Hey, again, faithful review readers! So, today, we are dining at Alamo Steak House here in Mattoon, IL. We live in a small town area and this is definitely a local favorite for many in the area, us included. This is to say that the experience, the food and drink is consistently very well done. As we pulled up, the parking lot was JAMMED! It was so crowded there was only about two spots available. Wifey told me to check the wait time. So, we went in. No wait!!! It appears that everyone drove separately. The hostess was very pleasant. We had her switch our table because we like the tables vs. the booth. Today we sat in the upstairs balcony. We've sat here once before a few years ago. Pleasant. More cozy than the common dining room. Our server was very prompt, and since we come here enough, we knew what we wanted. I got the smothered chicken with a sidecar porkchop (just because I can). Sides of House Salad and Onion Rings. Wifey ordered the distiller, baked potato and a salad. For the first time ever, the dinner rolls at the table were actually overdone. It's usually crisp outside and soft inside, but this was actually way too hard. Wifey likes things well done and she said this is just not edible. This could have been easily remedied, but we did not want more so we left it be. But this was the first time this has ever been an issue in 13 years. Salads came out first. I had ordered a house salad with blue cheese but got a Caesar salad. Lots of Parmesan, good presentation. I decided I was meant to have a Caesar salad and was glad this mix up occurred. Wifey had a house salad and it was good, but she was eyeing up my Caesar with those thieving eyes! So we will call it a happy accident! Shlafly's makes a competent stout, a little hoppier than you'd expect from a stout, a little spritzier than you're used to in a stout, but I knew this going in. It's a solid brew, but not creamy like most stouts. Wifey's raspberry margarita was, good, according to her, but a little sweet. She squeezed in some lemon and lime and that helped add more tart which pleased her. She does not usually get non citrus based Margaritas, so she chalked it up to that. Again, the drink was still good, just not her favorite. A little long in the main course delivery, but, wifey had a medium well steak and that takes some time. However, it seems to be taking much longer than expected... The food DID show up, just before it became a seriously long wait. My food: Most things were not quite hot enough. All the flavors were great, but, it feels like the food was under a heat lamp that didn't work for too long, or maybe not under it for too long of a time.. At a steakhouse as "high quality" as this one, I expected better. Since our server was uber busy, we didn't voice our complaint. He was truly running hard up and down the stairs so we have no complaints with his service. But we are both disappointed that it was very not hot. And we were hungry, and the flavors were good, so we chose to eat it as is. Wifey said all the flavors of her steak and potato were on point but admittedly the not hot part took its toll on the overall. We are sad to report all of these very unusual mishaps but we really still swear by the place for the great food and for the many, many experiences that were consistently on point. We also know if we would have complained or asked it would have been fixed no holds barred. But it was pretty busy and we did not want to wait. So if one experience out of maybe 50 was a bit sub par, we are still going to consider it a winner and well worth looking past. It just seems everything happened at once. So hopefully we are all good for another 50 visits! read more

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I live in Mattoon and always see a full parking lot. I decided to give it a try since haven't eaten here in a while. My mistake. I ordered the beer battered cod and my partner the plank salmon. We waited a reasonable time to a bit long for the entrees to be served. The server did come to the table a couple times to tell us it would be out soon. When the food was served the waitress said she would be back to check on our dinner. I looked across the table and from there could see the salmon was way overcooked. My partner took a couple bites and agreed the salmon was overcooked and quite dry. I tried piece one of two of the cod and found it was a bit greasy with an over abundance of breading but tasted OK. When the server came to check on the food my partner told her the salmon was overcooked. She replied "sorry, I'll tell them" and left. We expected someone to come to the table and offer a redo or substitution but *surprise* no one and nothing happened. I thought my dinner was going to be OK until I tried the second piece of fish. It was tough and rubbery. The server finally came back to the table and asked if we wanted dessert without mentioning anything about the overcooked salmon. By this time we were so disappointed with the experience we didn't want to take a chance on a bad a dessert. In closing let me just make a couple points: 1) when food and service are good I willingly pay a good price for it 2) when food and service are not good I expect for the establishment to make it right by replacing the food or discounting the price - Neither happened! In this instance it was a $60 lesson. Needlessly to say I will not go back! read more

