University Dogs

Loved our meal and our server Julie was amazing!! Food was so good and moderately priced. Great…read moreatmosphere

My favorite is the salmon salad with the rasberry dressing. Awesome. My wife loves the hamburers.read more

See all

Krekel's Custard & Hamburger

4.5(82 reviews)

2.6 mi

I see why one of the other locations I rated has a poor ordering system you walk up to a bunch of…read morepeople not in a line waiting on one of the 2 windows to open to ask who is next. Probably the worst ordering system I've ever encountered. In fact some jerk cut in front of me and another person because of this failed system. They don't even have any literature explaining this poor system either. Finally get my order in and take a seat, ordered the triple cheeseburger and fries and a coke. It didn't take long to get and have to say, food was good. The burger seemed a tad smaller than other locations. Food was a more expensive than other locations too, Springfield location is the worst and most expensive though. They don't have indoor seating, fyi. I would return, but would recommend preordering to avoid their poor service.

I absolutely love this spot, I've quite literally travel all around the world and from state to…read morestate. I've enjoyed a few smash burgers but it's just something about this place that always keeps coming back whenever I'm in town. The lemon custard is absolutely my favorite hands downs. The burgers are simple but good, this spot was doing smash burgers before they were ever even a big thing. The staff are always pleasant, I don't think I've ever had a bad interaction. It's just a cute little small town family owned business and you really get that vibe when you're there.

Krekels flagship location

The building

See all

Menu 7.31.20026

The Burger Barn & Sue's Snow Cones

5.0(1 review)

1.1 mi

Cannot tell you how much this fried chicken sandwich and hand-breaded catfish filets are still on…read moremy mind 3 days later MMMMMmmmmmm The Burger Barn/Sue's Snow Cones are located in the parking lot of a drive through liquor store; Don't blink or you might have to pull a u-turn. Luckily, you should be able to see the bright red barn in the corner of the parker lot with it's inviting menu and delicious smells! Vern and Sue are the owners, and they just opened to the public! He, a former restaurant owner, and she, a chef and business woman, are starting this new food truck (barn on a trailer) and have an incredible menu! They have an assortment of tenderloins, fries, friend chicken, fried catfish, catfish nuggets, burgers, and tons of flavors of snow cones! Most items come as sandwiches or dinners. This is all fresh and made to order so pop into the liquor store, play a couple slots or grab an adult beverage inside while you wait. They do have drinks for sale too but get the snow cone for $2- it will be just as refreshing as a beverage! Everything is very reasonably priced for a local business and if you have $10, you won't go away hungry from here! Don't be surprised if they have some rotating special menu items, but check their facebook page for specials and special events where Sue will be dishing up Snow Cones around town! https://www.facebook.com/The-Burger-BarnSues-Snow-Cones-100681015550120 Catfish Sandwich: Holy Catfish, this thing was huge! We got 2 of the biggest, juiciest filets of catfish I've ever seen and I swear this is the best I've ever had! Still drooling over the amazing cornbread breading and perfectly deep-fried moist catfish. Mmm! Fried Chicken: This breading is incredible! It must have some sort of leavening agent as it is so light and fluffy and crispy goodness (but isn't heavy like chicken chains!). Would 100% recommend to anyone trying to get a fix of a chicken sandwich; You can customize all the toppics (pickles, onions, tomato slices, etc. plus packets of every sauce you can imagine!). I loved it and would definitely go back! Highly recommend 5 Stars!

See all

Burger Theory

3.1(34 reviews)

5.0 mi

This chain restaurant (connected to the Decatur Holiday Inn) is clean with plentiful seating. While…read morethe staff is minimal, they are attentive and great at multitasking when large groups arrive. My burger was cooked exactly to my specifications (medium, little bit of pink) which provided a juicy base to the build-your-own additions. Fries were solid and I appreciated the pickle spear to round out the dish. I started with wings, but their buffalo sauce is...unique. I cannot say I love the flavor; there's something off about it for me. I have a similar feeling with Red Robin's buffalo sauce, so if that doesn't bother ya, you're probably fine!

