If you're a fan of their Grafton, IL location, you're going to love this one, too. It's way bigger…read moreand we all know, bigger is usually better. Having recently moved to the River-bend area, I am out exploring my new territory. I am on the search for great burgers, wings, pizza and other popular pub foods. Going home from my cousins, I was traveling a side backroad and as I was passing 3rd Chute, I quickly entered the second entrance. I was surprised that they had added a second location and became anxious to see their pub fare. The COVID restrictions had just been lifted today, so their was a mix of mask and non-mask wearers in the restaurant. The majority of the staff was mask-less and half the patrons like myself were still wearing one. I seated myself at the far end of the bar and I'd be damned if a young man didn't come sit next to me with only one stool between us. At first i was miffed, but when I looked, he too was a mask wearer. When I pulled into the lot, my intentions was to get wings or a burger. However, my mind was quickly changed when I found out what the special of the day was. Their special was Fried Catfish! It came with two fillets of fish and two sides. I'm a fan of catfish, so I was sold. They had signage up promoting Jayne's famous chili, so I went ahead and had a small bowl as one of my sides. It was very mild. I like some spice and heat to my chili, but I can see why a lot of folks may be excited about hers. For my other side I choose fries. They served up the thin shoestring type fries similar to a famous burger chain. They were extra crispy and only lightly salted, which I like. Then there was the catfish, the two fillets were larger then I had anticipated, but I managed to eat them all. They came with a thick slice of white bread, similar to Texas toast and a generous slice of white onion. I'd get this special again, if offered. Except I'd replace the chili with coleslaw a side dish that goes better with fried catfish. When in a pub, you gotta drink booze, so I enjoyed a, Love Gun from Heavy Riff. It was nice to see that they offered a good variety of local breweries from both sides of the Mississippi. Staff was friendly and attentive. My bartender checked in with me several times to make sure I didn't need anything and to make sure I was satisfied with my entree. The atmosphere and ambiance is a cross between a sports pub and country bar, but I found it to be very relaxing. Will I return? - They've got burgers, wings and pizza for me to try. When: October 10, 2020 10102020 Why: Meal of Day

Planned to meet friends with under-age kids here on a Friday night after a high school football…read moregame. Late-night food options in Alton are sparse. Had eaten here in the past, but apparently this bar/restaurant recently changed ownership. The once loud dance crowd was absent and few cars occupied the parking lot. The menu appeared the same. We ordered chicken wings, peel n eat shrimp and a burger. They only had cajun shrimp left, so after seeing the folks behind me being served the ribeye dinner, I changed my order. Wow. Great flavor, and served with roasted potatoes and fresh green beans. I was impressed. All that was missing was bread, but I didn't care much. I liked the quieter atmosphere and after a very drunk man made a huge scene and a fool of himself, the manager stopped by our table with an apology. Very good service. Excellent value for a steak dinner. Still a great place to eat. The entire meal was less than $30 for two drinks, burger/fries, and steak dinner!

It was a Friday night, so I considered myself lucky getting a seat at the bar. It was at the very…read morefar end, which meant I only had to worry about someone to my left. I didn't end them, but I bonus was, a hook and outlet was under the bar right in front of my stool. I didn't want the Friday special, even though some Fried Fish was tempting. All I wanted was some of their incredible hand cut and breaded onion rings. I paired them with a 6 piece bone in chicken wings in mild sauce. When served, I was pleased to see my order had equal flats and drums. The wings and rings were very filling. I ended up taking two rings and one flat and one drum home. They re-heated very well for the next days lunch. The service was a little off, but I will admit they were slammed. The bartender was slow on greeting and doing follow-up. It may have helped if they had an extra person behind the bar. Even a bar-back would have helped. They may have lost a star this visit, but I am sure they'll get it back soon.

Brickhouse has the perfect local dive bar feel but with a really nice setup inside. Huge open…read morespaces, tons of TVs for watching sports, and long tables that make it great for groups and gatherings. The food menu has a lot of solid options, but the wings are easily the best in the area, huge, meaty, and packed with flavor. Great variety of beers on tap too. Definitely a spot worth checking out if you want good food, cold beer, and a relaxed atmosphere.

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!

Really good food and drinks. Jimmy, Al, and Donnie play great music on a Wednesdays. Everyone needs…read moreto come check this out to break up week day rat race.

