Maverick Steaks &amp; Spirits

Route 66 icon! If memory serves me it's been in operation since 1924. Inside the decor is…read moreauthentic to the 1950's, but this is obviously well cared for, which was very apparent when I saw the counter swivel stool-chairs: they look brand new! I was on a road trip up from Florida to Wisconsin with a friend. We were going through Springfield, Illinois, so we could visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum & Library. So that's how I ended up in this neck of the woods. Needed a spot for dinner and this popped up as an option and sure glad it did. My friend & I both opted for the Fried Chicken dinner and this place makes the best fried chicken I've had in decades! OMGOSH! The meat was fully cooked, but still so incredibly juicy. The crispy skin and coating was unreal, it was so good - it was truly "finger-lick in' good". While I'm borrowing that old slogan, The Ariston Cafe's fried chicken is like the fried chicken ideal of perfection. They have a classic salad bar and that hit the spot, especially on a road trip where you're not often getting enough veggies. I'm writing this review some weeks later after getting back home. If the place had been average, I wouldn't bother, but when a reminder to do a review popped up, I had to do this as the waitresses and cooks deserve it, as do the owners & all the staff. Waitresses were all nice as could be and helpful. It's like walking back in time when you go inside, and it reminded me of great restaurants in the area I grew up in. If I make it back up that way again, I'll plan my travels to include another stop in at The Artisan.

My husband and I were looking for a place to eat supper and were heading toward a Taco Bell when…read moremy husband saw the Ariston Cafe. He noticed that the restaurant's parking lot was packed and said, "This must be a good place to eat." We then noticed the signs on the outside that said, "A better place to eat." While walking into the restaurant our appetites were stimulated by the wonderful smell of steaks cooking. We went inside and were pleasantly greeted and given a choice to sit at a table or a booth. We chose the booth and were seated right next to the salad bar. We opted for the Icelandic cod fish special which came with one side and unlimited trips to the salad bar. The salad bar had a lovely selection of vegetables and toppings. Several choices reminded us of dishes that one would bring to a family reunion. One was a sweet corn salad with a tasty dressing that tasted like hummus. It was delicious and I went back for seconds, another was a sweet carrot salad-equally delicious, another consisted of Brussel sprouts (I thought it would be pickled, but it was not), again, I had seconds. The cod fish came with unlimited servings, but the three large pieces were more than we could eat. We wanted to save room for dessert. The choices were many and we had first eyed them coming into the restaurant. They included: German chocolate cake, coconut and chocolate creamy pie, baklava, cheese cake topped with strawberries or blueberries, lemon meringue, and bread pudding with bourbon sauce. I had the coconut cream pie and my husband had the chocolate cream pie. Both were wonderful. We couldn't finish them because we were absolutely stuffed. So, we took them home to finish with our morning coffee. I wished that I could wrap this restaurant up and take it with me back to Evansville, IN to share with my group of retired friends when we go out for lunch. They would love it. The price for our dinner was extremely good considering the amount of food we had, and our waitress was very friendly and good at her job. We'll be back again next year for certain. This is truly a better place to eat.

Dining area

Wish you could tell how juicy and tasty this chicken was from a photo

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Canton Inn

4.1(42 reviews)

11.0 mi

Excellent food and service . Definitely worth the visit. Great ambiance too . I'll definitely be…read moreback

The Canton Inn far surpassed my expectations. Our server was so sweet and friendly and the food was…read moreon par with any meal you'd get in the big city. If I lived closer I'd make it a regular stop.

King Crab Legs and below is the Cowboy Caviar

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Stag Beer Long Neck

Ruby Tuesday

2.7(52 reviews)

0.3 mi

Stopped here mid-afternoon for a late lunch/early dinner. One of the current specials is a…read morecheeseburger, fries, and the salad bar for $8.99, which is a deal as the salad bar alone is $12.99 or $5.99 if added to an entree. You have to ask for specials or know because they don't tell you. The salad bar is great at this Ruby Tuesday, although sometimes things will be empty. They restock fairly quickly if you ask. Today they had just restocked the croutons and they were warm...yum! The cheeseburger came out quickly and everything was hot.