Ordered the Farm Fresh burger as a lettuce wrap--the burger was fine, wouldn't say it was worth the…read moreprice, but it was okay. The lettuce part not so much--wimpy and gross in some spots. Onion rings were good if a tad overcooked? Our hostess, waiter and presumably the manager (?), were all great--very nice and funny. Nothing to complain about.

Bar

BYOB

See all

The Wharf

3.8(68 reviews)

1.6 mi

True hidden gem! This is a local favorite and run by an awesome couple! Note: it's behind the…read morecircleK gas station. There's plenty of parking but behind circleK and the subway. Ok. Outside- yes, it used to be a pretty rough bar but was taken over and made into a great tavern. The burgers coming out on brioche grilled buns looked amazing! Wasn't too hungry so went with pick two on the apps. What I liked? The pick two isn't limited.. like they tell you which couple items you can pick. That's small but greatly appreciated bonus. Went with the clam strips (good) and the house battered mushroom slices. And get with their house made ranch! In this cold weather, they also have a great fireplace in the middle, so wherever you sit, you're getting some heat. Looking forward to coming back for dinner! If you want to support a local, family owned restaurant, this is your place!

The Wharf and The Winery are two of my MUST visits whenever I'm back in Decatur- gosh I miss these…read morespots and hope they always stay around! Cozy atmosphere, great service, and good food!

Inside view from bar. Good crowd for lunch

House made fried mushrooms and the clam strips. Sauces are (L to R...house made ranch, cocktail and tarter sauce)

See all

The FourNine

4.2(73 reviews)

6.5 mi

Good food funny name. My friends really like the place. It was better some of the places I've…read morebeen to.

First time in four nine and for early bird hours this place was really starting to fill up. That…read moresays a lot. I had a mac and cheese wrap that had some spicy pork pieces and pretty great aioli! Server and host were great and the bartender made a really nice smoky Manhattan. Kids had Mac and cheese and a smash burger that was lovely and eaten pretty quick by both of them. A great experience while in Mt Zion (south of Decatur). You should go for it!

Outside (covered) patio dining area.

Caprese Salad - Fresh mozzarella, sliced tomato, basil and balsamic drizzle. I.G = kim.d.west

See all

A new Bldg, to serve four-times the number of Guests

Hotshots Sports Bar and Grill - Decatur

3.5(19 reviews)

0.9 mi

Ambiance: nice sports bar. Plenty of big TVs. Zero complaints. (4/5)…read more Service: great. Very friendly and helpful. Was checked on periodically which was nice. (5/5) Food: had the wings. They were fine. Menu says house made ranch but it was ok. Didn't really taste like homemade / house made. Wings were good size. Got the garlic parm. Tasted like most other places. My complaint is that they tasted a little under cooked. There wasn't any pink but it was border line. Then tried the traditional "hotshots famous " wing sauce. But.. I got them "trashed". Which is double dipped and fried. I really wanted to like these but they just didn't taste like traditional buffalo sauce (franks hot sauce, butter and vinegar). But the biggest issue was the up-charge. The menu says for trashed, it's "$2 extra" but.... I was charge $2/wing! I hope mgmt fixes that. With all that said, I'd like to try again but maybe a burger next time.

Just popped in to grab a quick lunch. Hits all the right notes, great staff, clean, good food and…read morereasonable prices. Lots of TVs I can bet it would be a great spot to watch a game. Will return.

See all

Coney McKane's American Eatery

3.7(114 reviews)

0.9 mi

First time there and had very good service. The French Dip meat was so tender and was excellent…read morewith the horseradish mayo. Homemade potato soup was thick, creamy and delicious! The sangria hit the spot! We will definitely be back!

