Updating my review from a few weeks ago. We live about 4…read morehours away and have family that lives in the area that we like to visit. This place 520 has become our family breakfast on Saturday mornings when we visit. The place is always busy. Sometimes we gotta wait on a table but they usually move pretty quick. On thus trip I talked to the owner as I was paying and told him how good everything was and how far we drove and had to drive home. Oscar is his name and is a great guy. As I was paying he fiddled with the register and as he gave me my change he slipped me a gift card. I was kinda taken back a little and we talked a little more then I went back to the table to finish our coffee to get ready to leave. I got to say the staff here is spot on. Never did we want for anything. The food was great and coffee was delicious. So we pack up the kids and go out to the cars to transfer bags and luggage when I turn around and here comes Oscar the owner. Evidently I dropped the card he had given me. He came right out and we talked a little more to the point I feel we made new friends with each other. I totally recommend eating here. You won't be disappointed. Bring your kids and family and enjoy a great home style breakfast. It's great!

Ultimate comfort breakfast spot. The portions are generous, and the house made hot sauce has a…read moresmoky depth that is seriously delicious. We had the West Coast Benedict which came on a bed of hash browns topped with over easy eggs, hollandaise, bacon, and avocado slices, plus a sweet cinnamon roll bread on the side. Everything was perfectly cooked and full of flavor. I also had the avocado toast without egg and loved the side of fresh fruit. It made for a quick, healthy, and satisfying breakfast. The coffee was good and the staff was friendly and attentive. The place feels welcoming and full of life with families laughing and staff greeting regulars. The space is clean with cozy country style decor and a laid back vibe. There are two entry points for lining up and plenty of parking. It is right next to a walking trail if you want a stroll after that delicious meal. Came for breakfast but the lunch and dinner menu looks worth coming back for.

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.!

I tried this for the first time and I had things I really loved and things I wasn't really…read moreimpressed with. First off we were sat immediately on a Saturday morning so I was really happy with that! Our waitress so seriously so friendly and attentive to us! We got our drinks quickly and the mimosas were amazing! Unfortunately the food really fell flat for me, I got the brisket Benedict and the corn bread was really sweet and the brisket was similar to jerky, we also got pancakes and those were also dry. I would maybe come back and try something else just based on how great the service was!

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.

Review Visit: September 7th, 2014…read more Three visits. Three stars. Like many places on my list, the Fillin' Station is one that I've drove by many times without thinking to stop there. We all do it. Its just a thing we do for places that are local to us. We gloss over them because they are there to visit at any time but we never actually end up going. With my travels, this is something I actively work on countering. The time came for my dad and I to get breakfast one morning and I suggested the Fillin' Station. We both knew about it. We both heard good things about it. We both agreed to check it out. We pulled up and barely were able to park due to it having a strange parking lot layout. I can't describe in unless I was physically there looking at it. So, keep that in mind if you stop in for a visit. We walked in and the first thought I had was... "oh, its like a diner but not". It has a diner feel to it. It some of that 50's diner decor. But it also had it's own decor of... stuff? I couldn't really find a theme among the things hung on the wall. Just older stuff. That's fine. I'm here for food and the random stuff on the wall keeps your eyes wandering. Once seated, we got to looking at the menu. The Station offers your typical diner food at diner prices with some personalized menu items unique to the restaurant. We came for breakfast but it was around brunch and a burger sounded appetizing, so that is what I ordered. My dad stuck with breakfast. It didn't take too long for our food to come out as we were in between the breakfast and lunch rushes. The food was placed in front of us and I was pretty happy with my meal portions. My dad was not. What he ordered and what he got was not quite what was expected. A little less but sometimes the taste and "fullness" can make up for that. We dug in and we both had the look of disappointment on our faces. While the food itself looked presentable and full of flavor, it lacked that last part. Flavor. My burger was a hunk of meat surrounded by toppings. Luckily the toppings themselves were full of their usual goodness. But that meat patty was devoid of all flavor in existence. My dad made the comment that his meal was similar to cardboard or another tasteless object. We didn't stick around long after finishing our meal and left with taste buds that feel like they were woken up for nothing. The waffle fries on the other hand were pretty decent. Not the best I've had but also not the worst. It was passable considering the rest of the meal was less than appetizing. Now, I have been back twice since this first visit. I will talk a bit about those times and how it bumped the score from a 2 to a 3. We came here after a St. Patty's party the following year or something like that. We were all hungover and hating the world. We ordered an assortment of food and downed it quick to help feel better. Whether it was the hangover or the different food items, it wasn't so devoid of flavor this time. While it still left a lot to be desired, it registered some responses by my mouth. Again, after a New Years Eve of fun and drinks, we found ourselves here with some killer hangovers and killer desire for greasy food. Again, we ordered something. I couldn't tell you what. But it was greasy and it may not have helped the hangover in any way but it did help us feel better. This time, the food was a small notch above the prior visit which was a notch above the prior visit. I've heard only good things about this place and have had only less than average food when I come here. Maybe it's just my taste buds that aren't compatible with the food here. Maybe everyone else is ordering something special. Either way, don't take my word on it. Try it out for yourself to see what you and your stomach thinks.

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.

So happy we came here! Pancakes were light with a good…read moreflavor, omelet was fantastic. Probably wouldn't order the gravy skillet again. Definitely would order another chicken bacon melt. The soup was lukewarm but it was almost close and it had a great flavor. Definitely will come again.