I am never the person to write reviews, but I have had it with eating at the Alamo. We were really looking forward to the Farm to Table dinner at the Alamo this year, especially since we missed it last year. Unfortunately, it ended up being a letdown. Honestly, the last couple of years at the Alamo have felt pretty mediocre, and this was no exception. The first course--a meatball--was actually fantastic and started the meal off on a high note. But things quickly went downhill. The second course was a brisket taco, which tasted more like sweet pulled pork with a mushy "fried" pickle--not exactly what you expect when ordering brisket tacos. For our entrees, I ordered the ribeye medium rare, but (as has happened every time we've eaten here) it came out medium-well. Megan ordered the pasta dish, and the first bowl was so over-seasoned with chili peppers it was inedible. The pasta itself was mushy and tasted like it had been cooked weeks ago. To make matters worse, it was sweltering in the dining room--easily 98 degrees--which made the whole experience even more uncomfortable. The only bright spots were our waitress, who was excellent, and the cocktails, which were well-made. Other than that, we'll be taking another long break before returning. Hopefully, next year will be better. read more

The steak we had was the worst either of us had ever tried to eat. The baked potato had ice cold butter and sour cream on it (not melting) by the way and the rolls were so stale we couldn't eat either. So we had $119 salads for dinner I was shocked on how horrible the food was because the place always seems so busy. read more

Best steak I have ever had! Our sever was amazing and the rest of the dinner was amazing.

Server was great. Hour long wait for table of 4 and burgers were very undercooked. Other dishes were bland. Not likely to return

Ate there on my birthday and really enjoyed myself. Our server was very helpful and upbeat with great suggestions. The food was really tasty. My daughter had pasta, my boyfriend had shrimp, and i had chicken and we were all very happy and full. read more

If one single place ever earned 3 stars, this is it. The service was ok. A big problem in restaurants today is management, or lack of. I saw plenty here, but none of them DO anything. If you want to be a manager, then manage. Help out, do something, and most importantly, train the staff to be great and not just ok. The food was a solid OK. Wasn't bad, but it fell well short of good. The prime rib was below average. Over done in parts, under done in others, and had almost no flavor. The garlic "smashed" potatoes were plain mashed with nothing. And the broccoli was barely even warmish. At least a couple of beers numbed the pain of an underwhelming meal. read more

Good grub. I always enjoy dining at The Alamo Steak House. Nice atmosphere and quality food. Always have excellent waiters and waitresses.

Nice enough atmosphere and service was fairly good. Asked if they still had medium rare prime rib as was late in the day and our server said yes ...it came out medium well so I tracked them down for another and they brought me a very medium one and said was best they could do. Kitchen was already closed so couldn't order anything else... Was dry and tasteless...not what I was looking for but ate it because I was hungry......and when asked pretty much told them....would think they would have comped it or dessert or something but nothing.. Might try them again but unfortunately won't expect a good steak here... read more

Long time customer of the Alamo. Took my daughter because she wanted a steak. The Distiller is a ribeye which is marbled but unfortunately hers was half fat. I ordered the citrus glazed mani mani, which in fact had a very spicy glaze on top. Fortunately, the didn't mind but the t wasn't what it was supposed to be. The rice served with th fish was dry and crunchy on the top,.. i know other words old and dry. Didn't expect spectacular, but also didn't expect disappointment. Didn't complain because it seemed pointless. The service was good and I didn't want the server to feel bad. $75 I will not spend there again:( read more

Food can be hit or miss depending food could be a lot better. Depending On order, I was seated up above and felt forgotten about by our server. Our food left much to be desired Then there were nights were the fog and service was decent. They need consistency. read more

The waitresses are always so nice, the service is excellent and the food is amazing. The fried mushrooms and pineapple upside down martini are my favorite! read more

Alamo Steakhouse & Saloon - a man sitting at a table with a menu - Steakhouses Near Me - Mattoon, Illinois

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Delmonico was amazing. Big, juicy and cooked to a perfect medium rare. Good Caesar, awesome loaded tater. Bread was sneaky good and I liked my waiter. There was an old bitch sitting next to me who wouldn't shut up about her hysterectomy. But that has nothing to do with the restaurant. read more

Alamo Steakhouse & Saloon - Steakhouses Near Me - Mattoon, Illinois

Ordered a medium Delmonico and it was extremely undercooked. The potatoes had no flavor. The caesar salad was good. I usually don't write reviews but this place was not good at all. read more

My husband and I went last night and had a wonderful meal! We both had an Alfredo dish. Because I'm a vegetarian, they accommodated me by omitting the chicken. I ordered steamed broccoli on the side and added it to my Alfredo dish. It was so good! read more

Nice atmosphere, food was decent.. prime rib and wine special was reasonably priced, but my prime rib was not exactly hot. read more

Alamo Steakhouse & Saloon - 8oz Prime Rib with horseradish sauce and au jus, and Garlic smashed potatoes (very good) - Steakhouses Near Me - Mattoon, Illinois

Food was good; service was great- even though she had to go up and down the stairs to the upstairs dining.

