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.

Catfish heaven!!! This restaurant on Route 66 is the best spot for local food and clearly popular…read moregiven the totally full parking lot. Friendly midwestern waitress big salad bar definite destination!!

Entering The Ariston Cafe is a trip back to an earlier time. The entire decor is vintage and it is…read morewell maintained. It's a simple cafe with delicious food and it's served as if it is a white linen restaurant. Yep, all tables have white linen tablecloths and napkins. All the wait staff are wearing black slacks, white shirts with black ties and looking mighty fine. I happened to be visiting on a Sunday during Brunch hours. I'm typically not a buffet kinda guy, but I was today. I thought by doing the buffet, I'd be able to experience many of their different menu items all in my initial visit. After saying I wanted the buffet, my server brought me a clear chilled plate for the salad and soup bar, which was included with the buffet. She also gave me a warm dinner plate for the buffet line. As I dined, she checked with me and when needed she gave me a clean plate for my next trip through the line. The variety of foods were impressive. They had a section with all the typical breakfast foods; scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits & gravy and potatoes. It all looked good, but I focused on lunch items. My first trip through the line was, a HUGE fried chicken breast, green beans and mashed potatoes with white gravy. It was some of the best chicken I have had in a while. The seasoning was great, it was super crispy and crunchy and the meat was juicy. Their green beans were made from scratch with bacon and onions. The salt and pepper seasoning was just enough flavor. Then real mashed potatoes and a true country white gravy. I was satisfied with that plate alone, but went back to try more. Second trip I had Mostaccioli that tasted as if an Italian grandma had made it. It was super cheesy and the right amount of Italian seasoning. Then I had a couple Catfish Nuggets, General Tso's Nuggets, Mac-n-Cheese and Roast Beef. I was getting so full, I didn't even get anything from the soup and salad bar. I was seated close, so I did take a peak and it had a good variety of offerings. I'll be sure to try it on my next visit. My server was stellar. She was very attentive and friendly. I liked that the entire staff were dressed as if they were in a 50's diner or perhaps an upscale restaurant being the black & white. It's the Centennial Celebration of Route 66 this year. That should give you reason to go eat at the oldest restaurant on Route 66, which is The Ariston.

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 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.

Don't count on getting a table on Sundays. The food is amazing but you can never find a place to…read moresit. We tried going on Mother's Day after the pickers market and even the big tables along the window were reserved. This place really needs an outside patio for busy days

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!