Nice off the beaten path establishment, stopped by on the way home from a business trip. Located across from old state house, kind of place that has a laid back and comfortable atmosphere. Server arrived promptly and took our drink orders. Drinks were brought quickly and we were able to get our orders in just minutes after we sat down. Had two of their fried fish specials and a smash burger, all with their seasoned fries. Fish was excellent, the fries were really good- crisp and seasoned well without being over done. Smash burger was also very good, prices were reasonable for as much as you got. Worth a stop if you are in the area! read more

Small town feels with big town flavor. Staff is super friendly and the bar is very clean. Five stars. read more

The Copper Penny - Very friendly staff. Small town feels with big town flavor. It's perfect and I will be back to try the Dirty Penny! Five stars. - American Near Me - Vandalia, Illinois

This place was fantastic! The service was truly A1, our waitress was friendly, attentive, and checked in with us often without being overbearing. We ordered the crab Rangoon, Penny Poppers, spicy chicken sandwich, Southern burger, and garlic Parmesan fries. The fries were just okay, but everything else hit the spot. For a drink , i tried the Dirty Penny, which was a highlight. Overall, I really enjoyed this spot and would definitely come back for round two. read more

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We really enjoyed our fish platters...food was excellent, service was great, and the outside ambiance made for the perfect lunch! We'll be back! read more

The Copper Penny - Fish platter - American Near Me - Vandalia, Illinois

First time stopping in. Great food. Great atmosphere . Staff Kaitlynn and Emily were awesome . Will definitely be returning!!

Stopped in Vandalia On my way north and had an awesome lunch. Easy to get to right downtown as you drive-through on 51.

Friendly service, amazing food.... And the signature drinks are UH- MAZING!! I suggest trying the Dirty Penny!

Awesome happy hour drinks and onion rings! Wonderful service and nice local bar vibes. We would definitely stop here again if we come through town! read more

Great little stop on our way home from Lake Shelbyville. Food was yummy, service was great and price was on point. read more

The Copper Penny - Fish Sandwich with garlic parm fries - American Near Me - Vandalia, Illinois

We were looking for chicken wings and found this cute place downtown Vandalia. Quiet street, cozy bar snd separate dinner area with sports on tv-no sound. Good selection of beers on tap. Not crowded on a Weds night. Friendly waiter. Quick service . The 12 wings were typical, bbq sauce not spicy. Parmesan garlic fries, and side salad shared by 2 was plenty. $42 includes tip. Will recommend to any travelers. Close to the highway. read more

The Copper Penny - Side salad - American Near Me - Vandalia, Illinois

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Very clean, disappointed it felt like didn't like outsiders, waited 20 minutes. No server, no menu other people came in after us got menu, drinks acknowledgement. Very disappointed read more

Emilee was our waitress, and mad respect to her! 5 stars! Came here for lunch because I was curious about the "Horseshoe/Pony Shoe". And let me tell you, it was delicious. If you're not from the small area and don't know, then look at the pick. It's crispy Texas toast, a burger patty, perfectly done fries, and cheese sauce. I added bacon because why not? If you are here give this a try! read more

Always excellent service and solid menu with no shortage of refrigerated sauces and condiments served with your meal.

If you want rude staff then you've come to the place. They will only talk and be nice if you're one of the regulars. The food is absolutely disgusting right down to the appetizers. Tried giving this place a chance more than once and it just gets worse. Management is a complete flake and tolerates all the BS that happens in this place. Hopefully the owner will read these reviews and take action before their establishment goes even more downhill or out of business. Simply put, your employees are ruining your business. I would give zero stars if I could. read more

If you aren't local don't waste your time or money. The staff are intentionally cooled, the large fry cook is so over the top obnoxious I don't even know why management tolerate it. I guess he comes to work. I have never seen a display quite like it. The food is fried greasy garbage, you would probably be better off at a fast food joint. Spare yourself the pian... read more

