Eddie’s Bar & Grill – Kankakee, IL

20 06 2009
  • 1875 W. Station Street
  • Kankakee, IL 60901
  • (815) 939-3972
  • Website
  • Menu
Eddies Bar & Grill on Station Street in Kankakee, IL

Eddie's Bar & Grill on Station Street in Kankakee, IL

Here’s the dilemma when J and I go to my parents house.  We either drive twenty minutes to Kankakee for lunch or we eat whatever Lean Cuisine my parents have the in the freezer.  Growing up in a small town, I never noticed that there wasn’t a restaurant on every corner, but since I’ve moved away, it’s become more noticeable.  I like to eat out and I like to eat at different places.  That’s hard to do in a town that only has one restaurant.

So, J and I made the choice to drive to Kankakee.  We had some other things to do anyway, so the trip wasn’t totally pointless.  We waited around until my mom came home for lunch so we could see her and make plans for the evening.  The next part of the battle was finding a restaurant.  I know the Kankakee metro is littered with hidden gems, but no one I know eats at anything other than chains.  I ended up remembering a place my brother told me he heard from friends was pretty good. 

Eddie’s Bar & Grill is on Station Street in Kankakee near West Court Street.  The only directions I could remember from my brother were “in the old Pizza Hut next to the bowling alley.”  J told me to call him and get an address, but I knew that’ the directions I would get.  No one knows street names….they all go by landmarks.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Illinois, Kankakee, Pub, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Fatburger – Orland Park, IL

16 06 2009
  • 15110 S. La Grange Road #A
  • Orland Park, IL 60462
  • (708) 364-8380
  • Website
  • Menu
Fatburger on La Grange Road in Orland Park, IL

Fatburger on La Grange Road in Orland Park, IL

Our wedding planning trip to Chicago continued this morning with a trip to meet with the Reverend we chose for the ceremony.  After we took care of that meeting, we had a couple hours before our next appointment and J was starving.  Since we were already in Orland Park, we headed over to the big business street and started looking for food.  J’s mom suggested a brew pub on La Grange Road.  I said any place with a burger was fine with me.  We started towards the brew pub, but as we were driving, J noticed the Fatburger.  She figured that would be faster than a sit down restaurant and it would satisfy the burger criteria. 

Fatburger is a west coast burger chain that, at one time, was co-owned by former Spartan Magic Johnson.  The chain was started in 1952 in Los Angeles.  Up until the mid-9o’s, the chain pretty much only existed on the west coast, but expansion brought store farther to the east.  The company now has 93 restaurants across North America, Asia, and the Middle East. 

The store in Orland Park is in a strip mall on La Grange Road near 151st Street.  We pulled in just after 11:00 and there was only one other person in line.  Fatburger’s slogan is “The Last Great Hamburger Stand.”  The decor is that of a sixties diner and while it’s technically considered fast food, they do cook your food to order.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Fast Food, Illinois, Orland Park, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

McDonald’s – South Cedar

12 06 2009
  • 4700 S. Cedar Street
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 393-8678
  • Website
  • Menu
McDonalds on South Cedar near Jolly Road in Lansing.

McDonald's on South Cedar near Jolly Road in Lansing.

I know I haven’t blogged all week and I always feel bad when the only thing I have to blog about is a chain restaurant, but I left Oldsmobile Park after a heartbreaking Lugnuts loss and I was starving.  The game went longer than I had anticipated due to yet another extra inning game.  When I started heading home a little after ten o’clock, my choices were limited.  I knew there was some fast food along the way, so I waited until I got a little bit closer to home.

The McDonald’s on South Cedar Street sits just north of Jolly Road.  Being late, the drive-thru was the only option.  As I was heading south, I pulled in to the second drive.  I always think if you pull in the one farther to the north, it gives you a bad angle at the drive thru. 

