I had a fantastic Tuesday night dinner. They were offering a $30 3 Course Dinner, but I went with…read morethe $25 Pepperloin Steak. Before ordering, I enjoyed a Tito's Extra Dry Martini with a Lemon Twist. The bartenders here are masters of their mixologist skills. Trust me I know, they've made my a lot of cocktails. Once my entree arrived, I totally impressed with all three items. The asparagus was prepared perfectly. It wasn't too hard and not overly soft. It had just enough snap. The Loaded Baked Potato was the size of a fist, which is a perfect size. It was fluffy and was topped with butter, cheese and bacon. The steak was truly the piece of resistance. It was super tender and they served it a true medium rare. The kitchen truly knocked it out of the park with this meal. I was a happy diner. Good food and good service will have me returning to Gentelin's, time and time again.

Best restaurant in Alton to celebrate a special occasion. My husband got the peppered rib eye and…read moresaid it was the best steak he has ever had. I had the Chicken Piccata. Delicious. We both had side salads. They gave us a complimentary dessert to share since we were celebrating our anniversary. We chose the Carrot Cake Bread Pudding. Yum! Meghan was our server and she did an excellent job.

Great daily deals, the tacos could have more taste to them, MARGS are great. For 2.50 dollars…read more French fries are great. Wings EXCLENT.

For a dive sports bar, The Franchise puts on a good feed. The offerings are your typical sports bar…read moregrub, but it's prepared a level above other sports bars. My recent visit I enjoyed the Pork Loin Sandwich. It was a typical pork tenderloin sandwich, extending beyond the bun. The one here is served grilled, not fried like the majority of other restaurants. The seasoning and glaze were full of flavor. It surprised me with how juicy and tender it was. If you're a fan of Pork Tenderloin Sandwiches, this is a must try. A previous visit I had one of the steak specials. I ordered the 16 oz Filet and giggled when it was served. I was given two 8 oz filets on my plate. I didn't care, it still was 16 oz. It actually worked out for me, I ate one and took the other home and had steak and eggs for breakfast the next day. For my two sides, I choose Baked Potato and Green Beans. Half of the potato went home and gave me American Fried Potatoes for breakfast. They have a good variety of beers on draft, bottled and canned. In addition, they offer a full bar for adult beverages. The service is hit or miss. It was obvious who was a regular by the attention and quality of service they received. They need to treat everyone the same, so the newer customers become repeat customers, too.

Place seems like a fun night place. For lunch, it's standard bar grille food. Not a huge standout…read more I had the cheesesteak. It was odd. Instead of pieces of thinly sliced steak mixed with cheese, it was a thin sliced piece of steak with cheese on top. More of a steak sandwich. It was ok. The fries were well seasoned. And the homemade ranch was a standout. Service was pretty good. We had a big group and they did very well. Biggest turnoff was the semi outdoor area that allows smoking. Not a big fan of eating with cigarette fumes throughout the building.

I've lived in the area five years and I am still bewildered how people can smoke on the patio at…read moreRoper's even when the all the sliding doors are closed. I just always hope no one who smokes is seated near me. Today I expanded my menu experience by trying something totally new and different. I went with a Foul Ball, which is a chicken breast on a Brioche Bun with garnishes. I choose hand battered. You can also do, grilled or blackened. My breast was super thick and batter was crispy and had good flavor. As a side, I went with Tater Tots instead of fries. I've done this at other places and I'm starting to favor Tots. My beer was cold and the service was attentive. My server was training a new person and I think you always get better service when they are training. They want to make sure the newbie gets it, so they overdo it sometimes. I live super close to Roper's, but don't think of them when I'm heading out to eat. The food is good, I need to train my brain to remember them. I'll be back, hopefully sooner then later.

Bakers & Hale is a family favorite and an absolute must whenever I am in IL seeing family. The vibe…read moreis incredibly relaxed and very family friendly, ample space so you never feel crowded. The food is consistently good with generous portions, and the friendly service always makes the experience enjoyable. if your there during the live music, it's a really nice touch. Even though I come here all the time, for some reason I always forget the actual name and just refer to it as "Bangers and Mash." Luckily, my family always knows exactly whatI mean!

Bakers & Hale is probably one of the if not the most popular restaurants in the Riverbend area…read more They are know for their amazing bands on the patio, which is year round and a pretty decent Happy Hour. The other day I meet up with some of my cousins for Happy Hour. I cannot go wrong with one of the HH pizzas. Three of the six cousins, ordered pizza with different toppings. I went with the HH Taco's. I enjoyed Two Shrimp Taco's for only $7. The HH pizzas are $10. Three cousins went with the regular menu and enjoyed salads, chicken wings and chicken strips/tenders. Everyone was pleased with their food. The only thing keeping B&H from getting 5 Stars is the service. It's never consistent. One time it's over the top and the next time it's the bare minimum. It really depends on who you get as a server. The seasoned ones who have been for a long time, know how to work a table. The newer and younger ones, just don't get it. They don't hustle and as their station fills up, they get overwhelmed and everything goes downhill. When: January 7, 2026 Why: Happy Hour with the cousins

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.

Update Haven't been back here too much but called in for an…read moreorder to go tonight. Pump House! You need new cooks! The ones you have don't know how to cook basic food. Like I said in my first review you need to learn low and slow for a pork steak. Oh we don't have that anymore. Thank goodness. Your pork steak was chewy and not done appropriately. Horrible to try and eat. Tonight one of us got the chipotle chicken sandwich. The chicken was cooked to death. Ugh. Came out like chicken powder, you know the kind they put in your dog's food? Way too dry. Hard to eat. All the menus online are out of date so just about everything we chose we were told oh we don't have that anymore. Not good business practice. Put out a new menu and delete the old ones!! You fit right in with the rest of the crap food we are served in this area. Not a bit better. We won't try again.

