Hubby and I stopped on our way through. I got the spaghetti and it was great. Hubby got pork tenderloin, it was dry but server quickly replaced it and was very friendly and attentive. The place is very clean and spacious. read more

My family ate at Cindy's three times over the course of a trip for a family wedding. The first time, we got carryout for dinner. The food was fine--nothing special, but not bad--but they forgot to give us utensils and the ketchup we requested. The second time, we dined in for breakfast. I would eat there for breakfast again, for sure, or anyway I would order off the breakfast menu. The third time, we dined in for lunch. I ordered the mushroom Swiss burger, which did not have Swiss cheese on it, but some kind of white American cheese. The mushrooms lacked any sort of gravy like you would expect on a mushroom Swiss burger but seemed to have come out of a can. The fries were bland. read more

Spotlessly clean, very friendly waitstaff and an 8 page menu featuring pasta, seafood, steaks, burgers, salads and on and on. Ordered a patty melt w fries, salads, loaded bake potato and desserts, everything was outstanding and under $20. Our waitress Rylinn was exceptional. Highly recommend. A great find for an expressway stop. read more

Fast friendly pleasant experience. Food quality was great. Coffee was a bit weak. Overall enjoyed experience Will certainly be back when Out to Woodhaven Lakes. It is hidden next to a BP So you would not even expect a Family restaurant to be there. Glad we discovered it. read more

Cindy's On 34 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Mendota, Illinois

They weather outside was hot! The temperature inside not much better. The fans in the dining room lead me to believe management doesn't feel the need to lower the temperature inside when it is hot inside. Nothing is homemade. Frozen French fries. Premade chicken strips. That and the lack of air not for me. read more

I'm being generous with the three stars. The salad bar was sad like one review stated. Look. Everything was normal, nothing amazing. Maybe breakfast is the go to thing here but evenings are just so so. I ordered the 12 oz ribeye. They were out. I ordered a baked potato and they were out. I ended getting the old Sysco standby chicken fried steak. Average average. Service was fast but not attentive. She never brought me the Texas toast. Oh well. We were hungry and this filled the bill. It was better than the McDonald's across the street. H read more

Cindy's is conveniently located right off the highway. We were staying at the Comfort Inn nearby and it was a pleasant walk to the diner with fields of corn and beans (I think) off to the right. I had two meals there. Breakfast was awesome and I'd give that 5 stars. The Texas skillet was the bomb. Homestyle potatoes, grilled onions and mushrooms, cheese, eggs, and bacon. All five breakfast food groups in one platter. Dinner was just ok (3-3.5 stars). We had the chicken parmesan and pot roast special. The chicken was battered and deep fried and stayed crunchy and delicious under sauce. Everything else about the meal was adequate but not really worth talking about - spaghetti, garlic bread, pot roast (boiled meat with a little gravy), carrots/potatoes from pot roast, and green beans with bits of ham. Portions were very generous, but the quality of most of the items was cafeteria quality. I thought we might be able to save the day with some pie, but alas, the coconut cream pie was not good. The worst part of it was the thick and dried out whipped cream on top (aka frosting). I'm all-in for breakfast there next time, but will have to think twice about dinner. read more

Cindy really brought her A game. Everything was delectable. We especially enjoyed the "spiced up" cheese on the horseshoe and the hot and robust cherry pie. We would highly recommend this for a quick trip or a long stop. The service was delightful and it was clean. Hands down, the best gas-station restaurant in Mendota!! read more

I ordered the prime rib with soup, mashed potatoes and gravy. The prime rib was excellent, probably the best I have ever had. The soup was overly seasoned with salt, as was the gravy. The server seemed to be in a bad mood. She was impatient with my questions and unsmiling. I don't believe I'll ever go back due to the bad experience with the waitress. read more

If you happen to be at the corner of Hwy 34 and 39 and are looking for a greasy spoon look no further. Actually, there are not many options much further. Inside the BP gas station is a diner. The prices are reasonable. The food is classic American diner. What did I learn today? No many other places to stop for either gas or food. read more

Husband and I stopped on our way through a while back good food and very nice staff with a lovely young lady who was quick and orderly

They really set the bar for a wonderful dining experience! Breakfast, Lunch, or dinner you can't go wrong with Cindy's On 34! I ordered the Bourbon Bacon Burger with steak fries, it was amazing! I always try to stop here on my travels. read more

