Excellent smash burger and world's faur concrete! Super nice staff! Our group really loved our lunch, we'll definitely come back again.

One of the best smash burgers that you can bite into! So tasty! This is where the locals come so you know it's the best! Get the triple cheeseburger! Don't forget to order some fries. read more

Krekels - American Near Me - Pawnee, Illinois

The food was out of this world. Burger was crispy and smashed just like we like it! Chicken strips were delish, gravy was homemade. Got the bbq pork nachos and they were the perfect mix of sweet salty and a little heat from jalapeños. There cheese sauce was homemade. Plenty of seating, parking and the wait wasn't bad at all. Most of the workers were super friendly, but there was one girl in the front of house that was not the friendliest or most helpful. It seemed like we were bothering her when we needed a refill or wanted to order ice cream after. Everyone else seemed really nice and she may have just been having an off day. read more

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Great ice cream and friendly people! Stopped here several times for ice cream. Have not tried the burger yet but have heard it is good. read more

Krekels is where you go for a great burger! It is one of the best smash burgers in the area! Flavorful, with a nice crisp texture on the ends with your choice of toppings and made to order! Request the double for the best smash burger impact! The storefront may not have the most current fixtures and the chairs may be a bit worn but that's only because Krekel's focus is clearly on giving you one of the best burgers in the area! Give them a visit. The wait might be a bit longer compared to one of those national chains but Krekel's burger is worth the wait! read more

Krekels - Double cheeseburger with fries! - American Near Me - Pawnee, Illinois

Great diner food. Always fast service. Staff is always polite and courteous. Clean. Nice outdoor area.

I had been scouring the Western region of Central Illinois to find a good burger, and alas! I have found it. I had ordered a #4 Special...a Triple Cheeseburger (a silly amount of patties), crinkle cut fries, and a medium fountain beverage in which I chose, Mr. Pibb. The Pibb was a Pibb. Bubbly, spicy cherry goodness that slid down my gullet with ease. The fries were crunchy with a soft interior. The type of fry that you hope...has some extras at the bottom. They put me in a state of sleep paralysis where I thought I was eating deep fried clouds due to the soft pillowy texture inside the crispier outer shell. It was that level of perfection. The burger...heaven! Gooey, drippy cheese...so succulent I thought I was back at mothers for Sunday dinner! The patties were not just 100% pure beef. They were 100% bewilderment. I couldn't fathom the flavour and sexual tension I was receiving from these patties. Grilled Onions?Mayo? What was not to endear about this burger? Krekels was a magnificent experience, and while my buttcheeks may end up spreading like rumors after...I will be back. Everyday. Until I perish. Shit was straight gas. Sincerely, Billingsley. read more

It's a fast sandwich shop. Quick and nothing fancy. Good is good, shakes great, service great. Come as u are and feel welcome. Friendly. Clean. read more

Gave me the wrong meal, and didn't compensate. Workers were decently nice, nothing special. i paid an extra dollar for bacon and there was no bacon on my cheeseburger. only got a cheeseburger with mayo and ketchup. i didn't order ketchup or mayo. read more

The best hamburgers and fries! Lots of choices for meals. Ice cream always! Always busy -- everyone can find something to eat!

Overall experience: 4.7/5 Location: about 3 miles from interstate 55. Perfect for a food stop on a road trip. We were driving from St. Louis to Chicago and stopped. Cute little place (pic of outside posted). There are small (tiny two-seater) tables outside, we had dogs with us so that was nice to have a place to sit with them out of the car. Service: Excellent. Small town friendly. Coming from Texas, we appreciate that. Ambiance: can't really speak to that as I was the one assigned to sitting with the dogs outside but my boyfriend who went in to order our food said it was older interior but clean and decent. Apparently there are no restrooms? Again, didn't go in, this was told to me by the boyfriend. But there is a Casey's General Store (gas station) a block away that has restrooms. Food: we both got the meal deals that included fries and a drink. I also got the chocolate chip malt. (Pictures included since there are only pictures of people on previous reviews). The meal deal options include double/triple patty options, but they're thin patties so it's like one tick patty. Very good burger comes dry and you choose your toppings. Basic burger place that doesn't try to get fancy, just serve good burgers. The fries were crinkle cut fries and yummy. The malt was super yummy, not too thick. read more

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I'm sad I wasn't able to stay and enjoy a burger because I'm sure they would've tasted great but we came to Krekels to get ice cream. The menu seemed a bit overwhelming at first but once you figure out what type of treat you want (sundaes, soft serve, concrete, milkshake, etc.) it's pretty easy to pick what you want. I went with the World's Fair concrete which included vanilla, pretzels, peanuts, chipped chocolate, and waffle cone. We ordered, paid, and got it almost within 2 minutes. Amazing! read more

