When people ask why I Yelp, places like this are the answer. Without Yelp, there's zero chance I would have eaten here, and yet it turned out to be a fantastic option as we were driving down I-70 towards St. Louis. We were headed to the airport and I searched for a 'diner like' place just off the interstate around an hour away. I came across Powhatan, and while the outside didn't look like much in the photos, the food looked great and the reviews were excellent. I bookmarked it, and sure enough it didn't disappoint. The outside is a basic restaurant attached to a hotel/motel. Think side of the road bare bones motel. Honestly, if I hadn't read the reviews I would have just kept on driving. Inside was very nice - not fancy but very bright, clean and welcoming. There was also a small slot machine area off to the side if that's your thing. I ordered the Pocahontas Pride, which was chicken friend steak, two eggs, hash brown casserole (I opted for plain hash browns) buttermilk biscuits and sausage gravy. I think it was $15. And it was enough food for two people easily. Very good, and very filling. My daughter ordered boneless wings (I tried a couple since there was too much food for her) and she and I both loved them. I'm normally hesitant to order wings outside of my normal places, but she will order them anywhere and she gave them great praise. She also added 1/2 order of onion rings which were both great and ample - I thought they actually got the order wrong there were so many. Wife wasn't feeling well, so she ordered a simple order of hash browns and liked them. All in all, a great experience for a quick stop during a long drive. Again, without reading the reviews in advance, I doubt I would have ended up at Powhatan. But I'm glad I did! read more

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We make this drive from St Louis every couple of months. Their breakfasts are huge! They have quite a large selection of breakfast meals, as well as lunch and dinner. Their service is always perfect! Servers are attentive, and the food comes out quickly. It's an older restaurant, and the interior is rustic charm! It's probably better for our waistlines that they aren't closer! Check them out! You can play slots after your meal! Look for the photo of Pocahontas local Gretchen Wilson on the wall! read more

Local restaurant in Pocahontas, IL just off I-70. Great Midwest locale, with a very friendly and welcoming staff. Many local residents were eating there, so we knew the place was good. The food options are plentiful. We opted for salad, chili, and soup, which were all very good. We also tried the blackberry cobbler with ice cream. Delicious. Please note that they take cash or check only (ATM on prem). read more

Wonderful restaurant. Its right next to the motel off the Interstate 70. Coffee is good & strong enough tokeep a trucker awake. Family of 5 had a great meal there. $$$ Great spaghetti. Tasty strawberry French toast. The chicken & fries were filling enough we took half the large chicken tenders home in a doggy box. They have local brands of sodapop so ask if you want a cola or sparkling clear kind. They have a chalk written wall of the daily specials. Note: they do not accept Credit Cards. It's pay by check or cash only. read more

Powhatan Restaurant - Back of their postcard - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pocahontas, Illinois

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Great food and service. Nice and clean with good breakfast specials. Right off the interstate to grab a bite while traveling.

Awesome food On a long drive we got off this exit for gas and food. After driving through and seeing the options we decided on this restaurant. It is unassuming from the outside. The staff was friendly and welcoming. We tried the meatloaf and mashed potatoes and fish dinner. Both were delicious. Also if you have kids it is a great spot. They have a kids menu. read more

Powhatan Restaurant - Outside - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pocahontas, Illinois

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Came here with a crew of 14 for a graduation dinner. Called 5 minutes before arriving (we traveled from out of town) and they had the tables completely set up and ready when we walked in. The staff was very welcoming and friendly, which eased the minds of our group of 14 people of color. The food was AMAZING!! We followed the recommendations of our server and she did NOT steer us wrong. 2 quick tips--the meat sauce is SO GOOD!! They serve it with the fried ravioli appetizer, and had we known it would be that good we would have ordered a pasta dish. The other tip--get the cobbler. It came out fresh from the oven, and the cherry cobbler was delicious!! Others in the group gave rave reviews about the rainbow sherbet. The restaurant was clean and beautifully decorated. I highly recommend stopping in at this hidden treasure! read more

I've been here a few times in the last 20 years, and seemingly each time it's different in a weird way. I'm aware that it's a homestyle restaurant by day for the elderly people and a drunk diner for nearby bar patrons at night. That's how I've heard it, at least. Their food is so-so...I mean, if you're looking for quality food, this is not your place. It's got basic dinner items, plus some fried goodies here and there. They used to have pies, but now for dessert it's either a bowl of ice cream or cobbler. Better than nothing, I guess, but pie always goes well after a dinner! Service was friendly, restrooms were clean. No shortage of Gretchen Wilson tributes around town, especially here. This is a cash-only place, so do not bring your cards in. I know, I was thinking "Get with the times!", too, but you gotta remember that this is a small town with a small town environment. read more

Powhatan Restaurant - T club and fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pocahontas, Illinois

Charming building and friendly service. Crispy bacon and yummy hash browns were a standout.

