Hungry Moose

Review Visit: October 28th, 2014…read more If you are a diner aficionado, do not confuse yourself. Yes, there is two diners in Illinois that have nearly the same name. This one is THE 50's Diner located in Peoria, IL and the other is THAT 50's Diner in Dwight, IL. The similarities do not end there. They are both themed from the 1950s. They have a big love of Elvis and other 1950's stuff decorating the diner. That's about where it ends. Matt, Tim, and I rolled up on a sunny autumn afternoon for some nostalgic trip. Not that we were alive in the 50's but it is always fun to visit a place themed after a time period one isn't alive for. I am still waiting for someone to open a Cafe 80's modeled after the one from Back to the Future II. This diner was screaming 50's from the moment we walked in. Black and white color scheme for the seating. 50's decor and memorabilia lining the walls and counters. A menu that screams styling from the time. But none of that matters in the end. It's the food. The menu emhpasizes the Loosey Sammich and that is just what I ordered. While looking over the menu, I did notice they served curly fries, which seems like a rarity outside of Hardee's/Carl Jrs. The diner wasn't busy so our server was timely and our food was delivered after a short while. The food was served in those plastic baskets with wax paper (but sometimes served on plates). To me, I enjoy food being delivered in those things. Why, only foggy childhood memories can explain. The food was dropped in front of us and the Loosey sandwich was... not appealing. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it if you've read enough of these blog posts, you know I save my judgment for how it tastes, not how it looks. Chomp. Chomp. A few bites in and my mouth ran in to dryness without flavor to cover it up. The sandwich was somehow disappointing despite being their signature sandwich. I am going to guess that the meat was sitting in a warmer and dried out. Ah, what a bummer. The fries were good, at least. I've been back a few times with my friend Maria for random breakfasts and lunches and the food from those visits mirrored my first experience here. Bland. Not to say the food is awful or should be avoided, but don't expect anything to make you crave coming back time and time again. But, on the other hand, maybe you'll love the place. Don't let me bland experience deter you from checking it out. Maybe my taste buds are compatible with the 50's. Ah, but this isnt the end of this blog. Nope, one little thing left to talk about. There is a store that takes up the right side of The 50's Diner. Yes, you heard it here. A store. I've browsed the merchandise for sale and I am not sure if this store is a consignment-based or what. The assortment of items is rather eclectic. There's novelty candy, jewelry, random clothes, and other odds and ends. It kind of makes visiting here exciting because you just never know what they will have on sale.

Cute little diner. Good size portions. Large and think pancakes. Ordered the Mega skillet.read more

All you can eat walleye

Very neat interior!

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Gebby's Family Restaurant

4.1(54 reviews)

2.7 mi

Outstanding breakfast. I try to eat here whenever I come home for a visit. The food and service is…read morealways awesome. We had pancakes, biscuits and gravy and the hearty breakfast with poached eggs, bacon, pan fried hash browns. Their hash browns are excellent. Coffee is served piping hot with a small carafe on the side. It's a cute little restaurant that typically has a short wait on weekends. I highly recommend.

It's your basic diner with higher end choices of food. Servers were fast and friendly. Food was…read moregood and they offer you a Togo cup of Joe when you get ready to leave. That's a nice touch. Would go again

Hearty breakfast

The Cinnamon bun came out warm with the pot of coffee. A great beginning!

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Two Eggs over medium with hash browns & bacon. A little extra cinnamon roll just for good measure to start your day!

Mayflower Restaurant

4.3(18 reviews)

9.8 mi

Very friendly atmosphere, solid food very well prepared, very good value and service! Went there…read moreall three mornings during a recent family reunion in NW Peoria.

This review is for my grandmother…read more The Mayflower used to be a nice place to go for breakfast in a small town, but over the years the prices have skyrocketed. Also the server is rude and doesn't attend to all guests.

Steak Skillet

Blueberry Pancakes are Delicious!

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Bill was a little over $21.00 for two of us, both had the same thing, did not include a drink, we both had water.

