Trader's Grille is in what is now a Holiday Inn in Normal, IL. It is your typical hotel restaurant and is located in the lobby. They serve breakfast (with is a paired down buffet at the moment), lunch and dinner. If you have read any of my other reviews, you will know I am on the road a lot so I have what seems like years of experience eating in hotel restaurants... lol
Like I said, the restaurant is in the middle of the lobby and can be seen as soon as you walk in. The bar is the main focus with seating towards the back of the lobby. The decor is what you would find in any hotel. Sleek, modern, and boring! I didn't eat there for the decor so lets focus on the food. I have eaten there three time now so I will break each meal down on its own.
Breakfast
Right now, Trader's Grille is only offering the buffet for breakfast. It's your standard breakfast buffet fare. Scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, and sausage. There is a bowl of cut fruit and a couple of trays of muffins and danishes. What is missing is bread and a toaster. I supposed it is all due COVID and they are just doing what they feel is the best for everyone. The breakfast tasted good and I had no complaints.
Dinner
I have had two dinners at Trader's Grille this week. I usually do not like going out after I am done working for the day and having a hotel restaurant is convenient. The other night I ordered a sirloin steak salad. It was a simple affair of lettuce, cherry tomatoes, croutons , cucumbers, blue cheese crumbles, steak, and a balsamic dressing. I ordered it because it had the least amount of calories over the other salads on the menu. 500 and some calories to be exact while the other salads were twice as many calories. (I try to eat somewhat healthy on the road.) The salad was decent but the cherry tomatoes were probably a bit past their prime. They were still good but a bit on the soft side. The steak was overcooked for me. I prefer a medium rare steak and that goes for steak on salads also. The blue cheese crumbles were awesome! Crumbly and pungent, just like blue cheese should be! Over all it wasn't bad. Tonight, I am having the buffalo wings. There are six wings to an order which in all honesty is probably a better serving size than what I would have if the quantity of wings were left to me. The wings were large and crispy. They were also coated in a dry seasoning. I have never had wings with a dry seasoning, opting to always go for the sauced style of wings. Much to my surprise, the wings are very flavorful and have a bit of heat. Warning... I am a bit of a spice head so my idea of a bit of heat is probably a lot heat for the average person. So, don't say you haven't been warned! The wings also came with a side of ranch and celery. Typical sides for wings just about anywhere.
Overall
Trader's Grille is a good hotel restaurant with a nice menu and fair prices. The staff is friendly, helpful and professional. I have enjoyed the food I have eaten from here. It isn't a high brow place and that is good after a long day of work. So, if you ever find your self in the Normal, IL area, give Trader's Grille a try. I bet you won't be disappointed. read more