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    The Hornet’s Nest

    4.2 (16 reviews)
    Closed • 6:00 am - 8:00 pm

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    Diana P.

    Stopped here on our way home for an early dinner. I had a turkey club sandwich and fries. My hubby had the all you can eat ribs. He was very pleased with the ribs. He had 2 large helpings. We both thought the fries were very flavorful and crispy. The restaurant was new, clean, with a modern decor. Our service was friendly and attentive. The prices were fair and meals were plentiful. We were very pleased with our visit.

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    6 months ago

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    20 days ago

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    1 year ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    2 years ago

    VERY good, home cooked food. At 344lbs, I know food. Reasonably priced and excllent service. We will make the 39 mile trip again very soon.

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Nice service and good food. Friendly small town restaurant. Served a large group with no concerns!

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    4 years ago

    Very good food, great service. I drive in from up north on purpose to eat there. Then broasted chicken is the best around.

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    4 years ago

    Great breakfast! Biscuits and gravy and hash browns. Free BJ's for any Hispanic males made my breakfast special.

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    6 years ago

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    Ask the Community - The Hornet’s Nest

    Review Highlights - The Hornet’s Nest

    “This is a great small town diner, perfect for family groups.”

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    Circle II Bar & Grill - Whiskey And Fries

    Circle II Bar & Grill

    4.0(6 reviews)
    0.0 mi

    Bar and grill located in the small town of Heyworth. Circle II isn't anything great but for around…read morehere it seems like it is. It has a basic menu of booze and fried stuff. For sure it's not a place if looking for high quality eats. They're cheap though. A gathering place for the locals is why this place sticks around. It's not like there's many other places to go around here. There was an okay crowd when we came in. Booze is why people come. It's about $7 for a basic cocktail so okay prices. Food is lacking. It's about $3 for the cheapest appetizers such as fries or whatever. Among the entrees are some burgers. They also have breakfast stuff. Basic things like bacon and eggs. There's not a whole lot of vegetarian choices and most things are fried. Chill place as far as atmosphere. It's got some pretty weird hours. They're closed Sundays.

    We were in the area and needed a spot for a late dinner. Other options around closed at 8 pm, which…read moredidn't give us enough time, so we chose Circle II. Certainly wasn't crowded on a Tuesday night, but the staff was incredibly friendly and attentive. Beer selection was only domestics, which was disappointing for me, but understandable for the area. They took cash only, and luckily we had a little bit that night. They claim to have the best burgers in the area, so I had a double bacon cheeseburger while my wife at the BLT. Prices were extremely reasonable. My double-cheeseburger with bacon was excellent. Appeared to be hand-made and decent size. If I had known how large a double was, I would have ordered a single. Not too greasy, yet smashed. The bun was buttered and grilled. Truly a great burger. The fries that were shared were hot and crispy. Jukebox played a lot of Chris Stapleton while we were there. All-in-all, would definitely go back.

    Photos
    Circle II Bar & Grill - Smokey's Circle II Bar & Grill

    Smokey's Circle II Bar & Grill

    Circle II Bar & Grill - The bar

    The bar

    Circle II Bar & Grill - The Games

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    The Games

    Wesley’s Grill - Fries

    Wesley’s Grill

    4.3(68 reviews)
    10.1 mi

    Wesley is amazing. He is so talented, his food is…read moreexcellent, high quality and delicious. The service was spot on, fast and the ambiance is charming. Next time you consider going out for a meal or don't feel like cooking, come here. Don't go to the big chains, the food, service and quality overall are so much better with Wesley!

