The Mix Sandwich Works

A couple of months ago one of my readers asked if I had tried The Mix Sandwich Works in Peoria yet. I had not, but last weekend we visited there for lunch.
Housed in a former KFC, you can view the menu on the wall over the counter where you order, or you can place your order at the drive thru. Perusing the menu on the wall, my husband asked if their Philly steak sandwich was served with green peppers, so the server asked if it was our first visit and gave us a paper menu which had descriptions of the sandwiches. He also pointed out their "Make it a Meal" offer where you can add a large order of fries and a 20 oz. drink for $2 more.
I opted for a grilled chicken pita ($4.99) and my husband ordered the chili dog meal ($4.29) after finding out that the chili did not have beans in it.
Our order came up quickly. My pita was soft and warm, topped with piping hot chicken strips and paired with a generous portion of gyro sauce. My husband enjoyed his 100% Vienna beef chili dog and we shared the fries, which were of the skin-on variety.
The dining room was tidy, but a bit smoky on our visit. The signage inside was a nice touch and except for the outside style of the building, it didn't remind me of a KFC.
Sandwiches range from gyros, burgers, Polish sausages, subs and croissants and they also offer salads, wings and fish dinners. There are kids meals available from $2.99-$3.29. I also noted with interest that they were offering Baklava and cheesecake for $1.99.

Meat Heads

StfRon's been raving about his new favorite lunch stop in Bloomington, Meat Heads.
I stopped by 305 North Veterans Parkway to give the place a try for an early dinner.
Meat Heads is all about burgers and fries. There's not much else to the menu, save for a grilled cheese and hot dog.
Simple can be good.
The mainstay is the hamburger for $4, two certified Angus patties on a bun, adorned with your choice of toppings.
Being a fairly small person (and hoping to stay that way) I went with the 'Lil Meat Head, a single burger patty, and ordered it crowned with cheese, mustard, ketchup, pickles and raw onions (they also have grilled onions), and based on StfRon's recommendation I also ordered a small order of their fresh cut fries with bacon ranch sauce.
My ordered was delivered to my long booth in about five minutes.
The burger was juicy and good, and the combination of my selected toppings gave it just the zest I was looking for.
The fries were salted and tasty, and the bacon ranch (which I never would have ordered without a recommendation) lent a savory flair to the spuds.
With an iced tea, my meal came to about $11.
If you're all about burgers and fries, Meat Heads has got you covered.

The Vault

On my way home from Bloomington recently, I took the scenic route via some country roads. My drive took me through the town of Danvers.
My attention was drawn by a neat old brick bank building with a glossy black door decorated like a vault door. The script over the door proclaimed the place The Vault. I'm not sure of the address, but it's on the main drag, and you probably can't miss it.
StfRon and I went to check out this bar/grill Saturday night. When we arrived, there were a handful people sitting at the bar, a family of four sitting at a table, and a couple of other guys having some food at a table.
The walls were lined with brick paneling, pretty well installed, but I was sad that the walls weren't original exposed brick inside. The tin ceiling was neat, though, as was the dark wood bar back with it's curved glass sides.
The woman behind the bar was running the place by herself. She took our drink order and we took a look at the menu.
The menu was larger than some small town bar and grills, with an array of appetizers, burgers, sandwiches and the local bar stalwart, Butch's pizzas.
StfRon went with a burger, and I decided to try the spicy chicken sandwich, a fried, non-breaded bird. When I asked if the sandwiches came with fries, she said they come with chips, but you can substitute fries, "which I make myself". The burger was on special, served some pre-made potato wedges. I decided to try the fries with my chicken.
Our cook/waitress/bartender was hopping, but keeping up with the small crowd pretty well. She brought our food over before too long. StfRon enjoyed his burger, and my chicken sandwich was very good, with just a bit of spice to it. The fries were were also quite tasty. Similar to Khaki Jack's fries, but not as dark.
We were finishing up our drinks around 7:15, when the door opened and a few people trickled in. 7:16, door opened again and a few more trickled in. 7:17, same thing. 7:18, again. This went on and on for several minutes. It was almost like a bell had gone off in town, and everyone decided it was time to hit The Vault. The poor gal behind the bar had her hands full by this time.
We decided it was time to hit the road after some tasty bar food and drinks, so we paid the tab and made our way through the newly-arrived crowd.

