Catfish heaven!!! This restaurant on Route 66 is the best spot for local food and clearly popular…read moregiven the totally full parking lot. Friendly midwestern waitress big salad bar definite destination!!

Entering The Ariston Cafe is a trip back to an earlier time. The entire decor is vintage and it is…read morewell maintained. It's a simple cafe with delicious food and it's served as if it is a white linen restaurant. Yep, all tables have white linen tablecloths and napkins. All the wait staff are wearing black slacks, white shirts with black ties and looking mighty fine. I happened to be visiting on a Sunday during Brunch hours. I'm typically not a buffet kinda guy, but I was today. I thought by doing the buffet, I'd be able to experience many of their different menu items all in my initial visit. After saying I wanted the buffet, my server brought me a clear chilled plate for the salad and soup bar, which was included with the buffet. She also gave me a warm dinner plate for the buffet line. As I dined, she checked with me and when needed she gave me a clean plate for my next trip through the line. The variety of foods were impressive. They had a section with all the typical breakfast foods; scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuits & gravy and potatoes. It all looked good, but I focused on lunch items. My first trip through the line was, a HUGE fried chicken breast, green beans and mashed potatoes with white gravy. It was some of the best chicken I have had in a while. The seasoning was great, it was super crispy and crunchy and the meat was juicy. Their green beans were made from scratch with bacon and onions. The salt and pepper seasoning was just enough flavor. Then real mashed potatoes and a true country white gravy. I was satisfied with that plate alone, but went back to try more. Second trip I had Mostaccioli that tasted as if an Italian grandma had made it. It was super cheesy and the right amount of Italian seasoning. Then I had a couple Catfish Nuggets, General Tso's Nuggets, Mac-n-Cheese and Roast Beef. I was getting so full, I didn't even get anything from the soup and salad bar. I was seated close, so I did take a peak and it had a good variety of offerings. I'll be sure to try it on my next visit. My server was stellar. She was very attentive and friendly. I liked that the entire staff were dressed as if they were in a 50's diner or perhaps an upscale restaurant being the black & white. It's the Centennial Celebration of Route 66 this year. That should give you reason to go eat at the oldest restaurant on Route 66, which is The Ariston.

Ordered bacon burger and garlic butter burger , both were absolutely fantastic. Service was great,…read morefriendly and prompt. Will be back!

Visits in JUL-AUG-OCT 2025…read more We moved into town this summer. Our realtor provided gift certificate as a closing congratulations. After we came the first visit I wanted to take my time, have a few more visits before I wrote. My rating of 3 (okay) in this case think of it as an academic C, a passing grade but certainly room for improvement. Rooster's Pub is okay, the food is okay, the service is okay, it is clean. If you are looking for a bar food meal this is an okay place to choose. You can stop here, disregard the rest and make your choice. I suspect that Rooster's is popular locally (and has some high ratings) is familiarity, and a customer base that hasn't widely traveled, there is nothing wrong with that. I am comfortable saying that this place is also likely a good bar, for those interested in that environment. It is not quite for me (us) as a restaurant. We have only been during the lunch hours. I have never owned a bar or restaurant. I worked in them at various levels earlier in life. I acknowledge how tough it is to be a bar that also has standout food. In my experience that is rather rare. I know that when a bar does get that balance right, they have a limited menu. They make a few things and make them well. A full menu is always going to have to carry some amount of frozen "Sysco" things dropped into hot oil. Our meals, I have had two okay tenderloins and one burger, my wife two fish (slightly overdone) meals, and one burger. My wish is for continued success for Rooster's, it is a fine place for others. As currently functioning it is not a place for me. This is also okay if the oil is always fresh, and the cook is attentive and pulls things soon enough to guard color/texture and the cooking finishes during delivery to table. On another note it seems that in our 3 visits, things are cooked hard and fast but then sit in the window, cooling until delivered lukewarm and past that "golden moment". A few lines about the fries. People do like them, I however do not prefer house cut fries. I think the basic restaurant frozen fry, well executed, is an easy win. Our's have been dark and soggy on arrival. I did get the tots on the middle visit (better), had forgotten the fry defeciency and got them this last time. My wife, a Midwestern lover of all things potato, left nearly half of her order. Overall plating has been a bit haphazard, not expecting a cooking show, but I do appreciate something that arrives looking intentional. There just doesn't seem to be a level of care applied to the meals that have come to our table (a note on that at the end). We have only had the same two front of house workers. They are polite (maybe stiffly and overly so), they get the order right and they accomplish the mission. However is feels a bit like a "transaction", which I understand it is, the customers aren't your friend. I don't think it's just us, there doesn't seem to be any warmth with anyone that comes in (even what I presume are regulars). If there is a scale with annoyed that I exist on one end, and a warm hug on the other, the service here is much closer to the left hashmark. A final note about my meals here. If the gaps in execution are some message that I am not worthy of a best effort, or simply not welcome- message received.

