Hidden gem! Really nice little spot for lunch in Lena if you get the chance too! We enjoyed walking around the antique store before finding our way to the eatery which was a very pleasant surprise. Service was with a smile and very friendly! Great menu with many different sandwiches , daily specials and coffee options. Was really impressed by the size of the coffee! Loved the nostalgic atmosphere and will be recommending the Mercantile to friends in the area, 10 out of 10! We will be back! read more

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The service and the food are amazing! Great home town vibe with consignment items in the General Store!

Great little shop with a great mix of antiques and collectibles. I am primarily a sports collector, so it was nice to see a very good assortment of sports cards and autographs. I picked up a few cards that were fairly priced compared to online sales. We stopped during lunch time, so we also took time to eat in the little lunch diner at the back. They also have hot coffees and non-coffee beverages. I enjoyed their hot tea with the daily special chicken salad BLT wrap. It came with a side, and I chose the potato soup. My husband had the turkey club sandwich with the potato soup. We were both satisfied with our selections and were ready for the rest of our road trip. read more

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What a hidden gem this place is. Besides a walking path antique store, there is a delicious little restaurant in the back of the store. Daily specials such as Wisconsin Cheese Soup and a Roast Beef & Dill sandwich on marbled rye bread pictured below, are just the tip of a plentiful menu. Be sure to leave room for home baked desserts! Such as Tarimasu and cheesecake. Barb, and Kathy will take excellent care of you! A must do and taste when visiting Lena IL. read more

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I had a bit of car trouble & had to wait for help so went for lunchtime and Wow!! Excellent service and such a great place! Homemade food was delicious and prices were reasonable. After lunch the dessert offerings were impossible to ignore! Best chocolate cake ever!! Thoroughly enjoyed it! Thanks for such a great experience on a difficult day!! read more

Went with my sisters to see what this store had to offer and we were all pleasantly pleased! So many great finds and excellent prices. We found things that ranged from Christmas decor, antique glass, to special trinkets. We will definitely be back! read more

Lena Mercantile is a go to destination for our family when we travel to northwest Illinois. For me personally I love Ruth's whistling. Next time I'm there I'm going to ask if she takes requests. ;) And the food in the back while maybe being a little pricey is fresh, prepared by hand and served with a smile. Sometimes by Ruth herself. They make you feel as if you're eating in your own kitchen dining area. We haven't been there is a while so I certainly hope they have survived the pandemic. read more

For those that know Lena, they'll know that the Mercantile was, for many years, the Noller's Grocery Store. Walking in it these days, you almost wouldn't know it! It houses a wonderful little antique shop that is worth visiting as you come through town. There are around 40 vendors and you can find a pretty nice assortment of items: glassware, pottery, wooden items, books, toys, handcrafted items, sports memorabilia, and so on and so forth. They also sell some foodstuffs like pickles, jams, and candy. The Mercantile also has a little cafe that serves lunch. The menu is smaller, sandwiches, soup, coffee, and different desserts, but it is very good. I think it's a little pricey for what you get, however. read more

It's a family owned business and the owners were quite talkative after we had some of their hand dipped ice cream. The owner's personal collection of coffee cans are on shelves throughout the store along with other antiques and items for sale. They also have separate areas available for consignment. I liked the historical items from World War II. read more

Love this place. Lots of food and the price IS right. Don't forget to try their coffee specialties! I can't pass thru this area without a slice of quiche and coffee. Great job Ruth! read more

Quaint little shop. The lunch room is kind of pricey for what you get. The owner enjoys whistling along with the music that is playing. It's kind of cute at first but does get on your nerves if you're shopping for long. Good prices on most of the consignments offered. read more

Great little shop with all kinds of items. Staff is very helpful and are quick to point out any sales. There is also a nice little ice cream and sandwich shop in the back of the store. They have many collectible items for sale in this store. The pricing can move between inexpensive to moderate. read more

My husband and I were traveling the Stagecoach trail when we decided to stop in Lena for a soft drink. In late winter, the town with its railroad tracks down the center didn't seem all that attractive or show any signs of a restaurant. However, I happened to see that the Lena Mercantile was open and was serving coffee. We're glad we stopped. In the front of the store was a large area of antiques/collectibles and in the back was a funky, yellow-topped 50s kitchen table where we could sit down, have a cup of coffee and share a huge 3-layered piece of chocolate cake. (The small restaurant area was closed.) The owner had Cole Porter and George Gershwin playing in the background. It turns out she was a former music teacher and had lived in Lena for over 40 years. We were interested in this out-of -the way place, so we enjoyed her intermittent conversation as we devoured most of the large piece of cake. It just happened to be Valentine's weekend, so it felt like the perfect stop - just when we needed to get out of the car before heading back to Dubuque. This may not be for everyone, but we loved the unexpected charm of the decor, the antiques, and the owner's willingness to chat on a late Saturday afternoon. read more