I have been driving by this place for some time, and have always wanted to give it a try. The name says it all, the Rootbeer Stand ! We decided to eat in the dining room and was greeted by a friendly member of the staff. I had the pork tenderloin basket and my guest had the double cheese burger, but were very good. read more

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Have never eaten here but have been here twice for drinks. The main attraction was the drive-in with carhop service - something you don't see every day. We had rootbeer the first time and rootbeer frosties the second time. Both items were refreshing and we especially loved the frosties. Prices are insanely inexpensive which is something else you don't see every day. read more

Good prices, but rather unappealing quality icecream. I ordered the cotton candy swirled soft serve, but I could hardly taste a difference between that and just plain vanilla. Perhaps today was an off day. Hopefully it was because Oglesby definitely needs a solid icecream shop! read more

Pretty good burger! Love the onion ring and the root beer float! I would definitely return when I go hiking in Starved Rock.

Stopped in while passing through. Was told that it would be 25 min wait... was 40, when food arrived was not worth the wait. Root Beer didn't taste like Root Beer, the fries and onion rings could have been good if oil would have not been dirty (taste like fish) they were cold and soggy. The burgers, really thin and small, salad was soaked with more dressing than lettuce. Just a bad experience. read more

A living piece of Americana. Great root beer and old time drive in favorites. A working piece of our history with the bonus of delicious floats and sundaes. If you like root beer - you must stop here. Cash or checks only, ATM inside. read more

Good place to eat but nothing is fresh or unique about their food or menu. Child friendly environment.

I really wish we had more places like this in St. Louis..... the atmosphere is wonderful, the service was great, and the food is delicious and cheap. The menu is a little strange (pizza burger?) but I really loved the root beer float. It was a nice, fast snack right off the highway, and if I travel past there again I will probably stop in for some quick munchies. read more

Yummy food, great service, and fun atmosphere. This was one of the highlights of our road trip through Illinois.

The 13-hour roadtrip between Nashville, TN and Rochester, MN is kind of a wasteland when it comes to finding stops to fuel up on food. Sure you have your pick of the lot if you want to eat McDonald's or Taco Bell, but 13-hours in a car is bad enough without adding either of those things in the mix. The healthier we can eat while on the road, the better. While I wouldn't say the food at The Rootbeer Stand (for that is its name) is super healthy, at least it had more charm than your standard chain fastfood joint. There doesn't seem to be much around in Oglesby, IL, but this little drive-in place will throw you back the '50s... especially when it comes to the prices! I got a fish & chips combo, while my husband got a burger combo, PLUS we got a big frosty mug of rootbeer just for $11. The portions were not huge, but I would say that they were actually the size people should be eating. Both came with fries (crinkle cut) and salads (I appreciate the effort, but these were just iceberg lettuce drenched in French dressing). Definitely the star of our stop was the rootbeer! It was so good we got a second cup of it for the road. If, for whatever reason, you happen to be passing through this neck of the woods, this is a decent place to stop. At the very least, you won't be regretting your decision for the remainder of your trip! read more

I'm a little puzzled by the negative reviews on this place--it's awesome, and a total gem. It looks like they've never once updated the decor (a plus, because it's fun), they have insanely good ice cream treats, and they make their own root beer. (On the sweeter side, but with good flavor.) My husband and I each had the cheeseburger basket and we were satisfied by everything. (Yeah, the salad's just shredded iceberg with a bloop of dressing in a little styrofoam cup, but whatever.) Good fries, good burgers, good flavored. We had fun and would go back if we were passing through town again. Little joints like this are hard to find nowadays. read more

J T. is right about the name. The first thing you see is Rootbeer Stand. I had lunch here today. I had the double cheese burger with fries and salad. The salad was a little cup, about the same size of coleslaw. I think I would have rather it had been coleslaw. The salad was simple lettuce and dressing. There were no other veggies in the salad. The double cheese burger was ok, nothing special. There are much better cheese burgers out there. The fries were crinkle cut style that I normally really like, but these didn't have much flavor. Now onto the namesake. The rootbeer was great! The people were very friendly! If I were to go back I think I would try the rootbeer float. read more

Came here on a Saturday afternoon on our way to my nephews cross country race in Peoria. After waiting almost 45 mins for 2 burgers, fries, onion rings, cheese sticks, and a chili dog that was specifically ordered without cheese and had cheese all over it-- I'm going to miss my nephews race (that we drove 2.5 hours to see). The food was standard hotdog stand food- certainly not worth the $30+ we paid and the 45 minute prep time. I'm all for employing teenagers, but these kids are in no hurry whatsoever. Recap: literally the slowest "fast food" service I've ever experienced, expensive, and I'm starving because my order was wrong. (But I'll have time to stop now because I'm going to miss my event.) R I D I C U L O U S. read more

