From the moment I walked in the doors of this restuarant I was transported to a simpler time. When the owner who does all the cooking herself was asked what her secret was she responded, "I know how food is supposed to be cooked." I have no argument with that statement my BLT was simply the best every! From the patriotic themed benches that the staff helped an elderly couple sit on, to the simple pictures that protray scene​s of life from days almost forgotten. I was truely blessed to enjoy, a beautiful restaurant and very deliciously prepared food! read more

Had airbnb just a few blocks from this place and as far as I'm concerned in middle of nowhere which is why we tried if before last Illini game. Ordered a "side" of breakfast sandwich as main course. I had the bacon my husband had the ham. Very good and quick. Ordered the crispy potatoes which weren't, but not bad. Asked us if we wanted the gravy which we declined not being gravy people for breakfast, should have tried it. Local atmosphere, would definitely go back if ever in area. Very friendly service. Would like to see Cholula sauce on table though but tobassco worked lol. Always fun to visit local joint read more

This place is grade A dining. I would recommend it. The only thing I can't agree with is the vivid protocol during the height of the pandemic. I really doesn't change my opinion on this place because it is very good food and I would recommend it on Wednesday and Tuesday because of the chicken noodles and the beef noodles. Also all the works are nice. So finally would recommend this place to anyone. read more

I have had home style cooking from Texas to Minnesota and this ain't it. Whooof! Eating here was an exercise in understanding a certain culture. This food is from a certain era and place--- a time when canned food was considered cutting edge. Many of the items taste like they have been taken from a smorgasbord of cans and reconstituted to be dinner. The green beans are clearly canned. The peas had seen better days when they were still green and not in a can. The chicken was so depressing. What happened to brining chicken and adding a good dose of seasoning? Whoof. And the salad bar is pitiful. No fresh dressings? Limited Veggies? Iceberg lettuce? Who does this anymore? Even the presentation of the dishes is horrendous. Some of the items look like old school navy goulash at best. However, there clearly are people who like this kind of food. Perhaps it reminds them of the meals their mothers made when ingredients had to be stretched to make dinner for the whole family. So some kind of weird nostalgia going on here for struggle food. Clearly the menu and food offerings are stuck in an era before America got hip to romaine, spring mix and arugula and fresh ranch dressing. Like I said, there is an era on this menu and it is not the best representation of that time period, nor the people who make this kind of food. If I was stupid rich, I would fly the owners to Cleburne Cafeteria in Houston and show them how its supposed to be done. Not returning. read more

Probably the best place in the area to get a taste of what people were eating in central Illinois 50 years ago. The beef and noodles (all you can eat on Thursday) are exactly like what my great grandma used to make us, and the biscuits and gravy always take me back to mornings before fishing. Be warned-the Apple Dumpling doesn't pull its punches. The food is not healthy-it was designed for farm laborers, not office dwellers (or tractor riders), and is consequently heavy, hearty, and massively caloric. You might think that some of the noodles are underdone. You are wrong. The noodles are made to different thicknesses on purpose, and some of them need to have more texture. If nothing else, think of it as proof that a person made your food, not a factory. Here's the skinny (irony!). If you grew up in the midwest, you'll know what's going on with one bite. If you're from some other place, give it a taste and expand your horizons, but check your baggage at the door. Like it or not, you'll leave a more cultured person. read more

Apple Dumpling is about 10-15 minutes outside C-U proper, on the wild edges of town, and it's a plain, unassuming little spot. It will serve you the friendliest of calorie-laden, heart-attack inducing greasy breakfasty diner foods and the like, and for that you must love it a little bit. The country kitsch works here, and is worth a stop in. I really did enjoy their biscuits and gravy for breakfast, which are filled with carbs and fat and love and all that one can ask for in Middle America. Their Sunday buffet is a little disappointing as it lacks any breakfast options, but the fried chicken is spot on. It's worth coming once for the kitsch, twice for the biscuits and gravy. Then you go to the gym and cry salty, buttery tears on your treadmill. read more