My husband, myself and my brother-in-law went to Alamo steakhouse for the first time. A client of mine told me this was a great place for a good steak. My husband's steak the Delmonico should have been medium when he cut into the steak it was raw and cold in the middle. My brother-in-law had the same issue with his steak, we called the waitress over who was a great waitress, but she touched the steak with her fingers and poked her finger in the raw section and said oh yes, this is not medium. Let me take this back and get you a new steak same for my brother-in-law. Well, the steaks came back and they were the same steaks. We knew this because they were cut exactly where my husband cut his steak and my brother-in-law cut his steak. We didn't say anything. They ate a couple bites and left the rest. We actually took it home to feed to our dogs. The flavor was good in the steak, if only they were cooked correctly and they didn't bring us back the steaks at the waitress touched and poked. We all had the smashed potatoes and those were OK. Need a little more flavor. The atmosphere was great in the restaurant, but the food served if you get the steak is questionable. read more

I don't know what the two star reviewers are whining about... some of those reviews sound pretty petty, and like they are coming form wannabe Foodie critics. I come to Mattoon a few days each year for work, and I always make it a point to eat at the Alamo steakhouse. The food is VERY good - I've rarely had a steak at a restaurant as good as I can get one at this place, their dinner rolls are great... the boneless wings are perfect. I travel for work every week Monday through Friday all over the midwest, south, and I spent many years in California. The steaks at Alamo are among the best I've ever had in a restaurant in it's price range... very very good. I'll keep coming back every year when i'm in town. read more

Fantastic... the food is wonderful (especially the mac'n cheese), the service was on point and very helpful. Would come back here any time and could order something different and love it. read more

Nice local place. Sat at the bar on a slow night. The bartender was making drinks in front of me because I sat near a bar well. She really under poured every mixed drink. Not every bottle had a pour top. Those that did she under poured by at least a few seconds. I had a Buffalo Trace which had no pour top. She shorted it a lot. Very friendly though, just needs some training or to challenge owners if the instruction is to under pour. Had the small 10oz ribeye. Tough steak. Had a weird seasoning that almost tasted like steak sauce. Didn't care for it at all and only ate half. I was never asked how my food was. Mattoon is a small place. Too bad the food and service at a seemingly local place was lacking. I don't recommend to anyone. read more

In all the times we have been here, the service was the poorest ever. Over ahour to get a bowl of soupg6 totally unacceptable. Beware since this is the time of season, definitely will think twice before stopping here again. Unbelievable you complain and the food suddenly appears. Some if it was cold but miracles can happen. All the manager did was make excuses not fixing the issue . Best to stay away. Choose McDonald's read more

A very nice and clean restaurant. The staff are wonderful and friendly. The food and drinks are excellent. A great place.

My husband and I stopped in there this evening to have a couple of drinks and appetizers on the rare date night. We planned on staying for dinner, if possible. The bartender was friendly and fairly attentive. We ordered two appetizers to share. Spinach artichoke dip and the steak burger sliders. The spinach artichoke dip was absolutely tasteless and borderline slimy. The chips that were served with them were the only things with flavor, and that "flavor" was salt. The steak burger sliders had no seasoning whatsoever and were in various stages of doneness. Our first one was probably medium, but no flavor. The second? Medium rare, at best. The third? Bloody. And cold. The fries that were on the side of the sliders were the only positive thing about the food. Beer and wine were good...but that's the only positive thing I can say. There are so few good places to eat in our area, it's sad that this former great is a never again for us. read more

To start, DO NOT come here if you are handicapped in any way. There are stairs all over, and like 5 different dining rooms, all at different levels. Anyway, We ordered their signature "distiller", a marinated 8oz steak. It was ordered medium, and came out more medium rare, but that is kind of expected at steakhouses. It was seasoned well (surprisingly) and was good overall. We also ordered 2 hamburgers. The first was the western burger, a 1/2 lb. burger with bacon, muenster cheese, (WHAT?!?!) grilled onions, and BBQ sauce. It was ordered medium rare, and (much to my surprise) it came out medium rare. It was really good!! The muenster cheese was actually really good, considering that normally you get cheddar or american or something. The second was the "Alamo" burger, their signature burger. It had grilled mushrooms, and muenster cheese. (Yes, the cheese was just as good on this hamburger.) this was also ordered medium rare, although it came out medium well. Even though It was slightly over cooked to my liking, like the other burger, it also was very good. Both burgers tomato, lettuce, pickle, and red onion on the side, so you can add if if you want. Sides were ok, typical for steakhouse. Baked potato, steak fries, etc. I had a baked potato, which was fine. Just fine. Nothing special. Overall, I would be back. Very good burgers and steaks. read more