Revu Yep, 2nd review in a week. On our way home and another overnight stay mid trip. Same beers, same awesome barmaid (Tara). Shoutout to Stephanie this time, who's rocking the kitchen! I had the pickle chicken sandwich; pickle juice brined chicken breast battered and fried with Mayo and pickle slices, red onion, and lettuce. It was outstanding, you got the pickle but it wasn't overbearing. The Mrs had the single smash burger with lettuce and tomato. You can tell it's a hand formed patty from actual hamburger, not a frozen puck. Still 2 thumbs up. If you pass it by you're missing out! read more

Awesome little local pub! Well worth jumping the 2-3 miles off of I-70 to get away from fast food hell. Barkeep was lovely, chicken farmer/cook whipped up some good vitals. Local distillery whiskeys even. Food selection on the smaller side, but everything we had was first rate. And town center has a nice slice of history. Just do it! read more

Found a gem today. Excellent food and service! We had smash burgers and Parmesan fries , YUM! Thanks, Randi, for the suggestion and great service!! We will be back for sure. read more

Thought I was getting as "fresh greens" salad but this is what I received instead. Very disappointing. Online pics look nothing like what was served. read more

The Copper Penny - a salad in a styrofoam container - American Near Me - Vandalia, Illinois

I went during the slow time, nice quite pub. Friendly staff, fast service. Food was tasty and quick. Far better than fast food and roughly the same price. Can't beat it. read more

This is one of those laid back family bars! You can sit outside if you like and some nights there is music playing. The food is pub food and very good. they have specials that are amazing- the service is second to none - the boss can be seen hanging out there too! She seems very nice, which explains the staff :) read more

We have had enjoyable food and excellent service each time we've gone to the Copper Penny. The appetizers (pretzel bites, crab rangoon) are on point and the entrees we've tried (burgers, carnita, and horseshoes) hit the spot. This is a casual family friendly bar environment. We highly recommend! read more

I was down this way on business & am not a fan of most fast food. I checked Yelp & found this place. Food & service were great. Tuesday special, sandwich basket for $7. Choice of several sandwiches with fries. I had the smash burger. Definitely will return. read more

If it could be zero, it would. We went at 1:00 on a Monday and wanted to sit outside. We asked a server if we should be seated or check in somewhere. She said we could go inside and tell them or be seated but she couldn't wait on us because she was getting off at 2pm. We asked another server and she said we would need to go inside and get a server. We went inside and asked to be served outside. One girl told us she could not go outside and another told us we could either sit inside or place a to go order and take it outside. Terrible customer service. We had driven over from Indiana and it looked like a great place to eat. We went to Neimer's in Effingham and had great food and awesome service. read more

Quaint little bar and restaurant on our way to Missouri. Friendly and hustling waitstaff. We had smash burger, Parmesan fries, and Carnitas wrap. All delicious! read more

Sorry, I went to the copper penny as well, food was really good, sorry for the mix up

Some of the best Onion Rings I've ever had. I can't believe I was scooping up the crumbs. Everything looked like it tastes great. Comfy casual place. Plenty of beers on tap. Wish I could have had one. Good thing I don't live near here; I'd be gaining weight with so much good pub grub. read more

The Copper Penny - Selection. - American Near Me - Vandalia, Illinois

love the cheese sauce. horseshoe. winds. copper pennys. i use door dash. every thing comes hot and fixed perfect

We were at the big Rural King in Vandalia and just googled where to eat and decided to eat at the copper penny it was g service and great food!!! Super friendly and they love kids too! Go eat there! Regards Scott read more

Highly recommend! We visited the old state capitol with our kids, 3 & 6. Stopped for lunch. Enjoyed a good lunch for a good price. Try the pony shoe! Kids meals include drink and dessert. read more

We stopped in at the Copper Penny for lunch on a Saturday. I had the Pony Shoe and my husband had the horseshoe. The fries were deliciously crispy. The pony shoe was more than I could eat! Both meals were reasonably priced. The service was fast and the wait staff friendly. We will definitely stop at the Copper Penny when we travel through Vandalia. read more

