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takingthekids.com

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The Secret Illinois Buffet That Locals Try To Hide From Outsiders

A truck stop restaurant that started in 1928 as a garage selling sandwiches is still serving an all-you-can-eat buffet today. That alone deserves a second look. The buffet starts at 6 AM. Breakfast favorites, comfort-food classics, and rotating dishes fill the line, with a soup and salad station waiting nearby.

Illinois · 2d
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Journal Star

partner publisher · 22.7K followers
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'Big news': Peoria steakhouse to offer lunch daily

PEORIA – Local restaurant Alexander’s Steakhouse shared some “big news” on Nov. 3. Beginning next Monday, Nov. 9, the business will be open daily for lunch. Diners will find a lunch menu, along with the restaurant’s dinner menu, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. After that, the eatery will transition to dinner-only operations. 'Bring your appetite': New sushi spot to host soft opening in Peoria Updated hours at Alexander’s Steakhouse will be 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The announcement came hours before the restaurant was named winner of multiple categories in the 2026 Community’s Choice Awards . The eatery took the top spot for the Fine Dining , Salad/Salad Bar and Steakhouse dining categories. More: Is Alexander's Steakhouse fine dining? The company president weighs in Connect with Alexander’s Steakhouse Address: 100 Alexander Ave., Peoria Phone: (309) 688-0404 Website: https://alexanderssteak.com/ Love food? Get the latest food news sent directly to your inbox with our free PJStar Dining newsletter . This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 'Big news': Peoria steakhouse to offer lunch daily

Peoria, IL · 5d

decorhint.com

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This Tiny Illinois Diner Is Hidden Inside An Old Gas Station But Piles The Plates High

A giant Phillips 66 shield hangs on a diner wall in central Illinois, and nobody is pumping gas. The license plates and old stoplights hanging nearby make the scene even more curious, like a garage that switched careers. Calling the decor themed would be a little off, since themed suggests...

Peoria, IL · 2d
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everafterinthewoods.com

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This Old-School Illinois Butcher Shop Still Cuts From Hanging Cattle And Makes Over 80 Sausages

A carved wooden pig head hands out your number at the door. That’s how your visit starts at one of the most beloved butcher counters in Illinois. The kitchen behind the counter turns out more than 80 kinds of sausages and brats. A smokehouse adds more than 10 kinds of homemade bacon to the lineup.

Chicago, IL · 2d
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everafterinthewoods.com

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Families Drive From Every Corner Of Illinois To Load Their Plates At This Old-Fashioned All-You-Can-Eat Spot

Bread arrives at the table with a knife standing straight up in the loaf. That’s how dinner starts at one Illinois steakhouse, and it only gets better from there. Next comes an unlimited salad bar loaded with soup, hot dishes, puddings, and potato salad. Then there are the pies.

Effingham, IL · 4d

everafterinthewoods.com

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Twirl Into Decades Of Family Memories At This Unassuming Illinois Italian Restaurant In Pekin

A sandwich that shares its name with a Venetian boat has been pulling central Illinois families back to the same tables for decades. It’s called the gondola, and some folks still tie it to childhood memories from the early 1990s. The bread gets talked about just as much. It’s...

Pekin, IL · 2d

takingthekids.com

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We Ranked The 9 Breakfast Restaurants In Springfield, Illinois, You’ll Want To Know About

One breakfast spot in Illinois serves a pancake roughly the size of a large pizza. I can’t stop thinking about the size of the plate needed for that. Then there’s the breakfast horseshoe. It’s a local legend built from toast, eggs, meat, and potatoes, all buried under cheese sauce or gravy.

Springfield, IL · 8d

fastfoodclub.com

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Small Illinois Towns Hide These 7 Family Restaurants

Some of the best meals in Illinois are served in towns with one main street and a water tower you can spot from the highway. Many of these restaurants have been run by the same families for decades, feeding farmers, road trippers, and grandkids alike. This list covers seven of...

Illinois · 8d

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Illinois Farmers Market Moves Indoors For Winter, So Your Sunday Produce Run Never Stops

Snow on the boulevard doesn’t cancel this Sunday market. When winter hits, the whole thing simply heads indoors and keeps going. I love that idea. Your weekly bread, eggs, and cheese haul doesn’t have to pause just because Illinois decided to freeze solid for a few months. In...

Chicago, IL · 3d

takingthekids.com

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6 Illinois Pizza Joints Where Tavern-Cut Squares Have Fed Families For Over 50 Years

Tavern-style pizza has its own official holiday now. It lands every October 22, and I love that a thin, crunchy pie earned a spot on the calendar. The squares came first for a practical reason. Early tavern pizza was handed out as a free snack, cut small so folks could eat with one hand.