I completely agree with the other reviewers that Krekel's is an absolute gem in Pawnee. There are so many things on the menu to choose from that you can't possibly go wrong! On this particular occasion, I had the jalapeno double cheeseburger, and it was absolutely fantastic. Both burgers done to perfection, swiss cheese, and plenty of jalapeno peppers on top! I also had a small raspberry Dole Whip cone- perfect taste!! There are also specials such as the 2/$6 barbeque sandwiches. Lots of good eatin' here!! read more

Great gem in Pawnee. Haven't been to the other locations, but visited Pawnee with coworkers once, and the took the whole family. During COVID, the dining room may or may not be open, but there is a walk up window anyway to order, and seating outside. Burgers are great - crisp and cooked perfectly. Had a jalapeño burger which was good. Crinkle cut fries taste great! Their spicy chicken is a little small, but great flavor. Super nice people work hereS. Very accommodating and super kind. There are a lot of regulars that come here and they usually know what they want, so the staff are used to that. But if you're new and unsure what to order, just ask them - they are more than glad to explain things. I believe people make the business, and Pawnee has got it down. To the person who said there is no China-ware here .... really? Do you get China and real utensils at McDonald's. No, you don't. This is a fast food place. Keep eating local, even during COVID and support small business!! read more

Friendly staff. Might not always be the fastest but totally worth it due to the fun and delicious food.

Kreckel burgers are the best! Great ice cream treats too. There are pther sandwiches if you want something besides a great burger. read more

Krekels - the front of a restaurant - American Near Me - Pawnee, Illinois

Small town burger joint with great ice cream!! By small town I mean the staff, might not always be 100% fastest or on top of orders but they are kind and have always made things right. Burgers are great and a large variety of ice cream can be fun to try!! Give them a try! read more

Ordered a mushroom and Swiss and there was hardly any cheese on it and only 4 small slivers of mushroom it was very dry and bland ordered a double cheeseburger it didn't have much cheese on it and a regular cheeseburger that hardly had any cheese on it and an order of mushrooms 2 orders of fries and a shake. It all came to $27 Not worth it not going back. read more

I love supporting small businesses, even when traveling out of state. I happened upon Krekel's after passing up the place I usually stop on my way up to the Chicago area from STL. The 4.5 star Yelp rating along with the large menu drew me in. I'm not hard to please with fast food. Here the food was made quick, and fresh; unfortunately, that's about the only good things I can say about my visit. The food was extremely bland. We ordered a shake, burger, Mac and cheese, and a BBQ pony. The burger and shake were mediocre. However, the Mac and pony were awful..no flavor whatsoever. The cheese was anything but, and the mystery meat on the pony was extremely dry and tasted as if it came straight from a cab, no BBQ or seasoning in sight. If you're in the area I'd suggest finding somewhere else to dine if you're going for more than ice cream! read more

No China only plastic and styrofoam to eat from. The food is marginal at best. Go somewhere else!

They may have awesome burgers, and they look good, but you have not lived until you have had one of their "horseshoes". Being an East coast boy I had never heard of this culinary creation. It is an open face sandwich with your choice of meat (I had a burger) covered in french fries and drowned in a home made white cheddar cheese sauce! Fantastic. Not recommended for people with cholesterol or blood pressure problems. read more

If you want a good homemade burger, not fast food this is the place. Nothing fancy just clean, quick and friendly service this is the place. Good menu, good prices and clean restrooms. Just a couple of miles off the interstate in a friendly small town. And they have a great selection of ice cream products too! read more

I eat at Krekels in Pawnee every chance I get. Just when I think inhad the best burger of my life I take a bite of another fresh Kreckle double with cheese. I swear it like Sponge Bob is working the grill to perfection. The hamburger horseshoe is the best horseshoe in the state I believe. Burger and cheese sauce perfection. Did I say that twice? Yes only thing I could recommend is bigger pieces of snickers in concrete the little candy chips are no good for 5 bucks I think I should get a candy bar not 1/8th of one. Great staff and the best burgers ever don't drive past without stopping. They seem to change thenfries sometimes but in my opinion you can't go wrong with krinckle cuts. read more

Great food for a great price. Absolutely love their ice cream. Pumpkin for fall and lemon for summer! Yum!

Best place within 50 miles for burgers, fries, and frozen custard! They have lots of other wonderfully unhealthy stuff too. Go! Enjoy!

I love Krekels. Their burgers are better than Steak n' Shake, in my opinion.