It was a Friday during Lent and I went to Delmar Public House to enjoy their Fish & Chips. Well,…read morethat didn't happen. In addition to their regular menu, DPH always has a Weekly Special Menu. Once I saw what the weekly special pasta was, I had to have it. I am a huge fan of Smoked Salmon and they did theirs in house. The pasta not only had the smoked salmon, it also had sautéed red onion, a tangy European style cream cheese sauce and cavatappi pasta with fried cappers and fresh dill. The cream sauce was perfect. It was just a light covering, enough for flavor without being overwhelming. As always, the portion was healthy, so I had leftovers for the next days lunch. I enjoyed it chilled and it was like eating a cold pasta salad. DPH always gets bonus points from me for having eco-friendly to-go vessels. My adult beverage of choice for the seafood pasta, was a glass of Pinot Gris. I prefer a Grigio, but they only had the Gris. Gris is fairly similar to Grigio. I always say, it's like a first cousin, once removed. Service is always top-notch. It doesn't matter if you are sitting at a table or the bar, you'll be treated right.

Never disappointed at this establishment! Gin and tonics were refreshing on a hot night. Menus just…read morechanged for fall. We enjoyed shepherds pie ( now with Yukon gold mashed potatoes on top).. delicious! Hubby enjoyed the Romesco steak kabob, cooked med rare and delicious. Both entrees served with small Caesar salads--just enough! Service was excellent as usual, just enough checking in on us to make sure all was good. Mark and staff are a well oiled machine. Kudos to waitstaff and bartender! A step above the rest! Busier in dining room as evening progressed but not so loud that we could not converse. Great place to eat any day of the week! Appreciate all of you!

Staff are great and food is not pretentious and filling. Anything you get will be cooked well and…read moretaste great.

Food was not bad, do not get me wrong, but you need to be willing to wait LONG. And they weren't…read morekidding on the menu! On the menu, it states, "Do not expect your food to come quick, this is not a fast food restaurant..." Though on the day we ate there, it was 6 of us in the party, when three of us ordered burgers w/Fries, one person a Slinger and 2 of us the Steak and eggs breakfast. We arrived there at 11:10 and got served our meals at 1:10. Sooo you could imagine, it was a bit of a wait. Mind you the place closed at 2pm. I did grab a bag of their day-old donuts and a cherry pie on the way out, which were exceptional, but the wait. It's hard to want to come back to wait 2 hours for your meals. Though the staff was kind, and the restaurant is small and quaint, (about 12 tables?), and offers donuts and pie. We didn't expect fine quality steaks either, but what we had were overcooked and chewy, so don't order those, but the burgers and slinger seemed good enough. Mind you this is like a little country kitchen close to Grafton. It's meant to be a place to grab a sandwich with a cup of Joe, and meet up with local friends. So if you don't mind the wait, and in the neighborhood for a coffee and donuts, it's your place.

Bakers & Hale is a family favorite and an absolute must whenever I am in IL seeing family. The vibe…read moreis incredibly relaxed and very family friendly, ample space so you never feel crowded. The food is consistently good with generous portions, and the friendly service always makes the experience enjoyable. if your there during the live music, it's a really nice touch. Even though I come here all the time, for some reason I always forget the actual name and just refer to it as "Bangers and Mash." Luckily, my family always knows exactly whatI mean!

Bakers & Hale is probably one of the if not the most popular restaurants in the Riverbend area…read more They are know for their amazing bands on the patio, which is year round and a pretty decent Happy Hour. The other day I meet up with some of my cousins for Happy Hour. I cannot go wrong with one of the HH pizzas. Three of the six cousins, ordered pizza with different toppings. I went with the HH Taco's. I enjoyed Two Shrimp Taco's for only $7. The HH pizzas are $10. Three cousins went with the regular menu and enjoyed salads, chicken wings and chicken strips/tenders. Everyone was pleased with their food. The only thing keeping B&H from getting 5 Stars is the service. It's never consistent. One time it's over the top and the next time it's the bare minimum. It really depends on who you get as a server. The seasoned ones who have been for a long time, know how to work a table. The newer and younger ones, just don't get it. They don't hustle and as their station fills up, they get overwhelmed and everything goes downhill. When: January 7, 2026 Why: Happy Hour with the cousins

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.