I’m not a very adventurous eater when it comes to the Golden Arches.  I always get the same thing.  It’s a good thing I looked at the menu board as I pulled up to the speaker though.  It must have been a while since I’ve eaten a burger McD’s because they moved the Double Quarter Pounder w/cheese meal to #3 instead of #4.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Fast Food, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Corner Bar & Grill

1 06 2009
  • 505 E. Shiawassee St.
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • (517) 374-3565
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
The Corner Bar & Grill on Shiawassee Street in downtown Lansing.

The Corner Bar & Grill on Shiawassee Street in downtown Lansing.

J and I called it quits early on Be A Tourist In Your Own Town.  After the zoo, we tried to go to MSU, but couldn’t find parking and just gave up.  We spent a few hours at the zoo and we were getting hungry and I had to go to work in a few hours, so we decided to find lunch/dinner.  Since we were in East Lansing, J suggested Buffalo Wild Wings which is usually a hit with me, but on our way, J also pointed out that a lot of the blog entries recently have been chains and I hate doing that.  I wanted to get back to something local.  A couple weeks ago, Runs With Spatula reviewed a bar that I haven’t been to yet.  Her blog made my mouth water.  We were saving it for after a Lugnuts game, but bar food sounded good and it would put me back on the local track.

The Corner Bar & Grill is on the corner of Shiawassee and Cedar across the street from the City Market and just a block down from Oldsmobile Park.  Before we moved here, the building housed the Club 505 which I’m told was a lesbian bar.  Now, it’s kind of taken on a biker bar feel.  Maybe that’s because there are scooters from the neighboring business parked on the sidewalk. 

There’s a gravel parking lot across Shiawassee Street that has signs for parking.  When we pulled in, there was only a couple cars in the parking lot, but it was an odd time.  We were eating lunch around 3:00 which isn’t a prime meal time.  We crossed the street and walked into the building which opens up into the bar.  There aren’t really any tables in this area.  It’s got more of a bar feel.  We walked into another room which has a number of tables, booths, and of course, flat panel TV’s.  A third room was set up for live music and there was a guy running around setting up some gear for later in the evening. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bar, Burgers, Lansing, Michigan, Pub, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Burger King – Holt

27 05 2009
  • 2464 Cedar Street
  • Holt, MI 48842
  • (517) 694-2600
  • Website
  • Menu
The Burger King on Cedar Street in Holt.

The Burger King on Cedar Street in Holt.

Sorry, I’m a few days behind in blogging.  Things are a little hectic at MMD World Headquarters which is why, on Monday night, I suggested a fast food run.  Usually, we do Taco Bell or Steak ‘n Shake, but I thought we’d mix it up.  I couldn’t tell you the last time I had Burger King and there’s one right down the street.  J didn’t object.

We chose the Burger King on Cedar in Holt.  It sits near the Holt/Lansing city line right across the street from the Kroger.  There is an entrance on Cedar Street, but there is also one on Willoughby which is easier to access than crossing traffic. 

As I’ve said before, I despise drive thrus, so we went inside.  The place was desserted at 7:00 on Memorial Day.  We were the only ones inside and there was just one car in the drive thru.  Since we hadn’t eaten at a BK in a long time, we needed a minute to look over the menu.

I got, if memory serves me correctly, the #11 which is a double cheeseburger with fries and a drink.  The prices on the board are for the small combo, but they list prices for medium and large under it.  I went with the medium and got a Diet Coke with just a splash of regular Coke from the fountain. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Fast Food, Holt, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

TGI Friday’s – Oak Lawn, IL

3 05 2009
  • 5420 W. 95th Street
  • Oak Lawn, IL 60435
  • (708) 422-0339
  • Website
  • Menu
TGI Fridays on 95th Street in Oak Lawn.

TGI Friday's on 95th Street in Oak Lawn.