We went here for dinner tonight had the salmon and salad bar. Everything was good would come againread more

Small biscuits!

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Text club!

Route 66 Cafe

4.2(25 reviews)

1.4 mi

Horrible experience. The waiter didn't introduce herself, we kept saying "thank you" we didn't get…read morea one "you're welcome". I'm a Hispanic and I felt like I didn't belong because of my ethnicity. I felt like my family was being treated differently than the others, and the food was not good, my brother got sick. Never again and don't recommend.

We are so happy we stopped. Breakfast was yummy and our coffee cups were always full. Thank you…read moreDiane for taking great care of us!

Simple, relaxing and friendly customers.

Mini horseshoe call a pony!! It's Texas toast, hamburger, Fries and cheese sauce!! So good!!

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Closer American Flag

Jubelt's Bakery & Restaurant

3.8(182 reviews)

0.2 mi

Outstanding bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato sandwich with a lot of yummy crisp bacon. The Popeye…read moreskillet wasn't as good as my husband was hoping, and the biscuits were too crumbly. Nice staff.

We were traveling home from Peoria and stopped in Jubelt's for lunch. This was our first time. It…read morewas right at the beginning of lunch time and they were moderately busy. First impressions, the restaurant needs some help with cleanliness. Tables and chairs are worn out, the floor just looks old and dirty. I'm sure they clean, but when things get that worn and old, it doesn't matter. Part of the "charm" of this restaurant is the Route 66 proximity, and that was part of our reason for going there being the 100th anniversary of the mother road. When you enter you are faced with a bit of confusion. There are handwritten signs telling you to grab a menu and get a table, then you have to go to the counter and place your order. I've seen this before and it makes little sense. I suppose it's a labor saving method, but not practical at all. We found a table and looked at the menu, which is quite extensive. They, also, baked their own breads and pies and have a display case with pastries. We placed our order and returned to our table. The food arrived in a reasonable amount of time, but while we waited, I watched people coming in and being just as confused about the ordering system as we were. Plus, the line at the counter grew into the seating area. I would think the counter would be good for to go orders like the baked goods and pastries rather than dining customers. I ordered the 1/4 ham and provolone croissant sandwich with fries, my daughter ordered a turkey wrap, and my wife ordered the turkey club. They both ordered fruit cups as their side. The croissant was very good. It was flaky, moist and pillowy, but held the ingredients of the sandwich well. My wife and daughter said their sandwiches were fine. I'm not sure my sandwich had a full 1/4 pound of ham on it, but it did have good flavor. The fries were hot, but right out of the bag. The fruit cups didn't appear the freshest. It looks like they do a good business with the baked goods and pastries. Maybe that should be the business which would make more sense with the style of service they are doing. It was worth trying, but I don't know if I would return. The employees were all friendly and were hustling and I did see someone clearing tables, but I think the place could go for a remodel just to maintain an appearance of

All the offerings and old pictures on the wall

Summer chicken salad with fruit and vegetable beef soup- So fresh

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Yes, crowded parking lot. We couldn't park here because they had so many customers at 3 PM on a Saturday.

Chinatown

3.9(43 reviews)

0.5 mi

Great place to eat! Lots of selection and attentive service! Very clean and lots of tasty…read moreselections. Only thing I would ding them on is food is not always really hot! Today was good but, times the food has just slightly over warm. Good food at a good price! Very nice place for dinner!

My son and I went to Chinatown yesterday after a long time…read more The Lady behind the counter i think the owner? Was not very friendly, had an attitude as soon as we walked in. Lady. If you don't want to be there stay home,that's all I can say! Our waitress was very nice and helpful though. Thank you to her.