Childers Eatery

4.1(218 reviews)

1.0 mi

Very good people working and good food with great selection. Clean and nice area. Easy parkingread more

I feel like if you want general American breakfast food, this is a solid place to go with fair…read moreprices. I got a salad with beets and sweet potatoes, although they forgot the sweet potatoes and brought me some after I pointed it out. I don't think you need to go out of your way but they do have a bunch of breakfast items you could get and it's a diner vibeish.

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One World

4.3(788 reviews)

1.9 mi

My first time here. The menu was comprehensive and featured so many visually tempting options that…read moreI finally just asked our waitress Quincy to suggest something. She recommended the Cuban Pulled Pork Sandwich. My sandwich was huge and contained a large portion of pulled pork meat. It was delicious and the homemade chipotle bbq mayo made it all the more satisfying with its rich smoky flavor! The Cuban-style black beans were right out of Miami! Very nicely prepared and included green peas, carrots, corn, and bell peppers, as well. My dining companion, for her part, ordered the Falafel platter, with a side order of gyro meat. The falafel (a dozen), were fresh, tasty, and just the right consistency. These were served with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pita, and hummus. The side order of gyro meat featured a generous portion of decadently succulent lamb shavings and included two portions of homemade tzatziki sauce. Everything we ate was prepared to perfection and could easily compete with exceptional restaurants in Chicago! Yes, the food at One World is that good. As for the service, our waitress Quincy was friendly and professional. As for the ambiance and decor--we arrived ahead of the lunch crowd, so it was pretty quiet. The decor, however, is nicely done. The premises were clean and well maintained. Ditto the restrooms. The restaurant is actually huge. There are multiple dining areas and in the summer there is an outside patio behind the restaurant, as well. As for pricing and affordability--quality costs, and the food here is definitely a cut above. That being said, the owners have priced the entrees quite reasonably considering the generous portion-size and quality of the food. My overall opinion? If you want a dining experience worthy of comparison to the best Chicagoland has to offer, but don't want to make the long drive--or pay twice as much--then I highly recommend this little gem of a locally-owned restaurant in Peoria!

Very good spot in Peoria!!! The menu here is expansive and there is something for everyone. They…read morealso have a huge selection of lattes and drinks. I got the thai chicken pizza and it was SO good. The hot honey was a little sweeter than I expected, however the jalepeno balanced it well. The hummus also was hands down one of the best I have ever had. Still thinking about it. The only reason I didn't give this place 5 stars was the service. Everything was fine until it came to pay. I don't know if our server disappeared or something but we waited 30-45 minutes to get our check which was semi-frustrating. Anyways, 10/10 food. Very unique. Very different. I recommend!!!

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Honey Sugar's Cafe

4.0(1 review)

3.0 mi

This cafe is located in downtown Peoria at the twin towers? You will drive right past it if you…read moredon't know what you looking for. My brother found this on Google. I was surprised no one had this business on Yelp. Appreciated the service received and the recommendations offered. I come to Peoria I ften and seeing a soul food establishment finally is good. The location is interesting. It's unfortunate it's not in a more "inviting" space. Maybe it's when I cam, but there weren't any other establishments open cept for a barbershop, which I will come to next time. Now my brother wanted to try this place out because of the reviews on Google. The food was good? Hmmm, per my brother, the chicken was to oily. The catfish was nicely prepared. Just a SMIDGEN to much salt. The Mac n cheese was good. The greens were good per my brother and me since we both ordered it. Foot traffic was steady in the place.

Deep Fried Catfish Dinner/2 sides with Honey's Cornbread Slice.

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Lou's Drive-In

3.3(41 reviews)

2.2 mi

The food is great. The service is great. I look forward to their opening every year!!!read more

I was very much looking forward to taking my kid there. They completely forgot her food and when I…read morecalled back they acted as if I wasn't being honest. Ended up driving back with the food and was offered a gift card for half the amount that was spent. Will not return. Customer service wasn't very good

Lou's drive-in sign

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Silver Dollar

3.2(14 reviews)

3.2 mi

It's a hot Tuesday afternoon. We're on vacation in need of a cooling beverage. Silver Dollar was…read morethe nearest venue. So glad we stopped. The bar was clean and thankfully air conditioned. The beers were cheap and the cocktails strong. Thanks to "Crazy Mary" (who provided excellent service and was vey attentive) we received some valuable information on places to visit and local restaurants. She was fun to chat with and we're sorry we are just passing thru and cannot be regulars.