After seeing the best basic cable clip show host perform at The Horseshoe Casino in Hammond, IN, we needed food.  It was a little after 10:00 by the time we left the casino and even though we were only 15 miles or so from home, taking surface streets in Chicago can take a really long time.  The neighborhood we were driving through really wasn’t a neighborhood we were wanting to stop in, so we all started talking about places to eat back in an area where J’s parents were more familiar with the options.  There were, of course, the two 24 hour family restaurants, but I think everyone was wanting something more than classic diner food.  J tried calling a couple chains to see how late they were open and didn’t have any luck until she called TGI Friday’s.

The Oak Lawn TGI Friday’s is on 95th Street in downtown Oak Lawn.  A few years ago, you would have only found houses were the building stands, but the Village board had a different vision for the area.  They made the area a TIF district and used emminent domain to get rid of the houses.  Now, a bank and Friday’s share a parking lot along the very busy commercial artery of Oak Lawn.

By the time we made it back to 95th Street, it was about twenty after eleven.  J was told on the phone they stopped taking orders at 11:45 so we actually made it with plenty of time to spare.  The business itself didn’t close until one, but I was still surprised to see so many cars in the parking lot. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Illinois, Oak Lawn, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Cheli’s Chili Bar & Restaurant – Dearborn

27 04 2009
  • 21918 Michigan Avenue
  • Dearborn, MI 49124
  • (313) 274-9700
  • Website
  • Menu
Chelis Chili Bar & Restaurant in Dearborn.

Cheli's Chili Bar & Restaurant in Dearborn.

Since moving here, I’ve been wanting to eat at Cheli’s Chili in downtown Detroit.  I’ve always been a huge Chris Chelios fan and a #7 Blackhawks jersey still hangs in my closet.  When I started looking at restaurants in Detroit, Cheli’s Chili on the corner of Michigan and Oakwood came up.  I knew my parents would like a sports bar.

J had a great idea when it came to entertaining my parents.  Our original plan was to go gambling in Windsor, but my parents forgot their birth certificates so we couldn’t do that.  I offered Detroit, but neither were really interested.  They usually stop in New Buffalo when they come see me, but mom wants to say she gambled in Canada before the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative goes in to effect in June.  Since they forgot their documents, we needed a plan B. I had no ideas, but J suggested The Henry Ford Museum in Detroit.  First, we needed lunch.

We made it to Dearborn just before noon.  The building is on the corner, but the entrance is actually in the back.  There’s a parking lot there with a few spaces, a public lot right next to it and street parking all along Oakwood.  We parked the car and walked towards the door to find another couple standing there waiting.  The restaurant didn’t open until noon.  No big deal because it was 11:55.  We ended up walking across the street to Westborn Market (review HERE) to kill time. 

When we made it back, we walked in and saw a sign that the deck was open so we headed up there.  Like the downtown location, the Dearborn location has a party deck on the roof.  There’s an elevator right next to a staircase.  If it’s not a nice day or you don’t like sun, there’s also a huge dining room in the bar.  We didn’t really go in to far.  We found a display case with autographed memorabilia and Chelios jersey’s, but that’s as far as we made it. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Dearborn, Downtown, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches, Sports Bar

Logan’s Roadhouse – Lansing

27 04 2009
  • 5800 W. Saginaw Highway
  • Lansing, MI 48917
  • (517) 327-4751
  • Website
  • Menu

Logans Roadhouse in Delta Township

I never know what to do when my parents come to town.  They’re not very adventurous eaters so I always hesitate bringing them to someplace I’ve never eaten at.  Chains are always safe because the menus are usually big enough to have something they will eat. 

Saturday, my parents decided to come to town for the weekend.  They hadn’t been here since last fall due to the weather and since my mom had the weekend off, they made the trip north.  They timed it so they got here about a half hour before I got home from the spring football game.  J entertained them while I finished up.  After a quick shower, we headed out to find dinner.  I don’t think my parents had eaten yet and my mom was hungry.  We wanted to make a stop at Babies-R-Us anyway and since we’ve eaten at a Logan’s Roadhouse before (in East Peoria, IL), I thought it was a safe bet. 