    Worth the wait?! First any potential patrons need to understand two things going In, one, except…read morefor pop/bottled water, we're talking a BYO liquor situation. Thing #2, this is a ONE-MAN OPERATION. Yup, he's the waiter, the prep-cook, the chef, the front-end manager AND the 'cashier'. At least that's the deal on Thursdays when we typically go. Ultimately, the first point works in your favor, cuz with a little forethought, a small cooler and your favorite beverage, you will likely save you and yours at least $10. As for the second premise, our suggestion is to ask for timeframes early and often...then get comfy and DOUBLE those estimates. Hopefully your company (and/or your phone) will make the time disappear without notice, because it'll honnestly be a bit. Wes is a very busy man...and he tends to tell you what you wanna hear - the only things actually preventing a fifth Yelp star. Just know that the chances are quite good that it will have been well worth the wait. Mac-N-Cheese, killer. Steaks, juicily executed extremely well. Combinations of proteins always seem to mesh well, even in something as simple as a wrap. And just when you think you understand what it is that he does really well, he throws a chicken and waffle dish that blows away anything else in town, possibly any other such attempt at this iconic southern dish. (Pro tip, try a side of jerk sauce or BYO Tobasco.) Perhaps he has assistance on the weekends - one would hope so anyway, but this place definitely makes us appreciate hard work, good times and outstanding cooking. Great take out game too!

    Photos
    Wesley’s Grill - Dining

    Dining

    Wesley’s Grill - Shrimp Tempura and tilapia

    Shrimp Tempura and tilapia

    Wesley’s Grill - Chicken with Shrimp his awesome Mac&Cheese and sweet Potato yum !

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    Chicken with Shrimp his awesome Mac&Cheese and sweet Potato yum !

    Barrel House - Southwest Eggrolls

    Barrel House

    3.6(75 reviews)
    10.3 mi
    •$$

    We discovered Barrel House in July 2025. The first thing we tried were their fried mushrooms. These…read moreare not your average, every day, frozen bagged appetizers. They are huge portobello mushrooms, hand breaded, with their special sauce for dipping. We've actually gone back just to have these as a meal. There is something on the menu for everyone, from burgers and pizzas, to salads and wraps. We've tried many options on the menu. But so far, our favorite is the fish & chips. Again, a hand battered, huge portion of haddock. And go for the pickled cucumbers, sliced so thin you can almost see through them. Service is fantastic. When you go (and I know you will) ask for Ashley. She is a genuine, hard working, young lady who knows the menu and how to approach diners. She'll make recommendations based on your palet and is attentive to her customers. Barrel House is located on South Veteran's at the Double Tree Hotel.

    We've been coming to Barrel House for years, but this visit was very disappointing. Three people at…read moreour table ordered the enchiladas, and they were dry, lacked flavor, and the chicken was gristly. We had to ask for extra sauce, and they were missing the sour cream that was shown in the menu picture. The portions were also very small for the price. The service was extremely slow. It took about 15 minutes before our server came to take our drink orders, and our food took a long time to arrive. We also had issues with a coupon that wouldn't scan. The server had to get the manager, who said she couldn't honor it because it was " old and too big of a discount" even though it was on the app and only offered us $2 off instead. We also had a $5 gift card that was forgotten when the bill was brought out, and we had to ask for the manager again to have it corrected. Overall, this was a frustrating experience with slow service, disappointing food, and unnecessary issues at checkout. Unfortunately, this visit did not live up to the experiences we've had here in the past. And people came in way after us and left way before us so we don't know why they were not taking care of our table.

    Photos
    Barrel House - Inside

    Inside

    Barrel House - Spicy curds

    Spicy curds

    Barrel House - Reuban

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    Reuban

    Baxters American Grille - Caesar Salad

    Baxters American Grille

    4.0(230 reviews)
    12.8 mi
    •$$

    We had eaten at Baxters before and really enjoyed the atmosphere and wonderful pasta dishes. But…read moretoday we wanted a good steakhouse steak dinner. We started off with shrimp cocktail. It was fine, though the cocktail sauce could have used a little more horseradish. The basket of warm bread and whipped butter was great. And The salads were excellent (we went for a standard greens salad and a Caesar salad). For the main dish, we each ordered a bacon wrapped filet, medium rare, with Brussels sprouts. The filets were prepared as directed, but seemed dry, tough and flavorless. Disappointed. But worse was the Brussels sprouts (one of our favorites). The sprouts were hard, woefully undercooked and crunchy. Not in a good way. The flavor was lost in the rough texture. Very disappointed. The staff seemed a little flustered too. Brought a side a sautéed onions when we'd ordered mushrooms. Too bad, as we had enjoyed our pasta meals before and had expected a steakhouse to perform better.

