Lost in Time is such a charming spot, and they really impressed me with how accommodating and thoughtful the staff were. I came in looking for dairy free options and was so happy to find out they make their oatmeal with no dairy at all. I ordered it with raisins and brown sugar on the side, and it was simple, warm, and exactly what I wanted. If you do want milk, they'll bring it on the side. I also ordered the grilled peach salad, and wow. Perfectly grilled, sweet, and such a standout. The dressing seemed to contain dairy, but the team was very helpful in guiding me and making sure I had what I needed. It quickly became one of my favorite salads I've had in a long time. My husband sampled some of their pastries and said they were delicious. They also had a massive cinnamon roll on the counter, probably close to ten inches wide. I didn't get it this time, but if you're a cinnamon roll person, this is absolutely the place to indulge. They have regular sized ones too if you're not ready to commit to the giant version. The server was so kind, and I think the manager spoke with us as well. She was just as friendly. I also really liked the decor, which gave the place a comfortable, welcoming vibe. And small detail, but appreciated: they have a baby changing table in the bathroom, which I know is a lifesaver for a lot of families. read more

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I came here for breakfast, as I heard rumors about 1 lb. cinnamon rolls. I can confirm that the rumors are true, and I suspect that Lost in Time offers one of the better breakfasts around small-town Central Illinois. What you can expect: -meals served on antique china -homemade breakfasts and lunches -grab and go meals and sweets, including cinnamon rolls big and small -friendly servers My dining companion was a big fan of her omelet and home fries, especially the not-so-overwhelming portion size. I enjoyed my cinnamon roll and hash browns. My small critique is that the cinnamon rolls aren't served warm. I asked my server to heat mine up, and while she did, it really didn't impact the roll--only some frosting. If I was to return, I would order one to go and reheat it at home...and would I return? Yes, and I already know I want to try to baked oatmeal. read more

We enjoy quaint, small businesses and restaurants. A random visit landed us here on the same day that 4 employees didn't show up for work. Our family of 5 ordered and the waitresses and kitchen help did their best with the smaller number of employees. This didn't deter from the quality of the hearty food. One favorite was the cheeseburger soup! Had to try this after the reviews but I'm we weren't sure.... however everyone should try this! Additional items - cinnamon rolls, twisted turkey sandwich, beef sandwich, and an Asian Chicken salad. Everything was great! read more

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Good lunch spot!! Great friendly waitstaff! Delicious chicken salad sandwich...homemade breads and chips!! Good for small groups read more

Lost In Time - So happy to eat here - Specialty Food Near Me - Fairbury, Illinois

I was thrilled to find Lost In Time! Great atmosphere! This used to be a bank about a 100 years ago and they harken back to that through their charming remodeling. And they have....drum roll please....free Wi-Fi! Now you probably wouldn't think that's a huge deal, but in Fairbury it truly is! With the closest Starbucks about 30-40 minutes away, this was a true life saver. As for the menu, they have the most incredible soups, sandwiches and salads. If you are looking for something other than artery clogging fried stuff - this is the place! read more

Lost In Time - Lost In Time, Fairbury, IL - Specialty Food Near Me - Fairbury, Illinois

I was in town for work and the wonderful veterinarian I was working with sent me here for a good lunch ! Friendly staff who sat me at the only seat left in the house . The little dessert bar :) The staff all visited with me , very nice of them to do that . So I asked what to try and they each had a different suggestion . I went with the grilled blue cheese and bacon sandwich and added avocado .... WHERE has this been all my life ?????? Get in my belly ! Freakishly good !!!!! They mix a delish mild blue cheese with cream cheese and spread it on before adding the perfectly cooked bacon ... Mmmmmmm Lawd I can still taste it read more

Lost In Time - Specialty Food Near Me - Fairbury, Illinois

Slow service bland food. Tasted like something you would get in a nursing home. Won't be back.