We ordered 1 hamburger, 1 grilled cheese and 2 fish and chips. Waited 30 minutes and got no response. Hit the button to get server and was asked for our order again. we told them we already ordered and wanted to know how long before our food comes. they asked "Did they tell you it would be 40 to 45 minutes?" to which I replied "NO!!" they said it would be about 10 more minutes, needless to say we left immediatley. The food joints in this town are a joke. I am from the Suburbs of Chicago and apparently used to good service and food. Too bad because I will now be traveling to Peru for food on my next visit to the state parks. read more

This is also called The Root Beer Stand which is a more accurate description of the place. It was a former A&W root beer stand. You can still drive up and order from your car. Easy on easy off from interstate 80. Sure beats the other fast food options. Be sure to order the pork tenderloin sandwich with the works! read more

The Rootbeer Stand - Order from your car! Outside menu - American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

Just driving thru and saw the sign... I love these type of places, local with homemade anything. First of all it took over 15 mins for a rootbeer float and an order of cheese sticks. The place was not packed, in fact it didnt look busy at all. When the car hop brought our order our float was in a styrofoam cup, not a nice frosty mug. Not what we were looking for. The rootbeer was okay, but the ice cream was a bit grainy. The cheese sticks were only slightly warm on the inside. Maybe they didn't have enough time. Wanted to love it, but next time I'll get a bottle of IBC at the gas station. read more

The Rootbeer Stand is a nice little drive-thru in Oglesby. It's a bit further away from the interstate (or, if you prefer... located on the old main road through town), but not that much further away, and besides... you didn't want McD's or BK *again*, did you? I order fish everywhere, so of course I had to order the fish and chips basket. The fries were merely decent, but the fish was quite crunchy and the cod perfectly flaky. Exactly what I hoped for, even with tartar sauce that seemed to be served from a bottle. Definitely come here for the root beer. In a freezing cold mug with no ice, I could have gotten two giant glasses. Not sure about the brand of root beer they serve, but here it's smooth, strong on the vanilla, light on the sasparilla, and *just* carbonated enough. My wife had a grilled chicken sandwich, which was OK (she gets it plain, though, so all I had to go on was the quality of the chicken breast. It was good.) Overall, not a bad way to do lunch on the way back from downstate! read more

Old drive in converted to a sit down restaurant. AMAZING HOME MADE ROOTBEER. Came here after hiking in the morning and got the cheeseburger basket. Food was great. Worth the stop. Will be taking a gallon of Rootbeer home with us!!! YUM read more

I LOVED this place. We were just wandering around the areas near where we were staying for a wedding and came across this drive in. When I saw "home made root beer" I had to try it. I'm really glad I did. This is by far the best root beer, and by extension the best root beer float, I've ever had. We also got their onion rings, which were amazing, and their fries, which were ok (I prefer thin fries). After the float I ordered a root beer, then a half Gallon of the root beer after I saw a local man buy 2 gallons. The owner wanted me that it only stays bubbly for about 2 days in the jug. I really wish I had bought more. Even when it was flat 2 days later it was still a delicious, creamy, smooth root beer that made me want to drink it all day. If I'm ever here again I'll probably buy 4 gallons and invest in a sodastream so I can keep it carbonated. I'm not saying I would drive all the way from San Diego just to get this root beer again... But if I had the time I probably would. read more

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If you are looking for some good ol' fashion Root Beer in a ice cold mug, you got try this spot. Their traditional drive thru menu won't disappoint. Even though I don't eat pork, the Pork Tenderloin are (apparently) to die for!! I am not sure why they are rated a 3 star, but it's my 2nd time here and I have not been disappointed. Enjoy! read more

Pretty good. I would recommend they have good burgers. By far I would say the best thing thy have here is the root beer floats. They are very very good. Although a bit dirty it's not to bad. read more

This is definitely my favorite "mom and pop" place in the area! The food is always fantastic and at a really great price! Tax is added in to the price you see on the menu and they only accept cash. Do not pass this place over, it is absolutely worth the visit! The Rootbeer is amazing, the ice cream is amazing, the burgers, fries, all of it! The owners are also very nice people! read more

Quick stop in after leaving Starved Rock State Park. Old school drive up where you order from the car and they bring your food out to you. The family enjoyed the meal and ice cream. read more

So this is a quickie that I'll update another time. We were actually on our way to a very bitchin' Oktoberfest as we passed this funky little joint and said "homemade root beer!" Turned right around and went to get some. All we ordered were three root beers but they were EXCELLENT. This place is like a step back in time and we have just found our next "let's go for a ride" adventure. We were drooling looking at the menu, especially that pork tenderloin sandwich, which the counter girl said is "really good". Mac n cheese bites? Fried mushrooms? This is old school drive in food - complete with actual drive in!! Sonic didn't invent this stuff, folks, this is the real deal. We are planning a trip back! Stay tuned! read more

Stopped here for an afternoon ice cream snack after hiking at nearby Starved Rock State Park. The ice cream was very tasty and was the base for all of our choices which included: a turtle sundae, a peanut butter fudge sundae, an Oreo cookie dough Flurry (like a DQ Blizzard), an M & M Flurry and a vanilla ice cream cone. Everyone liked their choices very much and they were good quality. Service was fast, too. The stand is just like the old A & W drive-in restaurants (and probably was one at one time). You can eat inside the little "diner-like" area or out in your car. read more

