Be ready for the wait. 35 min for a grilled cheese that was exactly what I'd make at home. Fries were over cooked. Was cute to sit and watch the old cars start parking in the lot but wouldn't venture out here again after hiking at starved rock. Too many other places to try. read more

The Rootbeer Stand - the menu for the restaurant - American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

Food is... ok. They call small styrofoam cups of shredded lettuce salads. My burger was drowning in mustard. They DO NOT take cards. It's cash only. So they say this anywhere, like on the door? No. They wait until you've eaten and then direct to a little ATM machine to get cash out. Ridiculous. Won't be going back. read more

This was a random stop on our road trip, but was such a good one! I had never experienced car hop service before and didn't know they still existed, but here we were, having our server walk out our parked car with homemade root beer and delicious burgers and dogs. I was a little disappointed in the chocolate shake and this is a cash only spot (there is an interesting ATM inside), but both the food and the price were on point! A great spot for classic service! read more

Real, old-fashioned root beer float. Nuff said. The rest is frosting on the cake. And I'm with J. J. You must take a picture with cheeseburger man out front or you are dead to me. read more

Had a delightful lunch at an iconic roadside diner near Illinois Valley Community College and Starved Rock State Park. Classic diner style setting and amusingly familial atmosphere (even though it appeared to be a combination of tourists and locals). Great home made root beer on tap in a frosty mug set the tone for me...I was sold from there. If you are in the area and want to eat a taste of Americana in the heartland, this is your place. You feel like you belong as soon as you walk in and if you leave hungry it is your own fault. Definitely worth a stop for anyone visiting IVCC or Starved Rock... or if you are just looking for a place to get a good burger when you're in the neighborhood. read more

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Classic slice of early Americana, holding on in the 21st century. Great experience right out of 1972. Enjoy!

Great spot to enjoy a root beer in a nostalgic drive in! Food was excellent, but make sure to plan time for crowds! It's not fast food. Worth the wait;) read more

Stopped after seeing the very faded highway sign of food at the exit and didn't want a chain so took a chance. It's so good and super affordable! Don't stop at a chain and go here! read more

Food service and convenient location was quick and a great spot for lunch and a frozen treat.

This is a really divey place you definitely have to check out for yourself. We ordered the jumbo pork tenderloin, the double bacon cheeseburger, cheese fries, and a half gallon of root beer. All the food really hit the spot, but the pork tenderloin and burger were lacking seasoning. Otherwise, they were good sandwiches. The diameter of the pork tenderloin is really something. The fries were tasty, and the root beer was refreshing and tasted like cream soda. read more

The Rootbeer Stand - Jumbo pork tenderloin - American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

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Food was good value and the desserts especially did not disappoint. I tried the tenderloin sandwich which I personally wouldn't try again (too dry) but the rest of our party said they enjoyed the food. Service was good but expect a wait - we went on Friday around 6 and had to wait about 25 minutes which is more than you'd expect for fast food. The nostalgic ambience is neat but could use some updating. The menus look tied and had to take my little one to the bathroom inside which was a bit gross. read more

Great little place to stop for some hotdogs and fries hamburgers group is very good and they also do cruise nights once in a while as well which is always fun read more

The rootbeer was quite blah, flat, almost tart, I am not sure why it people are so impressed. The value for the amount of food is good, though I think it makes more sense to get 1 basket for the group than everyone getting them. The food was ok, not bad, not great. I had a brat, it was fine. The fries were pretty bland, I ended up smothering them in ketchup and salt and pepper. The salad was basically shredded, not fresh, lettuce doused in dressing. I do like more dressing than salad but my friend had half a cup of dressing after eating the lettuce. The staff were a bit overwhelmed, and at one point I asked to talk to someone and they talked to me while walking away from me which was not fun. Compared to say a Culver's, this is a far cry from a good place. I will not be back if I am in town. read more

fantastic place to take the family. you can always rely on good food and even better root beer.