I had a great homemade meal of chicken and biscuits for under $7.00 with a bowel of soup for lunch. The service was outstanding and I would stop again if I was in the area. read more

This is a five star flavor! I had the beef barley soup that was hot and delicious! Hamburger steak covered in onions. Pink in middle please! Cooked perfectly. Double vehicle which was green beans not out of a can. Ice cream included! What more can you ask from a diner. Oh yeah good service! Not great but good! read more

A great place!! Food was very, very good. Great menu and they serve breakfast all day. Not fancy from the outside but very clean and nice on the inside. Service by Shaun was superb. The skillets are enough for 2 people! And you can get gas at the same time. A must stop if you're hungry!! read more

Great place good food, this restaurant should be in Every state. This place really knows home cooked food. The only truck stop we actually eat at. read more

Excellent food, extremely clean and staff were very friendly. Would be a repeat customer if we lived closer.

Stopped here for breakfast after a wedding. Great food and service. Buffett had lots to choose from. Everything was amazing and we will be back if we are ever in the area again. read more

Wasn't expecting a great meal here... Was I wrong.. The waitress was amazing.. Asked her what she recommend and she told me the California chicken club.. I think that's what it was called... Was DELICIOUS!!! read more

Cindy's On 34 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Mendota, Illinois

So, I've been dragooned into stopping at this location when traveling with (older) extended family members dating back to when it was Busters...for the pie and the chili. Seriously: chili, confined spaces, and long car drives. And they wonder why I wasn't thrilled...Anyway... Not much has changed since back in the day, except that the pies don't taste like homemade since becoming Cindy's and they no longer keep truckstop hours. Same dated interior, same sad-sack salad bar (in fact, I think it's actually quite a bit more sad). The highlights: service is fast (i.e. your entree will be at your table about three bites into your piping-hot soup) and friendly, in that nondescript, rural Northern Illinois, "How did I end up with three refills on the table at once" kinda-way. Breakfast all day and a wide variety of menu items in generally large portions. If you're expecting anything other than a specific sort of diner food, though, beware: they do a lot of deep frying, and none of it is particularly good (and often served @ room temperature). Items that are either kept hot all day (soups, chili, etc.) or those finished to order (like a quick sear on already prepared and cooked gyro meat) are better than items like fries (either skinny or thick) that are cooked in batches and sit, waiting to be ordered. The breakfasts are usually reliably tasty. I guess the plus (if you want to think of the glass as half full) is that you can literally have a sit down diner meal, complete with a soup starter, a meal (including sides), and dessert in twenty minutes. In short: while it's basically a truck stop, here, deep fryer = terrible; flat-top = has potential. & IMHO: don't bother with the pie. read more

This Is what looks to be a mom and pop Restaurant on the same site there is a bp. My least favorite gas station chain. Thanks Eddie vedder! The staff was seasoned and friendly, the perfect fit for a mom and pop place. It seems like there was a fair number of regulars and the waitresses had a nice rapport. I asked and the waitress said that Cindy owned the restaurant and the gas station was owned by someone else for a long time. Then BP came in but she still had the restaurant. The coffee is meh, which is surprising for a place like this. They do have the large sugar bowl which is a plus, but again with the prepackaged creamers. That and the fact that the coffee is only meh. I ordered a breakfast horseshoe, an Illinois favorite. Two biscuits with sausage patties, hash browns, sausage gravy, and two eggs over easy. And just to be extra fat, a side of bacon! Sadly this mixed up my order. I did not get patties, I got a bacon base instead of the sausage. This is not easy to eat. I sent it back and they were cool with making me another one. In the end it was delicious and enough for two to split too:-) read more

This is a sold truck stop restaurant in a location in my hometown that has been home to a truck stop restaurant most of my life...Cindy's on 34 picked up in the wake of Buster's, which in my teen years was one of two options in a small town for a cup of coffee 24 hours a day (though they eventually stopped the round-the-clock service). On a recent visit back to my home state to hang out with the fam, this was a good choice for an early a.m. breakfast/farewell before we hopped on the interstate back to Kansas City. I hadn't been there since the switchover, and wasn't sure if I should have high expectations. Very pleasantly surprised with the food! Big variety of breakfast combo plates, skillets, pancake options, serves piping hot, in large portions and with a smile. Nothing crazily unexpected, but the kind of place that you figure will be reliably dependable. The server was sweet as pie, too, which is always a bonus. Decor was fairly truck stop, but it is what it is...no frills, filling, tasty, and inexpensive. read more