Best place to get drinks with food as far as downtown Decatur. Coney McKane's has things like…read moreburgers and hot dogs as well as some fancier items. It also has a few options for vegetarians. A kind of cramped place so it always has a crowd. The prices aren't that bad for the quality and service. A lack of fancier restaurants around here in a town that mostly has chains. It's more of a kind of classier sports bar and grill. The atmosphere is pretty good because it's one of the few happening places around here. A place where one can watch a game and get craft cocktails as well as well cooked burgers. There's also plenty of meal sized salads for healthier options. It's about $12 for a basic cocktail. They have a pretty okay amount of spirits including whiskeys. It's about $10 for an Impossible Burger. We got these and had to choose our toppings. Also these come with a side such as fries. Pretty good amount of food for an okay price. Among the other items on the menu is fish. They have plenty of burgers as well as Po Boy sandwiches. Also there's soups and plenty of shareable appetizers. They also have desserts such as pie. For sure it's one of the nicer restaurants in the area. It's closed Sundays and Mondays. There's lots of meaty options and some things for vegetarians.

Dining Room

Medium Chicken Pecan Salad

See all

Krekel's Custard

4.3(18 reviews)

1.4 mi

Love the burgers, always fresh and never missed what I wanted on them.. love the shakes as well. If…read moreyou like lemon ice cream.. go get ya some, it's delicious!!!

Love the place. The original smash burgers. This is a central Illinois institution. You can't go…read morewrong coming here.

An old building that could use some TLC...

Double cheeseburger, in wrapping

See all

Front

The Draft Sports Bar & Grill

3.2(74 reviews)

5.1 mi

Basic little casual and simple sports bar. It doesn't look like much and maybe it's not much but…read moreit's something for those just wanting to drink and eat a bit while watching a game. The Draft is one of the typical kind of bars in Decatur, greasy and lots of TVs. People crowded around the bar in the middle. The prices are kind of high for this kind of thing it seems. After being about ready to leave town, we stopped at this bar. It's on the far north side close to the interstate. This place didn't look like much when pulling up on it, but we still went in though. It's not big. There's a bar in the middle. Lots of TVs played various games. We got the cheapest beers and something to eat as well. It was $6 for beer on draft. This was kind of a lot for something like Miller Lite. As for the food, it was about as good as expected. We got the Bavarian Pretzel Sticks. It's $9 for a few. These were probably frozen but still were okay for the most part. Getting here while traveling through is pretty easy, as it's close to the exit off the interstate. It's about as good as you can expect for a local kind of place. The beer selection is limited and there's not that much interesting as far as food, just like pretzels and things.

If you're staying at the Ramada or other nearby hotel in Forsyth/Decatur, this venue offers…read moredecently priced drinks, great space, attentive staff, and...underwhelming food. I completely agree with Yelper Al D.'s 'meh' description of their food. I literally |do|not|understand| how my build-your-own (extra cheese, jalapeños, sausage) had NO flavor. I doused it in red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese they brought to the table and still nothing. My wings were fried and tossed in buffalo sauce and served with blue cheese. From the picture I added to Yelp, you'd think they were pretty solid...but my taste buds were equally dismissive. And I also agree with Yelper Angela S. I tried hopping tables to find one that wasn't wobbly before I gave up and stuffed some napkins under one of the legs. As I lifted my head I noticed how many nearby tables had attempted the same thing. IMHO, if you're looking for a venue to watch a game, have a cold, yeasty beverage with friends, and snacks, Draft Sports Bar & Grill will suffice. If you're looking for anything else, best keep driving.

TVs along the walls

Chicken parm sliders

See all

Why does Yelp recommend reviews?

Hundreds of millions of reviews are posted on Yelp, and our automated recommendation software works in the background to showcase the reviews that it …

2 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Kathleen T.

10 years ago

I always crave for burgers (even if i'm thin), i stumbled upon this place and could not Burgers were awesome and could not help but eat too much. read more

Z P.