The first time I went to Copper Penny I was impressed with their drinks, I found them to be very good. However I wasn't impressed with their food, but it must have just been a bad day for me because my 2nd visit to Copper Penny was just great. I can't talk about the drinks the 2nd time because I didn't have any, but I'm sure they were just as good as the first time. Food: Foodwise I ordered their Smokehouse burger, I made it a double and asked for a fried egg in it. That burger was absolutely delicious. It was just done right, it was juicy and tasted very good. The first time I also enjoyed the same burger, but I got the single version without the fried egg and while I enjoyed the flavor, I felt the burger was too small. So, maybe the extra patty and the egg really made a difference. Service: Service is a big thing for me and this last time we had Paula (I hope I got her name right) as my server and she was doing an amazing job while maintaining a great personality. I believe we came on a Thursday around 6PM, the place wasn't packed but there were a few tables and it seemed she was the only one taking care of them, so the fact that she still managed to keep a smile on was a plus. Final: Overall I can say I'm a fan of the Copper Penny. Good food, good drinks, haven't seen it be too full yet. There is an area that looks like a stage, not sure if it is, but I haven't seen any live music going on there. I'm not from the Area so I don't know what they use it for. From my personal experience I'd say it's worth it. Update: I just made this review today and when I came down from the hotel the guys wanted to go to Copper Penny, so I went again. Once again, fairly empty, just a few tables, only one waitress for everyone but she was pretty nice also, didn't get her name. I got the Blue cheese Burger, double again with fried egg, it was delicious, but I had to finish it with a fork because it was a bit messy. Not complaining though, it was good. I forgot to mention the Garlic Parmesan fries on my review, I had them again today, they are very good, may be a bit too salty for some but for me they are great. My only issue today was with my drink, I ordered a Mojito and I've just had much better Mojitos, but it was certainly drinkable, just left a bitter aftertaste. read more

The Copper Penny - Smokehouse Burger, Double with a fried egg in it, it was delicious. - American Near Me - Vandalia, Illinois

Pulled off the highway to stop for gas and my pregnant wife was hungry. Of course I relied on yelp to find a good place for us to break bread. The Copper Penny had great reviews and was only 2 miles away. The drive through town was nice, very cool small town feel. Our server Diane was awesome! Fried pickles are a great starter and they have Sam Adams IPA on draft. Her grilled chicken wrap was tasty and my BBQ burger was perfect. The garlic Parmesan fries are stupid good! Although I hate long road trips the Copper Penny will definitely be a stop if we ever pass through. read more

I am bestie with below reviewer (and nicer...ha). Food wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I ventured out and tried the Horseshoe. Which is basically like an open faced Hamburger. bottom of bun, burger, fries on top, and smothered with cheese (which I believe is Monterrey cheese). The cheese fries were pretty good, but the burger was ok. Not sure that I didn't really know how to garnish it. I agree below, the service can be better....I do chalk it down to small town service. It isn't right, but is not uncommon. I agree with Alicia, that probably would try another establishment....or just eat at the bar for better service. read more

The staff was extremely friendly and my chicken sandwich was amazing. You could definitely taste the southern pickle brine in the chicken which was to die for. I travel a lot and would definitely return here. read more

If your driving down 70 off exit 63 make this stop a priority. Good folks cold beer and one hell of a fish sandwich. "Like" read more

The Copper Penny - American Near Me - Vandalia, Illinois

Beer was cold! Staff was friendly! Food was good! I also my first experience with a "Horseshoe" burger. Being from Ohio, I had never had one. I have to say it was very tasty! Theres also a good selection of beer on tap. Next time I'm passing through I'm going to definitely stop by! Beer was cold! Staff was friendly! Food was good! I also my first experience with a "Horseshoe" burger. Being from Ohio, I had never had one. I have to say it was very tasty! Theres also a good selection of beer on tap. Next time I'm passing through I'm going to definitely stop by! read more

Great tasting food, EXCELLENT service, very reasonable pricing been coming to the Penny for a while and will continue to visit the Penny. Try their wing specials every Wednesday. See you next visit Paula (: You guys rock!!!!! read more

The Copper Penny - American Near Me - Vandalia, Illinois

This place would get 5 stars but the stools at the bar made is weird to sit they aren't the right height at all- (it really bothered me) food was on point and service was very friendly. We would stop again if we are in the area. read more

Excellent service!! Really good bar food! Quick turnaround. Good burgers and wings. Loved the garlic fries! Teenagers liked the food and watching the sports channels. Very friendly people! Fun drinks to choose from too! read more