Emphasis on the family restaurant, with family (whose?) photos on the walls. Open, clean, bright ambiance. Servers were efficient and friendly. The breakfast menu was limited and not very appealing. The coffee was okay. I ordered the Giant Cinnamon Roll but was told they were out. This was at 9:00 AM. How do you run out with two hours left of breakfast? I then ordered the Loaded Omelet. It was, indeed, loaded with sausage, ham, bacon, veggies, and cheese. It needed some seasoning and a bit more flavor but wasn't that bad. On the side was fried potatoes and gravy. It was good, but my doctor would kill me if she saw me eating that. Definite artery clogger. In all it wasn't bad but also not someplace I'd return, even to taste the elusive cinnamon roll. NOTE: There are references in the other reviews that hint at prejudice, such as "be stared at for your entire meal if you happen to not be Caucasian." While I was there, a black couple came in and seemed to be known by the staff and was greeted warmly. An interracial couple later came in. I saw no "staring" or any such behavior. read more

It's fairly difficult to find Apple Dumpling, so if you're willing to: 1) make the trek to far away Urbana, 2) be stared at for your entire meal if you happen to not be Caucasian, 3) subject your arteries to a deluge of fat, and 4) eat in a large cafeteria-like room with the glaring white walls of a hospital, then this place is for you. The homemade apple dumplings are quite good actually. The beef and noodles (with LOTS of mashed potatoes) was great, but it got a little overwhelming after a couple large bites...I think my body was rejecting the sudden influx of calories. read more

A great little country style restaurant close to Urbana.We had the buffet, so can't speak to the menu. The salad bar was decent, lots of pudding type salads. The chicken and noodles were yummy, and the mashed potatoes. The name sake was delicious! The brownie sundae was huge and yummy. read more

This place reminds me of my Grandma's cooking...and my grandma can't cook. We had the beef steak, fried chicken, and ham and beans. It was all pretty mediocre and not worth repeating. Even the apple dumplings were just okay. Too bad...guess if I want a decent home style meal I will have to do it myself. We are also a mixed family and didn't feel uncomfortable eating at this place as others have mentioned. read more

Local old School no frills comfort food at it's best. It's a great place to run into old friends. Certainly off the beaten path by 5 minutes but no big deal. Great salad bar, again, given that it's no frills. Really like the beef and noodles ! read more

So this place is interesting. It is definitely rural Illinois favorites from the last century that predominate the menu. I have had the chicken and noodles, the beef and noodles, and the fried chicken. The food is pretty good. The quantities are nothing short of ridiculous. The bread and the biscuits are huge and just ok. (Seriously, who can eat that much food?) I would give it another half star if I could, but not another whole star. The salad bar is just ok. The atmosphere feels like 70s country kitsch, and one should redecorate at least once every 50 years. I am sure I will be back because there are folks in the family that love it. I enjoy it and endure it. This place is sort of a culinary Rorschach test: if you love it or hate it, you are reading things into it that aren't there. read more

This place is figuratively and nearly literally a million miles from the rest of the dining choices in CU and a great change of pace for those looking for good, down home food prepared in a traditional way. The menu is limited, and specials change from day to day, but you can expect to find fried chicken, pork tenderloin, meatloaf, Salisbury steak, and beef Stroganoff, pot roast and other Midwestern standards. Mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans, and corn accompany. They have excellent rolls and serve them with a squeeze dispenser of apple butter, making them ridiculously addicting. The eponymous and enormous apple dumplings are divine. Save room, you will not regret it. They are essentially cored apples, stuffed in cinnamony goodness, wrapped in flaky pie crust and baked. They are worth a trip in and of themselves. The decor seems a bit odd, but is well-suited to the restaurant. Country effects and pictures of family worthy of awkwardfamilyphotos.com adorn the walls. The walls are light, and the fluorescent lights are bright. Do not expect an intimate or quiet meal, but this works as this is primarily a breakfast and lunch joint (traditionally, farm families eat the biggest meal of the day at noon, and call it dinner, with supper in the early evening). The dining area can be crowded and loud, and there is a huge open entryway into the kitchen, so the curious can literally monitor everything that goes on in the restaurant. All this fits, however, as this is restaurant's honesty is bared for all to see and what is revealed is pure. What separates the Apple Dumpling from other restaurants is not just the menu items and decor, it is the sense of family. Servers, cooks, and other staff are clearly all from the same extended family and/or social group (probably the church across the street). If you happen to be of Midwestern stock they will serve you food that is exactly like what your mother and grandmother made, and that is a big compliment in my book. 5 stars for the food, minus 1 star for a complete dearth of vegetarian and/or healthy options (other than a half-assed salad bar), a smallish parking lot, and limited hours of operation, minus another for no alcohol, but plus a star for the great prices. read more

