Fries. The tenderloin was crisp and had good flavor. However, it had a perfect shape, so I could tell it came from a bag and was not done in house. I enjoyed the thin crisp fries. A roll of Paper Towels served as your napkin. Typically I prefer linen, but for a dive bar, paper towels do the trick. I also liked that the Wooden Duck has hooks under the bar. Hooks provide a safe place for purses and jackets. I got a giggle when I used the mens room and the owner showed his political views by having a caricature of the governor in the urinal. They even had a witty disclaimer, so you shouldn't be offended. I got a second giggle when I looked around the bar and realized, about 60% of the guest were an alternative lifestyle. So everyone is welcome at the Wooden Duck.

How did I get here. We retired to a small town that doesn't have a DMV office. So we drove the 20…read moremiles to the thriving metropolis of Carlinville (not really,charming for sure, but just big enough to have cheap plaza office space for a state govt. office). So of course although my wife had done extensive research on all the documentation we would need to pay a state to drive our car...we had missed one. So we went to the Wood Duck for lunch while we waited for our credit union to send us a lien release form. We had talked to the kind soul at the DMV and she was "all-in" on this place. She was so right. It is an intimate space, with a small bar out front, and then a few more tables in a back area. We took a booth right in front of the kitchen. It is a very "locals" place. There were some police having lunch (likely the entire force, at least by weight)...and one of them stared me down as if he had never seen a veteran, former DoD executive, in a collared shirt, and khakis in a public restaurant before. [Yes I was the only pepper in the salt]. The actual restaurant staff was excellent, and welcoming. Our server was a whirlwind of effecient hospitality. I got a pork tenderloin sandwich (and later the same day was invited to join a pork tenderloin sandwich group on FB)... ordered the fries, not clear if that came with them, didn't keep the reciept. My wife got a cheesburger that she was very happy with. My tenderloin was crispy, juicy and a bit too salty in a good way. This place is a definite keeper on the list of places we will be willing to travel to over time. Perhaps if I come back often enough, Barney will get used to "others" visiting his little fiefdom.

This place is a gem! We tried the appetizers: wings and cheese curds both were awesome, generous…read moreportions done well and great dipping sauces. The service from Delaney was amazing and she recommended a lemonade drink that we all loved! Don't pass up this place, the menu may be small but the food and service were awesome!

We were pleasantly surprised!…read more Atmosphere: the dining area is spacious and it appears to be separated into different areas. We went straight to a table with a view of the golf course, so I didn't get a chance to see the rest of restaurant. The seating is comfortable and room was nice and quiet. Staff: the waitress was very pleasant and personable. It was nice to have a friendly waitress. She was very attentive and ensured our drinks were always promptly refreshed (without even asking) and asked if we needed additional items. Great job! Food: we were a table of 5, so I don't remember everyone's meals, but I'll go over what I ate. Chips and salsa were brought out. The chips are made on site and were very good, so good we had to have a second basket. The salsa is perfect and tastes like the same kind I purchase for home use. We ordered a sampler appetizer which included chicken quesadillas (two), mozzarella sticks (six), and loaded potato skins. My girlfriend and mom loved the quesadillas. The mozzarella sticks were nothing special and the loaded potato skins tasted over cooked. I ordered the sirloin (cooked medium) with parsley red potatoes. The steak was cooked perfectly and the potatoes were really good. I was most impressed with the corn I received because it was cooked perfectly; it was still crisp and fresh instead of mushy. I cleaned my plate then grabbed one of the dinner rolls brought earlier. I do like the dinner rolls they have; they remind me of the ones I buy for personal cooking. Overall, this is a nice restaurant with a great staff and good food. I would definitely go there again.

Amazing food and people for a "dive" diner type! Great prices as well!! I have been going here…read morerecently and haven't had a time with any bad service!!

Legendary burgers, known for shakes, a great piece of the past. Wish it was bigger, sometimes…read moreoverflow crowded.

Old diner - you walk in, grab a menu, seat yourself and then go to the counter to order your food…read more Have your table number ready to give them when you order and pay. Then sit down and they bring it to you. I had eggs over easy w/hashbrowns, bacon and biscuits. I should have order the small version! Steph had hashbrowns, sausage and biscuits and gravy - same story - she had too much food! Food was good! We got a souvenir mug and two cookies to go!

Things have changed here since we last visited. While prices are still low, you now have to order…read moreat the counter and there is no waitress. It's chaos during Sunday rush and loses the charm. Offerings at 10:30 were a bit low - only one pie on the rack and it was pumpkin. I did like the peach danish and apple fritter we took home. Not so much on the apple tart and donuts.