This place is average at best. A group of friends stopped in for breakfast. Food is adequate, but…read morenot great. The American fries had a texture and taste that resembled boiled potatoes more than fried. Floors were dirty and sticky. And it's time to recognize that it's 2023 and start accepting credit cards. I'm unlikely to return. One good point: I was able to get a decent bloody mary with breakfast.

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Schooners

4.4(59 reviews)

2.6 mi

Excellent food and great service! Food is always great and portions are always generous!read more

Schooners is a perfect little hole in the wall with a mighty fine kitchen!…read more There's no frills to be had; the menu, while hilarious, is pretty basic. They do have something called a "horseshoe" though and the Illinois classic pork tenderloin. Food is exactly as described and a lot of it is hand/scratch-made! Everything hit the table hot and ready for consumption all at once, after hardly a wait at all. My party was six people and we ordered two orders of wings, a tenderloin, a ham horseshoe, onion rings, corn fritters, and mozzarella sticks. Everything was delicious. The tenderloin was perfectly crisp and hilariously huge. The horseshoe was messy and silly, a fun novelty as well. Service was absolutely great and the vibe inside amongst the patrons is jovial. I'd definitely come back for a pint and a tenderloin!

Welcome to Peoria!

Mozzarella sticks

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Menu

Connected Restaurant

4.3(260 reviews)

0.9 mi

•$$$

Ambiance = to any other restaurant in the country…read more Service = to the finest restaurants in the US. Food = to anything worldwide. The owner/chef came out to introduce himself since he was informed that my wife and I were celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary. This was our first time ever at the restaurant and I am disappointed that while living in Peoria, IL for 50 years I never had been there before. Now it's the only place I will go out to dinner at when I am in Peoria. The address is actually listed as 3218 N. Dries Lane in Peoria, IL and is across from the old Landmark Theatre on Dries Ln. You can actually locate it off of University St. also.

I went to the host stand and inquired as to our table. I was told it was the best they could do,…read moreor we could sit on the patio out front. Did I mention it was over 90 that day?? Our servers were slow to the table. Introduced themselves saying the gent would be the main server and the lady would be helping. SHE did all the work. Never saw him again. We could hardly hear each other talk. We were practically yelling. Dinks finally arrived. Later I ordered another glass of wine which never arrived. When I asked about it, I was told we were lucky to get the first round due to how busy they were. I was shocked at the response. The food was unusually average. Two of the dishes contained lobster. One was overcooked, the other lacked flavor. Yes, there were large parties in the house that night, but that is their business to manage NOT an excuse. If they want to cater solely to large groups, then DON'T take my reservation. There is growing competition for places to go for a nice night out, I'll be sure this place is lower on my list going forward. I felt very disrespected. Not a feeling I've ever gotten from this place.

Dessert

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10 reviews that are not currently recommended

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Clifford C.

117

9

0

7 years ago

Time to HEAP on the cheapest food items per the original idea of the original restaurant concept. After my second time of an overpriced breakfast plate with FOUR bites of hash browns & oven-dried sausage patties, I realized the "overflowing plate" concept is exclusive to the pancake. Service both times was poor @ best. I wish the owners the best in the new Sterling Avenue location, but until you add 12¢ of potatoes to your $7 breakfast, you will probably continue to loose customers. read more

Christina P.

5

1

0

6 years ago

I have always enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Unfortunately, the owner allowed a drunk customer to call his bartender names and then fired the bartender. I wont go to an establishment that allows their staff to be treated that way. As a bartender myself, that behavior from an owner is unacceptable. I won't returning. read more

Chad Z.

