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Merna, IL · Food & Drink

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 · 18h

Journal Star

partner publisher · 22.7K followers

'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 · 3d

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 · 3d

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 · 11h

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 · 1d

familydestinationsguide.com

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This Charming Amish Restaurant In Illinois Serves Comfort Food Worthy Of A Road Trip

Some restaurants make you full, but Yoder’s Kitchen in Arthur, Illinois makes you feel like someone actually cares about what ends up on your plate. If you’ve never made the drive out to Arthur, you’re missing out on one of the most quietly wonderful corners of the entire state.

Arthur, IL · 8d

everafterinthewoods.com

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Families Drive Country Roads To This Humble Illinois Barn For Its Old-Fashioned Fried Chicken Dinners

Peacocks stroll the grounds while families sit down to fried chicken inside an old dairy barn. That alone sounds like a pretty good reason to gas up the car. This Illinois spot pairs that country barn setting with a salad bar loaded with homemade bread, plenty of toppings, and a long list of dressings. On Sundays, a brunch buffet shows up with a dessert spread big enough to need its own line.

Ottawa, IL · 1d

familydestinationsguide.com

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The Humble Illinois Restaurant Dishing Out Wildly Delicious Burgers

There are certain restaurants in this world that don’t need a publicist, a social media manager, or a neon sign visible from space, because the food does all the talking. The Fillin’ Station in Washington, Illinois is exactly that kind of restaurant, and the burgers it serves are the kind that make you question every other burger you’ve ever eaten.

Washington, IL · 1d

familydestinationsguide.com

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Satisfy Your Inner Chocoholic At These 7 Legendary Chocolate Shops Hiding Throughout Illinois

Craving chocolate shops in Illinois that will satisfy your inner chocoholic and leave you grinning ear to ear?. These 7 legendary chocolate shops are hiding throughout Illinois with incredible handcrafted treats and unforgettable flavors!. 1. Graham’s Fine Chocolates & Ice Cream (Geneva) Geneva has a lot going for it...

Illinois · 6d

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 · 2d

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 · 5d

Journal Star

partner publisher · 22.7K followers

'Miss serving you': Restaurant will close Peoria storefront

More than three-and-a-half years after opening, “The Original” Wonderdog is winding down operations at its Peoria storefront. The location – situated in the Northpoint Shopping Center at 8807 N. Knoxville Ave. – will bid farewell after a final day on Thursday, Oct. 29, according to an announcement from the eatery. For its final day, food and drink at the storefront will be half off. “We’ll miss serving you in Peoria, but we’d love to welcome you at our original East Peoria location, which will remain open!” the business noted in an Oct. 26 Facebook post. More: Peoria businesses face dilemma at plaza owned by healthcare giant “The Original” Wonderdog opened its Peoria storefront in late 2022 – just months after a fire forced the original location to temporarily close. That spot, situated at 2430 E. Washington St. in East Peoria, reopened in June 2023 . In announcing the Peoria closure, the restaurant added: “To everyone who has walked through our doors, shared a meal, and supported our crew over the years — THANK YOU! Your loyalty and kindness have meant so much to us.” Love food? Get the latest food news sent directly to your inbox with our free PJStar

Peoria, IL · 12d

Q985

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Illinois Joint Lands On Global List Of 50 Best Burgers On Earth

One Illinois joint made a list of the 50 best burgers on Earth, rubbing elbows with Tokyo and Dublin.

Illinois · 2d

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 · 1d

unearththevoyage.com

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Southern Illinois Has 8 Small-Town Diners Worth The Long Drive For Breakfast Alone

Some of the best mornings start with a plain little building you almost drive right past. You walk in hungry, grab a booth, and suddenly the bacon, biscuits, and coffee turn an ordinary trip into a story you keep telling. Southern Illinois is full of these quiet breakfast spots, tucked...

Southern Illinois, IL · 2d

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 · 1d

Axios Chicago

partner publisher · 5.3K followers

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 · 2d

967 The Eagle

partner publisher · 14.4K followers

Belvidere To Champaign, Illinois Barbecue Rivals Texas And Memphis

Illinois has some seriously good barbecue tucked away in small towns and Chicago neighborhoods, but most people don't realize it's even there.

Belvidere, IL · 2d

everafterinthewoods.com

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12 Lesser-Known Illinois Lakefront Restaurants Locals Fiercely Protect

Stained-glass windows and grilled octopus share a room at one lakefront restaurant in Illinois, because the building used to be a church. I read that detail twice. Then I went looking for more places like it. It turns out the smaller lakes around the state hold a surprising lineup. One...

Illinois · 1d

dewittdailynews.com

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DeWitt County Friendship Center Christmas Treat Orders Open

The DeWitt County Friendship Center is once again putting on its Christmas Treat Fundraiser. Executive Director Paula Jiles told the Hart Media Group on the WHOW Morning Show that they have expanded the menu for the annual fundraiser. Red velvet cheesecake bites, Oreo truffle balls, buckeyes, and puppy chow are now available for purchase to support the Friendship Center. She adds that orders are open now and are due by December 11th.

Clinton, IL · 1d