There was only 3 tables dining and we waited over 5 minutes for any acknowledgment. The woman owner and her waitress were too busy gossiping about other staff members to help the patrons seated. Even my grade school child noticed how unprofessional it is to openly talk about their staff when customers are seated. Food was mediocre. The only thing that they have going is the nostalgia. read more

Great atmosphere and the woman who brought us our food was so friendly. Great place for a root beer float and a burger. It is cash or check only, though, so there's an ATM inside. read more

I knew I wanted Ice Cream & I wanted it from somewhere quaint, damn it! So here I was after a bad dinner at a place with "fine dining" in the name looking for something to change the palate. The Rootbeer Stand was the answer to what I was searching for!! yup, medicinal. I thought I'd order 2 small items so I could get a feel for what I was working with, plus I've been a really good boy the last 6 weeks :D I went with a small Oreo Flurry & a small peanut butter crush sundae. I swear I took a picture, but the app wasn't working because I had bad signal under the metal roofing, I guess. Tasty & it was more than I needed, that's for sure haha read more

So much to unpack here. My wife and I decided to stop here for dinner, mostly because of the reviews -- it's rated one of the top places in Oglesby and so many of the recent reviews raved about the food and root beer, etc, etc. --- Our experience --- Food : We dined-in the restaurant and ordered a cheeseburger basket with fries, a hot dog with relish, ketchup, and onion, and an order of fried mushrooms, plus 2 "frosty mugs" of root beer. For made-to-order, we were surprised that the food items were all lukewarm at best. Everything -- the fries, the burger, mushrooms, hotdog -- all of it didn't really seem hot and fresh. The mugs weren't "frosty", they were, at best, chilled, so again, the root beer wasn't very cold. Our first serving of root beer had no ice, but the refill had some. All that being said, the root beer was just ok; certainly wasn't a "WOW" for us. Maybe it'd been better if it were cold vs near room temp. Per my wife, the hamburger was not very good. Again, probably in part because it was "just warm". The basket came with a small cup of shredded lettuce, but they forgot to provide the dressing (that was ordered "on the side"). And the hotdog tasted like a cheap hotdog from a discount grocery store. Other reviews had talked about how great the all-beef hotdogs were -- there's no way the hotdog I was served was "all-beef". If that was an "all-beef hotdog", it was of very poor quality; nowhere near the taste/quality of a Nathan's or Ballpark hotdog. And, the bun it was served on was stale/dry on one end letting me know that it had been sitting with the end of the bag open long enough to allow it to dry out and go stale. Although the food was less than "delicious", the prices were very reasonable -- for all that we had, it was $18.50. Atmosphere : This is an old drive-up type restaurant/rootbeer stand with dine-in available. It has a nostalgic, but also dirty feel. They only accept cash/check. For those that don't know that (me), they have an ATM inside. Locals probably know the routine there and don't pay attention to it, but the ATM was old and very dirty; I haven't seen such an old ATM for probably 20+ years. The doors leading to the bathrooms were the old swinging, "saloon-type" doors; they felt greasy. The bathroom door on the men's bathroom apparently doesn't lock, because despite being locked, while I was washing my hands, someone opened the door. The general motif seems to be 50s/60s with the last deep cleaning probably having been around the 90s. Service : Service was decent. It's not very big on the inside -- probably somewhere around 9 four-top booths and 4-5 two-top booths. It was pretty full on the Friday evening we were there. We seated ourselves at one of the few remaining tables and were waited on fairly promptly. There seemed to be one or two people working the dining room. Our waitress was nice and helpful in ordering. We sat where we had a pretty decent view of the front counter/kitchen areas, and I don't -think- our food sat for very long, but given that everything arrived "less than hot and fresh", I can't be certain. Overall : The food and drink were both big "misses" for us -- temp was poor and "frosty mugs" weren't frosty. Despite the decent prices, the cost vs quality is low. Not sure if we just hit an "off night", but I can't imagine we were the only people getting less than ideal food that night. This place seems to have a lot of potential, but could also use a little maintenance and a deep cleaning. The owners/employees need to take some time and do a walk-through with a customers eye and address the little maintenance items -- dirt, dust, and doors that don't lock. Then, maybe a sit down and try some of the food menu items that are being served. All that said, we tried it, but won't plan to be back. read more

Friendly folks, but the root beer float was not what I expected from the rave reviews. I just moved to the area from Indianapolis where we have Mug n Bun- they make their own root beer too, so I'm not comparing this to the big brands. It was just so-so for me, and my companion agreed. Root beer was good but the ice cream in it... Soft serve? I don't know, wasn't hand scooped, I'd bet. Very cute spot, though, and may be worth it for the nostalgia factor. As others have noted, bring cash. read more

Good old school drive in. Fun and good service. Won't win any awards for the food but it's all classic Americana. s Super stop after/before any of the local state parks. Order desert if it's busy or wait another 20 mins for that.. read more

We love the root beer stand! It's an adorable drive in, but they also have a area inside to sit. The cheeseburgers are good, and so are the fries and hot dogs. The best of all is the root beer!! Just a reminder, this is a cash only place. We stop every time we go to Starved Rock! read more

