When we walked into this restaurant, we were all VERY concerned because it smelled like a dirty…read morebathroom. The staff didn't seem to be bothered by the smell at all and simply brushed off as something that happens after it rains and because the building this restaurant is in, is old. Well, I guess that convinced us enough to stay because we did. But despite there only being 1 or 2 other small parties of people in the restaurant, I could feel the waitresses stress, which sort of rubbed off on me, so I felt completely on edge the entire time I was at this restaurant. This being said, and after our kids accidentally knocked their milk all over the table and floor (a dish rag was thrown at it, no mop was brought out to help us clean up), we ordered our food and let's just say, I had pretty low expectations, and I could tell the rest of my party did as well. Well, this restaurant redeemed themselves with the food because everyone was VERY pleased with what they ordered (my husband LOVED his food, which is pretty unheard of for him) and my baked chicken wings were pretty good as well. I didn't request EXTRA EXTRA crispy, and I should have, but they were still pretty good and I probably could have eaten another batch. If I were offered food from this restaurant in the future, I'd probably order it to go because the ambiance of the restaurant sort of ruined the experience for me.

Great food for a small town bar. Some upscale choices such…read moreas Ahi tuna sashimi and the sweet and spicy shrimp.

OMG! I just happened to visit the Wooden Duck for my first time, during Blackburn Colleges…read moreHomecoming. The restaurant was packed and the staff hustled to provide good service. Lucky for me, I was able to get a seat at the bar. My adult beverage was a draft Flight by Yuengling. For lunch, I went with a Pork Tenderloin Sandwich with a side of Fries. The tenderloin was crisp and had good flavor. However, it had a perfect shape, so I could tell it came from a bag and was not done in house. I enjoyed the thin crisp fries. A roll of Paper Towels served as your napkin. Typically I prefer linen, but for a dive bar, paper towels do the trick. I also liked that the Wooden Duck has hooks under the bar. Hooks provide a safe place for purses and jackets. I got a giggle when I used the mens room and the owner showed his political views by having a caricature of the governor in the urinal. They even had a witty disclaimer, so you shouldn't be offended. I got a second giggle when I looked around the bar and realized, about 60% of the guest were an alternative lifestyle. So everyone is welcome at the Wooden Duck.

How did I get here. We retired to a small town that doesn't have a DMV office. So we drove the 20…read moremiles to the thriving metropolis of Carlinville (not really,charming for sure, but just big enough to have cheap plaza office space for a state govt. office). So of course although my wife had done extensive research on all the documentation we would need to pay a state to drive our car...we had missed one. So we went to the Wood Duck for lunch while we waited for our credit union to send us a lien release form. We had talked to the kind soul at the DMV and she was "all-in" on this place. She was so right. It is an intimate space, with a small bar out front, and then a few more tables in a back area. We took a booth right in front of the kitchen. It is a very "locals" place. There were some police having lunch (likely the entire force, at least by weight)...and one of them stared me down as if he had never seen a veteran, former DoD executive, in a collared shirt, and khakis in a public restaurant before. [Yes I was the only pepper in the salt]. The actual restaurant staff was excellent, and welcoming. Our server was a whirlwind of effecient hospitality. I got a pork tenderloin sandwich (and later the same day was invited to join a pork tenderloin sandwich group on FB)... ordered the fries, not clear if that came with them, didn't keep the reciept. My wife got a cheesburger that she was very happy with. My tenderloin was crispy, juicy and a bit too salty in a good way. This place is a definite keeper on the list of places we will be willing to travel to over time. Perhaps if I come back often enough, Barney will get used to "others" visiting his little fiefdom.

We read about this place in our Route 66 guide. Traveling from Chicago to Santa Monica on a Route…read more66 journey, we earmarked The Ariston Cafe as a place to stop and we're glad we did. We sat up at the counter and had a great experience dining with other travelers and locals. The waitstaff was friendly and helpful even taking a photo of us behind the counter. The entre and pie were great!

Route 66 icon! If memory serves me it's been in operation since 1924. Inside the decor is…read moreauthentic to the 1950's, but this is obviously well cared for, which was very apparent when I saw the counter swivel stool-chairs: they look brand new! I was on a road trip up from Florida to Wisconsin with a friend. We were going through Springfield, Illinois, so we could visit the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum & Library. So that's how I ended up in this neck of the woods. Needed a spot for dinner and this popped up as an option and sure glad it did. My friend & I both opted for the Fried Chicken dinner and this place makes the best fried chicken I've had in decades! OMGOSH! The meat was fully cooked, but still so incredibly juicy. The crispy skin and coating was unreal, it was so good - it was truly "finger-lick in' good". While I'm borrowing that old slogan, The Ariston Cafe's fried chicken is like the fried chicken ideal of perfection. They have a classic salad bar and that hit the spot, especially on a road trip where you're not often getting enough veggies. I'm writing this review some weeks later after getting back home. If the place had been average, I wouldn't bother, but when a reminder to do a review popped up, I had to do this as the waitresses and cooks deserve it, as do the owners & all the staff. Waitresses were all nice as could be and helpful. It's like walking back in time when you go inside, and it reminded me of great restaurants in the area I grew up in. If I make it back up that way again, I'll plan my travels to include another stop in at The Artisan.