First time customer - ordered the Powhatan breakfast and the meal was decent. Large portion of hash brown casserole and pancakes. Eggs were cooked perfectly, but bacon was over cooked. Service was not friendly, despite there only being 2 others dining at the same time. Wishing the service or the food was better, because I always love a new restaurant. Not sure if I will return. read more

7 of us ate lunch there. We all thought the food was delicious and the service excellent. We ate quite a variety from B L T, and soups, to breakfast and fried chicken. Every meal was tasty. We almost did not go inside since the outside is not impressive. Don't hesitate to try it! read more

Nice small town Cafe. Excellent service and very clean. Food is good. Breakfast looked very good. I had the Friday night special fish dinner. I will be returning. Just a nice place with friendly people. Forgot to add. Hours in Yelp are not accurate. They only take cash. No credit cards. read more

No credit cards Nice restaurant, excellent food, fast service, but they don't tell you until the end that they do not accept credit cards. Luckily, we had cash. read more

I love to see great restaurants so completely slammed that I want to help them out. They deserve the business! As does place! They struggled to stay open, all Pandemic long. Many times during the summer, I was the only customer here, determined to support the small business walking distance from my semi drop yard. And yay! They are flourishing! Delicious, adorable, creative food; small bar; friendly but busy wait staff. Absolutely check this place out! Dont be difficult when they are busy. They get REALLY busy!! Without sacrificing service, tho, so bonus points for that! read more

Powhatan Restaurant - Mini tacos, freaking adorable and creative, wow!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pocahontas, Illinois

Food was a solid 4 stars. They only take cash or checks. No charge cards but there is an ATM available with a $3 dollar charge. A lot of the 60 and older crowd observered. read more

Fabulous breakfast! (Has breakfast, lunch, dinner. Serves dessert, beer, eine, beverages) So so good! Highly recommend. Log cabin decor, farm /shed updated bathrooms, casino room, banquet room. Cash only. read more

Great little homestyle restaurant with good food well cooked, fair prices and friendly workers ! It might not look like much from the outside but don't let that distract you...It is clean inside....I got the Swiss burger with fried onion, and it was cooked perfect and very tasty! Mashed potatoes were decent...The green beans had something extra in them...I can't put my finger on it but they were very tasty too....They had some nice choices for ice cream and it was only $3 a bowl ! I highly recommend this place ! It also has parking out back for big rigs. read more

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Best waitress in town! She is constantly working and always being so kind and sweet to everyone even the late night crazies. The cozy cabin feeling is great and welcoming at the end of a long night out with your friends. A popular choice is the late night buffet on Saturday nights but you have to enjoy a chicken bacon ranch quesadilla or onion rings. Their breakfast is soooo good! You can't go wrong! The French toast it's so gooood! read more

Excellent breakfast! Fast service. Big portions perfectly prepared. And the best feature an endless pot of rich coffee. The atmosphere is pleasant and service is personal. We'll definitely be back when coming this way. read more

Quiet Place, old-fashioned breakfast for less than 13 bucks I got three of the biggest breakfast,sausage links I've seen, to giant pancakes ,scrambled eggs and a hash brown casserole. I'm not a syrup fan so they even had brown sugar and cinnamon for my pancakes. Every time I come through here in the morning I like to stop. read more

Food and service was fantastic!!! Best breakfast we've had driving from the west coast to Pennsylvania. read more

Powhatan Restaurant - Nom Nom Nom - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pocahontas, Illinois

The food was much better than we expected. We had breakfast it was yummy. The dining area was dated but very clean. The server and other staff were friendly. Service was great. Will definitely eat there again. read more

Great restaurant!! Lots to choose from. The breakfast entrees remind me of Cracker Barrel restaurant items. Good home made food!! Large portions! Would definitely recommend! read more

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Great food, great service. Go there! We stopped for breakfast. Hash brown casserole is superb.

Best food I have ever had, they do not go easy with the portion sizes the meat is all local its just amazing

Still nice to find a family run Diner. Service was great. And they have plenty of truck and RV parking in the back read more

Powhatan Restaurant - Menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pocahontas, Illinois

This place is perfect! I highly recommend adding this to your travel stop. The food was amazing, portions were huge, and the service excellent. If you love breakfast and a cozy home feeling then this is the place for you. Also, I haven't had grits that good in a loooooong time. read more

Stopped in for an overnight stay at the motel after 6 hours on the road. After checking in and getting settled in the room we walked across the parking lot to get a little food. We ordered a pitcher of beer (happened to be Sam Adams Oktoberfest that night) and onion rings, we got the half order and couldn't finish them all. These are the real deal! Hand cut, breaded and fried, not frozen. Good seasoning and batter that didn't fall off when you took a bite. Returned for breakfast and had the Pocahontas Proud: chicken fried steak (you can cut with a fork), scrambled eggs (cooked right, not over cooked and dry), big helping of hash brown casserole (hash browns with green pepper, onion, and cheddar cheese), and biscuits and gravy; everything really good except the sausage gravy, it was kinda "gummy" and bland, but I haven't found many places that serve sausage gravy to write home about. Wifey had an over-easy egg (cooked perfectly), toast, and requested crispy bacon that actually came out crispy! On a side note, the wait staff can come across as a little gruff but they are attentive, except for Hunter who helped us check in and also waited on us when we came back after getting settled. He was super helpful and friendly and went out of his way to make sure we were taken care of! read more