Chicago Hut

The weekends many times send us to Pekin for some shopping. This last time we went during the lunch hour, and when thinking of a local place to grab some grub, I thought of Chicago Hut.
Chicago Hut, introduced to us by some friends who live in Pekin, is located at 2111 Court Street, near County Market.
The menu is huge, featuring things like Chicago dogs, paninis, Greek chicken, gyros, burgers, wraps and even something called a Maxwell Street polish sausage, which I learned from my friend J, is famous because of Chicago's Maxwell Street marketplace.
This time I went with the BBQ half chicken, but it was a hard decision. There were a few other items I really wanted to try, too. I ordered my chicken with rice and it also comes with a Greek salad and some pita bread. Everything was wonderful. The BBQ sauce was very flavorful and citrusy, the cube o'cheese atop my Greek salad was delicious and the pita bread was irresistible. This set me back only $6.75, not including my drink.
StfRon had a chili dog and a gryo.
Since they strategically placed the baklava near the checkout counter, I had to order a piece of that as well. They offered to warm it up for me, which was a nice touch. It was almost as good as Mom's homemade.
The small dining room has a few casual booths and tables, most of which were full while we were in for a late lunch on a Sunday. The restaurant is decorated with some Chicago posters.
Chicago Hut also does a good carryout business, with great prices on Greek chicken dinners, said to feed four, but you will probably end up with leftovers.

Spotted Cow

I remember the Spotted Cow from my high school days. It was a small store on Prospect in Peoria Heights, and when it would rain hard, water would leak in from the ceiling into buckets on the floor. We're talking probably close to 18 years ago now.
My friends and I would stop in often for a homemade ice cream treat, either mint chocolate chip, chocolate chip cookie dough, or Oreo cookie for me. At some point they expanded and got a nice, newer location on Prospect with lots of cow decorations throughout, including cow spots on the tile floor. I would stop in for lunch over the last 8 years, as it was close to work. I wouldn't have ice cream with lunch, but a chocolate Coke would be my treat to myself.
In 2006, the Spotted Cow built a free-standing building complete with outdoor seating at 718 W. Glen and moved out of Peoria Heights. I made it in last week to pick up some carryout, and check out the new digs.
I like the funky Formica they used in the new building, and the shiny tin ceiling tiles. The place is bright, fresh and new. Lots of cow decor still graces the walls and chairs throughout.
I ordered a homemade Italian beef sandwich with cheese and peppers, and two chili dogs for StfRon. I also threw in a chocolate malt for good measure. The menu still features selections from the Heights location, like the tuna melt and cakes, plus new additions like burgers and fries.
You can also catch the Spotted Cow at their hospital café, or with their mobile ice cream cart at events like the free CILCO concerts at Lakeview Museum.
As for this visit, my Italian beef was juicy and well-seasoned, and StfRon pronounced the chili dogs a hit. The chocolate malt was so thick I couldn't get it through the straw at first, but once I did, all was good.

Burger Barge Dry Dock

I first went to the Burger Barge Dry Dock, 1401 N. Main Street in East Peoria, maybe five years ago, and was not thrilled after my visit. Much to StfRon's dismay, as he had never been and is a true burger buff, I vowed never to go again.
Flash forward to this year, and a work group outing sent me there again. Maybe my tastes have changed or something, but this time I found a winner: the BBQ burger (cue heavenly music). The burgers at the 'Barge are huge, huge, huge, and this one is no exception. It's smothered in barbecue sauce and cole slaw, and the combination is awesome. Reminiscent of my trip to Memphis earlier this year.
After tasting this gem, StfRon and I stopped in a few weeks later, and I ordered the same burger. Why mess with a good thing?
The Burger Barge also has such favorites as a paper bag o' fried shrimp and great homemade chips. My scheme is to snag some chips off of someone else's plate, as the burgers alone are more than enough to fill me up (sides are not included with the burgers). They also have salads for those who choose to graze. And beer, of course!
The Burger Barge is very casual, and features outdoor seating as well, right along the river.