We came on a Sunday for the buffet which had a pretty modest look to it. Today, it consisted of meatloaf, fried chicken, biscuits, corn bread, chicken and noodles, and assorted gravies. There was also a salad bar. Everything in the buffet was very average except for the fried chicken. After eating the other very average items, I was definitely caught off guard by the quality of the fried chicken. I can say without a doubt that it is the best fried chicken in town! It doesn't have that gross soggy thick batter. It's got a light coating that is perfectly crisp. I would come back just for the fried chicken! We also had the apple dumplings and ice cream. It was amazing! Imagine a whole apple, wrapped in dough and covered in caramel sauce. It was also a ridiculously huge portion. The caramel sauce had a good flavor but had a very strange gooey texture. I'll definitely make a point to stop by more often! read more

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We came in for a nice family dinner this past Saturday. It was absolutely delicious. The prices are very fair too. I had an amazing BLT. It was perfect. Everyone else enjoyed their food, the menu is rather small, but everything is good! I think between the 9 of us, we tried everything on the menu. The salad bar is nice, everything looked fresh. The service is great, everyone is friendly. But...the high light of the meal, was DESSERT. This is not a place to skip dessert. I don't care if you are counting calories, today is the day to cheat on that diet!! The apple dumplings, are just amazing. I don't usually go for desserts, figured I'd have a bite or two of my husbands though. Well, a bite or two turned into me eating at least half of his apple dumpling, even though I was full already! It is that good. I want the recipe! read more

Just what I needed today - a place removed enough from CU that I could forget about reality for awhile. Maybe 15 tables in the whole place, country cooking, and a quaint atmosphere. Just north of Aldi and Wal-Mart in Urbana. Pork tenderloins were perfectly cooked. Minus one star for a combination of trivial factors: 1) 35 minutes for a take-out order at 2pm; 2) regardless of describing the sandwiches as coming with lettuce, onion, and pickle, the loins were bare on tiny buns; and 3) chips, not fries for a $4.40 sandwich. Enough menu items that you have a small choice, but not so many as you will want more than one thing. The menu boasts fried chicken, country fried steak, mashed potatoes, and the like. $5-8 for lunch or dinner. ... Undecided on the employees' denim overalls and bright red t-shirts... read more

Great home cooking. Clean friendly comfortable seating. Kept drinks filled and priced right.

Great friendly service we felt at home while traveling and the food was delicious and very plentiful

I had heard of Apple Dumpling but never been, and decided it'd be a great place to try as I gave my husband the "grand tour" of UIUC and the area. It is without a doubt AMAZING. The staff was friendly and no top of our needs. The restaurant has a time menu, a few daily specials, nice variety on the salad bar, and rooms that are fist sized - everything was so good. Beef and noodles over mashed potatoes had bits of beef on every bite. My husband raved about the way the ham was cooked. I tried a bite of his mashed potatoes with the gravy - the gravy is excellent. The portions are generous. Neither of us could finish our food, so unfortunately I we weren't able to try the apple dumpling for dessert. Gives us something to look forward to the next time we come. read more

We ate there yesterday and just love their chicken and noodles and their biscuits and their apple dumpling a great place to eat

Always good home cooked food. Simple just like on the farm..... meat and taters with friendly family service.