Egg rolls and wontons

Buffet Plate (Sushi, Dumplings, Chicken & Broccoli, Vegetable Lo Mein & Mushrooms in Brown Sauce)

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Lots of selection

Sakura

4.4(28 reviews)

0.4 mi

Food is amazing! Xindy is so nice. Glad we have this business in town. I highly recommend giving…read morethem a try!

Food is delicious. Highly recommend the sushi. staff is very friendly place is also very clean.read more

Super White Tuna Sashimi

Eel Sashimi & Salmon Sashimi

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Menu

Tosi Diner

4.8(15 reviews)

11.1 mi

We stopped in for brunch/lunch on our way downstate for a trip to the Shawnee area. Tosi's was the…read moreclosest place on the map when we were looking at food options, and it was just perfect. Super sweet staff who know their regulars by name and order, and even though breakfast was only served til 11 on Mondays which we missed, we really enjoyed our fish sandwich, bacon cheeseburger, and fries. Hot, fresh, perfect flavor. Wish we lived nearby so we could go back!

We can to IL to see the Big Boy Steam train in Girard and stopped in here to get a pork tenderloin…read moresandwich. There are almost no places to get one in Nashville TN so we were looking forward to it. The restaurant is clean and the service was quick and friendly. I love a small town place. My husband liked his sandwich but I thought it was just okay. They had great fries though.

Inside dine- clean!

Early bird special $12

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Inside diner

Los Rancheros

4.2(45 reviews)

0.4 mi

Really tasty, flavorful food and fun atmosphere. Service was very good. They have daily specials.read more

We were traveling to see a friend and went here for dinner. I always wanted to try the birria tacos…read moreand they had them here so I tried them with the consome beef broth! This was literally the best Mexican I have ever had! The consome broth was thick and so delicious! It was a meaty broth and not spicy! I also had queso and salsa chips and they were delicious like always. I had a guava magarita on the rocks it was also good!

Guava magarita

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Birria tacos with consome meat broth

Frida’s Tacos

4.7(23 reviews)

10.2 mi

We visited Frida's Taco for our second time and I had the Cowboy Burrito, it's stuffed with…read moreseasoned pork, chorizo, and rice, deep fried and covered with cheese sauce. It's huge so I could not finish it all but it was good, a little less rice inside would make it better especially since it's served on a bed of rice. Service here has been great on both visits, it's a small dining area and can get loud when big groups are seated together but still a great place.

Burrito was humongous, but half of the filling was rice. The rest was okay, but too much moisture…read moremade the tortilla soggy. The salsa verde was good. If I were to eat here again. I'd get a bowl so I wouldn't need to worry about the mess.

Inside

3 Fish Tacos and side of rice

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Dining area

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Kent R.

0

18

0

3 years ago

I give the restaurant a 3.1/5. The steak was very bland, and my steak was very over cooked for medium rare. The salad bar was very good, and the main reason for the score being in the 3's. Pretty pricy for what you get. The atmosphere is stuck in the 80's, and the furniture could your quite an update. I would recommend for the salad bar, and would probably go back. read more

Maverick Steaks & Spirits - bars - Updated August 2026

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Small but great! The service is good and the food is good! Very close to home! Taco Tuesday has…read moregreat nachos. Only accepts cash.

The food is pretty much run of the milk. Good service is on the 3 1/2 out of five stars ambience…read morewell it's just a good old little town bar where everybody knows your name but it's not cheers. It's yellow dog. But that's what makes it special to all of us that live in Warden. It's a nice place to go and just talk with your other fellow residence. That like myself ENJOYS A Cocktail or five

Weezy's

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Awesome dive bar. Dark, speakeasy feel, but clean and set up nicely for not just drinks and…read morecomfort food, but appropriate for families. Waitstaff is friendly and welcoming. Great place to stop if you're traveling Route 66 as we were . . . and get a stamp for your Passport!