    I came here tonight with 3 colleagues and it was 50% off all appetizers! What a deal! We shared the…read moresticky ribs, the pretzel, the nachos and mushrooms. The hit were the mushrooms and pretzel! It was filling and all very fresh. The mushrooms were gooey with cheese and a sauce. The pretzel was warm and brown with a yummy cheese sauce. We agreed the nachos were average. The ribs were good but I didn't love the mustard in the sauce. We had great service and you couldn't beat the price. Major score tonight!

    Photos
    Baxters American Grille - Chilled Wine

    Chilled Wine

    Baxters American Grille - Parmesan crusted Halibut

    Parmesan crusted Halibut

    Baxters American Grille

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    DESTIHL Restaurant & Brew Works - Stuffed poblano peppers

    DESTIHL Restaurant & Brew Works

    4.2(1k reviews)
    13.3 mi
    •$$

    So in 2018 we took a short weekend trip to Champaign, went to Allerton, got lost in the woods while…read moretowing a child who didn't walk and felt we were doomed. After getting back to our car finally in air conditioning, I looked for a place for lunch and picked Destihl in Champaign. VERY MEMORABLE MEAL. My husband and kids were very happy. Fastforward 8 years. My kids are teens and we go down to ISU for the state Special Olympics championship. My child who barely walked last time is now particpating in a sporting event and I need a place for lunch. I literally started looking on Yelp hoping to find something like that meal we had back in 2018. What do you know but Destihl is in Normal and we can go there. Went for lunch with a reservation on a Friday. They were very busy so I was happy I reserved. The service was awesome (Emil was our server). We ordered two apps (Snack plate / Pretzel) and all got lunches (Pickled Mac n Cheese, Fish tacos, Club). We didn't want to eat too much since we had a lot of walking in the sun coming for us. Everything was great. Here's the deal with Destihl and what I like about it: Lots of components to dishes and it works. Each component is well-thought out, very fresh and seasoned perfectly. I wanted to order everything on the menu. The first time wasn't a fluke (I was afraid it might be). I'm glad they are still creating great food and service. The restaurant is very roomy and comfortable. While we don't live close, we will make it back whenever we're around ISU.

    So, I know the new kids in the block like this kind of thing to order from table and pay and…read morewaitress just plops food on table with all canned drinks no fountain drinks but honestly I didn't like that. I prefer more interaction with the people who are trying to earn a tip. But food was good 4 for food 1 for business profile So 3

    Photos
    DESTIHL Restaurant & Brew Works - Seating by bar area. We arrived at an off time, so it wasn't crowded. People started filtering in around 4pm.

    Seating by bar area. We arrived at an off time, so it wasn't crowded. People started filtering in around 4pm.

    DESTIHL Restaurant & Brew Works - Guajillo Chicken Nachos & Sausage and pepperoni stone oven pizza

    Guajillo Chicken Nachos & Sausage and pepperoni stone oven pizza

    DESTIHL Restaurant & Brew Works - Dining area

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    Dining area

    Epiphany Farms Restaurant - Corn flake chicken

    Epiphany Farms Restaurant

    4.5(517 reviews)
    11.5 mi
    •$$$

    Good selection of food on the menu for something different to suit your taste. Check out the menu…read morein advance. The service is adequate to excellent depending on your waiter or waitress. The atmosphere is pleasant. Well lighted. You must climb steps to get to the second floor which makes it hard for the disabled. Other than that fine.

    Our late night visit to Epiphany Farms/Anju was exceptional! A huge drink menu welcome us and we…read morehad the Beyond jalapeño cornbread for a starter, which proved to be quite yummy and not hot at all. We decided to go with the rustic pizzas that were delicious and unusual: harmony, Korean, chicken and loaded supreme. The crust tasted like it was from a woodfired oven and the Korean chicken pizza was so unusual and tasty with kimchi and pickled shiitake. The fresh from the forest mushroom side dish they gave us a special treat to us was quite a delicacy. Even the farm to table items they have for sale when you walk in to take home are a treat, Especially the homemade marshmallows! Ended with dessert of a fresh orange olive oil cake with just tremendous flavor and blood orange on the side and orange marmalade on the cake. It served exquisitely with a side of homemade ice cream that was to die for. We can't wait to come back! Our waitress, Lupe, treated us like family and was incredibly personal and warm. Put this on your must visit List.

