How did Stagger Inn fly under my radar for all these years and I do mean years. Stagger Inn opened…read morein 1974, the year I graduated from high school and I am now just discovering them. If it were not for the Illinois 66 Passport, I still may be oblivious. The Illinois Passport is promoting 66 businesses on the first 301 miles of the original historical Route 66. The businesses start in Chicago and come all the way down the state to Collinsville. After visiting the business, you get a stamp in your passport just like your travel passport. Stagger Inn is definitely a historical neighborhood dive bar. It's 52 years old and still going strong. It has an old wooden bar, two rooms for dining and drinking and you can see into the kitchen from a large window. The staff was friendly and provided great service. I sat at the bar and ended up chatting with all the servers as they picked up drinks for their tables. When reading the menu, I was impressed that they hand-cut their fries and hand batter the onion rings. I am definitely going back for the onion rings. This visit I did the fries as a side and they were crispy and still had the skins on the potatoes. When they placed my plate in front of me, they informed me they do not season the fries. The bartender recommended that I salt them while they were hot. Preferring pepper, I gave mine a shake of black pepper. I liked that they didn't salt the fries, since I'm trying to reduce my sodium intake. My Stagger Burger was incredibly delicious. I added, Pepper Jack Cheese and Jalapeños. They were generous with the jalapeños and left the seeds in, so the burger had a little burn to it. For me, this burger was top-notch. Stagger Inn, thanks for the stamp in my Route 66 Passport. I'll be back for Chicken Wings and Onion Rings. See you, soon.

What a fun place to meet up with friends! It's a typical bar in so many ways, and yet it has a full…read more(and somewhat fancy) menu. Getting there and parking: My family, including a pre-teen, met up at Stagger in to visit with a couple of our friends. Parking was a small challenge. There is a large public lot on the same block, but it was full when I got there around 6:20pm on a Wednesday. There is minimal street parking. Luckily, I found a spot after a couple of times around the block. Walking in, you can see right away that it really is a no-frills tavern. There's not even traditional table service, though it's not exactly counter service, either. You sit down, decide what you want from the menu, walk up to the kitchen counter to place your order, and give the ticket the kitchen gives you to your server. However, the menu was much nicer than what I expected, with very fair prices! Appetizers ranged in variety from French fries and wings to fried pickles and spinach artichoke toasted ravioli, with prices ranging from around $4 to $8. Entrees included a variety of sandwiches, salads, and burgers from $4 to $8.50 or so. They even had vegetarian and pescatarian options, including a blackened tuna sandwich and a black beans burger! All three of us, including a picky pescatarian adolescent, found food we enjoyed! Beyond the food, the service staff was friendly and the bar service was adequate. In all, it was a really great place e together up with friends AND bring a kid--at 6:30 on a weeknight, at least! I would very much recommend this place to a group looking for a casual environment with good food at good prices! Atmosphere: Food selection & taste: Service: Price: I'm not sure if would be fair to give 4 starts based on the above, though, because I wasn't to rate it for what it is, not for what something else is. Overall, I give it a 4.5! Vegetarian friendly: yes (lacto-ovo)

Food and service never disappoints. Sandwiches or trash pizza, you cannot go wrong. Nice selection…read moreof beers as well.

I had to check this bar out since I was in the area and this seems to be one of the more popular…read moreplaces in a small town. It was Sunday and I could tell you that this place was packed! The beer here is pretty cheap, if you're paying by card there is a $10 minimum. I didn't have any of the food but the menu I saw online looked really appetizing. Staff here was pretty young but the crowd here was more middle-aged than anything. It's in a pretty busy intersection too. They have Gaming Machines too. They have an outdoor area but it was too cold to be over there. In the far back room they have basically a Four Seasons room but they have a heater so it doesn't get too cold over there and boy does it feel like it could get to 90° over there like you're in a senior center or Florida! Overall I was pretty satisfied with a visit here though it was pretty short .

It was a Friday night, so I considered myself lucky getting a seat at the bar. It was at the very…read morefar end, which meant I only had to worry about someone to my left. I didn't end them, but I bonus was, a hook and outlet was under the bar right in front of my stool. I didn't want the Friday special, even though some Fried Fish was tempting. All I wanted was some of their incredible hand cut and breaded onion rings. I paired them with a 6 piece bone in chicken wings in mild sauce. When served, I was pleased to see my order had equal flats and drums. The wings and rings were very filling. I ended up taking two rings and one flat and one drum home. They re-heated very well for the next days lunch. The service was a little off, but I will admit they were slammed. The bartender was slow on greeting and doing follow-up. It may have helped if they had an extra person behind the bar. Even a bar-back would have helped. They may have lost a star this visit, but I am sure they'll get it back soon.

Brickhouse has the perfect local dive bar feel but with a really nice setup inside. Huge open…read morespaces, tons of TVs for watching sports, and long tables that make it great for groups and gatherings. The food menu has a lot of solid options, but the wings are easily the best in the area, huge, meaty, and packed with flavor. Great variety of beers on tap too. Definitely a spot worth checking out if you want good food, cold beer, and a relaxed atmosphere.

