I was a bit disappointed when I went into the bar. I was expecting more of a sports bar with some…read morefood and more premium/craft beers rather than just a tavern with bar pizzas. The bar tender was nice enough, but probably knowing I was from out of town or not being a regular, held conversations with the locals. It seemed like a good place to hang out for some drinks with friends though.

The service was amazing by Laura to is outsiders from Wisconsin. Highly recommend this bar…read moreestablishment!

We came in town to stay at the Campground House Airbnb (which btw is awesome) to fish, have…read morebonfires, and have an "unplugged" weekend. We decided to have a "night out" one night and started out at the Anchor Inn. Having been to another bar in the area where we were made to feel super unwelcome, this was an amazing contrast to that. As soon as we walked in, everyone waved and said hi to us. After a few minutes the owner came over to welcome us and we all took a shot together. The rest of our time there was spent discussing other fun stuff to do in the area and Illini sports! :)

Great food, great service, and the ambiance of an iconic bar, which it is. The vine covered…read moreexterior is neat, downtown landmark location. This is the place to eat or drink in Mount Olive. You will like or love this well run spot..

Had a delightful weekday lunch here on a recent road trip. I went with the pork tenderloin "shoe."…read more If you aren't familiar with the "shoe" it's a mid Illinois thing with Texas toast, topped with your choice of protein, fries, and your choice of sausage gravy or cheese sauce. Each element of the plate was great, good tenderloin, lightly battered, crispy fries, and outstanding cheese sauce. They were very busy with the local crowd, including a couple of tables of card players. Just one employee and a cook holding down the fort, but they managed well. Wish I knew what was in that cheese sauce.

Dud's was a great choice for an early dinner. We had Brussels sprouts, Basket of Tots, White…read morecheddar cheese curds for appetizers. There were 4 of us, each ordered a meal, 1/3 Burger, Double bacon burger, Grilled Chicken sub, Fish and chips. All the meals were delicious. I had the grilled chicken sub it was so good, juicy, and filling. All of the appetizers were tasty even the sauces that went with them. The cheese curds were crunchy and soft. When we walked in we were greeted with smiles when we said we wanted to eat outside they were very helpful. The waitress was quick service and great with suggestions . Sitting outside was comfortable tables had a large umbrella, the area was clean. We will definitely eat there again.

From the owner: Great atmosphere for great drinks, great food, and a fantastic place to relax and enjoy friends or…read morea game on TV

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

Pad See Ew, add chicken. Thank me later…read more Both times I have been to this restaurant the service has been incredible and the food amazing. Worth the drive from STL and always a stop while in Carlinville.

I was passing thru Carlinville and spotted Sun Thai , decided to give it a try. I have the Beef…read morePho , it was a large serving and very tasty. I just ordered mild with a bit of heat and was very pleased. Quick & friendly service. Would definitely recommend. The restaurant is in the historic original building and location of the Ariston Cafe opened in 1924. The building itself dates to 1854 and was the first 3 story building on the town square.

Food is decent, but prices are steeper than expected for the area. After hours the DJ CRANKS the…read moremusic for 2 people on the dance floor, even though the majority of people in the establishment would like to be able to continue their conversation. I left this establishment an hour ago and my ears are STILL ringing because of the unnecessarily loud music. (Even after asking them to turn down the volume and being told no). Seems odd to me that the bartender and their friends get to dictate this.

Jim is my hero. Prices are killer - service is impeccable. Jim will out gentleman your ass 24/7…read more We'll be back.

It was a perfect sunny day for the Prairie Inn. The place was very busy outside so we decided to…read moresit inside. The bartender was the only one taking drink and food orders for the entire inside so she was extremely busy. They seemed understaffed but noticed there were food runners to help her. Fries and tots were just okay but the chicken tenders and ranch were good. You also can't beat the cheap drinks

Made our third visit to a place that will certainly play high in our rotation. Went for lunch on…read moreMonday, realized this was the first time we had been other than a Saturday. The larger open area we had sat in prior was closed. We were in a smaller more intimate bar part with a a few tables. We had a very good lunch, and the single bar tender/server, Rebecca, was holding court masterfully. Right after we got seated the place filled up and she was off and running. Got everything right at every table, gave each of us the right amount of attention. Really enjoyed her suggestion on the "Prairie Sauce for my wings"... The wife got a burger and fries, always a solid choice here. I had a Chef's Salad along with the 6 wings (Mon. special) and was stuffed. The only thing I would want different is a slightly larger plate/bowl for the salad, early on it was hard to move it all around. It all worked out, but those first few moments were a little messy. Adding photo of Chef's Salad, very well executed, appreciate the volume and presentation, the chopped meats is the right move.

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.

The restaurant was clean and nice. They were able to fit in a big group with no problem. I got the…read moreQuesobarria and it was so good. We also had the stake quesadilla and that was also really good. The service was great and and the food came out fast and hot! Over all it was a great experience and definitely will be back!!

The best Mexican food we've ever had and always love it when we get a chance to get food from here!…read moreUsually do takeout, sometimes dine-in but usually always a couple people there if not close to a full house. The chicken fajitas are out of this world! Be careful doing "large" carry out orders over the phone because it took over 10 minutes to try to communicate what we wanted (5 items) after talking to two people and when arrived to pick up had to be remade because of errors in the order. If you get double order of fajitas make sure to check because there have been several times where it was way less than that. But otherwise will always look forward to the chance to get food from here!