While attending a pop up market, we came across this amazing little place. Casual throwback decor, friendly staff, and absolutely delicious food! The side salad was plentiful and oh so fresh. The Reuben was hot, meaty and not a spec of fat. Mismatched dishes, real Pepsi, and good old fashioned hospitality was had that day. Better go early tho, they close at 2. read more

The go to place when near Fairbury, IL. Always great food and service. The decor shows history of Fairbury. Don't forget the bakery for a great desert. read more

Lost In Time - Wrapping in Fairbury. Great sandwich. Nice decor with history motif. - Specialty Food Near Me - Fairbury, Illinois

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Outstanding food, atmosphere and service. We had the chicken salad and the Italian Beef. Both were excellent. Our sever, Jordy was perfect. They also have a bakery next door. We brought home cookies, bread and the best and biggest cinnamon rolls ever. read more

What a little gem! We had the chicken wrap and pot roast sandwich with chips. Perfect size for lunch and tasted amazing! Wonderful atmosphere and charming server with great personality. Will definitely be back and can't wait to try breakfast! read more

This place is so so good! Really nice homecooked American food, some amazing salads and sandwiches, not to mention their cheesecakes! It feels just a tiny bit overpriced, and it can take some time to get your meal, but the waitresses are really accommodating and professional. Totally recommend! read more

First the menu on yelp is outdated! I wish I took a picture of the current menu to post. The food here is very different (just a few sandwiches and two soups). Second the staff is inattentive and the food is very mediocre. Our drinks never got refilled and the waitress never came back after we received our food. I asked about the sandwich of the week and the waitress looked at me like I was crazy. Facebook is either incorrect or the staff wasn't informed of the new sandwich of the week. I ordered the Cesar salad. The dressing was housemade. The Cesar salad dressing was runny and had fully grated Parmesan cheese in it and oil. There was also orange tomatoes in it. We also got the chicken and bacon wrap. It was ok, but nothing special. Small and full of ranch. read more

Lost In Time - Specialty Food Near Me - Fairbury, Illinois

Excellent food and service every time!! Very reasonable prices and homemade specials every day!

Probably one of my top two favorite places to eat in Illinois. We always have to stop by for breakfast when we come to visit grandma! Great service and yummy food! read more

Everything here homemade and they have the greatest desserts!! Favorite sandwich is the Hamdinger! Great laid back atmosphere fits in perfect with the town and the remodel is amazing!! Love it! read more

Quick stop on my way home from school and had some of the best food I've had in a while! Had the best broccoli cheddar soup I've ever had (not exaggerating, I ended up getting another cup). So good and super neat place! Can't wait to come back! read more

We visited for Saturday morning breakfast and there were quite a few people there, but not enough to warrant how inattentive and unfriendly the server was. When she approached the table, she began handing out menus without speaking a word or welcoming us whatsoever. After an awkward length of silence, someone at our table had to greet her. Water and coffee glasses sat empty for long periods of time until she was flagged down for refills and once our food was out, she never returned for a "how is everything?" check. (I've been a server on a Saturday morning - it can suck, but you've got to suck it up and be friendly to guests.) The giant cinnamon roll was tasty, but if it were warmed before coming out it would be amazing. We were glad we ordered this and it came out right away, because we waited 45 minutes for our food - french toast, biscuits and gravy, and a skillet (which was incredibly sub-par - Eggs were brown from dirty oil and the homefries were missing). Extra attention to each meal is something to be appreciated, but this wait time for simple breakfast items is unacceptable. It was almost lunch time by the time we were out of there. The food was great for the most part and the place is pretty neat, but the wait time and unfriendly server will keep me from returning. read more

Very poor experience from start to finish. I have visited this place for the last time. There was just one waitress and she admitted she was also the person making both soups in the kitchen for the lunch crowd so she said, "pardon the slow service and dirty tables". There were more dirty tables than clean ones which looked bad to the new customers walking through the door i would think. The owner was there but she never stepped out of the kitchen. The cook that made my omelette needs a lesson on how to make them also. Their eggs are so small that my omelette was flat as a board. The inside was the best part of it. I ordered what was called the grasshopper which was spinach, mushroom,and swiss. My moms poached egg was very very small and so dry it was like an over cooked hard boiled egg. So i asked for an over easy egg for her and they brought another poached which was way underdone! It was very gross looking! Her toast had gotten cold waiting on the waitress to come to the table to show her the egg and when they brought the new egg they just put her old toast on a new plate. Only two refills of coffee. Very poor experience and they have lost my business and not just with me but i think my entire family. A waitress shouldnt be the one making the soup in the kitchen when she has customers to wait on. read more