Powhatan Restaurant - Half order of onion rings! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pocahontas, Illinois

Do yourself a favor and STOP IN! Don't let the dated look of the restaurant fool you. It is clean, friendly and good! Standard diner menu, did not disappoint. Good areas for letting the pets stretch their legs too! read more

Excellent food Reasonable prices Convenient off of Interstate 70 Ample parking for cars and trucks Very good service Very comfortable dining area read more

This place is fantastic and awesome gem to find. From the chili to the pot roast special was one of the best foods one can find on the road. Great family friendly atmosphere. Staff friendly and knowledgeable. Not only do they serve food but also a full hotel/motel. We'll worth the price for the amount of food you get. If you leave here hungry and unhappy it's your own fault. Don't forget a piece of desert on the way out. Would definitely plot another course from Kansas or any other destination we may be coming from or going through. read more

Powhatan Restaurant - Pot roast cut buttered corn - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Pocahontas, Illinois

We stop here every time we pass through. We stay at the Powhatan Motel and we either have breakfast here...cobbler and ice cream the night before...or we have supper..depends on arrival time. The staff is always friendly...some of them have been there for years. The food is good-ole-fashioned home cooked food. Cobblers are good...the pie and cake...fantastically good. They do serve wine and beer. Eat a hearty meal and then walk it off as you stroll through the small, middle of the country town. So cute. Hit the antique shops. Walk through to the park. Small-Town atmosphere at its finest !!! read more

Delicious massive breakfasts, friendly people! My husband and I love to take road trips. It's become a favorite thing to try small town diners on our travels. We both loved this place. The food really was great! The atmosphere was laid back, clean & nice compared to most diners. We arrived around 11:15am & left by noon, it did not seem crowded but I realized when I stood to leave the tables were all full. There are additional separate rooms for diners. Overall exceeded my expectations on every level. read more

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Lots of food, good service and clean atmosphere. The fried chicken was hot and fresh with good mashed potatoes and gravy. Delicious and good value. read more

The outside looks a little sketchy but nice interior. Waitress was nice but the food, skillet, was terrible. Coffee was watered down, oj tasted like a powder mix, and even the Tabasco was watery. Won't be back to this place. read more

Just dont eat hear go to the goat across the road me and my father got food poisoning

I'm gonna be honest here, I was not impressed, especially with all the raving reviews. The prices are a little expensive. A kids meal was $9 . A side of anything was $4. The regular meal stuff was between $14-18 on average. We ordered onion rings, pretty sure I got double charged but I was too much in a hurry and forgot to check. Also, the onion rings were gross, I've had better from Burger King. The most edible thing I received was a peaches (fruit in a cup, like from the store) and even that was warm . My sausage gravy tasted like it came from a premade bag and was heated in water. My kids hamburger had a little seasoning on it, that was ok. The grilled cheese "looked" really good. It was extremely greasy but not from butter, it was like straight oil flavored. French fries were soggy. Cottage cheese was watery and the actual curds looked gross, didn't taste good either and it was warm . Also, as others have said, they only take cash. There is an atm outside. But they don't warn you when you come in. I didn't see it posted anywhere, so if it is posted, it's not very noticeable if you are busy as you're walking in. I'm just sayin, don't stop. Don't spend close to $100 on crappy food. Drive 30 more minutes and find some fast food or something. I'm extremely displeased and now I'm not even hungry because the smell in my car is making me feel sick. Blah! read more

Order the special Shepard Pie, it consisted of canned vegetables ground hamburger a sprinkle of cheese over a small pile of mashed potatoes served in a small bowl. Really for 13.95? Also the other person with me got the pork roast special, no Seasonings and dry. The corn served was defiantly leftover and dried out. Also 13.95 Soda was 2.95 for a small glass and never offered a refill. Restrooms trash running over. To top it off the did not accept credit cards. Seriously a huge disappointment $36 dollars plus tip so over $40 what rip off. read more

LOVE this place! We found it 30 years ago and stop every time we pass through on our travels! Both food and service is amazing!

Lady charged me $163.43 for a $16.43 meal. She told me she refunded me the $163.43 and handed me a top of the same receipt as I had. Told me that was the top to the refund . Waited 24 hours and called my credit card company to check on the refund. Credit card company said there was no refund posted on that date just the bill of $163.43 . Called the place and they keep passing the buck . Said they will get back with me tomorrow. We'll see ! Warning ! If you eat at this place beware of them scamming your credit card. Check you bill and be sure you get a refund receipt in full not just a top copy of the overcharged bill. read more