If you are traveling down Route 66 getting your kicks, you gotta stop by Weezy's. It is located on…read morea section of the Original Route 66 that runs through the heart of Hamel, IL. It is worth the stop just to see all the Route 66 memorabilia. The entire restaurant is decorated with a Route 66 theme. Having lunch or dinner of comfort food at this roadside diner, is a bonus. Looking at the menu, I was thinking about Chicken Wings or a Buffalo Chicken Wrap. Then I started chatting with three blue collar workers at the counter, they recommended the Fried Chicken and a Ham & Cheese Sandwich. They actually said, everything is really good. The restaurant was packed at 12:30 PM, so it must be true. When the waitress came to take my order, I ordered a Pork Fritter Sandwich. It basically was a Fried Pork Tenderloin Sandwich. The waitress said I make a good decision. It was on the thick side and the crispy coating had good seasoning. I only had them add, pickles and onion. It was served on a hamburger bun Instead of the chips that came as a side, I paid for an upgrade to fries. The fries were super crispy and skinny, reminisce of old-time Steak & Shake fries. The service was hospitable. It was obvious who were regulars and which one of us were first timers. That really didn't matter, we all got the same attentive service. There's a huge Route 66 Sign across the street, that is perfect for pictures. Smile!

Wood Duck Bar & Grill

4.5

(25 reviews)

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.

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(136 reviews)

Excellent food... esp their brisket Hubby gets chicken…read morestrips and fresh veggie Hard working staff Great daily specials... hard to beat Nice atmosphere Would recommend you check them out

Overall, a pretty good place. I came on a Sunday night with my extended family and they were able…read moreto see the party of seven pretty quickly. I've been here before and the food is pretty good. We got an appetizer of a special eggroll that they had and I got the fajita bowl with chicken, I don't think anybody at our table is too impressed with the eggroll and my fajita was lacking a bit of flavor. But I know that a lot of their pastors are really good because I've come here before and you just have to find what on the menu that you really like. Our server was nice and helpful and the inside of the restaurant is super cutely decorated. Seems like a really great spot for a date night or to go and listen to some of their live music. We just sat inside so we could have a nice conversation and not compete with the noise of the music but if that's what you're into it does seem like they have some really good live music on the patio

Castelli's Restaurant at 255

4.2

(227 reviews)

Do you love large breast? If so you need to visit Castelli's and have their fried chicken dinner…read more The breast they serve, are the largest I have ever seen and the accompanying pieces are impressive as well. Thick meaty thighs, curvaceous legs and wings that look as if the chicken has been pumping iron at the local gym. Big pieces, crispy flavorful coating and juicy meat. I primarily do carry-out and the quality of their take out is equally as good as when dining in the restaurant. Pick-up is smooth and fast, as they have a separate entrance and room for take-out. The staff is friendly and very professional. The service has that family owned business feel. If you're a fan of Onion Rings, I recommend enjoying an order as an appetizer. Their rings are super big and made in house. I do not like onion rings that come from a bag. When ordering my sides, I like mashed potatoes with white gravy. They also offer brown gravy, if that is your thing. My other side is always green beans. They make their green beans with bacon and onion. It reminds me of my momma's. With those two sides, it is a true Sunday Chicken Dinner on any day of the week. I've been coming to Castelli's my entire life. I started coming here as a child when it was called, Moonlight. Many of the locals still call it, Moonlight and no-one will correct them, because we all know where they are talking about. Service in the carry-out room is always speedy and friendly. So if you're a fan of fried chicken, I recommend ordering on-line for a pick-up. Or, treat yourself to a night out and dine in the restaurant. Remember to order the onion rings.

First, there is nothing Italian as to the way they cook chicken. They have very little to do with…read morereal Italian food. If you like over cooked pasta, served watery on the plate by all means step right up. The sauce needs help runny and lacks flavor. Perhaps you could go to Italy and truly learn how to present these dishes you claim Italian. Service is lacking and servers are not friendly what so ever. Ambiance is not big in their list to impress. Honestly, just call it a chicken shop, that's what they tell everyone it is. Drop the Italian as you lack the knowledge to properly prepare Italian foods. It does not even rate a 1 star, place needs a good derp cleaning

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