After stopping by the Abraham Lincoln House and library, we came across this microbrewery and had…read moreto go in! They also have a cidery, but it wasn't open during this season. Thankfully we still were able to get one cider, and they had a selection of other beers. The cider was tart and refreshing, and I really like the berry mocktail, which had ginger beer, and a mix of berries in it. As for food, the Nashville hot chicken sandwich came with a lot of heat which was great. I got the dry rub version, which is spicer than the saucy version. The horseshoe sandwich is a local favorite, which is an open faced sandwich with sliced bread topped with meat (we got the angus beef), fries, and cheese sauce. It was quite heavy and creamy because of all the sauce. Overall we enjoyed our meal and our server was very friendly, although service was on the slower side.

Visiting town on road trip. We walked here from hotel. Neat place filled with locals. The ciders…read moreare definitely good and the coffee beer was pretty good. My fish and chips is as usual as expected, nothing compares to the real one from England. It was good fries are good. Wife order shrimp poboy which was a bit po in the shrimp. Could use more shrimp for the price. Service was good. Great local spot.

This time, food was delicious but the service was again, absolutely terrible!…read moreNow, we did have a large crowd, but our waitress NEVER had any sense of hustle. We needed up going over to the bar side for all our drinks (including water since she never brought mine). I also ended up taking others water and lemonade cups to the bar side for refills. We had to ask for menus and to place an order. It was absolutely pathetic! Never once did she apologize for the delay - anyone who has ever waited tables (yes, I did in college) knows you apologize for the delay and get people more drinks! Not once! There was another younger girl who was hustling - taking orders out, refilling things on the salad bar etc, but unfortunately, ours was set at a much slower pace. Her tip was not good and it was still more than I think she deserved. So disappointing since the food really was good!

Good service and very welcoming. Always loved there food from when my dad owned the bar to now.read more

Outstanding bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato sandwich with a lot of yummy crisp bacon. The Popeye…read moreskillet wasn't as good as my husband was hoping, and the biscuits were too crumbly. Nice staff.

We were traveling home from Peoria and stopped in Jubelt's for lunch. This was our first time. It…read morewas right at the beginning of lunch time and they were moderately busy. First impressions, the restaurant needs some help with cleanliness. Tables and chairs are worn out, the floor just looks old and dirty. I'm sure they clean, but when things get that worn and old, it doesn't matter. Part of the "charm" of this restaurant is the Route 66 proximity, and that was part of our reason for going there being the 100th anniversary of the mother road. When you enter you are faced with a bit of confusion. There are handwritten signs telling you to grab a menu and get a table, then you have to go to the counter and place your order. I've seen this before and it makes little sense. I suppose it's a labor saving method, but not practical at all. We found a table and looked at the menu, which is quite extensive. They, also, baked their own breads and pies and have a display case with pastries. We placed our order and returned to our table. The food arrived in a reasonable amount of time, but while we waited, I watched people coming in and being just as confused about the ordering system as we were. Plus, the line at the counter grew into the seating area. I would think the counter would be good for to go orders like the baked goods and pastries rather than dining customers. I ordered the 1/4 ham and provolone croissant sandwich with fries, my daughter ordered a turkey wrap, and my wife ordered the turkey club. They both ordered fruit cups as their side. The croissant was very good. It was flaky, moist and pillowy, but held the ingredients of the sandwich well. My wife and daughter said their sandwiches were fine. I'm not sure my sandwich had a full 1/4 pound of ham on it, but it did have good flavor. The fries were hot, but right out of the bag. The fruit cups didn't appear the freshest. It looks like they do a good business with the baked goods and pastries. Maybe that should be the business which would make more sense with the style of service they are doing. It was worth trying, but I don't know if I would return. The employees were all friendly and were hustling and I did see someone clearing tables, but I think the place could go for a remodel just to maintain an appearance of

The food is good service is great the beer is cold and there open on Monday now . The atmosphere is…read morevery cool all the old signs is the icing on the cake

Food was delicious. Not a real big fish fan, but their walleye is the best I have ever eaten.read more

Food was good, but not very many fries in either of our orders. Asked specifically for no onions on…read morethe mushroom burger, but were on there anyway and had to pick them off.

Went to this restaurant for a quick lunch. The food was hot and fresh, the store was very clean (…read moreoutside), the drive thru was fast ( under 2 minutes) and I was greeted by a young lady with glasses who was polite and helpful. She offered condiments and offered a great parting thank you. I will be back.

Nice homie restaurant. Easy to find with good parking. Inside is decorated with farm items with one…read morewall displaying historic photos of local area. Our waitress Heather, was very friendly and took the time to engage in conversation with us. Service was prompt. We ordered a grilled chicken sandwich and a pork tenderloin sandwich also had sweet potato fries. Everything was delicious. Free refills for soft drinks. Restrooms were clean. We will return in the future.

I love visiting Handolds! The menu has options galore, but I can never seem to stray from the…read moremushroom and Swiss cheeseburger with tater tots, paired perfectly with a large sweet tea. This little local spot, run by locals for locals, is always a comforting place to stop in. Come as you are, they welcome everyone. The waitresses are always friendly and love to chat, and the same goes for the other patrons. The small-town diner vibe is very much alive here, and that's exactly what keeps me coming back.