I was actually quite impressed with J Ford's! We went for my brother's graduation and stayed in…read moretheir rose room, and every member of the staff was amazingly friendly! Not only that, but the food was stellar. Here's what we tried: -Foie Gras Special: 9/10 - I just love foie gras and wow this one was cooked to perfection and the accompaniment of the cream cheese foam and the apple was amazing! I could eat it all to myself. -Denver American Wagyu 8oz: 8/10 - I did really like it, though I may have gone with Spiralis cut next time, as this was small and not as flavorful as I would've dreamed of. Decadent, of course. -Mac and Cheese: 10/10 - A perfect Mac and cheese. I don't think I could've dreamt of a better one. The flavor was outstanding, the pasta was al dente, and the cheese was just soooo gooey. It was addictive. -Truffle Butter Mashed Potatoes: 7/10 - While these were good, they had no truffle butter taste to them at all. In fact, we wondered if it had been mistakenly marked as truffle butter, but apparently it was correct. -Korean Corn: 8/10 - Cheesy, gochujang-ey, yummy. It's kind of like a Korean elote, so I'm not mad at all. -Gooey Butter Cake: 9/10 - I really don't know how to describe this other than sweet and yummy. It was also soft inside, which paired well with the crispier crust. -Chocolate Decadence: 10/10 - This just melted in my mouth. It was gooey and delicious and dark and rich and WOW. It's like the pudgiest brownie you'll ever eat. Overall, well impressed!

What can be said other than this is one of the countries finer steakhouses at least comparable to…read moreany of the good chicago ones like Gibsons or MK etc.

We flew off the highway to see what this farm complex was all about. It's an impressive set up with…read morea variety of spots to explore for a break from driving. Service was good and attentive. I noticed the comments about high prices, and for the area, I bet that is true. We found the prices comparable to large cities. The smoked brisket chili doesn't taste smoky, but the meat is tender and the chili flavorful. The charcuterie was good, and we loved the apple chutney. The space is open and airy. It's a very family friendly place with the bar and bourbon tasting room toward the back.

An impromptu stay at Fair Oaks led to a delicious meal! This was a fun environment for families and…read morea date night, I love being able to see the action in the kitchen. The wait was typical and our server was kind and attentive even with her having multiple tables. I enjoyed the fish and sangria and the food was fantastic.

David's Food & Spirits, or just plain "David's", as we call it; is one of our favorite places to…read moreeat in Pontiac, IL. We've gotten to know David a little bit, over the many years that we've been coming here. He's such a nice person. We really like him, but that's not the reason we keep coming back. The food and service are top-notch. We've never been disappointed. David and his staff work very hard to give every patron a wonderful dining experience every time. This is a quaint little restaurant, with a cozy, down-to-earth, relaxed atmosphere. When the dining room is packed, and it often is, it can be a bit noisy; but that's all part of the charm. Reservations are not required, but I highly encourage you to call ahead or make a reservation because David's is a popular eatery. The parking lot fills up fast too, but ample parking is usually available on the north side of Howard Street, directly north of David's. If you are looking for a great dining experience in Pontiac, IL; David's Food & Spirits is a sure thing.

Great dinner, cute place, and wonderful service! I had the fried chicken and my husband had the…read moremeatloaf. Both hot and delicious with mashed potatoes on the side. The salads were perfect: chilled and simple iceberg with a few veggies and croutons. I was glad it wasn't the 'spring mix' (weeds) you see a lot. Very friendly crew and owner. Highly recommend.

Wonderful food and service. My husband had roasted beef and mashed potatoes from the food bar. I…read morehad the Bang Bang shrimp. Everything was delicious, fresh and hot. And oh my those yeast rolls are amazing!

I had heard good things about this place and had been really looking forward to trying it for…read moreyears. We finally made it up there a couple weeks ago, set reservations, they were absolutely not needed on the Friday at 7 when we went. The service was fantastic, the dessert that we got was delicious, the food was ok at best (something you could get pretty much anywhere but it's a charming little place so that alone made it enjoyable), drinks from the bar were really good. We happened to be sitting at a table with an elderly couple behind us, this guy was so incredibly rude that my husband finally looked at me and said " That guy over there is being a complete prick to the staff". He was speaking to the staff like they were beneath him, he was incredibly rude to multiple employees and my husband and I just agreed he must be a miserable human being to treat people that way. After they left, we overheard another staff member tell the table next to us that was the owner. We looked at a picture of him just to be 100% sure and sure enough it was the owner. The wife looked embarrassed, the whole section we were in was taking note of the way this guy was speaking to the staff. Talk about secondhand embarrassment, he obviously didn't have any embarrassment to begin with but the rest of the restaurant was taking notice and cringing, after he left it was discussed among the tables. His behavior was repulsive, if you run a restaurant and you talk to your employees like that on the dining room floor, you should be ashamed. If you have an issue with the way you were being served you could've taken that up with the employee somewhere other than the floor. You obviously think that you're more important than you actually are and your behavior that day was vile, even if that was the best food I've ever eaten in my life I wouldn't return after he demeaned that kid like that. To the poor kid that he treated the worst, who just laughed it off and tried to pretend like he wasn't being talked to like that in front of a dining room room full of people, your parents must've raised you right because you had every reason to not stand there and take that.

