Love this place, the burgers are amazing! I also recommend the fried pickles, and I love they give…read moreyou a fortune cookie!

I finally tried a Hot Dog at Burger Bar and it was as delicious as their burgers. It was National…read moreHog Dog Day and I thought it was the perfect time to give one a try. Their dogs are 12" and All Angus Beef. It was served in a 12" bun that was lightly toasted. They have a variety of Specialty Dogs to choose from, but I went with a plain dog with onion & relish. Once the dog arrived at my table, I added, mustard and ketchup. Yes, I like ketchup on my hot dogs. The dog came with a side of crispy fries and the portion was just the right size of a serving. My server was the same one I have had numerous times for burgers. He has always been friendly and attentive. Being a single diner, he gave me the same attention that he was giving to his tables of 2 and 4. If you're a game of chance person, they've got several video gaming machines for you to play. The ambiance is plain and simple, nothing fancy. You're here for burgers and dogs and that is what you'll enjoy.

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.

Casual yet upscale vibe to this Italian restaurant. Came for lunch and ordered from the lunch…read moremenu. Full menu available. Fried chicken is king, but he pastas, pizzas, fish, salads. Service was fast, professional. Nice surprise!

Great daily deals, the tacos could have more taste to them, MARGS are great. For 2.50 dollars…read more French fries are great. Wings EXCLENT.

For a dive sports bar, The Franchise puts on a good feed. The offerings are your typical sports bar…read moregrub, but it's prepared a level above other sports bars. My recent visit I enjoyed the Pork Loin Sandwich. It was a typical pork tenderloin sandwich, extending beyond the bun. The one here is served grilled, not fried like the majority of other restaurants. The seasoning and glaze were full of flavor. It surprised me with how juicy and tender it was. If you're a fan of Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches, this is a must try. A previous visit I had one of the steak specials. I ordered the 16 oz Filet and giggled when it was served. I was given two 8 oz filets on my plate. I didn't care, it still was 16 oz. It actually worked out for me, I ate one and took the other home and had steak and eggs for breakfast the next day. For my two sides, I choose Baked Potato and Green Beans. Half of the potato went home and gave me American Fried Potatoes for breakfast. They have a good variety of beers on draft, bottled and canned. In addition, they offer a full bar for adult beverages. The service is hit or miss. It was obvious who was a regular by the attention and quality of service they received. They need to treat everyone the same, so the newer customers become repeat customers, too.

Ashley never smiles. Ashley is not nice to the staff. I saw this on Bar Rescue. Why Ashley, why ?read more

We stopped here on a whim (cute diner atmosphere) and I have to say this place has THE BEST…read moreburgers!! The 1/4 lbs cheeseburger was great but the patty melt was FANTASTIC!! Would have given it a 5 star but the service was really bad. The waiter barely waited on us and he decided the chips I ordered should be fries instead. ($1.50 up charge and I don't even eat fries) He never came back to see if our food was ok (we were sitting at the counter and ignored) so I was never able to get it corrected so we had to pay the up charge. Plus people at other tables were yelling at him from a booth over the counter "can we get some boxes and our bill" and another booth did the same, so evidently everyone got the same crappy service.

They reopened last week and I finally got a parking spot. Food was not only cooked perfectly and…read moreserved hot, but service is top notch. Price? I got 2 eggs, 3 sausage patties, 3 pancakes and coffee for under $10.

A hidden and not talked about much, diner in Wood River. It's one of the better diners in the…read moreRiverbend area. It's a dive and that is part of its charm. The food is simple, made fresh and is totally affordable. I ordered, Breakfast Special #6 and it was only $8. I enjoyed, two scrambled eggs, bacon, one biscuit and gravy and tater tots. They offer 3 choices of potatoes; Hashbrowns, American Fries and Tater Tots. I was going to order American, but the waitress said her favorite was the tots, so I took her advice. They were a nice change of pace. I was surprised, about the seasoning. Most diners I have eaten at, are heavy on the salt, but not here. I actually had to add salt to my food and I am not a big salter. 6th Street is on my way to my part-time job and I am fairly certain, I'll be stopping for breakfast on the regular.

I've been numerous times since I moved to the Alton area and just realized, I've never updated my…read morereview in six years. I think it is time to do so. A couple of my visits have been parties for graduation, retirement and a thirtieth birthday. Food was good, beer was cold and the cocktails had a heavy pour. Sometimes I dined alone and enjoyed a hot chicken sandwich, a cheeseburger, wings and catfish. All of them satisfied my hunger and were better than average pub grub. For a while they served breakfast, but that's a thing of the past. When they did, the chicken and waffles were good. The bartenders and servers are always attentive and friendly. Alton Sports Tap is one of the better sports bars in the Riverbend area.