We had a surprise party at the Penalty Box and the service was extraordinary! The food was a big…read morehit and they kept it hot. The atmosphere was perfect for everyone to gather and visit and have fun. Thank you Penalty Box for a perfect evening!

I had to cross State lines to find a quality sports bar??? And even this time it wasn't one I was…read morelooking for? To be honest, I had no idea what I was doing in Alton, (probably considering trying Fast Eddie's, but as i drove right past it, I was like .. ehhh. So I stopped in one of the nearest plazas and thought about this axe throwing bar.. but I don't think I'm ready for that, at least not in the mood i was in from my previous disappointment. Then i realize there's a fast food court right by it.. but it's closed on Saturdays????? What? So i look down and just try my luck "nearby sports bar".. and you have read about my "luck with sports bars' right? Well, luck be told, there's one right here in this same plaza parking lot... (there was also a drive through coffee shop I should have tried but passed on.. maybe when i come back for the axe-throwing place?) Anyway , my sports bar luck so far, has been truly hit or miss, so the question was.. do i have a good experience and head home happy, or a bad experience and pray for an axe to take me out in the forehead (you know like you see in the cartoons!) So anyway, let's get to the rules of a sports bar: 1) TV screens on various sports right? World Cup on one Tv, College World Series on tv two, an HISTORIC Espn broadcast on tv 3, 24 hours of Lemans on TV 4, a MLB game on tv 5, and some Tv sports intrview on tv 6 .. and that was just in the main room. (and every tv high enough to where I could see from my chair/table). Check, i think we got sports covered! 2) Attention side items for adults and kids. Darts, check (Plastic board, but i can live with that). Pool Tables, check.. I think they even had a tabletop shuffleboard, (but i wasnt' about to interrupt the "birthday" party to see if I was right, a claw machine (I think?) and Pac-man standing video game (heck, they even got the perfect video game if you're only going to have 1). We've got category #2 well in hand! 3) DRINKS. You know my rule, If you serve me, you better have a speciality. Well, ironically the bartendress thought i meant soda.. Do I look like a soda and sugar water guy? (Okay, sometimes I do... ), but a quick correction adult beverage on it's way.. 4) FOOD.. This is where I always screw up my pocket book, cause I always seem to go bigger than I should have.. and I did it again! Potato filled poppers to start with *Drool worthy cheese sauce under it* and then .. Philly Cheesesteak Pockets with Waffle Fries. I really need a travelling companion so i can split things and feel like I'm not spending as much on myself 5) TREATMENT from the staff... If you had noticed in the Fox & Hounds I honestly felt like I was ignored by the staff. This time... just the opposite, and they did it right.. And yes, this is going to sound chauvenstic, but it's my review, right? Everytime one of the ladies came by to check on me (and they did so regulary so to those of you who got inattentive servers, maybe it was just a bad day), cause I was checked on by even my non-servers when they came by, it was with a smile, and a feeling like they were glad I was there.. And the ladies made me feel years younger just by using those key words, With a "dear", "darling", "babe" polite word thrown on pretty much every time they came by. So no aspirin for the axe-splitting-head-ache tonight... just a smile on my face and a very good time, and I think the same will be said for anybody (Family, solo, friends, party group) who finds themselves ... and I think you'll find yourself asking to be called for hooking or tripping or high-sticking or whatever it takes to end up... in the Penalty Box. (okay bad pun, but i hadn't worked any good ones in here yet!)

I went by after church on Sunday. To my disappointment, they were closed. It appears for the next…read moretwo weeks. I've been enjoying here for the last six or eight months normally for breakfast or lunch. This is a great place. Great food great service. it's just unfortunate. They're gonna be closed a while far Vacation I suppose highly recommended. Have a great day.

B Town Restaurant. is a solid good choice for a breakfast out. The food is prepared well and the…read moreservice is attentive. It was one of those mornings and I had a craving for, Chicken Fried Steak. So I headed out of the house, to enjoy a nice breakfast at a diner. I hadn't been to B Town in a while, so even with the current gas prices, I made the drive to Bethalto. Their Chicken Fried Steak came with eggs, so I had mine scrambled. It also came with a choice of Hash Browns or American Fried Potatoes. I asked the waitress what her favorite was and she said, American. The American Fried are done totally in house. That sold me. It also came with toast, but I took a pass. They provided a steak knife with my breakfast, but it wasn't needed. The meat was tender and it was easy to break off a bite using just a fork. My eggs were fluffy and the potatoes were a good choice. So, always listen to your server. One thing I really like about B Town, is they do not overly season their food. I like the fact that I actually need to add more salt or pepper to my entree. I hate it when some places overly salt food. Good Food, Good Prices and Good Service will have me coming back for another breakfast. I might even come and check-out their lunch menu.

Came for the food, stayed for the vibe. I will say the food…read morewas pretty mid, the buffalo chicken dip was different and I didn't really care for it but my boyfriend enjoyed it. The fries were good and the burger was a burger. But I really loved the atmosphere, good drinks, good music and they had plenty of dart board and pool tables. Our waitress was super nice and attentive.

Excellent service! Great food and a fun atmosphere. We sat outside and they didn't forget us!read more