The Open Door Diner

Leaving the parking lot now as we left our very first visit to Gabby Goat! Brittney was our…read morewaitress and she was amazing! We decided last minute this morning at the hotel to grab Sunday Brunch at Gabby Goat before heading back home and we don't regret it. Well, he might as he's driving and I will for sure be taking a nap like the passenger princess I am. We've always passed through Effingham on our travels but have never visited until now. We will definitely be back. The breakfast was delicious, the restaurant is gorgeous, and the attentiveness of Brittany was top notch! She took great care of us and we may have laughed a little too hard at a couple of things. Thank you Brittany and the Gabby Goat team!

Food was delicious. I loved their steak bite appetizer…read more Waiter was amazing, i even got a shirt!! Ambiance was pretty chill and laid back. Though, Women's restroom has men photos. Men's restroom has women photos. I had to double check i was in the women's. Still laugh though.

House beer, brewed for us at Main St. 4204 brewery

Drunken pig (menu item)

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Half order nachos (menu item)

Shakerag Bar & Grill

4.6(7 reviews)

29.6 mi

Food was amazing Debbie & Peter we're fast with service but…read moredidn't miss out on anything I needed, very kind. Very laid back and a fun place to be!

Nice place to eat, daily specials, not many people working like most restaurants so you have to…read morewait and they will tell you that it will be about an hour to 45 minute wait. Price is about average.

Inside bar and grill

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Chicken salad

Luke's Bar & Grill

3.9(12 reviews)

0.1 mi

Luke's Place is a typical small town bar and grill dive. However, the food is amazing and the staff…read moreis super friendly and efficient. A person can get every kind of food and occasionally some of the best, authentic gator bites you can imagine. It always feels like you are welcome at Like's!

We travel from Tucson to Youngstown Ohio a couple times a year. We normally stop in Altamont…read morebecause it works out for us to stop to sleep or eat. We found Luke's by accident when we stopped and Joes Italian was closed. It has always been great food and friendly service. The customers at the bar love our dog and we always enjoy stopping there. Not expensive. Today we had 2 cheeseburgers, fries and I had a margarita. It was all good and the cost was $21. Beats MickeyD's. Their c Buffalo chicken wrap is great too!

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Lickin' My Chicken & Pullin' My Pork BBQ

4.8(77 reviews)

11.0 mi

Rolling through on a road trip. This place is amazing and the barbecue was spot on! (And we are a…read morebunch of picky b's from KC). Go eat here!

Passing through and found this place on Yelp. It was a little hard to find as our maps app said we…read morewere there and we couldn't see it. Then we first smelled and spotted the smoker and figured out how to get around to the entrance. It's in a big warehousey type building and everything looks brand new inside. I had the brisket sandwich. So tender and loaded with meat. The loaded potato salad was really nice. I think it had pulled pork in it, something smokey, but not bacon. My friend had the brisket nachos. She got the half order and barely made a dent in it. Service was very fast and it's right off the interstate.

Epic murals

Lickin' My Chicken & Pullin' My Pork BBQ

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Roomy seating area

Firefly Grill

4.4(885 reviews)

10.8 mi

•$$$

Great farm to table food, innovative menus using on site grown vegetables and herbs. Rustic vibe…read morewith interesting photos. Chase was our waiter and was attentive and patient without being intrusive. We had fried green tomatoes, fish tacos, sweet corn rissoto, tomato basil soup, roasted vegetables, and sweet corn ice cream with sweet corn cake and blueberry compote. Delicious!

The service here is pretty good overall, but it took a while to get more ketchup and the check both…read moreafter the main food was delivered. The lunch specials were quite fantastic. The shrimp burger is served with very crispy fries that they use a coarse salt sparingly on which is exactly how I like it. The arugula salad that is served with the muffaletta is every bit as good as the sandwich it comes with. The muffaletta itself is quite savory and very delicious. It is a little on the salty side so be prepared with plenty of water, but the flavor is well worth this small sacrifice. Their outdoor seating area is an absolute gem and we had a wonderful table here with a great view of trees and the pond nearby.

Bar area

Crispy honey glazed chicken on a bed of whipped potatoes.

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Outdoor patio seating.

Curly Girls Cafe & Catering

5.0(3 reviews)

28.4 mi

I am from Southern California and I was visiting family in Iowa and Illinois. We stopped in at…read moreCurly Girls and had lunch. OMG THE FOOD IS AMAZING!!!! The staff and the owner/chef, make you feel as good as the food. This place is top shelf on everything. Just wish it was in California!!!

We were so pleased with Curly Girls we'll be going back tomorrow! The service was friendly &…read moreefficient. The decor was simple & neat tables. And the food was Fantastic. The breakfast burrito was huge & delicious. The chicken bacon wrap was equally satisfying and the fries were top notch.