RJ's is a true neighborhood dive bar. It's just down the street from all the refineries in…read moreHartford, so it caters to a true blue collar crowd. When a bar caters to a blue collar crowd, you know the drinks are going to be good and the food is going to be delicious comfort bar food. I discovered RJ's from a local monthly coupon magazine that is delivered in the mail. On my first visit, I glanced over the menu and then noticed a flier with daily specials for the month. By chance, the day I was visiting the special was 8 piece wings and fries. I was sold, especially because I got decide between breaded or naked. I prefer my wings naked, so that was a win. They offered four different sauces available. I asked the bartender which one she recommended and she suggested the one I was leaning towards - Sweet & Spicy. I'm a counter, I like to have the same amount of flats and drums. I favor drums, so I wasn't too disappointed when my order had 5 drums and 3 flats. The sauce lived up to its name, it had a nice tang and my fingers didn't get too sticky while eating. The fries were crinkle, which is my favorite right behind house-cut. They were super crispy and not overly salty. Wings for lunch is always a win for me. They didn't have much of a selection of craft beers and had no IPA's. So I enjoyed a, Blue Moon. The bartender was attentive, but not overly friendly. The staff looked at me as if I didn't belong. It was my first time, I am sure once I return, they'll be warmer. I'm learning as I adjust to my new hood, that the neighborhood places are truly neighborhood favorites. I did get a giggle that they sold Yankee Candles behind the bar. They also made me smile, by having hooks under the bar. The charms of a dive bar will always surprise.

Went there for lunch. Had the Italian beef. It had a good flavor but was too soupy for my liking…read more The onion rings were very good and would recommend them. We were a large group, they apologized up front as to a wait, but the food came out pretty quick. Overall I was not disappointed with the overal experience.

Popped in for a quick bite on a Sunday afternoon and were pleasantly surprised. The service was…read morefast, friendly, and attentive, and the burgers absolutely exceeded expectations. Great beer selection, a fun atmosphere, and even live music made for an enjoyable experience. Jason, our bartender/server, was a hoot and added to the great energy of the place. We'll definitely be back! And as another server put it, a burger joint has no business having pasta salad that delicious, but they do. Don't skip it!

The burger was pretty good. Impossible, with goat cheese, cherry compote, and arugula. The staff,…read morehowever, made me uncomfortable, and I won't return. Select your own table. 4 of the 6 of us walk in together and we grab couple-three tables that will seat all of us. The host comes over and asks whether we are sure we need only that much space (standard seating for 6) because it is so much more difficult to be moving chairs around later on when they're busier. Beat. Yes, we are sure. Then the server comes around and greets us with something like, "So are we gonna have 20 different cards here? Or what?" Beat. Beat. People exchange glances. He says he's kidding, but of course he's only kidding about 20 cards as there are only 6 of us. I get it. You're busy. Restaurant work is fast-paced and stressful. I'll go somewhere where they aren't overwhelmed.

Omg. Our photos tell it all! We can't say enough about their food! I had the warm goat cheese…read moresalad. Ok, hear me out, I NEVER order thee kinds of foods, but I was feeling wild and crazy today and it paid off! It's probably one of the best salads I've ever had. I added chicken and it was perfect. My husband had the beef teepee which is one of their staple dishes and he LOVED it. We sat at the bar. Everyone was so friendly and attentive. And martinis are superb! Highly recommended! 11/10

When I think of martinis, I think of Bossanova and when I think of Bossanova, I think of martinis…read more The two of them, just go together. I enjoy a relaxing evening sitting at the bar at Bossanova, sipping a Martini. The music is played softly in the background at a level that makes it easy to enjoy and still have a conversation. When I get hungry while I am sipping my martini, I like to enjoy one of their flatbreads, perhaps an order of Salmon Rangoon or a bowl of French Mussels. They're all delicious and will satisfy my hunger pains. The reason I took a star away is, when I ordered my Extra Dry Tito's with a Twist and Make it Skate. The bartender did not know what I meant by, "Make It Skate". I had to explain to her what that phrase meant. She did fairly well, but it wasn't a true skate. I'm confident her eventually master that martini skill.

Love this place. Great service. Wonderful food. If you want to be casual you can enjoy the sports…read morebar. If you want to dress up a little. Enjoy the dining room.

Bluff City Grill was one of my stops on the St. Patrick's Day Pub Crawl in Alton. In my younger…read moredays, I could chug a green beer, but in my senior years it doesn't even sound good. So when the bartender offered me a green beer, I turned it down. She then offered me a, Green Sangria. What? She then told me it was made with Midori and I was sold. It was a refreshing green cocktail for the holiday. When you are partying on St. Paddy's Day, you need to snack to help balance the liquor consumption. Sticking with the "green" theme, I ordered some Guac Bites with a Sweet Chili dipping sauce. It's fresh mildly spicy guacamole wrapped in a won ton and fried to a golden color. It's one of my favorite appetizers here at BCG. They also offer a Cajun Ranch dip, but I prefer the Sweet Chili. The service is always fun and friendly, making your dining/drinking experience memorable.

I enjoy their buffalo chicken sandwich, it's pretty good so I have heard as…read moreI don't eat chicken anymore but it comes from reputable source. They also have a coupon that comes once a month in the local mail for a a buy one get one free which is always a good deal. Nick's took me by surprise. They have very good deals on their food. They have a ton draft beer selection as well as a variety of other drinks that are available. By far the best beer selection in Granite City, IL. From the drink selection to the prices and the food. Right down to the "scenery." I liked that they have a mixed crowd of people here! Good beer, good foods, good service, and a fun time.

Food is good for the price. Confusing entrance, pick the door on the left! Lots of drink options,…read morewent with the tap water...ice cold. Sat at bar table with a view of outside. Ordered burger, large and full of flavor comes with a knife in middle! Lots of French fry options, server recommended crinkle. Good choice. Staff was friendly, even tipped the cook! A few locals playing slots and enjoying the cold beer. Very friendly people!