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    Smokin Willie's BBQ

    4.3 (22 reviews)
    Closed Closed

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    Peter B.

    Good BBQ. Only suggestion is to lose the plastic utensils. I had the 3 meat platter, ribs, wings and brisket. Quite a deal at $24.95. Had to smile at the sides, as the cole slaw was a little cup but the onion rings were mammoth. Kind of a Laurel & Hardy contrast. The brisket was tender and not at all dry (looking at you, Papa's) but I wish they'd trimmed the large rind of fat. Ribs were great and so were the wings. Came back twice since my initial visit.

    Look for the antique pickup and for turn Smokin' Willie's BBQ.
    Amy H.

    This is a lick-your-fingers, sauce on your face kind of BBQ place. Nestled in Galesburg, but kind of out of the way, Smokin' Willie's is housed in the Cedar Creek Event center and if you follow your GPS you will land at an unlikely looking spot for a restaurant. Look for the antique pickup truck and the Cedar Creek event center sign. The interior is legion hall without the old cigarette smoke, very clean but spare. There is a separate bar business and the staff was friendly and accomodating. Cash only for drinks and food. The BBQ was EXCELLENT! Really nice smoke on the ribs and the sauce was terrific. Also ordered the chicken wings, half original and half spicy. My hubby and I thought the dry wings were awesome and highly recommend getting an order of those. My favorite part about this BBQ joint is that everything is homemade. That was pretty obvious with the side order of coleslaw and potato salad. The slaw had the perfect amount of crisp and it was not soupy, a perfect compliment to the smoked food. Potato salad was tasty. Onion rings were hot and crisp, plus served with an onion-specific dipping sauce. I can't stop thinking about the ribs at Smokin' Willie's! Plan ahead so you can visit when they are open, Wednesday-Saturday. It's worth the trip!

    Bourbon
    Jessica L.

    We went Saturday night and it was delicious. Staff was very friendly. Food was good and prices are reasonable. It was around 7p with family of 3. Drinks were delicious.

    Meat platter
    Jeremiah P.

    This bbq is great as a Texan this stacks up against any bbq I've had there. When I hear bbq I don't usually think Illinois, this place is defined the hole in the wall that deserves credit

    Meat platter with a side of onion rings and potato salad along with a side order of wings.

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    1 month ago

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    8 months ago

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    6 months ago

    Way too much sauce. No idea what the actual food tastes like. I got BBQ nachos and it was like soup.

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    3 years ago

    Great food, friendly service. Have been here several times and never disappointed. Prices are reasonable.

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Tasty brisket, rib tips, and Mac n cheese. I'm so glad we stopped by on a road trip. There's a full bar you can order drinks from, too.

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    Review Highlights - Smokin Willie's BBQ

    I had the 3 meat platter, ribs, wings and brisket.

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    The Packinghouse - Salad from Salad Bar

    The Packinghouse

    3.5(59 reviews)
    0.4 mi

    Once again, your writer was pulled from his current activity and found himself jetting to another…read morepart of the globe on an hour's notice. In fifty-five years of flying, I have smelled enough jet fuel, 100 LL, and burnt coffee. Enough to see too many things change, but not on this day and this trip. Indeed, I'd dined at the Packinghouse back in 1986. They've been open since 1978, and I recognized it immediately. Then, as now, the place looks the same and the food was remarkable. My co-star and I sampled the inviting salad bar, and he opted for the broiled steak covered in mushrooms. I had the shrimp scampi, which was spectacular and enough for two normal people. Our only disappointment was that the highly touted bread pudding had been exhausted. Hence, we settled our stomachs on the chocolate lava conflagration that helped put things into perspective. The ambiance was an interesting mix of nostalgia and packing plant apparatus. Being a vegetarian, I wasn't offended by what happened there since 1912. The still-active railroad station is just across the street, which made sense for the building's original purpose. Our server was a local historian who enhanced our visit with her perspectives. Yes, the HOJO where I stayed in 1986 is long gone, but the Packinghouse is still doing what it does best. I must also mention that downtown Galesburg is an inviting anachronism reflecting the old America that I grew up with. There are interesting stores and other attractions. Galesburg is also home to Knox College, and was the venue for one of the Lincoln-Douglas debates back when debates were really debates and not Kabuki Dances.

    We spent over $300 to take our extended family out to a nice meal. Not one of the 8 of us had a…read morenice meal. The steak? Overcooked no matter how you ordered it? Prime rib? about a 1/4 thick and well done, no matter how you ordered it. The cinnamon bread? Overcooked and burnt. The salad bar had wilted lettuce and was just sad overall. The side salads were actually better and we should have all just had that for dinner!! The service was amazingly slow. Like 45-60 minutes to get our meals when the restaurant was not that busy. My husband even spoke with the manager to tell them that it was just an awful meal. If you read the reviews over the last year, this is obviously a problem but they haven't fixed anything, so obviously they don't care. I would recommend finding another restaurant and not coming here.

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    The Packinghouse - Dining Area

    Dining Area

    The Packinghouse - Famous Bread

    Famous Bread

    The Packinghouse - Menu

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    Landmark Cafe & Creperie - Single crêpe, dessert, lemon

    Landmark Cafe & Creperie

    4.4(293 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Whenever I find myself in Galesburg, I often find myself enjoying a meal here!…read more Such a cozy atmosphere and wonderful aroma of freshly ground, flavored coffees just a few blocks from historic Knox College. The are known for their savory quiche and crepes as well as their delicious ice cream filled dessert crepes, ordering the Spinach Bisque is a MUST! While a cup may be fine for some, I always insist on a bowl of the creamy, buttery bisque. Recently for lunch, I chose their Wagyu Meatloaf Sandwich, paired with spicy ketchup, provolone and crispy onion strings on a grilled artisan white bun. The side of Mayo aoli is a great topping too! Sitting inside and watching the chefs prepare the crepes is a delight, but a beautiful afternoon calls for a relaxing meal on their ivy lined patio! It is so cute and gives such great small town peaceful vibes. Highly recommend; but you may need to call ahead for reservations.

    We found this wonderful restaurant by accident while traveling several years ago. We now visit…read morewhenever we can. Friendly people and an extensive menu. Today we stopped for lunch and Andrea took great care of us!! We were offered a choice of indoor or outdoor seating. We chose to sit inside and enjoy the display of antique decorations ( old phonograph, television, antique furniture, etc). We had a crepe and soup combo and a soup and sandwich combo. The spinach bisque is always on the menu and the soup of the day was tomato cognac. Everything was delicious as usual. This place has been in business since 1978 for a reason! The quality of food and service can't be beat!

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    Landmark Cafe & Creperie
    Landmark Cafe & Creperie - The famous spinach bisque soup

    The famous spinach bisque soup

    Landmark Cafe & Creperie - Patio

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    Patio

    Smokin Willie's BBQ - bbq - Updated June 2026

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