The service was fast . The server was nice and polite and quick with bringing back the food . I was…read morenot too find of the Apple pie because it was very tart and I'm keen to sweet apples.

First off - the pie and the staff, amazing! The facilities are clean and it's very country cozy…read more I wasn't terribly impressed with the food. It's quite possible it was just dish I had (open faced roast beef), but it was stop worthy on its own. The pies are though!

It was a Friday during Lent and I went to Delmar Public House to enjoy their Fish & Chips. Well,…read morethat didn't happen. In addition to their regular menu, DPH always has a Weekly Special Menu. Once I saw what the weekly special pasta was, I had to have it. I am a huge fan of Smoked Salmon and they did theirs in house. The pasta not only had the smoked salmon, it also had sautéed red onion, a tangy European style cream cheese sauce and cavatappi pasta with fried cappers and fresh dill. The cream sauce was perfect. It was just a light covering, enough for flavor without being overwhelming. As always, the portion was healthy, so I had leftovers for the next days lunch. I enjoyed it chilled and it was like eating a cold pasta salad. DPH always gets bonus points from me for having eco-friendly to-go vessels. My adult beverage of choice for the seafood pasta, was a glass of Pinot Gris. I prefer a Grigio, but they only had the Gris. Gris is fairly similar to Grigio. I always say, it's like a first cousin, once removed. Service is always top-notch. It doesn't matter if you are sitting at a table or the bar, you'll be treated right.

Had an enjoyable time at DPH this morning at their Mother's Day brunch. Had espresso martinis, an…read moreorder of the scotch eggs Benedict, breakfast bowl with sausage and topped the meal off with dessert of their lemon posset for the table. Eggs and Benny were so good and the dessert was THE BEST! Thank you Jenna for serving us and a big shout out to Mark and Melissa for a wonderful experience.

Amazing great comfort food. Great service. You must eat here…read more The omelets with hash browns are so good. Now I need to go again.

food and service was great, large portions and very attentive staff. felt welcomed and appreciatedread more

Great food, awesome service! I took a single moment or two little girls there for lunch after…read morechurch on a Sunday and the toasted ravioli were amazing. The girls loved their meals and my friend loved hers as well. Our server was phenomenal, although I don't quite remember her name, but I would recommend this place to anyone.

Do you love large breast? If so you need to visit Castelli's and have their fried chicken dinner…read more The breast they serve, are the largest I have ever seen and the accompanying pieces are impressive as well. Thick meaty thighs, curvaceous legs and wings that look as if the chicken has been pumping iron at the local gym. Big pieces, crispy flavorful coating and juicy meat. I primarily do carry-out and the quality of their take out is equally as good as when dining in the restaurant. Pick-up is smooth and fast, as they have a separate entrance and room for take-out. The staff is friendly and very professional. The service has that family owned business feel. If you're a fan of Onion Rings, I recommend enjoying an order as an appetizer. Their rings are super big and made in house. I do not like onion rings that come from a bag. When ordering my sides, I like mashed potatoes with white gravy. They also offer brown gravy, if that is your thing. My other side is always green beans. They make their green beans with bacon and onion. It reminds me of my momma's. With those two sides, it is a true Sunday Chicken Dinner on any day of the week. I've been coming to Castelli's my entire life. I started coming here as a child when it was called, Moonlight. Many of the locals still call it, Moonlight and no-one will correct them, because we all know where they are talking about. Service in the carry-out room is always speedy and friendly. So if you're a fan of fried chicken, I recommend ordering on-line for a pick-up. Or, treat yourself to a night out and dine in the restaurant. Remember to order the onion rings.

Small but great! The service is good and the food is good! Very close to home! Taco Tuesday has…read moregreat nachos. Only accepts cash.