Great bar/restaurant. Has side for families and side for bar. A pool table and tvs for ppv events…read moreand sports.

The service is outstanding and the burrito barbacoa is the most flavorful burrito I have ever had!…read more My favorite Mexican restaurant!

Excellent margaritas (your typical sweet ones), good quality food, great service, and everything…read morecame out of the kitchen really quickly.

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.

Middle of the road but over, the restaurant is showing slight improvement. For example, it was…read moreobvious that our server was high. She told us the she was just starting her shift. Within a few minutes, here came a new server who said that our server had to go home and she was taking over. She did an excellent job! The food was good. Not great but probably a 4 star, except the quesadilla was burnt. YOU DON'T SEND BURNT FOOD OUT FROM THE KITCHEN. Don't turn over the "better" side and hope for the best. Overall, they are getting better.

Hooked me up with plenty of fresh food fast service and was super nice…read more Got shrimp riblets and boneless wings all came out hot fresh and super good.

Taqueria Maya is not in my neighborhood and I pass four other Mexican restaurants before I arrive…read moreat their location. So sometimes, I forget about them and I need to change that. Because, when I do come, I enjoy my experience. The other day I stopped in for lunch and in the foyer, they had a board with weekly specials. One of the specials was, Shrimp Chimichanga. That made my decision real easy. Shrimp Tacos and Quesadillas are my favorite Mexican foods, so why not try a Chimichanga. It came with Refried Beans and Rice. It also has small servings of Guacamole and Sour Cream. The shrimp inside my Chimichanga were good sized and if memory serves me right, there were 8 stuffed inside. If not 8, it was 6 and it filled it to the brim. I love it when an entree has Guacamole, that way you can use it with your chips as you enjoy your entree. It also allows me to order good ole White Cheese Dip at the beginning, to enjoy with the complimentary Chips and Salsa. When I was served mine, the chips were still warm. Nothing beats a fresh warm chip dipped in salsa and white cheese. Dining alone makes it acceptable to double dip mixing the two together. A Margarita was my adult beverage of choice. I enjoyed a Jumbo sized and it lasted me through my appetizer and entree. To my delight, it was served to me in a frosted Margarita glass. I was frosted better than some beer mugs I have had. My server was friendly and attentive. In addition to waiting on tables, he was busy wrapping silverware and his multi-tasking did not take away from quality service. I plan to keep Taqueria Maya in my rotation of Mexican restaurants. It's worth the drive and worth passing by some of their competitors, to enjoy their quality of food.

Friday night and this small restaurant was packed! We were seated as soon as we walked in and…read morewaited about 15-20 minutes for our food. The service was good and the servers were friendly. The birria that I ordered wasn't necessarily the best, but I'd certainly go back to try something else.

I am so proud of myself. Today, I went to The Pump House and I did not order chicken wings. It was…read morea struggle, but I forced myself to order something else off the menu and I am glad that I did. Instead of my typical order of wings and fries, I got the Pump Jack Burger. It's made with Angus beef topped with Pepper Jack cheese, Grilled Balsamic Onions, Mild Banana Pepper Rings with a Sweet and Spicy Sauce, all served on a Onion Roll. It was served with a side of Fries. I was impressed by the size of the burger and that it was hand pressed. A hand pressed burger always tastes better to me. I requested that it be prepared medium rare and it was done perfectly. The fries were soft, I'd prefer mine a little crispier, but they were seasoned well. I got a giggle from their ketchup bottle, it said it was "Fancy". They have an impressive variety of beers. They offer draft, bottle and canned. I personally always go with one of the many craft beers they have on the menu. When dining alone, I always sit at the bar. The bartenders are typically female and are friendly. I am fan of hooks under a bar and Pump House takes it even a step further. They also offer, outlets. If your phone needs a charge and you've got a cord, you are set to go. Offering outlets under a bar, is top notch customer service. Now that I know they have great burgers as well as their wings, I'll have to rotate between the two when coming to dine.

Ambiance is nice. Service has always been decent. My complaint is I can't get a baked potato with a…read moresteak here - so not a big fan of side choices but over all it is clean and prices are fitting. The steak quesadilla is my go to here. What you would expect from a sports bar vibe.