Casual yet upscale vibe to this Italian restaurant. Came for lunch and ordered from the lunch…read moremenu. Full menu available. Fried chicken is king, but he pastas, pizzas, fish, salads. Service was fast, professional. Nice surprise!

Stopped by Post Commons for the first time on my way to Pere Marquette State Park! Wow this place…read moreis awesome, seriously a HUGE coffee shop, it makes sense it used to be a federal post office. Lots of different seating available from couches, comfy chairs, tables, bars by the window, you name it. I ordered a banana bread latte and the lunch special which were the steak tacos. Both were great! Steak tacos were spicier than expected but it had good flavor. Lots of parking too which is a plus.

If you didn't already know, Post Commons has added two tenants to the building. They now share this…read moregrand old post office with, Good News Brewing Company and CJ's Juicery. However, this review is about them, so let me focus on them only. If you go to Post Commons, you gotta get a biscuit. Their biscuits are homemade and they are delicious. My personal favorite biscuit sandwich is the Sausage. In addition to the sausage patty, it has cream cheese and pepper jam. The pepper jam is what really makes this sammie special. If you're wanting a more hearty breakfast, you can create your own plate with items from the A La Carte menu. I've created one with two scrambled eggs, bacon and breakfast potatoes. The potatoes are cut into little cubes and fried to a crispy golden color. It's a great place to meet friends for a cup of coffee. The staff is cordial and makes you feel welcomed. Why go to a chain coffee shop, when you have a unique one in a old post office building? There is, no reason to go. When: February 4, 2026 Why: Biscuit Sandwich

I follow Chez Marilyn on FB and I am glad that I do. I saw their posting about a Thursday night…read moresteak special and thought I'd give them a try. They were having three different steak specials and I choose the Rib Eye. It was a 12 oz Rib Eye, served with Grilled Asparagus and a Baked Potato. My steak was perfectly grilled to my medium rare request, the Asparagus was tender, but still had enough snap to it. My potato was huge and was soft and fluffy throughout. The special was only $24.99 and was hefty portions. I took a third of the steak and half of the potato home. The next morning I re-heated the steak, diced up and fried the potato and fried me up an egg. Damn, that breakfast was as good as my previous nights dinner. My adult beverage of choice was, How To Marry A Millionaire, which is a Dirty Martini. It's fun that all their martinis are named after classic movies, or have a reference to them in some way. Service is always attentive and friendly. Chez Marilyn is becoming a regular in my downtown Alton rotation.

We love this little place in Alton. We have been several times and the staff is always super…read morefriendly and helpful. The bar area is fun and they have great music and drink specials. The restaurant is laid back with an old school vibe. The burgers are amazing. We went last night for steak night. Our steaks were perfectly cooked and the baked potatoes amazing. I definitely recommend it.

Love this place. Great service. Wonderful food. If you want to be casual you can enjoy the sports…read morebar. If you want to dress up a little. Enjoy the dining room.

Bluff City Grill was one of my stops on the St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl in Alton. In my younger…read moredays, I could chug a green beer, but in my senior years it doesn't even sound good. So when the bartender offered me a green beer, I turned it down. She then offered me a, Green Sangria. What? She then told me it was made with Midori and I was sold. It was a refreshing green cocktail for the holiday. When you are partying on St. Paddy's Day, you need to snack to help balance the liquor consumption. Sticking with the "green" theme, I ordered some Guac Bites with a Sweet Chili dipping sauce. It's fresh mildly spicy guacamole wrapped in a won ton and fried to a golden color. It's one of my favorite appetizers here at BCG. They also offer a Cajun Ranch dip, but I prefer the Sweet Chili. The service is always fun and friendly, making your dining/drinking experience memorable.