Schooner's

I think it's high time I gave up some love for Schooner's.
Schooner's serves up large, well, schooners of ice cold beer, great wild (or mild, be sure to enunciate well) wings and garlic wings, burgers, turkey burgers, chicken sandwiches (including an awesome buffalo-style bird), excellent tempura-style onion rings and more. Plus, a huge king tenderloin which is served with four buns. Great for sharing, or a good pig out.
The garlic wings are one of my favorites, covered with chunks of minced garlic. I eat these babies at lunch and have no guilt of my garlic breath for the rest of the day. I'm an unabashed garlic lover.

I am most familiar with the cozy War Memorial Schooner's in Peoria Heights, but there is one in Morton as well, and I have been there, and a Bloomington location, which I have not visited. The Peoria location is my favorite, as it's more like home. One wall of the restaurant is covered with photos of people and their morel mushroom finds.
The Peoria location also features a decent-sized beer garden of sorts, filled with picnic tables and tall wooden tables.

Khaki Jack's

I used to hang out in Khaki Jack's years ago, drinking something called cactus juice with a friend of mine. These were the days when I worked on the north end of Peoria, so it was close, and a great place to hang out after work.
I don't make it to Khaki Jack's, 7221 N. Allen Rd., Peoria, as much now, since I've moved across the river, but when I do, the food is still great. Where else can you go for a nice ostrich burger and never-ending galvanized buckets of peanuts on every table?
Khaki's also features more traditional burgers, pizza, grilled chicken strips, a tuna steak sandwich which you can order with a side of olive spread, and a mean, greasy basket of fries. These skin on fries are enough to share, if you're not feeling too piggy.
I also dig the pickles they serve with sandwiches, and the olive spread makes a great topping for the tuna steak sandwich.
It can get pretty loud in there at times, with the high ceilings, but it's a nice, friendly place to grab some grub.

Didley's Place

I'm waiting for April 15, which won't be long now, so I can check out Didley's Car Hop in Metamora. We have driven by on our way to Smiley's in LaRose, so we couldn't stop there to eat, but the place looks fun.
The menu features shakes, floats, root beer, burgers, tenderloins, hot dogs, tamales, chicken and more, so there's plenty to choose from. And it's the best looking Morton building I've seen!
They also have mini golf and an outdoor movie theater, plus a street rod shop, so there's plenty to do on a nice day. For movie info and more, visit http://www.didleys.com/.

Adams Street Café & Catering

My brother used to rave about Adams Street Café & Catering in downtown Peoria about 7 years ago. For some reason, I thought the place was a burger joint, and not being a big burger kind of gal, I never tried the place.
Recently, I was treated to a box lunch from Adams Street Café. I had the Popeye, a spinach wrap filled with hummus, tomato, red onion, pepper jack cheese and fresh spinach. It was a little heavy on the hummus, but otherwise a great lunch. The meal came with Sun Chips, pasta salad and a cookie.
The sandwich menu looks great (the Dagwood, Tweety Bird Turkey, 3 Little Pigs...), and they also have homemade soups and homemade chips. And yes, they do have burgers, which I hear are very good, too. I've also heard they make a mean lemon cake. I know that the peanut butter tops are very tasty, and the raspberry white chocolate scone, as well.
Adams Street Café also serves breakfast during the week. Find out more on their web site at http://www.adamsstreetcafepeoria.com.

August, 2007 - I stopped in to Adams Street Cafe to order some carryout for lunch. This place was hoppin'! And the decor is neat, kind of boutique hotel style walls and upholstered chairs (upstairs) and lots of vintage-styled tin signs and photographs. I had a tuna salad on multi-grain and picked up a Famous sub on wheat for StfRon. His sandwich came with some chips, so I got the homemade ones. A very tasty lunch!