26

2

0

10 years ago

In reply to Brandon K. review. the owner is not a female if you live across street you live in a electrical supply house. and if it were closing time you would be eating dinner night lunch Monday thru. Saturday and if It was on sunday 11/13 your a liar I was was there read more

Jeremy C.

12

20

0

11 years ago

Awesome. Great food. Nice staff. Its a small place So the seating is a little tight. But who cares? This is a mom and pop with kickass homemade food. read more

Matt B.

23

60

4

13 years ago

This place is amazing. Try the onion straws, and French toast. Everything we had was amazing. This little greasy spoon is amazing.

Kathryn C.

0

12

0

11 years ago

Food was delicious! We had a cheap, filling breakfast and great service! I'd definitely eat here again and again!

Karen D.

0

4

5

7 years ago

Eat here, get the tenderloin, you will not be disappointed. Great food and good service read more

Patrick W.

0

1

14 years ago

Big variety of diner food. Ham and brie sandwich is excellent. Breakfast all day long.

H D.

0

2

1

5 years ago

$22.00 for a chilli dog and 2 pancakes is way too expensive for me never again.

Rita C.

0

1

0

8 years ago

DELICIOUS!!!! Friendly, clean and very good prices!

Hungry Moose - diners - Updated September 2026

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My family and I ate here shortly after arriving at the Peoria Airport. Shortly after walking in, I…read morediscovered that there is not a changing table in the women's restroom; my hubs informed me that there is not one in the men's either. So maybe not super suitable for families with young kids. We were greeted promptly and drink orders were taken. The coffee was mediocre and we had to request a fresh pot be made. Our food came out quickly and was pretty good but nothing out of the ordinary. Atmosphere was average but inviting. Picture here: French toast combo with scrambled eggs and bacon

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Washington Family Restaurant

3.2

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There is no love for food here. It's just simply feeding people for the lowest cost possible. The…read morefacility is worn and humble. The people were friendly but unaware of the mediocrity they were serving.

Disappointing Experience - Poor Service & Inconvenient Resolution…read more I placed a pickup order from Washington Family Restaurant and included two to-go orange juices. When I called to check on the timing, they told me I could come in right away. However, when I arrived, my order hadn't even been started, and I had to wait about 10 minutes. While I was waiting I watched the waitresses repeatedly drop menus on the floor, pick them up and put them right back into circulation, I did not see anyone wash their hands even once during the course of this. Once I finally got home, I realized my two orange juices were missing. I called the restaurant, and they confirmed I had been charged for them but didn't receive them. Instead of offering a refund over the phone (even though I paid with a card in person), they told me the *only* way to get my money back was to drive back to the restaurant. This completely defeats the purpose of ordering takeout in the first place. Mistakes happen, but the way businesses handle them matters. Expecting a customer to go out of their way to fix *their* error--on their own time and gas money--is just bad customer service. A simple remote refund or a credit for a future visit would have been reasonable. Unfortunately, their unwillingness to provide a convenient solution makes me question whether I'll return.

Eggcellent Cafe

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A Peoria native referred us to this breakfast restaurant so of course we had to try. There was a 15…read moreminute wait for a table. The hostess added my phone number to the list and we were seated after receiving a text. I ordered the On the Border skillet over seasoned potatoes, scrambled eggs and a side of pancakes. My meal was seasoned well and the salsa added a fresh element to the skillet. My husband ordered the Denver omelette with potatoes and pancakes. He's a harsh pancake critic but he gave these a great rating and I agree! Our food came very fast after ordering. I love that the establishment is on the smaller side; It gave a cozy, down home feel.

Not welcoming of a customer with a Service Dog. Offered to seat me outside in the hot sun no shade…read more I was fine with a table next to the kitchen door away from other customers. I was not alright with the service and timing. Ordered Coffee ($3.60) and classic eggs Benedict. My food was delivered and had to ask again for my coffee. Ham on Benny was "country salty ham" not Canadian bacon style. Yuk. I won't be dining here again.