We stopped off at Mister Donut during a trip to the Midwest to visit family. This place is great! I…read morehad an old fashioned buttermilk and my wife had a vanilla angel. The donuts were fluffy and well cooked and just the right amount of flavor and sweetness. Aimee and Ceasar, the owners came out and we had a long friendly chat about the resaurant, our trip and so many other topics. They were super friendly and made us feel very special. It seemed the clientele all were regulars and knew the owners well - just like a big family in there! Of course we had to get souvenirs, and there was so much to choose from, so we ended up with 3 t-shirts and both ceramic cup styles. I use my cup at work and it gets lots of compliments! Thanks, Aimee and Ceasar for a very memorable experience! Next time we're in the area, Mister Donut will be a must-visit place for sure! BZ!

I have a new favorite donut at, Mister Donut. It's the Blueberry Cake. I love Blueberries, but…read morewould have never thought to try this donut. That was until, Ian Frobe the STL food critic sang its praises in a review. The next day after reading the article, I went to experience it for myself. Wow, the donut was moist, soft and cake had a flecks of Blueberries and the flavor was strong, but not overpowering. I immediately feel in love. Now, I change my order up. I'll have some donut holes, then I'll enjoy a Chocolate Long John and the next visit is the Blueberry Cake. The sign above the entry door says, World's Best Coffee. I don't know if I'd go that far to say it's the world's best, but for Donut Shop/Diner coffee it is spot on. I like that they let me bring in my Yeti and they'll fill it up to-go. Save those paper cups. The staff is super friendly. It's a hon and babe, type place, but they still keep it professional. Tipping is optional and these ladies deserve some of your change tossed in their box. When: January 8, 2026 Why: Donuts for Breakfast

According to their website, Good News Brewing Company is not a restaurant or a bar. They are a…read morebrewpub with a mission to build communities with craft beer and wood-fired pizza. That mission is being fulfilled here in Alton. There's nothing fancy about Good News, it's a simple process. You order at a counter, get a buzzer and go find yourself a table. There's seating in the Post Commons side of the building, outside picnic tables, or sit at the counter and watch them make your pizza in the wood-burning oven. I've opted and done all three and they're all satisfying. The patio is dog friendly, so bring your fur-baby with you. My recent visit, I enjoyed the special pizza. It was a Cheeseburger with, Read Sauce, Mozzarella, Cheddar, Beef, Bacon, Onion and Topped with Pickles. The associate asked if I would like to hold the pickles off and I said, yes. I have nothing against pickles, I just thought it would be better without them. Once my pizza was done and brought to me, (they were slow and didn't give me a buzzer) it was delicious. The blending of hamburger, bacon and onion made it taste like a true cheeseburger. I like how the crust around the edges gets a little charred, for me it adds flavor. Also, I don't always eat all the edging crust, I take it home and use it as a dog treat. My dogs give Good News crust, two paws up. Good News has Growlers and Gift Cards available, so I know what several of my cousins will be getting for their birthday. We may even, Gather, Eat and Drink at Good News to celebrate their aging. Staff is cool, they make eating pizza and drinking craft beer a fun and rewarding experience.

We had a great experience! This wood-fired pizza and brewery has a cute outdoor seating area that's…read moreperfect for relaxing. The service was friendly and welcoming, the wood-fired pizza was absolutely delicious, and the prices were very reasonable for the quality and portions. We'll definitely be back and would highly recommend it to anyone looking for great food, craft beer, and a laid-back atmosphere.

I love visiting Handolds! The menu has options galore, but I can never seem to stray from the…read moremushroom and Swiss cheeseburger with tater tots, paired perfectly with a large sweet tea. This little local spot, run by locals for locals, is always a comforting place to stop in. Come as you are, they welcome everyone. The waitresses are always friendly and love to chat, and the same goes for the other patrons. The small-town diner vibe is very much alive here, and that's exactly what keeps me coming back.

Nice homie restaurant. Easy to find with good parking. Inside is decorated with farm items with one…read morewall displaying historic photos of local area. Our waitress Heather, was very friendly and took the time to engage in conversation with us. Service was prompt. We ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and a pork tenderloin sandwich also had sweet potato fries. Everything was delicious. Free refills for soft drinks. Restrooms were clean. We will return in the future.