Chicago, IL · 2d

videtteonline.com

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Business spotlight: Hensy's Hot Dogs

Hensy’s Hot Dogs is a new independently owned business in the Bloomington area. The food truck opened on Oct. 24. Hensy’s Hot Dogs owner Tyler Henson is the food truck’s sole worker. It took Henson a little over a year to set up and prepare the hot dog truck, ensuring it was ready for business.

Bloomington, IL · 1d

Axios Chicago

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Last call for THC drinks at Illinois liquor stores

A century after Prohibition, Illinois liquor stores are preparing for another last call: This time, it's for THC drinks . The latest: A new state law aimed at cracking down on unregulated cannabis products will force many popular hemp-derived THC beverages off liquor store shelves starting Nov. 12. Why it matters: THC drinks have emerged as an alternative to alcohol, finding their way into liquor stores, bars and grocery stores. But the new law is poised to disrupt the growing beverage industry. How it works: Under the new Illinois Hemp Act, products containing more than 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container will be classified as cannabis and can only be sold by licensed cannabis dispensaries. To put that in perspective, a 5-milligram THC drink contains 12.5 times the amount allowed under the new limit, while a 10-milligram drink contains 25 times as much. State of play: Binny's Beverage Depot and other liquor stores are already clearing out their THC beverages ahead of the deadline. Retailers have until Nov. 11 to sell or otherwise dispose of affected inventory before the new restrictions take effect. Context: The legislation, signed by Gov. JB Pritzker in June, was designed to bring oversight to

Illinois · 4d

takemetotn.com

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This Unassuming Illinois Pizzeria Serves Sausage Pizza So Good It Should Almost Be Illegal

Anthony Bourdain called one pan pizza the only deep dish he ever loved. That pie still comes out of a small, homey pizzeria on a quiet suburban street in Illinois. The crust edge gets so dark and caramelized that it looks almost burnt. It isn’t. That crunchy, cheesy rim is the whole point, and the sausage on top is a house blend.

Illinois · 7d

fastfoodclub.com

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Why Peoria Regulars Keep Coming Back To Avanti Ristorante On Rockwood Road For The Gondola Sandwich

Some sandwiches are lunch, and some sandwiches are a family tradition. In Peoria, one long sandwich on soft, sweet bread has been feeding kids, parents, and grandparents for decades. People drive in from the Quad Cities just to grab a few before heading home. Some families buy the bread by...

Peoria, IL · 10d

familydestinationsguide.com

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These 7 Illinois Restaurants Serve Mexican Food So Good You’ll Say “Ay Caramba”

Ready to find the best Mexican food in Illinois without leaving the state?. These 7 restaurants serve bold flavors and satisfying meals that’ll keep you coming back for more!. 1. El Tragón Taquería (Chicago) The name “El Tragón” roughly means “the big eater” in Spanish, and honestly,...

Chicago, IL · 16h

takingthekids.com

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We Ranked The Best Italian Beef In Illinois And These 7 Spots Made The Cut

A sandwich stand on a busy Chicago street became the filming spot for a hit TV show, and its business reportedly more than doubled. That is the kind of pull an Italian beef sandwich has in Illinois. The idea goes back about a century. Thin-sliced roast beef gets soaked in...

Illinois · 4d

unearththevoyage.com

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This Tiny Illinois Bakery Serves Flaky Danish Pastries So Authentic You’ll Swear You’re In Copenhagen

Some of the best bites in Illinois hide in places you would drive right past without a second look. I walked into a small, quiet bakery expecting a quick donut and walked out with a box of buttery Danish treats and a new weekend habit. The kind of flaky layers...

Burr Ridge, IL · 1d

everafterinthewoods.com

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This Illinois Restaurant Serves Holiday Meals Beneath A Giant Christmas Tree

A Christmas tree stands right in the middle of a department store dining room, rising so high it nearly brushes the ceiling. People book tables months ahead just to eat lunch under it. The room itself dates back to 1907. The walls are covered in walnut paneling, and crystal chandeliers...

Chicago, IL · 1d

unearththevoyage.com

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12 States Famous for Surprisingly Unusual Sandwiches

Somewhere in Massachusetts, people put chow mein noodles and gravy on hamburger buns. In Illinois, a sandwich comes buried under French fries and cheese sauce. And in Mississippi, pig ears are a longtime sandwich filling. These aren’t novelty foods created for social media. They’re regional traditions with histories stretching back...

Illinois · 3d

takemetotn.com

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This Nostalgic Illinois Diner Has A Sweet Surprise For Anyone Who Loves Greek Donuts

Free Greek donuts are not something you expect with breakfast, but one Illinois cafe has been known to hand them out on select weekdays. That small surprise is enough to make any morning feel brighter. The kitchen leans on Greek roots and classic diner comfort. Lemon rice soup shares a...

Illinois · 1d