Referred to Alton tap house by a family friend. Immediately met with great service and through…read moresmall talk Ellen recommend their Nashville hot sand which. My partner and I tried the horseshoe chicken and the Nashville hot and wow! What a flavor. I will by pass the fast Eddie's and Mac's to trek my way here. Good service and great food. You have earned a customer.

Simple pub atmosphere. Friendly staff. I ordered the cup of clam chowder to start - rich, creamy…read moreand full of big chunks of potatoes and clams. I then ordered the pepperloin sandwich at the recommendation of our server. I was NOT disappointed! Super soft bun, generous portions of meat and the seasoning and sauces finished it off. Highly recommend if you come for a sandwich! Great place for lunch. Next time I am back in Bethalto we will be sure to stop in.

Geno's first opened in 1942. Do the math, that means they have been serving the Bethalto area and…read morebeyond for 83 years. That is some impressive longevity for a restaurant. My cousins Aunt (from her other side of the family) turned me on to Geno's. She is older then Geno's and sings the praises of the Wednesday special. On Wednesday, they offer what I'd call a, Blue Plate Special. It's a healthy sized serving of Meatloaf, a side of Mashed Potatoes with Brown Gravy and daily vegetable. The day I went, I enjoyed Green Beans. It was comfort food at its best. True down-home cooking. I had also heard from other Onion Ring addicts, that the ones at Geno's were pretty impressive. When dining alone, an order of Rings and an entree can be too much food. However, to my surprise Geno's allows you to pay a minimal up-charge for a side of Onion Rings. In my opinion that is genius. I was able to enjoy my juicy cheeseburger and instead of a side of fries, I got to experience their famous house made onion rings. They were large rings, well breaded and crispy. They also paired perfectly with the burger. My next visit will be to try their chicken wings. I've heard they are the best in Madison County. Service has been nice and friendly. The type of service you'd expect at an old school family ran restaurant. Very comforting and welcoming.

Love this place. Great service. Wonderful food. If you want to be casual you can enjoy the sports…read morebar. If you want to dress up a little. Enjoy the dining room.

Bluff City Grill was one of my stops on the St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl in Alton. In my younger…read moredays, I could chug a green beer, but in my senior years it doesn't even sound good. So when the bartender offered me a green beer, I turned it down. She then offered me a, Green Sangria. What? She then told me it was made with Midori and I was sold. It was a refreshing green cocktail for the holiday. When you are partying on St. Paddy's Day, you need to snack to help balance the liquor consumption. Sticking with the "green" theme, I ordered some Guac Bites with a Sweet Chili dipping sauce. It's fresh mildly spicy guacamole wrapped in a won ton and fried to a golden color. It's one of my favorite appetizers here at BCG. They also offer a Cajun Ranch dip, but I prefer the Sweet Chili. The service is always fun and friendly, making your dining/drinking experience memorable.

I had a fantastic Tuesday night dinner. They were offering a $30 3 Course Dinner, but I went with…read morethe $25 Pepperloin Steak. Before ordering, I enjoyed a Tito's Extra Dry Martini with a Lemon Twist. The bartenders here are masters of their mixologist skills. Trust me I know, they've made my a lot of cocktails. Once my entree arrived, I totally impressed with all three items. The asparagus was prepared perfectly. It wasn't too hard and not overly soft. It had just enough snap. The Loaded Baked Potato was the size of a fist, which is a perfect size. It was fluffy and was topped with butter, cheese and bacon. The steak was truly the piece of resistance. It was super tender and they served it a true medium rare. The kitchen truly knocked it out of the park with this meal. I was a happy diner. Good food and good service will have me returning to Gentelin's, time and time again.

Best restaurant in Alton to celebrate a special occasion. My husband got the peppered rib eye and…read moresaid it was the best steak he has ever had. I had the Chicken Piccata. Delicious. We both had side salads. They gave us a complimentary dessert to share since we were celebrating our anniversary. We chose the Carrot Cake Bread Pudding. Yum! Meghan was our server and she did an excellent job.

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.

Never disappointed at this establishment! Gin and tonics were refreshing on a hot night. Menus just…read morechanged for fall. We enjoyed shepherds pie ( now with Yukon gold mashed potatoes on top).. delicious! Hubby enjoyed the Romesco steak kabob, cooked med rare and delicious. Both entrees served with small Caesar salads--just enough! Service was excellent as usual, just enough checking in on us to make sure all was good. Mark and staff are a well oiled machine. Kudos to waitstaff and bartender! A step above the rest! Busier in dining room as evening progressed but not so loud that we could not converse. Great place to eat any day of the week! Appreciate all of you!