When we walked into this restaurant, we were all VERY concerned because it smelled like a dirty…read morebathroom. The staff didn't seem to be bothered by the smell at all and simply brushed off as something that happens after it rains and because the building this restaurant is in, is old. Well, I guess that convinced us enough to stay because we did. But despite there only being 1 or 2 other small parties of people in the restaurant, I could feel the waitresses stress, which sort of rubbed off on me, so I felt completely on edge the entire time I was at this restaurant. This being said, and after our kids accidentally knocked their milk all over the table and floor (a dish rag was thrown at it, no mop was brought out to help us clean up), we ordered our food and let's just say, I had pretty low expectations, and I could tell the rest of my party did as well. Well, this restaurant redeemed themselves with the food because everyone was VERY pleased with what they ordered (my husband LOVED his food, which is pretty unheard of for him) and my baked chicken wings were pretty good as well. I didn't request EXTRA EXTRA crispy, and I should have, but they were still pretty good and I probably could have eaten another batch. If I were offered food from this restaurant in the future, I'd probably order it to go because the ambiance of the restaurant sort of ruined the experience for me.

Great food for a small town bar. Some upscale choices such…read moreas Ahi tuna sashimi and the sweet and spicy shrimp.

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.

We held our 50 year class reunion here. Pietro could not have been more helpful and conscientious…read more The food was absolutely great. Wonderful facility!

Fantastic pizza! Excellent thin crust, delicious sauce and tasty sausage and pepperoni. Great deal…read morefor the money!! We will be back for sure!

Drive through to accommodate a small travel trailer. Super convenient to pop off the Highway real…read morequick for a road sammie. Gal at the window was incredibly kind. Fast service. Fast sandwiches. Fresh and delish as usual.

Stopped here for lunch for a quick grab and go to eat on the road when traveling back to central…read moreIL. Would be nice to actually get some roast beef in the new beefy ranch wrap (see pic). Appears they completely forgot it. Anyone can be prone to make a mistake but they also put cheese on my sons slim. They asked if we wanted it and we said no, but it still ended up on the slim anyway. Disappointing.

Stopped here while touring Route 66. YOU HAVE TO STOP!…read more The burger was like homemade. They even grill the bun. Fries are great. Club sandwich was equally as great. Love the interior. Lots of historic pics. Ask for Cindy for your waitress. She is awesome. She has a quick wit and will have you in stitches.

This is a great stop when driving on highway 55 if you want a good meal that's not fast food. But…read moremany locals appear to be regular costumers here so that speaks well of it. Although my husband was fairly set on the prime rib special until he saw a plate of fried chicken come out. All bets were off then. It was a good choice- great chicken. I got the salmon and it was okay. Lacked flavor but it wasn't overdone since I asked for it medium rare. One of the best things here is the soup and salad bar. I enjoyed the potato soup. Salad bar had lots of great options too. Somehow we made it out of there without ordering one of their delicious desserts. Miracle. Service was friendly and attentive.

When you enter a worker will ask you, "BBQ, Coffee or Ice Cream?" Once you share what you're there…read morefor, they direct you to that counter and take your order. The BBQ counter is near the entrance and kitchen. The BBQ menu is in a acrylic on the counter and also on a wipe board hanging on the wall. When I visit a new BBQ place, I always try their ribs and brisket. Here, I ordered the ribs ala carte and the brisket in a meal. The meal came with only one side and it's a half pound serving. That's a big helping of a side dish. I wish they offered two smaller portions as the side, like most BBQ joints do. I asked the young girl working which sides were made in house and it took her by surprise. I then asked if some of the sides came from a food vendor. Then she stammered the answer, "I've heard him say, that he makes them all." I ended up ordering the Smoked Beans. I'm picky about my beans and these lacked seasoning and were bland. The brisket was cut thick and was on the chewy side. I prefer my brisket cut thinner and much more tender. My order of ribs, shocked me. They were the first ribs that I ever had that did not have the membrane on the back of the ribs removed. The ribs did have good seasoning, since the membrane was not removed, they were tough. They had a 2" thick pork steak on the menu. I guess I'll have to come back and give that a try with a different side. If the pork steak disappoints me, I wont be back. The staff were friendly, but not overly friendly. Also, I don't think the cashier was knowledgeable about the product she was selling.

I stopped in at the Sugar Shack while driving through Brighton and wow! What a treat. I was like a…read morekid in a candy store, except the candy was apple glazed pork belly. Eat it by itself, eat it on a roll, dip it in bbq sauce every which way is culinary delight. I tried so much food, and I appreciated how moist all the meat from the brisket to the chicken was. The Nachos were piled high with meat and beans, doused in sauce and cheese with generous peppers on the side. Too this off with friendly owners and incredible service, and you have a winning combination. I'm already dreaming of returning to try the loaded brisket baked potato.

We moved into the neighboring town, Staunton, in June of this year. We had read about the makeover…read morewith Bar Rescue (S.9, ep.40) and we pass by it when getting to Interstate 55. Today we actually went for lunch. I was quite happy with my "Big Poppa" Breaded Pork Tenderloin sandwich and fries. My wife got a cheeseburger, was okay, but had a few reservations about it. I have no idea what it looked like before (still haven't seen the episode) but it looks nice, if a little dark. I do get the vibe and what they are going for. I do wonder if there are any actual ties to prohibition activity in the area? Our solid, effective server, Molly, was holding things down for the whole place, there were people at the bar, and another table came as we were leaving. I suspect they are more of a happy hour and beyond sort of place. I will be anxious to try some of the other meals.

Stopped at Vitale's Hideaway today! I ordered the bbq nachos and the pork tenderloin my wife…read moreordered a cheese burger! The food was delicious. The tenderloin and the nachos were amazing. We were very surprised how big it seemed inside! Very clean and decor was awesome! Our waitress was very good! Sure we're pleased with the place we will be back!

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

We stopped by Jubelt's on the way to Milwaukee and it did not disappoint! It is adorable and the…read morelunch and breakfast options are plentiful. Service was friendly and fast. I got the summer salad with chicken and fruit and vegetable beef soup. Both were fresh and tasted great! My fiancé got the biscuits and gravy, hashbrowns, bacon, and sausage and it was all delicious. We got some baked goods on the way out and they were also wonderful. I did get a special latte that I didn't care for, so I would try a different drink next time.

Want to have an easy Saturday dinner? If so, head over to Charcoal House Tavern and let them do the…read morecooking. This past Saturday, they had three specials for the night. I chose the, NY Strip with two sides for $22. In addition to the dinner specials, they had Martinis for $5. That's an affordable meal, or a very budget friendly date. As my usual, dining a lone so I sat at the bar. I started out with a, Dirty Martini. I kinda knew I was going to order the NY Strip, but I still took a moment and looked over the menu. I mainly was studying what sides were available. I ordered my steak, medium rare and the kitchen nailed it. Typically I order a side house salad when eating at CHT, but tonight I paid an up-charge and enjoyed their Brussels Sprouts. My second side was a huge Baked Potato. It was so big, I took half of it home and had American Fries with my breakfast. For $22, it was a delicious meal. Being a busy Saturday night, the bartender did a good job taking care of the servers and guest sitting at the bar. Good Service, Good Food and Good Value will have me returning to Charcoal House Tavern.

Food was delicious. Clean restaurant. Service was good and everyone was friendly. Asiago dip w/…read morepita bread was so good!