15 years ago

Fantastic food, done right!!! Charred Chicago Style Hot Dogs, excellent burgers, and the fries fresh-cut!

University Dogs - bbq - Updated October 2026

People who viewed University Dogs also viewed

Carrol Lou's Smokehouse

4.2

(91 reviews)

Your classic no-frills bbq place. It's not fancy bc it's all about the bbq. And I'm 100% ok…read morewith that. Supposedly they sell out daily. I don't know what other issues people had with service but everyone was super nice and helpful. And walked me thru the menu. Got the smoke wings with garlic parm on side. I would vote 7/10. Great flavor withoutsauce but a "little" dry. If we are being picky vs others I've tried. But again, I would 100% get them again. Garlic parm sauce was great to dip them in. The star of the meal? The smoked pastrami 20/10. . Hands down.. amazing. It's an extremely close second to Green Street bbq in Chicago. I got their regular bbq sauce (Carolina red) on the side. It's called Carolina but no vinegar. Which I'm ok with. What great sweat bbq sauce. Totally unique. Would be amazing on chicken or pulled pork. I'm now a huge fan of this place. Can't wait to try rest of menu and Brisket Mac n cheese!

I stop by Carrol Lou's all the time. Food is good and you get a lot. I stopped today to get lunch…read more They were busy with a line waiting to order. I stepped to the back of the line to wait my turn. The young lady taking orders took five people's orders ahead of me. I stepped up to order and she stepped away to start helping the two people fixing the food. Now I was the last one in the line when she stepped away. Why she just did not take my order and then step away I doing not know. I stood there for a long time then gave up and left. I ran in to the owner outside and told him about it. He just blew me off and called me Buddy. The owners have been arrogant in the past for no reason. I am aways nice and respectful. This restaurant's business is good now but treating good customers like this will hurt your business in the long run. I will never eat there again.

Bobbie Lane's BBQ

3.7

(16 reviews)

Blues and BBQ on a sunny spring afternoon. Not sure more I could have asked for. First visit. My…read morefriend ordered a rack of ribs and was completely satisfied. He had Mac-n-cheese as his side and said they were high level. I ordered the Giganta sandwich that included smoked turkey, pulled port and brisket, covered in queso and grilled onions. WOW! May be new favorite sandwich ... ever! It's a fork and knife meal and extremely filling. The baked beans were good, but I was a little disappointed in the amount of brisket that should have been in there. This place rocks! Service was friendly, but it appeared only one person serving the entire place, but it's not large. Loved the blues music in the background. Illini and Bears memorabilia on the walls.

Good q Went for lunch today had pulled pork with fries it…read morewas good , my friend wanted ribs but they were out of them she picked something else it was good also. Place is clean service was also good, we will go back to try some of the other bbq that they have. P

PT's Barbeque

4.5

(29 reviews)

Stopping through Decatur from Indianapolis and was in the mood for some BQQ. This beats half the…read morebqq spots in my city! Definitely worth a try.

There is no flavor in the macaroni and cheese. But the barbecue sausage sandwich deliciousread more

The Turkey Man

4.5

(8 reviews)

If this isn't on your bucket "get it listed!"! My wife brought us smoked Turkey legs and the…read morecollard greens taco's. If I could give this gentleman a 10, you better bet I would give it to them. The taste was uniquely delicious and the leg was perfectly smoked. It was fall off the bone tender with such fantastic flavor. The collard greens tacos will absolutely surprise you, they are delicious. A must visit.

Been here a few times. First time it was decent. Customer service was good. Second time. Not so…read moregood but I know everyone has a bad day. Third time 3 meals, $72 rating 5/10. Today 3 meals and 2 pieces of cake. 3/10. $88. Asked for a foil pan for one of the turkey boils just like the holiday turkey was in. Was told they couldn't do that so got a $30 meal in a plastic bag. Then this is the chicken tip meal. Burnt and dried out. Looks like they chopped up 1/2 of a chicken thigh

Harley's Hideout

4.8

(14 reviews)

The food was good. The prices are reasonable. The service was great! Nice little small town…read morehang-out.