Simply delicious! We were staying at Comfort Inn right next to this place and had our dinner here. Simple, yet delicious food. The service was friendly and super fast. Too bad we live in Chicago, otherwise I would definitely be back! read more

The rating was very deceiving. The floors were covered in food and there were many flies. My wife and I had buffalo chicken salads that were just bland and the eggs on them were old, green and dry. Our kids got spaghetti and chicken tenders and both were not very good. About the only thing that was decent was the french fries, which weren't even salted. read more

Cindy and the girls sling a hell of a plate of hash!! One of the Fat Boy's fav's, the Feta cheese omelet with crumbled bacon and spinach is my current breakfast favorite.... with American Fries: extra crispy. Order your sweetie a plate of peach crepes (crepes crispy both sides, whipped cream on the side) and split both breakfasts...... seriously good... Good coffee. read more

We read the reviews and decided to try this place for Father's Day lunch. The line was out the door so we figured that was a good sign. Our table of 8 was seated in under 25 minutes. Our waitress was very attentive and once everyone in the party arrived we set about ordering. My sister had been told on the phone that there would be a prime rib special, but when we asked, the waitress said it was on Saturday. However she checked and was able to get the prime rib for the two who wanted it. Four of us chose the buffet and the other two ordered a burger and a salad from the menu. The buffet was $11.99. The good on the buffet: fresh pineapple, biscuits that we light and scrumptious, fried chicken, crispy and yummy, bacon--well how can you mess up bacon, strawberries in syrup, also tasty. My mom said the sauerkraut was good--but I don't eat it. The average: the pork ribs--needed more sauce or sauce on the side--also they were out of them before I got any. The fried shrimp was okay, but no cocktail sauce. The eggs, French toast and sausage looked okay, but I didn't try them. They had gravy for the biscuits too. The cooked pork was okay but nothing special. The sad: the salad bar in general. Tomatoes didn't look ripe, no cauliflower or spinach or broccoli, lettuce was sitting in water, plain iceberg lettuce. Just not a good salad bar. My brother in law said the prime rib still had the strap marks on it from where the jockey had hit it. TOUGH! He said the taste wasn't bad, but really, really chewy. It came with a side of green beans and choice of potatoes as well as soup or salad bar. Dad said the soup was good. We had an excellent waitress. She was very friendly and kept our drinks filled and dishes cleared. Unfortunately that didn't make up for the overall quality of the food. We will not be back. read more

Good diner food at good prices with (usually) good service. Breakfast served all day, your typical gamut of burgers and sammiches, and surprisingly good entrees like twin pork chops, and sirloins. All very affordable. Soups are homemade and salad bar is fresh, if somewhat limited. Friday night fish fry is a steal! AYCE Walleye, potato, soup or salad, and dessert for $7.99. And it's pretty good! Cindy's is in desperate need of some personality, it's as plain as plain gets inside. A sea of beige, like a 1980's Sizzler. It does have video poker machines in the corner, but it's also located inside a BP Gas Station so it's not the kind of place you come to for ambiance anyway. Consistently decent, honest food. Worth a stop in if you're passing by on the interstate! read more

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When I am in town, this is my go to place! I am from the city of Chicago and getting a rib eye steak with 3 eggs and a plate of hash browns for under $10! Holy smokes that's a deal , this would cost me $35.00 in the city ! It is a little intimidating being surrounded by the locals and truckers "being a city slicker and all" Anyways, I crave this place , sometimes I think about making the 2 1/2 hour drive to eat here. The waitresses are always friendly ! read more

The shoe is where it is at! I've had a few things off the menu, and aside from my cheeseburger bun being soggy everything on the menu has been great so far!The meals come out very fast hot and big portions!!! Turkey BLT, CaliforniaBLT, buffalo chicken shoe, cheeseburger, country fried steak to name a few there is an amazing staff! A blonde waitress with extremely long braided hair has served me every time(I am sorry I don't remember your name) but you rock!!!!! Try a whip when you check out they are awesome!!!! read more

Prompt service & great food. We stopped for breakfast on way home. Food was so good & portions huge. Will stop again when we pass this again in Dec. read more