Woody's Family Restaurant

3.2

(15 reviews)

Well, the biscuits and gravy still have no flavor. I decided to also order some eggs and hash…read morebrowns this time around....hash browns were crispy on the outside and tasteless mush in the middle. The waitress was very nice and attentive.

Great breakfast and service. Food came out amazing and atmosphere was very friendly and welcoming.read more

Fillin Station

(30 reviews)

One word: N A S T Y. Do NOT eat here. It looked promising…read moreat first when it was just down the street from the laundromat where we were finishing laundry. It looked promising when we walked in and the decor was so cute with license plates and stoplights. It looked promising when the wait staff were very nice and delivered an extensive menu. That's where promising ended. I ordered mozzarella sticks with marinara, a dinner salad and a side of cottage cheese. Pretty simple, right? The waitress asked what I wanted on the salad??? I said hard boiled egg, tomatoes, cucumber, whatever vegetables they had. She sort of shook her head as if she did not know what veggies they had. I ordered a side of blue cheese dressing. Mother in law ordered a grilled chicken salad. Mozzarella sticks took 25 minutes? I actually had to leave to get our laundry caus we were waiting so long. Came back to lukewarm NASTY mozzarella sticks that we did not finish. The marinara was underwhelming and warmer than the cheese sticks. Gross. Then we wait another 10-15 minutes wondering where the heck our simple salads are. The staff would not make eye contact. We kept looking for someone who would check our order and gave up. Finally after 45 min of waiting we get our "salads" YUCK. Mine we the tiniest bowl of white / pale green iceberg lettuce. A piece of white onion. A small plastic container of dressing sat on top of the sad lettuce. THAT WAS IT. Where are the vegetables I asked for? I look at the salad my MIL got and THERE was my hard boiled egg. There were the chopped vegetables. Luckily she offered to share her egg and vegetables with me. My salad was NASTY. She did not like hers, it was covered in melted cheese. Only reason I gave it two stars instead of one is because the waitresses were very nice. It wasn't their fault the kitchen staff can't make salad.

GREASY! We were really disappointed with our breakfast here. It was the only sit-down breakfast on…read morea Sunday AM. The building is dated and cluttered with memorabilia on the walls. The service and food arrival was lighting fast, which is a tell tale sign of poor food. The omelet we got was swimming in grease/oil. It was mostly cheese and had very little else. The coffee is unremarkable. My scramble eggs were unseasoned and not fluffy. Skip this joint if you can.

Gebby's Family Restaurant

(54 reviews)

Outstanding breakfast. I try to eat here whenever I come home for a visit. The food and service is…read morealways awesome. We had pancakes, biscuits and gravy and the hearty breakfast with poached eggs, bacon, pan fried hash browns. Their hash browns are excellent. Coffee is served piping hot with a small carafe on the side. It's a cute little restaurant that typically has a short wait on weekends. I highly recommend.

It's your basic diner with higher end choices of food. Servers were fast and friendly. Food was…read moregood and they offer you a Togo cup of Joe when you get ready to leave. That's a nice touch. Would go again

Bloody Mary Brunch

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Awesome place, I usually sit at the bar. Any time you can order food with your Alcohol is a great…read moreplace to go! This is my first time having a Bloody Maria, which is a with Tequila instead of the traditional vodka. Which is absolutely a game changer.! I'm an Omelet and Benedict guy. Never disappointed with any of those. Oh and when you're done with your food and you want one last little drink to take you on your way. Ask for a Green Tea, it's not too sweet and you never taste the alcohol.! It's delicious, everything is.!

Hey guys it's Brad, back at it again with another review!…read more My friend was troubled with finding a place that served both a good Bloody Mary and Strawberry Pancakes. Luckily we found the found place! We immediately were seated in a comfy booth and I enjoyed the vibey music. My friend even started to dance! I got the breakfast tacos and was so happy to see a bottle of Cholula calling my name already at the table. They were delicious and paired excellent with the Ranch Taters. My friend got her spicy Bloody Mary along with her strawberry pancakes and ate her whole plate! What a biggie! My other friend, the dancing one, had a breakfast sandwich with hash browns. She enjoyed it and also ate the whole plate. Overall, it was a pleasant experience! Special shout out to our server Mary! (Fitting I know lol!) She was a treat and had great conversation with our table! Definitely will be coming back for great food and even better service! Peace out -Brad

Sheryl’s Cafe

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Great fresh food and Great service! Every time! Breakfast,Lunch and Dinner. Eat there several times…read morea week. Enjoy!