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Demi's Diner

5.0(1 review)

33.2 mi

We stopped in for breakfast while in town visiting our family. There were 10 of us in all and we…read morewere greeted and accommodated quickly by the staff. The menus had many choices for breakfast lunch and dinner. The waitress was friendly and helpful. Some of our group had breakfast while others chose lunch. My "mama's special" was delicious. It included 2 sizable pancakes, 2 eggs, 2 bacon, 2 sausage. My daughter ordered biscuits and gravy with eggs which were also very tasty. (I had a nibble). All of the others seemed pleased with their choices as well. The portions are generous, the food is really good, and the service was great. I would like to return and try the fried chicken before our trip is over! I noticed this establishment was not yet listed on Yelp, so i decided to add it for the benefit of others who might enjoy it too ;)

Pinky's

4.1(53 reviews)

8.1 mi

We love anything we get there !!! And the pinkys whale on the bun is fun and atmosphere is great…read morealong with live music most weekends too

Pinky's is a great place for a family gathering at Lake Sara…read more I ate a burger bowl - which is essentially a big mac salad. While the dish looks topping heavy, there was a big bed of lettuce underneath. I liked the variety of the menu. The only complaint food-wise was the size of their kids "chicken tenders", it felt like they breaded a whole chicken breast. The servers were friendly and the wait for food was short. The patio overlooks Lake Sara and has a nice view. They had a several bar games to play to pass time. The men's bathroom was a bit messy by the urinal. However they had a changing table, which can be rare in men's restrooms. Accessibility note: they had a gravel non-paved driveway.

Decor

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Signatures Bar & Grill

4.5(2 reviews)

45.7 mi

Very mellow place, owner stays very involved, which keeps it consistent…read moreWell priced food and drinks

This bar is so cool. Darren (I'm sorry if I spelled your name wrong) is super chill and his…read morecollection of autographs is badass. The food here is REALLY good too. It's such a chill place to be after a long day. Super underrated place in my opinion.

Plenty of sitting room. And friendly people.

Blt' sandwich is awsome!

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Friday and Saturday nights free pool!

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Joe B.

12 years ago

Wow, what a find!!! Small, cozy, family owned restaurant about a mile off interstate 70. Friendly courteous service, very clean, and neatly decorated. The mourning we were there it was filled with the local town people, very friendly! Now, the food, we had breakfast, everything was cooked as ordered, was not greasy or cold when we got it. I would recommend anyone in the area or passing through to stop and give it a try. Joe and Ann Brown Nashville, TN read more

Elizabeth M.

9 years ago

Looking for a meal like grandma cooks? Look no further. Their hand-breaded chicken is delicious. We love the dressed up chicken sandwich and the Dagwood. Breakfast is a hit as well. You won't go wrong with anything you order from here. The restaurant is cozy and the staff is friendly. read more

The Open Door Diner - newamerican - Updated September 2026

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Niemerg's Steakhouse

3.7

(281 reviews)

A must try effingham staple…read more Eat on the salad bar or diner side and enjoy a hometown style meal or the spring rolls! Every time we visit this town we try to get in a meal or at least take home one of their handmade pies or cookies. They rotate staff a lot but the food is always the same so it's a good bet you will have a good meal. Don't forget they do a great job catering!

Passed through Effingham IL again and decided to commence my 30 minutes + off duty break here…read more Low-Key truck stop next door to Niemerg's Steakhouse is the Speedway; the startegy is park your rig there and walk over to this landmark. Haven't not been inside this restaurant ever, i kept an open mind I didn't know what to expect. Theres apparently three dine in area options. You have a whiskey, bar lounge that probably the likes of General MacArthur would patronize for food and cigars like at the Historical Manila Hotel in Manila Philippines. Then you have the open dining room where you seat yourself and it was reminiscent to an Army Chow Hall...sort of with retro 80s decor. And lastly, I chose the Salad Bar room with a booth seating. Server Jessica was fantastic! Went through the standard protocols with me; I was really enjoying the vibes at this place. It's very Mahogany, 1960s - 1980s feeling, almost like that steakhouse Warren Buffet likes to go to in Omaha Nebraska. Very community family oriented, quiet, really quite different than any restaurant or diner you patronize in a city like Los Angeles. A lot of retired folk here and truly, you feel like you been thrown back in time to the 80s and early 90s in some sense. So anyways on to the food. I'm going to state my opinion straight up, the salad bar hot food bar is the star of the show. In fact everything from the soup to the oven potatoes to the COLESLAW (Best Coleslaw Ever), reminded me of that once upon a time Soup Plantation that died during Covid....and the best part is the Cold and hot bar is all-inclusive with your main entree order. Yes you heard that right, you buy the resort tickets, and you enjoy your stay with unlimited cocktails at Cancun...I mean Neimergs... Now to the Iowa Premium Rib Eye Steak. To the kitchen staff: 2 minutes on the top side, 2 minutes on the bottom side. Bake in oven 1 minute on both sides. Done. Medium Rare. A perfectly good steak was destroyed because it came out well done. To future passerbys, skip the baked potato loaded if you decide to dine in at the hot and cold bar room. Last thoughts. I want to give the steak a 3 stars but the overall ambiance, the grandpappy grandma vibes and that overall feel like your dining at someone's home in farm country really elevated the entire experience. Plus the servers are all working their tails off. So I've rated this place a 4 stars. Think anyone on a road trip, or just driving their rig through town should give this historical site a visit. 1978 right? Or something like that. This place also has some of the freshest greens.