The food is pretty much run of the milk. Good service is on the 3 1/2 out of five stars ambience…read morewell it's just a good old little town bar where everybody knows your name but it's not cheers. It's yellow dog. But that's what makes it special to all of us that live in Warden. It's a nice place to go and just talk with your other fellow residence. That like myself ENJOYS A Cocktail or five

Since I retired almost 3 years ago, I've enjoyed having breakfast out. I had an early AM shift for…read morework and my body alarm clock hasn't adjusted, so I just get up and go out for a hearty breakfast and Clifton Country Inn is one of my favorites in my restaurant rotation. I've ordered a variety of different breakfasts and have never been disappointed. My recent outing, I enjoyed their Chicken Fried Steak with a side of scrambled eggs, Hash Browns and a Biscuit. When the waitress asked if I wanted Hash Browns or American Fries, I asked her what her favorite was and she said Hash Browns and she recommended adding onions. I took her advice and she was so right. I also liked that they put the Milk Gravy on the side, so I could add it to my Chicken Fried Steak and to my fluffy biscuit. Another thing that I like here, is their seasoning. They do not over salt in the preparation. The service here is friendly and attentive. I typically sit at the small counter, so I do not tie up one of the tables dining alone. One of the advantages of sitting at the counter, my coffee cup is never empty. All the waitress keep it full, since the coffee station is right there. I need to expand my experience and go here for lunch. I've heard the burgers are pretty delicious, too.

This takes the cake as my new favorite breakfast spot! Absolutely what I want from a diner…read morebreakfast. The chocolate chip pancakes were delicious (it's been so long since I've had pancakes this good) and the corned beef hash and potatoes was excellent too. Our server was attentive and sweet, and the place is pretty quiet and relaxing. (Even with our very large group.) It's not too crowded or loud. Not to mention, you can get breakfast all day, I'm pretty sure.

OMG! I just happened to visit the Wooden Duck for my first time, during Blackburn Colleges…read moreHomecoming. The restaurant was packed and the staff hustled to provide good service. Lucky for me, I was able to get a seat at the bar. My adult beverage was a draft Flight by Yuengling. For lunch, I went with a Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with a side of Fries. The tenderloin was crisp and had good flavor. However, it had a perfect shape, so I could tell it came from a bag and was not done in house. I enjoyed the thin crisp fries. A roll of Paper Towels served as your napkin. Typically I prefer linen, but for a dive bar, paper towels do the trick. I also liked that the Wooden Duck has hooks under the bar. Hooks provide a safe place for purses and jackets. I got a giggle when I used the mens room and the owner showed his political views by having a caricature of the governor in the urinal. They even had a witty disclaimer, so you shouldn't be offended. I got a second giggle when I looked around the bar and realized, about 60% of the guest were an alternative lifestyle. So everyone is welcome at the Wooden Duck.

How did I get here. We retired to a small town that doesn't have a DMV office. So we drove the 20…read moremiles to the thriving metropolis of Carlinville (not really,charming for sure, but just big enough to have cheap plaza office space for a state govt. office). So of course although my wife had done extensive research on all the documentation we would need to pay a state to drive our car...we had missed one. So we went to the Wood Duck for lunch while we waited for our credit union to send us a lien release form. We had talked to the kind soul at the DMV and she was "all-in" on this place. She was so right. It is an intimate space, with a small bar out front, and then a few more tables in a back area. We took a booth right in front of the kitchen. It is a very "locals" place. There were some police having lunch (likely the entire force, at least by weight)...and one of them stared me down as if he had never seen a veteran, former DoD executive, in a collared shirt, and khakis in a public restaurant before. [Yes I was the only pepper in the salt]. The actual restaurant staff was excellent, and welcoming. Our server was a whirlwind of effecient hospitality. I got a pork tenderloin sandwich (and later the same day was invited to join a pork tenderloin sandwich group on FB)... ordered the fries, not clear if that came with them, didn't keep the reciept. My wife got a cheesburger that she was very happy with. My tenderloin was crispy, juicy and a bit too salty in a good way. This place is a definite keeper on the list of places we will be willing to travel to over time. Perhaps if I come back often enough, Barney will get used to "others" visiting his little fiefdom.

Stopped in my lunch and I must say.... That make a pretty good chicken wrap! I LOVE SMALL LOCAL…read moreBUSINESSES! Always satisfying! Thank you!