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The Anchor

5.0 (1 review)

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7 years ago

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Wood Duck Bar & Grill - Pork Tenderloin, salty and juicy

Wood Duck Bar & Grill

4.5(25 reviews)
0.4 mi
•$$

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.

Photos
Wood Duck Bar & Grill - Main Bar

Main Bar

Wood Duck Bar & Grill - Cheesburger

Cheesburger

Wood Duck Bar & Grill - Street View from Sidewalk

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Street View from Sidewalk

The Uptown Tavern - Naked Chicken Wings

The Uptown Tavern

4.5(8 reviews)
0.1 mi

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.

Photos
The Uptown Tavern - Rattlesnake Bites

Rattlesnake Bites

The Uptown Tavern - Chicken Wings - Naked

Chicken Wings - Naked

The Uptown Tavern - Pork fritters and homemade chips

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Pork fritters and homemade chips

Taylor's Mexican Chili Parlor

Taylor's Mexican Chili Parlor

4.1(22 reviews)
0.0 mi
•$

We were in town for the annual Christmas Market and was ready to be blown away by delicious chili…read more However, what we were served was a major disappointment. The ambiance is plain and simple, no thrills. It's a large room filled with tables and booths. There's no bar. Their beverages range from fountain Coke, bottled Fritz's Premium Soda Pop and Lemonade. We all giggled when they served three small sleeves of saltine crackers. Why three, wouldn't one have been enough? None of us are fans of saltines, each of us commented we prefer oyster crackers for our chili or soups. There were three of us and we all ordered the same thing. We each ordered a single taco and a small chili. When our orders of chili were placed in front of us, each of them had a thin layer of grease on top. Not wanting to disappoint the other two diners, we each kept silent about the gross appearance until we were finished and outside the restaurant. Once outside we all commented how flavorless and greasy the chili was. It had a burn, but it was not from a robust chili flavor. The taco was plain and simple in a soft tortilla. It too was nothing to write how about, but it a lot better then the chili. The service was good for a chili parlor. I kind of felt sorry for the server, there was only one and she was hustling taking care of the entire dining room. Will I return? - No, we all had heartburn after dining. When: December 6, 2019 Why: Lunch before shopping the holiday market.

Nov 5, 2019 Parking…read more- limited street parking Staff - very helpful and pleasant Waitress - very good Butterbean soup - seasoned. Good. Hotdog with chili topping- Good Prices very affordable.

Photos
Taylor's Mexican Chili Parlor - Full Bar in back with additional seating

Full Bar in back with additional seating

Taylor's Mexican Chili Parlor - Front dining

Front dining

Taylor's Mexican Chili Parlor - Wall pictures.

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Wall pictures.

The Anchor - bars - Updated May 2026

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