Alamo Steakhouse & Saloon - Steakhouses Near Me - Mattoon, Illinois

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I read some of the reviews and was figuring it was just an average steakhouse, but this place is fantastic. I had a 16oz ribeye cooked perfectly to my desires, with a fully loaded baked potato, Caesar salad, fresh rolls, and nothing was over seasoned. The only thing I could pick at is the Caesar salad had onions and tomatoes on it, but it was good anyway. The service was excellent from the hostess to our server Tailor. He was prompt, always keep my drink filled, very friendly, and was clearly concerned on making me happy. I spoke with the manager on the great service and he was very pleasant as well. read more

The blond greeter lady was just staring at us and asked "yes?" Instead of her asking "Would you like a table or how many?" Then after her "yes?" Comment we told her table for two. She got the menus and laid them on the table and just walked away. Not anything from her like "Here's your table or enjoy your meal". Just walked away. The waitress was good and food was average, nothing special. read more

I will never recommend or return to the Alamo. Manager was extremely rude when we asked to speak to him. He showed so care in the world that we had been waiting on our food for over two hours and actually argued with us. We (table of 4 women, one of which is pregnant) were there for over 3 hours and ended up getting our food boxed up to go. I hate to leave bad reviews, but as a fellow business owner in the industry the treatment we received was completely UNACCEPTABLE. A little but of ownership when mistakes are made go a LONG way. Can't even tell you if my entree was good because I threw it away. The bread we had to ask for was good but the red pepper soup was different, more like a pasta sauce. Save your time and money and go to a place that actually cares about their customer. ‍ read more

Restaurant wasn't crowded we ordered the prime rib special and it took 50 minutes to get our food. They even served a table that arrived AFTER us first with the same meal that we ordered. They have 4 help wanted signs out front, they must need kitchen help. Stay away. read more

Yay! We found another yummy steak place in Mattoon! (And for those of you from outside the area, please note that the correct pronunciation is MAT' toon, not matTOON'!). We were pretty bummed when Cody's closed because it was a nice meeting point for our family, which is split between Champaign and Effingham, so I'm really excited to find a place that I honestly think I'll like better anyway! The Alamo is decorated in a familiar, eclectic manner. We sat on what appeared to be the bar side, which was a little loud as noted in previous reviews. It is a casual and comfortable atmosphere with a giant projection TV and loads of interesting decorations. They have a large variety of menu options ranging from a sandwich or burger for less than $10 to steaks and seafood in excess of $30. We tried the fried green bean appetizer, which was served with a yummy wasabi sauce. I had the distilled chicken and it was wonderful and juicy and topped with a grilled pineapple ring. (I love that. So sue me. ). The sauce they served on the side was good, if a little overly sweet for my taste. Sis had a perfect midrare Delmonico steak and brother-in-law had the pot roast. I can't be certain, but I think he licked the plate. ;) The service was friendly and courteous and our waitress kept my water full and gave me a giant orange wedge with my Blue Moon beer. Dessert looked wonderful but we were STUFFED! As others mentioned, there are stairs and steps all over the place, so be careful! All in all, I give this place a hearty thumbs up. We'll be back! read more

The food was pretty good here and the service was friendly but slow. From being seated, which was instant, to paying our group of 5 spent over an hour and a half in the restaurant. That could have been cut down to under an hour with more frequent visits from our server, but we may have looked like we were having a good enough time that we were not in a hurry. I got kind of a Texas Roadhouse type vibe from this place, but more local. One of the people in my group said the atmosphere reminded him of a funeral home, but I would say it was a bit more upbeat. I would consider it like a rustic TGIFridays, but less corporate. I feel like there was a moose head in there somewhere. I got the crab legs, which didn't rock my world, but that is my own fault. Everyone else in the group agreed that the food was adequate and pretty much what they expected. read more