Everything about this place screams small town restaurant nostalgia--the smell of old varnished wood, gossiping teenagers working the counter, cheap root beer floats, having to pay with cash (don't worry, there's an ATM). The place looks...older and a little run down, but that's just part of its charm. We went on a Friday afternoon, around 4PM. There were only 4 other customers seated inside the restaurant. No one was at the drive thru. The menu is mostly comprised of burger selections, ice cream, and and fast food appetizers. I got a root beer float, burger, fries; they were all very delicious. Especially after a long day of hiking. For two burger meals, one rootbeer float, and one rootbeer shake, it totaled to $17. You get up and pay at the register. Would definitely visit again if only to try all the ice creams on the menu. read more

The Rootbeer Stand - Double burger meal. - American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

Fantastic food at an amazing price. The kids love the ice cream floats. Everything on the menu is tasty!!

Blond ponytail (server) was too busy to be decently nice while taking our order (husband and I with our parents) When food came, my bacon cheeseburger was cold and tasted like wood and missing condiments. Asked for extra onion(not an unusual request) so it's not like I asked for something crazy....She didn't bother to come back but the other server was nice enough to change my burger. Of course everyone had to wait for me to finish. Just an all around uncomfortable experience for me since they all to be fair every one else said all was OK with there food but yes 1 bad server and 1 bad . read more

The Rootbeer Stand - American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

SOOOOO bangin!!! Absolutely mouth watering, astonishingly delicious. the root beer, phenomenal. The vibe, 10/10. I actually hiked for 3 hours before my family came here, all starving, ready to chow down and let me tell you we scarfed down these burgers and fries in less than 15 minutes. The service impeccable!! And not to mention it's decently priced 100% come here if you're driving through read more

SO GOOD. those fries were so good! I recommend the root beer float and chili dogs. Have a good day!

It was actually what it was supposed to be good service and cheap. Food was pretty good to to.

Just ate the the Rootbeer Stand... not the best experience. Ordered a bacon cheeseburger plain and it came out fully dressed with mayo, the car hop came and took the burger back and proceeded to bring me out the same burger "wiped off" on a stale bun with mayo still on the underside of the burger... not impressed read more

The food and service is always top notch at the Rootbeer Stand. Besides good sandwiches they have wonderful soups and ice cream to make even the pickiest eater happy. read more

I loved this cute little place!! We stopped by on a warm day, but early in the morning... A bit too early for a root beer float, which is what I would love to try here, but they had plenty of other options--sandwiches, soups, etc. I ended up opting for a root beer (no ice) and a grilled cheese sandwich. I had no complaints whatsoever about the sandwich--perfectly toasted, cheesy, piping hot, and very tasty. The root beer stole the show, however! It was AMAZING! Probably the best root beer I have ever had, and I have definitely had lots of root beer testing experience. :-) It was served in a frosty mug, very rich and buttery tasting--delicious!!! They also seem to have a vast assortment of homemade pies that I would certainly try in the future. (I didn't recall seeing these on the menu, but I overheard an adorable table of elderly women happily discussing the virtues of the peach vs apple pie they were eating.) Plus, the waitress was very sweet as was the person who seemed to be the owner or manager. I can't wait to go back! read more

The Rootbeer Stand - So delicious!!! Cold and frosty! - American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

My Dentist office is right across the road from here and I have often thought about stopping in. Well that day was today, after a fruitless search for bowling alley open on mondays, my daughter and I thought we should try a little bit of adventure. We pulled in and examined the menu at the the drive in stand (no dining in for us!). We flipped the switch to place the order, & I selected a cod sandwich basket (w/fries and a small salad) and my daughter choose the grilled chicken sandwich we both had root beer as a refreshment and had it brought out in frosty mugs. The server attended to us in a timely manner and was very nice she brought out the ideal forms of change expecting people to pay with larger bills. when our napkins blew away she ran off to grab some more. The biggest problem with the drive up asspect is that older cars had square windows, newer cars have rounded windows that are unable to balance the trays boooo :-( The Chicken was tender and tasteful really good I was happy my daughter gave me a bite but I was jealous, becasue my cod sandwich was a bit dry and painfully crispy, the fries where not the fresh cut fries they shown on the menu but crinkle fries. At this point my review was teetering at 3 star but I thought I would give them a chance to break though to 4 stars and ordered us some chocolate shakes to go, they were promptly brought to the car and the tray was picked up and we where on our way, I thought the shake was thin however my daughter loved it She wanted me to give The Rootbeer Stand a 4, however I think a solid 3 is fitting for this experience, when I am in the area perhaps after the dentist I will swing out and give them another try. read more