This place doesn't look like much on the outside (or on the inside), but the whole experience was excellent. Everything was incredibly fresh, staff was very friendly. This place has a refreshing small-town feel. The 2 egg breakfast is a lot of food and it was awesome. No need to get any extra sides unless you just want to try a lot of different options. If you're looking for anything fancy or millennial like avocado toast, don't come here. But if you want a good hearty meal, this is a great spot. read more

We tried to go here on a Sunday afternoon. The restaurant was full of people who had just gotten back from church. I am an Asian lady and was stared at by most of the people in the restaurant as if my partner had bought me on the Internet. If you are at all sensitive to social ambience and are not white, I do not recommend this place. I felt too uncomfortable to stay, which was just as well because nobody tried to seat us or acknowledged us in any way, so after standing around uncomfortably for a while we left. which is too bad because I like apple dumplings. read more

Ok, this place has decent food. Well, depending on the day. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's not. However, for a small mom and pop place, they don't seem to do much to make people feel welcome. The last time I ate there was the last time. I had breakfast with a friend of mine, and all was going well, weak coffee aside. We ordered some breakfast, and the waitress (who turned out to be one of the managers or supervisors) asked if we wanted gravy on our potatoes. My friend said "I'd love it on the side, please" only to be told "No." When he said "no?" she replied "Gravy is complimentary, and you either have it on the potatoes or no gravy." I made the choice then that if one bowl for gravy was too precious to wash, then I would save them the time and effort by not going back. Problem solved, all dishes are clean! Skip it and go to Sam's cafe. read more

My wife and I ate at the Sunday buffet after having not eaten at AD in several years. The salad bar was nothing out of the ordinary, basic items. On the buffet there was fried chicken, beef and noodles, several different breads including biscuits, cornbread, and dinner rolls, mashed potatoes, corn, and carrots. The big problem with the buffet is that it's cramped into a small area with only one serving side. This makes for a long, crowded wait in line. The chicken was good as were the mashed potatoes and gravy. Corn and carrots OK, and of course the crowd pleaser, beef and noodles. We're in our '70's so our appetites aren't as sharp, so we didn't have seconds. All in all, the food was pretty good, but our bill with tip was $50. read more

So someone my girlfriend knew said that this was THE place to try. Well with this advice, my girlfriend and I went and spent a good half hour trying to find the place. After the drive we were starving so we needed food. The place looked incredibly tacky as well as the fact that it was all white. And considering the fact that I have a dark complexion, I stood out like a sore thumb. The food was alright, but it was not worth the drive nor the stares. So if someone says that you have to try this place, just assume they were high and didn't know what they were talking about when they went...I obviously learned the hard way. read more

Someone told me that I absolutely HAD to try this place before graduating from U of I. That being said, I spent about half an hour trying to find this place. Walking in with my boyfriend (who is half Mexican, half Greek and very dark), the stares made it obvious that he was the most exotic being to ever step foot in the place. The food was alright, not good enough to justify getting lost trying to find it for thirty minutes. Call me a simple gal, but give me the Cracker Barrel over this place any day. read more

It was pretty ok. Standard chicken, bland potatoes. The server was wonderful! They have amazing desserts, and good decoratations.

Finally decided to try a place for Sunday lunch where true locals eat away from the student crowds of Chambana. This place totally spells comfort food. We asked for a menu but was told it's buffet style only. That's even better. Fried chicken was very good, low in batter without excessive seasoning. Best item was the beef noodles. There is something about those hand made noodles that I'd expect from country style cooking. It was heavenly and very comforting. The mashed potatoes were made from scratch and has good texture character. The staffs were friendly and best of all, this place rings patriotism. As an immigrant Asian and proud to be an American, I'll rather spend my hard earned greenback for an establishment that supports our flag, law enforcement and freedom instead of the many corporate owned entities that pander to the flag burning woke deviants. Thank you for a great meal. And thank you for your support for the Blue. read more