Despite the fact that they no longer have the sandwich I wanted, the experience and service was good. They were pretty steadily busy and out of several items but still offered good fresh food. read more

What a wonderful place to eat! The atmosphere is so peaceful and nostalgic. And the service was gracious and given with a smile. Be sure and check out the bakery. The coconut cream pie is "out of this world". Perfect in every way. We can't wait to go back! We wish Lost In Time much success. read more

This place was excellent. I had the chicken salad and it was delicious. They have old fashion style soda in bottles. I got a thomas kemper ginger ale, it was really good. read more

Wow we just stumbled across this little gem. I just happened to see the reviews and I could not deny it. All the reviews I read were right on and more. We had the cobb salad and the oriental salad. Excelent and wonderful. For the main course I had the taco buffet and she had the rueben and grape salad. Wow I couldnt find anything wrong. What a breath of fresh air. You owe it to yourself to check it out. The bakery also. After main course, chocotate and strawberry ice cream, and she took some more of the grape salad for later. Wow very good. Great food, great service, and a wonderful setting.The waitress was very helpful and very friendly. Hopefully this place will be around for a good while.We will be going back the first chance we get.A+A+A+ read more

What an awesome gem in a little town. Just stumbled upon it. Service was quick, yet very customer service oriented. Food was great. The old time soda was fantastic. Great place to eat! read more

Love love love this place. Just passed through the town and checked my phone for places to eat, this popped up. Their Cheddar Cheese Soup was fantastic, so was my husband's salad and we shared the Raspberry Jam/Pecan Grilled Cheese. So different and so good. We also shared the Blue Cheese/Bacon Grilled Cheese. Again so good. We'd love to try everything on their menu but will have to wait until we take another trip out East through Illinois. read more

Lost In Time - Cheddar Cheese Soup with bits of ham, potato, carrot, yummy as can be. - Specialty Food Near Me - Fairbury, Illinois

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I was here about a month or two ago. I was impressed by Lost in Time, and surprised to find a restaurant this good in little Fairbury. The service was great by two girls working that day and the food was excellent. If I visit Fairbury again I'm definitely dropping by. read more

My wife and I drove to Fairbury today to go to a store. I looked at Yelp for restaurants in the area. Noticed the previous review on Yelp. So, we went there today. The previous reviewers were correct! This place is really good! I had the soup of the day, tortellini and sausage soup. Very good! I ordered another cup of this soup. I had a half of a California wrap. My wife and a BLT. She thought it was good as well. She had turtle cheesecake for dessert and I had a slice of cherry pie. We both thought these were very very good! The restaurant is in an old building but its very nice inside. Our waitress was very nice. I asked her how breakfast is and she said it is excellent. We will have to go back. Next door, they have a bakery and we got some items to take home. read more

Thoroughly enjoyed a late lunch at this delightful restaurant in a lovely historic building in the town of Fairbury, IL. I had the delicious tortellini soup, half deluxe BLT on homemade tomato basil bread and delicious cherry salad. Prices are very reasonable, and friendly staff provided excellent service. They offer homemade bakery items and desserts. Always pleasantly surprised to happen across a delightful establishment such as this! read more