A nice establishment with plenty of seating space. It's not until you walk around the inside do you realize it's actually able to seat a good number of people, as there are several dining areas, tucked here and there. Some open spaced and a few tucked away giving a homey, private feel. I came here on a Wednesday, evening so it was not too crowded and I was seated immediately. My server was quick to grab my drink order and covering the specials. The menu is a bit lean, with a few appetizers, several different cuts of steak, chicken, pork and seafood options. With this being my first visit, I ordered the Delmonico steak, side salad, and garlic mashed potatoes. The salad came out quickly along with four nice looking dinner roles. The salad came with creamy blue-cheese as well as some chunky blue cheese, which is not a usual set up, but I liked it and it came along nicely. The roles were outstanding ! A short time later, my steak came out and it was cooked perfectly to medium doneness. The steak had a pleasant aroma as I cut into it and I could tell immediately from how the knife was cutting that this was going to be a very tender steak, and my taste buds joyously confirmed. I couldn't resist, cutting a pocket into one of the rolls and then stuffing it with a few pieces of steak, then dredging it though the juices... it was pure heaven ! The garlic mashed potatoes, were a bit off. They were good, a bit on the thick and chunky side, which is fine by me, but it had a taste I couldn't identify. The garlic taste was good, but it had something else, perhaps A1 or woustishier sauce, but whatever it was, I felt it was a bit too much. In closing, I really enjoyed this place. I will certainly be checking back in here again and as I left I took a closer look at the bar and that too looked like it will be a fun place with several friends. read more

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Sat down, greeted by friendly waitress, gave our drink orders, and then waited. And waited. And waited. Until finally she came out with a tray full of drinks (apparently, instead of getting drinks made and delivering them to her tables, she waited until every drink order from every table was made, and THEN delivered all of them at once). Annoying. Got the crab and artichoke dip as a starter. It was OK but was too thin and just kind of ran off the chip after you dipped it. And who knows where the "crab" came from. Ordered the prime rib special ($19.95 for 16 oz. prime rib plus two sides) and asked for it medium rare. It came out way overcooked. I should have sent it back but I didn't have the time to wait for it to be redone. My dining companion ordered a filet medium-rare and it came out perfectly medium rare. So I know they can do it if they try. Overall, the food was OK. Probably the best bet for a steak in Mattoon, so I say go if you're craving steak but make sure they really understand how you want it cooked. On the plus side, one of the sides they offer is a baked sweet potato (actually a yam but they call it a sweet potato) which I liked. On the humorous side (to me anyway) another side they offer (along with baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, onion rings, etc.) is cottage cheese. Oh and at least the prices aren't ripoffs, so go and enjoy your Alamo steak. read more

Good steaks but a long wait to get them and that was when they weren't busy. Nice atmosphere, good appetizers, nice wait staff, ample parking. Just don't go there if you're pressed for time, like an upcoming movie time. Prices are average for a steak house eatery. read more

It's an honest, simple grill and there's nothing that otherwise matches that description in the area. As far as aged steaks go, dollar for ounce, the prices are a bargain, the ribeye is amazing read more

Ate here last night on a Monday when they had free traditional wings which got us excited. I ordered pork chops which was delicious. My wife ordered the sampler and the beef bull bites. The beef bull bites were good!! Very disappointed in the traditional wings. Im glad they were free because it was served to us super cold as if they came out straight from the fridge. Gross. They kindly gave us warm wings but they still tasted as if it was cooked days ago and just reheated. The cheese fries came out as if the cheese had been sitting on the fries for hours. You can see in the pic. It was not cheesey but instead was like a shell of cheese. Waitress was nice. read more

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We had a wonderful experience at Alamo Steakhouse in Mattoon!! Service and food were excellent!!! I had the cedar planked salmon - it was cooked and seasoned perfectly!! My husband had the hen-pecked chicken and 6 ounce distilled steak both were fantastic. The soup was outstanding - red pepper- Gouda and the mushroom Brie. This restaurant was on a par with fine dining we have experienced in downtown Chicago! Oh, the drinks were great too!! I had the Pomegranate Martini!! We will be back! read more

Service was phenomenal! Quick and my server whom I think was named Chris made recommendations which I loved! I dined by myself tonight and had the smothered chicken sandwich with a caesar salad. Everything was cooked great! Starting with the caesar salad, it was great, but it didn't have enough dressing. Next was the rolls which were also great, too bad they don't have a cinnamon butter! Last was the sandwich, the chicken was great and all the veggies tasted fresh (including the mushrooms), I thought it was kind of bland so I asked for a side of there sauce (some sort of house sauce) and it automatically made the sandwich great! I would definitely come back here! Prices were very reasonable. read more

Appearently two of us were a real disruptive force on the waitress. We started as her only table and she took nearly ten minutes to ask us about drinks...I requested water no ice and she brought me hot tap water. Hot. Blondie didn't need to be a smart azz. I didn't say a word about it because I was afraid of how our meal would be prepared before service. With her eyes rolling back in her head I can't imagine how much she hated her job. read more