I always get the beef and noodles or chicken and noodles. Absolutely wonderful, home cooked meal. The noodles are served over real mashed potatoes, come with a side or salad bar, and a roll. I've never had a bad meal here. Since it's so hard to make room for the Apple dumpling- I always get it in a to go box. Makes for great left overs! read more

The other day my husband and I visited the restaurant the other day for the third time. The first time we had lunch and our sandwiches were pretty good and huge- more than we could eat. Service was good and prompt. The next time we had breakfast which was very disappointing. I ordered biscuits and gravy thinking that a down home place like this would do a tasty job. The gravy however was lumpy with big, floury blobs in it and fairly tasteless. I asked that my "fried taters" not have gravy on them and what I got was a scoop of grey, glistening blob of over cooked and starchy potatoes. It's like they put too many potatoes in the pan and just kept stirring them until they were done - nothing "fried". The last time we went we thought there had to be something on the menu that couldn't be screwed up or covered in gravy. I got the salad bar. It was ok but no onions, so I asked the waitress for some. Can't remember what she said but felt I was putting her out. My husband had an omelet and of course got the slimy, mass of potatoes covered in lumpy gravy. Should have waited for lunch, but I doubt we'll be back. The third time was not a charm. read more

The Apple Dumplin' - "Fried taters" - American Near Me - Urbana, Illinois

If you like homemade cooking then this out of the way eatery is for you. Real mashed potatoes. Fried chicken and beef and noodles are taste bud delights. And of coarse the apple dumpling. It was hard to leave room for it. Great atmosphere and friendly staff. Definitely worth the trip. A repeat is in order. read more

THIS WONDERFUL RESTAURANT..is hidden out in the country and yet its always busy..home style cooking..fresh fried chicken is out of this world..real mashed potatoes..great gravy ..excellent choices on their menu and their salad bar too..VERY CLEAN..fresh restrooms ..the wait staff is outstanding..friendly ..knowledgeable...and they never waist a step...those gals are top notch...the owners are very conscientious and feed you quality fresh foods..its fast service..reasonable prices..Can you tell we Love this place.. read more

Food was OK but not great. Service was awesome which is hard to find. Those wanting sympathy for being stared at because they are Asian are off base. They stare at everyone. Seems like a small town diner with regular customers so you should expect that. read more

DON'T GO HUNGRY I went there with a friend and the service was really poor. The food was OK but rather small portions. If I'd been paying rather than as a guest I certainly would have said something. Disappointing read more

Was there for Saturday dinner. Beef and noodle was very good and the fried chicken was very juicy. Salad bar was ok and the apple dumpling with ice ran was good but the sauce was very soupy. read more

Loved this place. I'm originally from Iowa where my family made a lot of country comfort food. Perfect turkey and noodles! Looking forward to traveling back. read more

Sorry, but this has went downhill since the last time we were there. They raised their prices, and the food is not as good, nor the selection. They did not have green vegetables - (Stewed tomatoes - eww)... And the salad bar was nothing to write about also. Also noticed old grannys are no longer doing the cooking either...not going back for a meal. If I do, it will be for the apple dumpling and coffee only.. read more

Great HOMEMADE comfort foods, and of course the apple dumplings. Not at all fancy, just plain good food.

I did not know what to expect when I entered but I already knoew it could not be too bad as the line up for a table was manageable but there were definitely people coming out to eat there. The first thing I noticed was the kitchen and you could eat off the floor. Spotless . I then touched the salad bar wagon - ice cold.. I already new that this is a place that takes pride in not just the taste but the preparation. The food for the Sunday brunch felt like you were eating a home made meal. The chicken was the best fried chicken I have ever had and the pork loin was outstanding. MY only complaint is that there was not room on my plate by the time I got back to sitting down and coul not try everything. You will walk out of there feeling you have had an amazing home cooked meal and you will not need to eat any more. Congrats to Jim and Kathie for providing and outstanding venue for people who want to eat the real deal.. This will definitely be added to our list of recommended pla read more