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Busy Corner Restaurant

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This review is based on the service. As soon as we walked in (first time here), a 'short…read moregray-haired' waitress loudly asked from across the restaurant if we were picking up. We said no, and she told us to sit, saying she wondered why we were "just standing there." While ordering, she was impatient, didn't make eye contact, and gave off a rude demeanor the entire time. When paying, she was holding on to the tablet which had a 20% tip pre-selected, we changed it to $1 due to the poor service. As we were leaving, she came outside, yelled for us to never come back, and flipped us off. We were polite the whole time, so this was shocking and uncalled for. Terrible customer service. Clearly caters to regulars, not new customers.

Not located on a corner but busy nonetheless…read more As I get back to exploring and the crazy of the world settles down, it's also time to try new items and popular favorites. My girlfriend and I were wanting breakfast and I was asking around what sounded and looked good. She suggested Busy Corner and I had thought she meant Cobbler Corner. Nope, there is a Busy Corner and a Cobbler Corner in Pekin. We showed up around 9am and it was still busy with the breakfast crowd. I guess this is why it's called Busy Corner. We parked in what appears to be a closed business' parking lot next door and headed in. Upon entering, I was shocked at how open the place is. With it being so busy, I didn't feel it was appropriate to take a photo from the entrance but trust me when I say that the dining floor is a square room with nothing but tables and chairs. A hostess (or something) came out from the back and nodded at an empty table for us to sit at. We grabbed the seat along the right wall and were given menus. Emily gave me a rundown of what she knew on the menu and her experiences here. She ordered her usual John Wayne breakfast skillet thing. I noticed a Bacon Waffle on the menu and debated on if it was a waffle that came with bacon or a waffle with bacon in it. Our waitress cleared the air on what it was when it came time to order. Can you guess what I ordered? BACON WAFFLE! It's a waffle with bacon in it. What a fun novelty. It took a little while for the food to come out due to how busy it was. Once it came out, I was impressed with how well the waffle looked with bacon in it. Emily's meal that the Duke loves looked just as good. I grabbed the syrup and poured a ton of syrup on both sides. I dug in and have to say this novelty of a meal is just that. I'm no food snob or professional but after a few bites, I knew the type of bacon they used didn't mesh with the waffle mix at all. I believe it was a hickory-type bacon used and it didn't go well at all with the generic waffle mix. Despite that, it wasn't bad at all. I put the whole thing down and each bite was just a confusing taste of bacon and waffle that tasted separately with each bite. Due to some recent food allergies, I had to decline the butter that came on the waffle. Maybe that would help bind the flavors together? While the flavor was odd, the portion size was huge. It was nearly as big as the plate it was served on and with my voracious appetite, I had only the waffle and the filled me up until early afternoon (and a whole front/back yard mow). Emily couldn't finish her John Wayne breakfast and had to take half home with her. As for why this place as a meal named or based on The Duke or John Wayne, I am at a loss to explain why. Maybe it's mentioned on the menu and I somehow overlooked it or maybe it's just a known fact... I will never know. If you know and want to share, leave a comment below. I had mentioned this place was an empty square. This works for jamming in as many tables as you can but also causes some slight claustrophobia-like feel because your neighbor sits a bit closer than a normal restaurant. With that in mind, it does make having a conversation a bit difficult due to everyone's voice filling the room. I repeatedly had to go 'huh?' 'what?' more so than normal. But... I'm glad my initial skepticism was extinguished once we sat down and had our food. Just goes to show that you can't judge a book by it's cover.

Khaki Jack's

4.2

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