Logan’s Roadhouse is in Delta Township near the Lansing Mall on Saginaw Highway.  The parking lot looked pretty full when we pulled up, but we noticed the same for most of the restaurants along this strip, so it’s not like we’d be better off going somewhere else.  Fortunately, the dining room is big. Actually, it’s pretty large.  We were met by a hostess who took us to a non-smoking table in the middle of the dining room near the kitchen. 

Logan’s really pulls off the Roadhouse theme.  The dining room has a tall ceiling and the rooms are spacious.  The floors are distressed woods that creak a little when you walk.  Those floor boards are covered with peanut shells.  Yup, Logan’s puts buckets of peanuts on the table and the shells end up on the floor.  I love that.  It reminds me of the place my mom works at in Illinois.  My mom did mention that the peanuts actually tasted fresh.  At her restaurant, they go through a lot, but they buy them in big 50 gallon drums, so it takes a while to go through them.  By the time you get to the bottom, the peanuts have a little bit of a staler taste.  Not these. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Rally’s Hamburgers – Oakland Ave.

24 04 2009
  • 505 E. Oakland Avenue
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 482-6464
  • Website
  • Menu
Rallys Hamburgers on Oakland Avenue in Lansing.

Rally's Hamburgers on Oakland Avenue in Lansing.

If you follow this blog, you know my feelings on fast food and drive-thru’s.  I’m not a big fan.  So, it surprised even me when I decided to stop at Rally’s Hamburgers for a pre-Lugnuts game meal.

Rally’s Hamburgers is a drive-thru fast food chain with two locations in Lansing.  I chose the Oakland Avenue location since it was close to downtown.  It took me FOREVER to get there.  I really feel sorry for the businesses at the Oakland Avenue/Cedar Street intersection.  With the construction from the CSO project, there is really no easy way to get there if you miss the turn at Oakland Street like I did.  It was a long way around, but I finally did make it back.

There is a walk up window, but I decided just to do the drive thru.  There was a guy standing there who was leaning halfway through the window and talking to one of the workers.  I’m guessing he knew the lady working since he didn’t move the whole time I was there.  I turned in and headed right for the first drive up window.   Rally’s is a unique concept because there are actually two windows.  There is one on either side of the building.  Stupid me.  I just chose the one closest to where I was.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Fast Food, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

LeRoy’s Classic Bar & Grill

18 04 2009
  • 1526 S. Cedar St.
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 482-0184
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
LeRoys Classic Bar & Grill on South Cedar Street in Lansing.

LeRoy's Classic Bar & Grill on South Cedar Street in Lansing.

You know how there’s always a place you drive by but never stop at?  LeRoy’s was that place for us.  In fact, we drive by it so much, J actually thought we had eaten there before.  It just seemed familiar because we take that route to downtown Lansing quite often, but it’s a place we had neglected.  There wasn’t a reason we never stopped.  I just never thought of it when it came to dinner time.

J and I left downtown after spending the afternoon at Oldsmobile Park.  By the time we hopped back in the car, I was really hungry and wanted something really greasy.  I heard somewhere that LeRoy’s had a pretty good burger and it was on the way home, so we finally stopped neglecting the little neighborhood bar.

LeRoy’s Classic Bar & Grill is on South Cedar Street at Baker.  There’s a parking lot on the north side of the building and behind the building.  It was still pretty early on a Saturday night, so parked in the lot on the north and entered through the front door which opens out to Cedar Street.

We didn’t make it to far past the bar once we got inside.  It took my eyes a second to adjust as it was pretty dark.  There are a couple booths along the wall just inside the door and I suggested we grab one of those so we’d be noticed by the bartender. 

There was only one menu on the table, but since no one was sitting in the booth behind us, I reached back and grabbed the one off that table so we didn’t have to share.  The bartender noticed us right away and came over for drink orders.  We were both a little dehydrated from sitting outside all day, so we stuck with soft drinks.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bar, Burgers, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Pub, Restaurant, Reviews

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