Interesting place for me to review. A buddy and I were working on a job in Fairbury and wanted to get a local lunch. We get so tired of fast food eaten in the van driving between jobsites. Some of the staff at the location we were working suggested Lost in Time. For all you who've never heard of Fairbury. Go to the middle of nowhere in north central Illinois and you'll find it. It's a quaint historic farm town with the atmosphere from a bygone era. If you didn't have a reason to be there, it's not a town you would likely travel to. Lost in Time may make you change your thinking on that one. Fifty years ago, this place would best be called a Ladies Tea Room. It's built in an old early Victorian corner building that used to be a bank. You burly construction guys may feel like you'll crush everything in the place, but the portions are adequate and you won't leave hungry. Just bring your good manners, and wipe your feet before you come in. Mother's watching! Menu consists of home made sandwiches and salads with some specials each day. What's really special is that everything is made on premises. The quality of the food was excellent. Service was a little pokey but hey, this is small town Americana. Put your iPhone down and take in the atmosphere. Have a conversation and be one with the history and nostalgia of the restaurant. There's lots of stories in those walls, and it fun to imagine life in a bygone era. Pick any of the salads or sandwiches and enjoy. They all looked good. Then, brace yourself, the best is yet to come. Homemade desserts! I had a cream puff that was right out of a dream. They were awesome! Not too sweet or gloppy. Just right. Found out that they have a bakery behind the restaurant where they make all their bread and goodies. That thought gnawed at me all afternoon while we were finishing up our work. Had my buddy swing back by and we went in the bakery. Yep, hit the mother lode! Homemade cinnamon rolls some the size of a dinner plate. No exaggeration! It was at least 6"x9"! Cookies galore, muffins, scones, cheesecakes, loaves of homemade bread and other assorted goodies too numerous to mention. The owner was right there making caramels from scratch! I got a cinnamon roll, a couple muffins, and some cookies to take home. I told my buddy that if he took a plate of those cinnamon rolls home to his wife he might "get lucky". He wasted no time picking them up along with some other items! All these were amazing! Cookies didn't make it past the van ride home. I admit I'm a bread snob. I hate all brands of grocery store bread. She had some loaves of homemade bread and I picked up loaf of her sourdough. Pretty awesome! I would go back just for the bread. If you're in central Illinois and looking for nice day's adventure head to Fairbury and have lunch at Lost in Time. Stop in the bakery and take a few items home. You're in for a great meal, and some yummy treats over the next few days. By the way, I don't know for sure how my buddy did with the cinnamon rolls, but he had a smile on his face and was very chipper the next day. :) read more

Great staff great food I have never had a bad meal here ever they have the best sausage patties in the world for breakfast also anything from the bakery is wonderful read more

Great little diner and bakery in Fairbury, and the cinnamon rolls are awesome and big!

Lost in Time is a rare find! The food is excellent. Everything is homemade including the desserts. The wait staff is small town friendly. The only problem is that it often is very crowded do the success of this wonderful little restaurant. read more

This is a unique restaurant in Fairbury Il. It is an old bank building with lots of character. We have eaten there so often, I've tasted almost everything on the menu and it is all delicious, much of it made with local food products. There is usually a lunch special as well as soups, salads, sandwiches and absolutely delicious desserts. read more

All I have to say is Fairbury, IL is one big disappointment, including Lost in Time. Fairbury is sending out a ridiculous amount of advertisement to get people to come to their town. My mom an I drove over 1 hour one way to come and shop for the afternoon and eat at a cute place. Country Cupboard outside of town was the highlight of the trip. There is virtually nothing downtown in terms of shopping (other than Serendipity). The town barely decorated for Christmas. We thought we could salvage the trip by eating at Lost in Time. The clerk at Country Cupboard had recommended it. We did come in shortly before they were going to close which I would not normally do, but we wanted some type of positive experience from Fairbury. We did not get that from Lost in Time. The waitress not very friendly. She made it obvious that she was annoyed we came in for food, but tried to tell us it was still okay. Fake nice does not work in customer service industry. I felt uncomfortable after the first 60 seconds. I tried to ignore it because I wanted to have a good time, but my mom had the same feeling. So we ended up leaving without even getting to eat. There is something wrong with a business, if after 2 minutes of being in the restaurant you are made to feel so uncomfortable that you have to get up and walk out. We walked over to the bakery to see if we could peek in before they closed and it was the same situation. It was complete silence when we walked in. There were 3-4 people working and no one greeted us. I just wanted to say, "what is wrong with all of you? Your town is trying so hard to bring you business and you are basically spitting in peoples faces with how horrendous your customer service is." I bought to small cinnamon rolls, but I ended up just pitching them at a gas station because the experience was so rotten. We will never be back to Fairbury and we will never suggest that anyone go to Fairbury including Lost in Time. read more

very delicious daily specials. i have relatives who drive over an hour just to eat here. the desserts are irresistible. don't expect instant service they take their time so everything is perfect read more