What a fun place!!! Let me start off by saying that we went here after a morning of hiking, so we were ravenous by the time we arrived around noon. The place is straight out of the 1960's. They have not updated a thing, and we loved it! Talk about a cool history lesson and and a walk back in time. The food is your typical old school steak burger/hotdog joint. It is not amazing or memorable by any means, but it isn't bad either. The root beer floats are amazing, however, in their frosted old school glasses! Really, this place is an amazing lesson in American history and small town drive ins that are far and few between. The staff was so nice and personal. Great service! read more

I used to come here 5-6 years ago, and I loved it here. Their burgers were delicious, their rootbeer was great. Today I went to the rootbeer stand and it was not a good experience. While the burger was alright, the salad that came with was disappointing. Shredded lettuce in a small cup with French dressing covering the top. The worst part was the rootbeer. The rootbeer was completely flat and tasted like artificial sweetener. Lastly, I was concerned when I saw the server grab ice-cream cones with their bare hands, sit the come on the counter where customers and employees work, and make transactions. It seems unsanitary for them not to use some sort of barrier and sit it on a counter that can easily pick up germs. Very disappointed. read more

I have been going here since I was a kid. Nothing has changed and that's what makes it so great!! Food is always really good and fast. And it is very cheap. They have the best root beer! read more

5 stars because this is by far the best root beer I've ever had! Chilled mug, home made on site - perfect! Cheeseburger & fries were good, friendly people great price. read more

The Rootbeer Stand - American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

If you're looking to grab a quick bite this is THE place and if you're looking for the place you'll definitely see it, it's hard to miss. Nothing fancy, just simple. Portions IMO were just right, not too huge and not too small. For a party of 2 our total was $18; ordered a lemonade, root-beer, sandwich, a sandwich basket, root-beer float and sundae. I'll most likely come again when I'm in the area. read more

We have eaten at RBS several times and been pleased, and made it part of our routine when visiting Starved Rock State Park. This time, something crazy happened. We were missing one grilled cheese sandwich in our order of five sandwiches. Normally this isn't a big deal but the owner completely lost his cool when I mentioned that we couldn't find the missing sandwich. He declared it had to be there because he made it. He asked to see the two bags we'd be handed and he couldn't find it either. He tried to open our van door to rummage through our van but my middle son locked the door before he could open it. Never, ever, in my life have I had to threaten to call the police because a restaurant employee demanded to get into our car. We drove away scared and frustrated. read more

My friends and I stopped in for dinner after hiking at Starved Rock. We walked in and we're greeted by a waitress on her phone sitting in a booth. She didn't even look up when she asked us if we would be dining in or taking out. No other customers were there and it was easy to see why. The only thing this place has going for it is the old school atmosphere. My boyfriend ordered the BBQ burger and it was literally just meat with a bunch of seasonings (like a taco spice packet) in it. Nothing else on the burger. It was dry and tasted terrible. Our other friend and I ordered the burgers and they were nothing special. Another let down was the 'side salad' which was brown. Also 50cents for refills seems a little ridiculous. Only redeeming quality was the rootbeer float. read more

Fine establishment, was greeted with smiles by all the staff members! You must take a photo with the cheeseburgerman out front or your dead to me! Food was very good with that classic dinner feel! If I am ever in a 1 hour radius of this spot, you bet your behind I'll be back! read more

We took our three kids to try the Rootbeer since it is their favorite drink and we were not disappointed!! I don't even like root beer and I loved it! Prices are good. Food is too. Fun little place for a nostalgic dinner. Staff was very friendly too. We will be back next time we are in the area! read more

The Rootbeer Stand - Chicken strip dinner! Fries are under it all! Yum!!! - American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

Perfect cute little place. Rootbeer is good food is simple but excellent. Good place to take kids & cheap, too!

Haven't been here in years and the owner hasn't aged a bit! Its just as good as the last time i ate here!!! read more

They have really good food even thou it's kinda like fast food. Chili is awesome. Love there hot dogs and porks. And of coarse there ice cream. read more

Good burger and fries. I good place to go after visiting Starved Rock. Decent prices as well

We were driving back through Illinois when we saw this cute little place. We placed our order and as we waited we saw our waitress eating inside while waiting on orders to take out. I like the style of the place but our food was terrible and made our stomachs churn the rest of the day and we didn't even finish it. The BBQ burger didn't have any BBQ sauce or any taste of BBQ sauce to it and the meat on the burger and the coney dog were just like sloppy joe out of a can. The side salad was a sad mess and our appetizer was so tiny but alright. The only thing we enjoyed was the chocolate malt. When the waitress came back with our order she shoved us our change back with out even telling us the total. read more

It has nostalgia going for it and the food is probably OK if you're a teenager and don't care.