I will start with service = it was off the charts great! I believe it was Brian that was our server…read more(clean cut, tall, out-going, not afraid to have family tables). I would give him ten stars if it was possible. There were 4 adults in our party and an 18 month old (very busy boy). He initiated contact by talking directly to him, high fiving and knuckles and then gave him a dollar so he was making an impression early as a good guy. While we looked at the menu for food and drinks he suggested we get something started for the little guy since he was hungry (GREAT IDEA). He then took our drink order and got right to it. He checked in with us frequently, offered sauce suggestions and refreshed our adult beverages and drinks as often as they were partially full (that is GREAT service). Once dinner was underway, and our little one wanted something to do, we took turns in the lobby to help him get the wiggles out. As dinner was coming to an end, our said little, starting putting up a big fuss because it was time for bed, so when Brian took our credit card, he asked if he could show him around, and within our eyesight he did just that, which the newness calmed our little one down, and he promptly brought him back. BEST service I have ever experienced at a restaurant. Thank you. Food was tasty and filling, thank you for that too!

I went on a date to this restaurant. We both enjoyed the salad bar (feels rare to see these ). My…read moresteak was delicious and cooked perfectly medium rare. The twice baked potato was amazing but I didn't finish all my food. Our waitress was great and attentive. We plan on returning.

#201 was a great server. Attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. Food is always on point. Specials…read moreand seasonal menu add a variety of the seasonal changes.

Came in after the Illini beat Maryland on a Saturday evening. No issue with getting a seat right at…read morethe bar. Bar tender seemed a bit overworked, vary harried and not super friendly, but reasonably fast. Ordered the gnocchi and filet tips. Started with the Baxter's salad. That was excellent! The gnocchi was promoted as 'crisp' which I found intriguing. Not crisp at all. Standard fair. Filet was okay, but not great. Mushroom sauce was great! Ambiance is that of a classic steak house. Nice place, will come back again to try the steak.

Great food. Fun atmosphere. Super friendly service…read more Had burgers and chicken salad

We saw good reviews, so we hopped off the interstate and checked this place out for dinner. They…read morewere moderately busy, about 1/3 capacity. That was not the problem. The food took over 30 minutes, which wouldn't be a deal breaker, if it was hot. The fries were cold. That's a death sentence in my opinion. The burger was fine, though not hot, at least warm enough. Sorry, maybe impressive for some, but not for this guy. I would have been happier at the BBQ joint across the street.

The Old Colonial Inn is a charming restaurant perfect for a date night, special occasion, or just…read morebecause! The restaurant is located in the town's restored old hotel right near the town square. Upon entering, there's delightfully cozy seating and a candlelit interior--we were seated in the library room that contained a few intimate tables. The service was amazing. Jill is attentive yet gave us space for conversation. She recommended the tenderloin special, which paired with the blueberry gastrique and parsnip purée was a nice mashup of flavors. The soup of the day was a rich, creamy lobster bisque. My husband ordered the salmon grilled and said it was well seasoned and cooked to perfection. We ordered a dessert to share (turtle cheesecake), and they thoughtfully plated it with a starburst of whipped cream for each of us! The owners came around and checked on everyone briefly. They were very kind and hospitable. Overall, the Old Colonial Inn was a delightful experience and a hidden gem.

The Old Colonial does not disappoint. The owners and staff are always friendly when we see them…read more The food is fantastic. Whenever we are in the area, we always look forward to coming here with friends.

My mom lives out here and this is quite literally the only "nice" restaurant in town. I really…read morewasn't expecting much out of Watseka but the service and food ended up being incredible! I ordered the filet mignon with asparagus. The steak was cooked perfectly and well seasoned. The asparagus was fresh and had great flavor. My mom was craving the fried shrimp, mashed potatoes, and mac. She loved it all and I was even stealing her mashed potatoes it was so good! Service and food was 5 stars. Giving 4 stars because the inside could use a little more ambience or aesthetic.

My first time at Trios Steakhouse and it wasn't bad but it wasn't outstanding. I would definitely…read moretravel to The Lighthouse in Cedar Lake for the ambiance and delicious food. The restaurant lacks a distinct ambiance. It needs to work on the interior design. Ambiance plays a significant role in making an amazing dining experience. The service was great. The bartender was quick and efficient. He was very friendly and recommended several different entrees and appetizers. I would come back to have a drink at the bar without a problem! He brought water and a bread basket. I wish he was more educated on what type of bread was being served. Overall he was attentive and ensured that my to-go order was packed correctly. My mom had the bbq baby back ribs. She said the baked potato tasted better than the ribs and that she prefers the ribs at TGIFridays over Trios. Which was kinda disappointing because we live relatively close to Trios and it's the only nicer restaurant in Watseka. Her onion rings were lightly breaded and tasted great! I had the salmon with asparagus and Mac n cheese. It was cooked perfectly. However, it lacked flavor. The asparagus had more seasoning and taste than the salmon. They should try some different seasonings. Too bland for me. The asparagus was surprisingly delicious and I would come back just for it. The Mac n cheese was disappointing. I advise to get the onion rings. It's a large portion of onion rings that are prepared fresh to order in a light batter. I doubt I would return for the main dishes. I hope they change things up.