Cindy's On 34 - Farmer's Breakfast Skillet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Mendota, Illinois

Loads of delicious home cook plates to choose from and reasonably priced. Had the lunch special and frankly I could not finish it all b/c it was a lot on my plate. Cindy's home made biscuits are sweet and delicious. Don't let that Mickydee across from this diner rob you the opportunity to eat at this establishment. God speed! read more

Cindy's On 34 - Life is short-stop and smell the flowers - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Mendota, Illinois

My son and I were on a road trip and I read so many reviews at local places - and found Cindy's - and decided to eat there because it look economical, had all-day breakfast (I hoped to find a gluten-free meal), and would be quick. The waitstaff was nice and prompt, although a little uninformed - our waitress wanted to be helpful. I asked about the gluten, she helped steer me to a skillet option. I opted for the Hobo because it was sans ham (which will send my stomach on a topsy-turvy ride). My son got the Farmer's Skillet. About 1/3 through the dish, I saw the ham. I looked at my sons skillet; they were identical. I pointed this out to the waitress and she said that my Hobo skillet did in fact have ham. I didn't finish the rest, as I was full and already feeling queasy. I got up to pay, and took my ticket, and spoke to th cashier explaining the situation and that I was disappointed. She was very helpful and said I needed to talk to Cindy and she went to get her. Nearly ten minutes later, Cindy came out. She was very pleasant too, but felt she needed to verify with the cook as to whether they made identical skillets (cook says no, maybe they were switched). Then she says maybe the other meat just resembles ham (no, I distinctly saw the other meat). Anyway, I have never expected a free meal and rarely complain to the staff, but something doesn't sit well with me having to pay for food I didn't order that made me sick. Cindy said she'd take half off $3.50 or so). I appreciate she did something, but the wrong order, followed by the wait, followed by the running around to check on things behind the scenes, followed by just a $3.50 off and no apology, equals sadness and disappointment. We will go somewhere else next time. Cindy, please be a little more generous when you're trying to make something right! Thanks. read more

On our visit they had friendly service. The food came out quick, but they didn't have a full dining room at the time. My wife enjoyed the BLT, and the gyro omlet I had was great, with lots of feta cheese. Would come here again next time in this area. read more

Breakfast all day sounded good. The truckers stop here off I 39. Fast service. Everything was good.

Traveling past, we decided to stop in at this place based on some fantastic reviews. Having eaten there, I am not sure what the fuss was all about. It's a truck stop diner, nothing more. Portions were fairly generous, and the service was good but not great. The food, however, was nothing special. Pretty bland overall, and nothing to get excited about. I had the pork tenderloin sandwich. It looks impressive when the meet nearly spans the plate, but the meet was not at all flavorful or juicy. And the fries were barely even salted. Ketchup was my friend, along with my own salting. My wife's Wisconsin chicken sandwich was about the same: just alright. Ice cream included with the kids' meals was nice, but I would have rather had some tastier food. Next time I will just keep driving. There has to be a decent place in Rockford. read more

Found this place on Yelp,like we all do these days and this place did not disappoint my family the burgers were freshly made the fried pickles are amazing and the pork tenderloin sandwich was humongous and made extremely well, I will definitely will be going back. read more

Cindy's On 34 - The Monstrous pork tenderloin sandwich is amazing - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Mendota, Illinois

Located adjacent to a gas station yet not a truck stop diner. The food was excellent and the servers were so friendly. I half expected the food to be some greasy representation of traditional American fare, but was pleased to see a hand pressed burger patty and homemade biscuits and gravy! Will definitely be back if I come around these parts again. read more

A great place to stop! It is connected to a gas station, but still amazing food. Our family had a pork tenderloin (the size of your face!), pancakes and eggs. The food was great and the service was excellent. I would stop again! read more

Great experience! Brought the family out here and had double bacon cheeseburger, broccoli omelet and BLT omelet. Some highlights of the meal were the soup that came with my wife's burger, and the BLT Omelet. They were both incredible in flavor. I really mean 5 star outstanding! The one down side to everything was that the hash browns that came with the omelets were very oily and made a big oil mess on the plates. Otherwise it was an incredible meal with great service. read more

Have not even finished eating here this evening & already it's 5 stars. Gobs of delicious food & great service at an affordable price. Truck parking in back with ample room. Will plan our trips to MN or WI to stop in here on the way. read more