Great food and service too. We asked to be seated outside. Our server recognized that the salad…read moredidn't serve with Parmesan on the side so she helped swap it out right away. The sourdough was indeed very good, soft on the inside, crunchy out. Butter was whipped and light. We thought the pizza was going to be small but it was enough to feed the kids and me. The salad was actually really good, unique sprouts and flavors but not too overwhelming. The shaved parm was a very good balance. The bakery had good options. We tried the orange spice cinnamon roll, which was just OK in my opinion. The cream part was a bit overwhelming but we have a pretty light palate. Overall, highly recommend this place.

We stopped in to grab a dark rye sea salt chocolate cookie! They are always so good! The pastries,…read morebreads, and cookies are all delicious here!

Buttermilk Café has terrific food and warm hometown service which is always welcome! Most of the…read moretime I call and order various breakfasts and 20 to 30 minutes later some of the best breakfast foods that's ever come out of Germantown Hills is ready for pick up! If you haven't found this tiny restaurant, I suggest you look them up on the Internet and give them a try! They won't disappoint!

It is a shame the cafe is overall rated at a 4.1. Not my experience. 5 star all the way…read more It's not fancy but is very Clean. Amazing service they even come by and ask if everything is right. Hmm. Great product coming out of that kitchen. Bravo Buttermilk Cafe Bravo.

Review Visit: May 2nd, 2015…read more Not just a bakery but a tourist stop. If you mention getting donuts (or doughnuts) in East Peoria, everyone will talk about how good Carl's Bakery is. They produce a lot of doughnuts (or donuts) that are beloved by the residents of East Peoria. Having lived in the general area and having drove by the place a million times, I thought it was time to check it out. If you are familiar with Carl's Bakery, you are familiar with the giant rooster that is outside the building. If you aren't familiar, then there is a giant rooster outside the building. One that is prime for taking a fun photo with. My dad and I did just that after trying out their food. Carl's Bakery is one of those places that seems to be open from before the sun rises to around noon-ish. So, if you are interested in going, you better head there when the roosters crow or else they will be closing up shop. When you go, you have to compete for a parking spot on the side of the building. While Carl's has an indoor eating area, I took the limited parking as a sign that they cater to the 'pick up my donuts (or doughnuts) and go' crowd. Nonetheless, my dad and I found a spot to park and headed in. Once we were inside, we had to squeeze a large throng of people to get to the counter. We told the cashier we wanted to eat in. She guided us to a table and we took a seat. While looking over the menu, I had hopes of getting some breakfast as that is what I assumed they specialized in. Maybe we missed a cutoff point or something else happened but we ended up ordering some lunch instead. My dad got a tenderloin and I got... I honestly don't remember. Maybe a burger that came with a ton of fries. Oh, and we both got coffee. Let us start with the coffee. It was... not good. I've had cheap coffee and this stuff takes the cake. I used more half-n-half and sugar than I normally do. While I am no snob and I put down a few cups, it wasn't worth it in the end to taste some water masquerading as coffee. But no worries. It's just coffee. We were there for the food. How was that?/ A notch above the coffee. I fully admit that I don't remember what sandwich I got but I do remember not being a fan of it. My dad said the same thing about his tenderloin. Both just lacking in everything. How does that happen? Can a chef or someone with cooking knowledge explain that to me? The french fries were salvageable at least. In fact, they were the only things that tasted good. Hype. It has it's place in the world but more often than not, I find that hype ruins a lot of things for me. Movies, video games, restaurants, and various other things. It's nice to get excited about something but when it doesn't live up to that level, I believe it is more disappointing than if it weren't hyped at all. But we aren't here for a hype discussion. My dad and I got to hang out and try something new. Was it the best place ever? No. Do I cherish the memory of this outing? Heck yes. While I may have had a lack luster time here, don't let the opposite of hype dissuade you from checking it out if you are a doughnut (or donut) person. Or you want to stop and take a photo with the giant rooster outside and then find yourself magically teleported inside, trying out their coffee and menu offerings.

This is an older family business that has become curbside only, check FB for menu or call ahead to…read moreplace an order. Do not let this stop you from heading over ! Open Thursday to Saturday (always check) . Can only speak for donuts & pastries but I can't imagine that they'd fail at dinner ! The service was very personal and polite. The donuts are Old School ! Fresh Home Made, hot if you're early! Big variety , fair prices , honestly good ingredients that you can taste . I was in town for a dog show, picking up 2 dozen to have out for people and this place was a fan favorite for many . You want commercial, cookie cutter , uninspired donuts you can find that anywhere. If you want to impress or treat yourself, friends and family give this place a try !

Food was cooked as ordered! Delivered quickly and hot! Wonderfull breakfast!…read more Service fantastic as always!!

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.

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.

Great food, lively atmosphere, and top-notch service!!!…read more The Publik House delivers an excellent all-around experience. The food was flavorful and well-prepared, with a menu that offers something for everyone. Everything came out fresh and well-portioned, making it a satisfying meal from start to finish. The atmosphere is lively but comfortable, perfect for both casual outings and group gatherings. Service was attentive and friendly, with staff who checked in regularly without being intrusive. Overall, The Publik House stands out for its consistent quality, great energy, and welcoming service. Definitely a place worth visiting again.

In the area and someone suggested we check out Peoria Heights for dinner. Yelp lead us to The…read morePublik House. We were hoping to sit outside but it started raining as soon as we pulled in. Inside we were seated immediately and the booths were very comfortable. Service was great. Very attentive staff. The waitress suggested we try the "award winning" Mac and cheese. It was seriously delicious! It has huge chunks of bacon in it, with a ritz cracker crumble on top... Highly recommend it, as it was our fav part of the meal! My son and I both had a bacon cheddar burger with fries. It's served with candied bacon on a pretzel bun. Very good. My husband had the Philly cheese steak and Cajun fries. Large portions and everything was good.