Found this place for a lunch meeting outside the Decatur/Mt Zion area. Great food and services…read more Loved the fried mushrooms and the tenderloin.

Kincaid Diner

4.8

(13 reviews)

We've enjoyed our food every time. Wish they had real barbecue sauce to send with to-go orders.read more

I heard that this place did the Pork Tenderloin Sandwich right. Boy did they! It was thin, crispy,…read moreoversized and delicious. Our server was friendly and attentive. This was your classic small dinner that features photos and coal mining memorabilia.

Franks Chicago Grill

3.5

(17 reviews)

So ordered a couple of Chicago style hot dogs yesterday and was very disappointed they have…read moreapparently cut back on the hotdogs they use because I have had little smokies that were bigger around than these dogs it was quite comical if they aren't making money up there price but don't scale back the quality that is the only reason I eat there you have always had excellent quality ok rant over

The gyro was the best I've eaten.. extra friendly service I sure will be back.. and I highly…read morerecommend this to anyone that wants a great tasting gyro!!!

Debbies Diner

4.6

(27 reviews)

When I arrived I thought I was teleported back into the 70's…read more Old school is the word. I was waiting for Mel from Mel's diner to walk out from the kitchen scratching his backside. :) The staff knows all of the patrons by first name. The food was like grandma used to make and the coffee was great. Prices were good and the service was second to none If you're looking for a Starbucks kind of vibe this ain't the place. But if you want a good meal at a good price stop in. Staff is awesome Thanks guys. Can't wait to visit again Chicago Bob

We have only been in the area since early June. We are making our way around to the local area…read morespots. Debbie's caught my eye a few days ago. In the midst of a local heat wave, their A/C went down. I saw Debby (owner) post that they would close early out of concern for the safety of her people. I love good leadership where ever I find it. So that interaction pushed this diner to the top of the list. We went for lunch today. So glad, didn't get to meet Debby, but had a great time with the two young women holding down the fort who are great ambassadors for the Diner, their town, and their generation. They were both, effecient, pleasant, and engaging. My wife had the popcorn shrimp/fries. I got a patty melt/fries and coleslaw. Every item was simple, and well prepared. I liked the coleslaw, and I can be a harsh critic. The fries are those crispy battered kind, a favorite for both of us. We will absolutely be back, we live here now and need good dependable places. A town needs good, locally owned/staffed places, it is a connector, a community center. We will

Robbie's Grille

4.2

(30 reviews)

Everything we ordered was AMAZING! Made from scratch soups, dressings and even their fall peach…read morewhich had cinnamon and cloves! Just happened upon this place but we DEFINITELY be going again! Service was great as well as the atmosphere.

Robbie's is a long-time favorite so we were very pleased that they offered a prix-fixe meal for…read moreValentine's Day. We made reservations as soon as we saw their post! We got there a little after 5:00 and we were impressed as soon as we entered. They had closed all the bar seating so it was just tables for two and four. The lights were dimmed and soft jazz music was playing; creating a very romantic atmosphere. Each table had a single red rose and the TV was "tuned" to a fireplace. Our starter course was champagne accompanied by olive oil and slices of French bread. What a great way to start the evening! We each had filets and both were cooked to perfection. The steaks came by incredible roasted potatoes and mixed vegetables. We both finished our steaks and took home plenty of vegetables for tomorrow. We also had a caramel chocolate cake that looks delicious, but we were too full to eat so it's in our refrigerator waiting for us! Service by Kristi and Rodney was superior, the atmosphere was perfectly romantic and the price was very reasonable. All in all, it was a perfect Valentine's meal!

Abe's Hideout and Saloon

4.4

(34 reviews)