    Photos
    Epiphany Farms Restaurant - Farm Restaurant

    Farm Restaurant

    Epiphany Farms Restaurant
    Epiphany Farms Restaurant - Epiphany Farm Restaurant

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    Epiphany Farm Restaurant

    Revery - Dinning room

    Revery

    4.5(62 reviews)
    10.9 mi

    We came here while in town for graduation at Illinois State University. While on the outside it is…read moreunassuming, the inside reveals a clean, large dining room that feels upscale. We had a reservation so we were seated promptly at a large table in its own little alcove in the back. While the place was busy, we could chat comfortably with one another and felt adequately separate from other tables. The menu has a bit of everything, so everyone should be able to find something they like on it. We started with cocktails, mozzarella sticks, and pretzel bites. The cocktails were good but I could've used less sweetness in mine. The mozzarella sticks and pretzels bites were standard, which means they were great as usual. For a group of 5 of us, an order of each was enough to hold us over until the main meal. I personally got the fish sandwich for my dinner with fries. The fish was great and large enough that it hung over the sides of the bun. My only complaint about the sandwich was the lack of tartar sauce on it. The cook must have just added the smallest dash, as the only sign it was there was a little spot of discoloration on the bun. The fish was good but the sandwich would have been better with more moisture from that tartar. The fries it came with were standard shoe string fries. Nothing special but hit the spot all the same. Everyone else at the table enjoyed their meals as well and we left comfortably full with no leftovers. Overall the meal came at a good pace, the atmosphere was nice, and the prices were reasonably. If in town again we would come back here.

    Food was okay. The Fish & chips, the fish was soggy(ish). The REV burger wasn't anything special…read more The bacon jam was delicious. Baked Brie was delicious. The bread was soft. Our waiter was attentive and polite. The gentleman was prompt with filling waters. The restaurant itself is well lit. The tables have enough space to not feel claustrophobic. They are spread out pretty decent. There's some dead space though which feels a little odd. I did feel that the noise level was a little loud.

    Photos
    Revery - Créeme brûlée

    Créeme brûlée

    Revery - Sink salad

    Sink salad

    Revery - Fish and chips

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    Fish and chips

    Pop Up Hot Chicken - Cider Vinegar Slaw was alright.

    Pop Up Hot Chicken

    4.4(279 reviews)
    12.0 mi
    •$$

    This spot came highly recommended and took a couple attempts to finally stop in because they were…read moreso busy. You order your food at the door then sit down and they bring it to you when ready. I ordered the og sando and truffle fries. The fries were ok and the sando was pretty solid. It's a massive sandwich and could easily feed 2-3 people. It was a couple meals for me. If i lived in the area, i would probably come back. Good food and good vibes. Service was nothing special.

    The person at the front entryway where you could order takeout was so super friendly and helpful…read more He seemed very passionate about his job. I got some tenders for my kids, a medium spice sandwich for myself and a special pbj burger for my husband. We also got some truffle fries, onion rings, and jalapeño curds. The chicken was high quality and well battered. The tenders were large, and so was the sandwich. My husband loved his weird pbj sandwich. Unfortunately I discovered the medium spice sauce was essentially spicy BBQ and I hate BBQ it was described to me as "similar to wing sauce" so I was thinking of red hot wing sauce. Thats on me! Can't hold that against them. My husbaad ate both somehow. The truffle fries I wouldn't order again. They were thin shoestring and very greasy with some parm shaved over the top. The jalapeño curds were good. They also forgot our onion rings which was a bummer. I didnt realize til we were on the road and we didnt want to go back.

    Photos
    Pop Up Hot Chicken - Inside

    Inside

    Pop Up Hot Chicken - Illinois Hot Chicken Horseshoe

    Illinois Hot Chicken Horseshoe

    Pop Up Hot Chicken - Great new location

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    Great new location

    The Hornet’s Nest - tradamerican - Updated September 2026

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