This was our first visit to Richard's Farm Restaurant. But for us it will be a one and done. The…read morerestaurant smelt musty and old because it is filled with antiques. And the old carpet just holds that smell. The restaurant was on the expensive side. The lunch specials started at $14.50. The cheapest sandwich was $15.99 and comes with one side. They offered a salad bar for $16.99 The hot bar was $18.79. Kids meals were all $9.99. I went with the hot bar because it had fried chicken on it. There were 4 different soups to choose from and all of the normal salad bar items. The pickled beets were really good. The skin of the fried chicken was soft from being in the steam table. Nothing crunchy left. Our waitress was very friendly and checked on a few times. Lunch for 3 adults and a kid was $70 plus tip.

The restaurant it self is just fun to take in. We visited family over the holidays and met some…read morefriends for dinner. So I had the salmon. It was cooked to perfection! Flaky with buttery caper sauce was rich and creamy over a bed of rice. My side was the salad bar which can hold its own as a meal all by itself. My husband ordered their famous 1lb pork chop. The mash was creamy and the Caesar salad side were good. Credit where credit is due.... The chop was cooked to temp however with the size and even with the red sauce it's basted with, my husband reported it a bit dry but he definitely enjoyed the process of eating it. The service as fine and we enjoyed the experience. We will definitely return next time we travel that way and try more on the menu

The service here is really good. I was here 4 years ago and remember the service and the food,…read morewhich is also good. We got the steak with fries and the buffet.

ALL! FOOD. SERVICE. AMBIANCE! LOVE ME SOME PONDEROSA! AT LEAST THIS ONE IN VANDALIA!…read more THERES NOT TOO MANY PLACES IN THIS TOWN THAT I CAN SAY THAT ABOUT ... OR RECOMMEND! But the food here is delish! They even have a DRIVE-UP window that at lunchtime (i'm not for sure about dinner time) but at lunchtime, you can roll thru the drive-up window, throw them a $10 bill and tell them which meat you prefer ... (usually meatloaf, turkey, fish on fridays and then there are other choices but i'm drawing a mind blank right now) and they give you a pretty large styrofoam container FULL OF FOOD! usually on the side it's mashed potatoes, corn or green beans, and ALWAYS A ROLL! and man it is better than a home cooked meal! I LOVE IT! and I haven't ran into a rude employee yet! They are ALL so nice in there! I love the food and i love all the employees there too! THEY ROCK!! ((next time i go there, ill take a picture of the awesome food they give ya for that ten dollar bill!)) ~ THANK YOU PONDEROSA!!!

A delightful place, with charming and timeless decor, great food, friendly service, and beautiful…read moreknife work flowers on the plates. My wife and I came here on our first date 25 years ago, and we return from time to time when we travel through Mattoon. It has always been a treat!

Only cause i cant give ZERO stars.Food so expensive. Doesnt match price on line. Waste. Never…read moreagain. Got 2 egg rolls. Lol with no filling .4 beef sticks the size of my finger.and 3 crab ragoons. Almost $28..for what??? Should have just stuck with thai noodle way.way better and prices better. Would have got same amount of food for $10. Insane. Wish I could post pics on here!!!!!

The food was fresh, the price was reasonable, everything was clean, and the service was friendly!read more

All the food was room temp. We went between 3:30 and 4. Nothing was hot. We all had different…read moreentrees and everyone's food was cold. We did not eat very much afraid we would get sick. A lot of spills and messes at all the food stations. Never eat here again.

Amazing can't say anything bad, food amazing great portions and staff amazing, very friendly,…read moredecor simple very clean, didn't disappoint.

Been here many times and always great food and service. We usually do the Buffett. Fresh food,…read moreclean restaurant. Never a long wait. Highly recommend, very large parking lot. Fair prices. Will definitely return.

Walked in for lunch on a Sunday. Not been informed that we have to pay Dinner price because it's a…read moreSunday. The Restaurant itself looks rundown, there is dirt all over the warming lamp possibly dripping in the food. I had one plate and had enough of the food already. Food was not tasting good, most of the food was cold. We went to pay and I overheard a conversation with an employee on the phone with a customer being absolutely disrespectful. Avoid at any chance !

Been going here since i was a kid and throughout the years they went downhill fast. the past couple…read moretimes we went the food was cold by the time we got back to our table and when we said something to them about it but they just acted like they didn't hear then when we said something again at checkout they began to argue...even another guy who was waiting to pay said that his food was cold too.

Tasty food! My favorites are the general's chicken, beef & brocoli, and the fried green beans!read more

the food was hot and good, they made us pay before we ate but everyone that came in after us didn't…read morehave to pay before they sat down for some reason. kinda stereotyping if you ask me but whatever.

Tiny restaurant in Robinson, Illinois, down in a neighborhood, at 710 South Cross Street. Two…read moreAmish ladies are serving outstanding freshly made home cooking, buffet style. The fried chicken is plump, juicy, and fork tender. My husband had seconds on the meatloaf and he's not a big eater! Mashed potatoes are REAL mashed potatoes, and how do you make green beans so delicious? They also offered spaghetti, carrots, salads, and desserts but we filled up and couldn't eat anything else. Excellent food, we highly recommend.

Petro buffet,! Amazing!! The macaroni and cheese is just like Grandma used to make. It was a good…read moredecision for lunch.

Well some of the three star is due to the server dismissing me when I ordered Steel cut oatmeal…read more.. and CLEARLY is wasn't NOT. Her answer was well that's all we got! So my question is can u go look cause this is too mushy to be steel cut. They looked and nope it wasn't. They told me no one noticed before. Excuse: crap someone ordered the wrong one! After THAT fiasco I got a bit of a discount and I just ate it. Cheech Service was a bit sketchy today. One gal was nice other couldn't give a rip.

This place is not permanently closed. The best food in town and has guests from all around the…read morenation show up when in town for a good meal.

Great place to get some comfort food... buffet style. The food and service is very good. A little…read moreon the salty side, but that's how i like it. Had the pork, fried chicken, salisbury steak, mashed taters, brown gravy, green beans, some stewed tomatoes and the sweet tea. I liked everything I ate. They have a salad bar and some cakes and desserts. I will be going back.