The Rootbeer Stand - American Near Me - Oglesby, Illinois

Root beer stand is a really great place where you and your family can have a nice dinner. I must say the service here is great, everybody is nice and the environment is an old style restaurant. The food especially is good, it's not to expensive. read more

Good to be back! We've been stopping by The Rootbeer Stand for several years now, every time we go on our annual Starved Rock visit. It's comforting that RBS remains a constant, as it has become part of our Illinois Valley experience. We visited at noon on a Sunday. It's the first gorgeous, sunny weekend of the year in the near-80s, so the Parks were overrun with people, and local busineses like RBS enjoyed many patrons. Our server was friendly, attentive, and efficient; quite a feat, considering the staff attended to orders from both inside and the drive-in. Though we wondered why the bill took a while: it turns out you get up and pay at the register! D'oh! Menu is no-frills and basic. Husband had a double cheeseburger bacon meal with a side of crinkle cut fries and a small side salad with french dressing for $6. I had a bowl of chili ($3), a steak burger ($4.25, if I remember correctly), and onion rings ($3). We each had a frosty mug of root beer ($1.50 per, with option for 50 cent refills). Next time, we will order a half gallon of root beer instead, for a better value per ounce, then order a gallon of root beer to-go. :) Husband and I liked our burgers and the fries. I wouldn't order the onion rings again, I didn't like the batter they used for the coating. At first, I didn't like how finely ground the beef was in the chili, but it had really good flavor, so I will order it again in the future. I will try the poppers, the jumbo tenderloin, and the fish and chips next time. Very nice retro '70s atmosphere. It's cozy inside, with a few booths. Consider taking home a souvenir t-shirt--only $10! They also had long-sleeved t-shirts ($15) and a hoodie ($20). They change the design almost yearly, and the graphics on their t-shirts are always well-designed--faithful to the nostalgic spirit that RBS evokes. read more

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Getting off the expressway in Oglesby, and passing by the usual assortment of fast "food" near the exit, one can reach a nice little restaurant in what looks like may have been an A&W Root Beer stand. The place is family owned and the people working there are friendly. It's a small establishment, with maybe a dozen tables. We had the Ground Beef BBQ, which is similar to a Sloppy Joe, and very good. We also had a Super Deluxe (double cheeseburger), which was nicely made, juicy and flavorful. We had an order of Poppers, which were better than one usually finds. I had a Root Beer Float. Commenting on how good I thought the root beer was, the server confirmed that they make it themselves. Yum! I love finding places that make their own root beer almost as much (if not more) than finding places that make their own ice cream. Although I don't expect to be traveling through (or past) Oglesby again in the near future, I will remember what a surprisingly good meal I had there. read more

Good fast food. Homemade root beer. Friendly staff. Great service. Sweet Corn Nuggets and Mac N Cheese Nuggets were unique and tasty.

I was driving on I39 and was searching for something other than one of the national fast food stops and found the Rootbeer Stand in Oglesby. It was less than 5 minutes off the highway exit. A classic Drive-in from years past. Very friendly staff, a good burger and great fries! Exactly what you would expect from a Drive-in burger stop. I look forward to stopping by and having a Rootbeer Float the next time I come through! read more

I am so happy I heard about this place. I am from the City of Coney's (Detroit). Its very hard to find a place that has the quality of Chili on their dogs. I have to say, you knocked it out of the ballpark. I absolutely love your Chili Dogs. Made me feel like I was at home. I'll be visiting you often. Also, the service was fast and on point. I highly recommend. Thank you!! read more

Have never eaten here but have been here twice for drinks. The main attraction was the drive-in with carhop service - something you don't see every day. We had rootbeer the first time and rootbeer frosties the second time. Both items were refreshing and we especially loved the frosties. Prices are insanely inexpensive which is something else you don't see every day. read more

I have been driving by this place for some time, and have always wanted to give it a try. The name says it all, the Rootbeer Stand ! We decided to eat in the dining room and was greeted by a friendly member of the staff. I had the pork tenderloin basket and my guest had the double cheese burger, but were very good. read more

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Good prices, but rather unappealing quality icecream. I ordered the cotton candy swirled soft serve, but I could hardly taste a difference between that and just plain vanilla. Perhaps today was an off day. Hopefully it was because Oglesby definitely needs a solid icecream shop! read more