The Copper Penny

4.3

(65 reviews)

London took great care of us. The burger was great, the pickle fries were primo, enjoyed my lemonaderead more

A neat little spot in downtown that is a bar and grill. There were five tapped beers and a full…read morebar. Looks like a fun place for happy hours and weekends. Fish sandwich was just okay; I would pick something else if I ever return; which is a distinct possibility as I prefer local to highway exit food. Server was really good gal who had some personality; she gets four stars.

Blind Society

4.1

(67 reviews)

There isn't any dedicated parking lots for this restaurant but plenty of street parking around it…read more It is located in the same space as Witness Distillery. I made a reservation on Google and my friend and I promptly seated at a high top table near a wall. The noise level is moderate but I was able to have casual conversation with my friend. He ordered a burger with mashed potatoes and a Coke and I had the brisket tacos with sweet potatoes and an espresso Martini. The Espresso Martini was more on the creamy side but still good nonetheless. While I believe the guacamole was store bought, it meshed really well with the brisket, cotija cheese and whatever else was on the brisket. The brisket was all protein, no fatty parts and tender. The sweet potatoes fries had sea salt flakes that balanced the sweetness. They were perfect. Everything was really good and my friend enjoyed his meal as well.

If there was a 6-star rating - I would give them that! This place is a MUST if you are in the…read morearea. Food was more than excellent, mixed drinks the greatest, service was excellent (we sat at the bar) and the whole ambiance was comfortable and relaxing. Went there on a Saturday night - sat at the bar, they were busy with a large group and most of the tables were seated. Had the steak bites and the lobster Rangoon appetizers, the hazy lavender and peach sangria for drinks. Wish the Distillery had been open... oh well. BTW, this was recommended by Margaret in Vision Wear at WalMart!

Kountry Kitchen

4.8

(5 reviews)

decent small town place with town folks eating breakfast to start their days. prices are great and…read morefood is decent. pretty basic middle of the road menu with the normal stuff.

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Boondocks Bar & Grill

4.4

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Nehemiah's Steakhouse

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(7 reviews)

Incredible food and service. Highly recommend this establishment. French dip is the best sandwich…read moreI've ever had.

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Brickbat Bar & Grill

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Bartender with orange hair is not friendly at all. She was very short with us, answered in one word…read moresentences. Felt very unwanted in the environment.

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Mulligan's Bar and Grille

3.3

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This place is a gem! We tried the appetizers: wings and cheese curds both were awesome, generous…read moreportions done well and great dipping sauces. The service from Delaney was amazing and she recommended a lemonade drink that we all loved! Don't pass up this place, the menu may be small but the food and service were awesome!

We were pleasantly surprised!…read more Atmosphere: the dining area is spacious and it appears to be separated into different areas. We went straight to a table with a view of the golf course, so I didn't get a chance to see the rest of restaurant. The seating is comfortable and room was nice and quiet. Staff: the waitress was very pleasant and personable. It was nice to have a friendly waitress. She was very attentive and ensured our drinks were always promptly refreshed (without even asking) and asked if we needed additional items. Great job! Food: we were a table of 5, so I don't remember everyone's meals, but I'll go over what I ate. Chips and salsa were brought out. The chips are made on site and were very good, so good we had to have a second basket. The salsa is perfect and tastes like the same kind I purchase for home use. We ordered a sampler appetizer which included chicken quesadillas (two), mozzarella sticks (six), and loaded potato skins. My girlfriend and mom loved the quesadillas. The mozzarella sticks were nothing special and the loaded potato skins tasted over cooked. I ordered the sirloin (cooked medium) with parsley red potatoes. The steak was cooked perfectly and the potatoes were really good. I was most impressed with the corn I received because it was cooked perfectly; it was still crisp and fresh instead of mushy. I cleaned my plate then grabbed one of the dinner rolls brought earlier. I do like the dinner rolls they have; they remind me of the ones I buy for personal cooking. Overall, this is a nice restaurant with a great staff and good food. I would definitely go there again.

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