Casey’s General Store – Peotone, IL

22 10 2008
  • 900 W. Wilmington Road
  • Peotone, IL 60468
  • (708) 258-9150
  • Website
  • Menu
Caseys General Store in Peotone, IL

Casey's General Store in Peotone, IL

I’ve always thought it was weird to rave about gas station food, but Casey’s General Stores are better than a lot of quick service restaurants.  Like most things I loved about Central Illinois, there are no Casey’s in Mid-Michigan.  The closest would be in Mishawaka, IN.  There are Casey’s all over the place in Illinois.  It seems like every little town has one.  There was always a running joke at my last job.  I worked in TV news and on Friday night, we would shoot a lot of high school football.  When you got sent to a school you were unfamiliar with, the Sports Director would always say “Turn at the Casey’s” and chances are, you’d end up at the school.

We stopped in Peotone on our way back to Michigan.  Niether of us had eaten yet.  The plan was to have dinner in Grand Rapids before the concert so we didn’t want a big lunch.  I thought there used to be a Taco Bell in Peotone so that was the original plan, but when we got off and saw there wasn’t, but there was a Casey’s, our plans changed. 

To me, the best thing about Casey’s is the pizza.  It’s crazy that some of the best pizza I’ve ever eaten comes from a gas station, but it does.  There was a Casey’s just down the street from my old job and there were many nights we’d order pizzas from there.  They do sell pizza by the slice since it is a gas station and most people who stop in are just looking for lunch.  We both passed on that today and instead, grabbed a cup of popcorn chicken.  J’s favorite is the cheesy potato bites, but they didn’t have any of them.  They did have loaded potato wedges, but we thought that would be too hard to eat in the car.  The other options at this time were cheeseburgers or chicken fingers.

Like I said, we both grabbed the popcorn chicken because it would be easy to eat in the car.  J grabbed a couple packets of dipping sauce for hers, but I went au natural.  It was easy for me to put my cup in the cup holder next to the steering wheel.  Easy access while I was driving. 

Casey’s is a great alternative to fast food if you’re lucky enough to have one near you.  For the most part, they pop up in small towns where they’re the only gas station and only food option, but you will see them in the bigger cities every now and then.  I’ve got some fond memories from these little gas stations and it’s one of the things I miss most about Central Illinois


Comments : 2 Comments »
Tags: , , , , ,
Categories : Chains, Fast Food, Gas Station, Illinois, Peotone, Reviews

TGIFriday’s Abruptly Closes – UPDATED

16 10 2008

Got an e-mail in my inbox this morning saying TGIFriday’s on Saginaw closed abruptly last night.  Seems it was not their fault, but the Holiday Inn didn’t pay their taxes to the city, so the city shut them down.  I don’t know what it means for the hotel.  We were out there this morning and there were still quite a few cars in the parking lot, but the TGIFriday’s awnings and signs were gone.  Here’s a statement I got from TGIFriday’s corporate office.

 According to Amy Freshwater, vice president of communication and public relations for Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, parent of T.G.I. Friday’s, “Due to the non-payment of outstanding property taxes owed to the city by the Holiday Inn hotel property owner, the city advised us that they will involuntarily close and lock us out of the restaurant this week. Therefore, regretfully, at this time, we have been forced to close the restaurant located within the Holiday Inn at 7433 West Saginaw Highway in Lansing. This is an isolated closing, unrelated to the economy, and a unique situation where the restaurant was operated under a management contract with the owner. We will offer severance to our valued team members, who were impacted by the unfortunate actions of the hotel property owner. Lansing is a very important market for us, and we hope to bring Friday’s back to the community, at another location, in the future.

UPDATE – WILX went after the story and found out that the statement from TGIFriday’s may not be entirely true.  According to the Delta Township Finance Director (not the City of Lansing as the statement indicates), TGIFriday’s was not going to be forced out.  Anonymous employees also claim the business has been bouncing checks.  Check out the full story on WILX.com and kudos to Channel 10 for doing some digging and not accepting the corporate spin.


Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: , , , ,
Categories : Chains, Food News, Lansing, Reviews

Meijer – Grand Ledge

16 10 2008
  • 730 E. Saginaw Hwy.
  • Grand Ledge, MI 48837
  • (517) 622-6800
  • Website
The Grand Ledge Meijer store located just on the edge of town on Saginaw Highway

The Grand Ledge Meijer store located just on the edge of town on Saginaw Highway

It’s October and I need charcoal.  Just because it’s fall and quickly becoming winter doesn’t mean I’m going to stop grilling.  According to most mega marts, I should be putting up tacky Christmas ornaments, not grilling a pork loin.  I’m also a charcoal snob, so that makes things a little bit tougher.  No briquettes for me.  The chemicals used to press them together annoy me.  If you don’t let it totally ash over, you’ll pick up the chemicals in your food.  I’m not that patient, so I use natural hardwood lump charcoal.  We looked at Wal-Mart, but all they had was the Kingsford crap.  I was just going to run to the Meijer by our place to see what they had, but since we were in Grand Ledge anyway for lunch, I decided to stop at the Grand Ledge store.

The Meijer in Grand Ledge is just on the edge of town on Saginaw Highway.  It’s a newer store with the newer facade.  It’s not quite the “main street” concept store they’re starting to roll out, but it’s in between that and the old boxy type like the store on Pennsylvania.  The inside of the store is a drastic difference too.  J made the comment that it’s much less overwhelming than the other stores around here we’ve been in.  My complain about Meijer is just that it’s so darn big.  It’s hard to find things and can be frustrating if you have to shop in a couple different departments. Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : 1 Comment »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : Chains, Grand Ledge, Grocery, Michigan, Reviews

7-Eleven – Okemos

13 10 2008
  • 3500 Okemos Rd.
  • Okemos, MI 48864
  • (517) 349-5711
  • Website
The 7-Eleven store near I-96 in Okemos.

The 7-Eleven store near I-96 in Okemos.

It was about a month ago that I first reviewed a 7-Eleven in this area when I took an unscheduled trip to the Holt 7-Eleven (review HERE) to get a Slurpee.  In that review, I remarked how clean the store was which is something I’ve never seen at a 7-Eleven before.  I wondered if it was just that store or if 7-Eleven was working on cleaning up it’s image.

J and I were leaving Meridian Mall after a full day of shopping.  As we were heading back towards the Interstate, J asked if there was a 7-Eleven on the way.  She’s been craving Slurpee’s recently.  Even though they’re technically not Slurpee’s, we stop quite a bit at the Speedway near our house to get their version of the frozen cola drink.

I thought there was a 7-Eleven near the Interstate and I was right.  The building sits on the corner of Okemos and Jolly Roads.  THIS is the 7-Eleven I remember.  This particular store is nothing like the shop in Holt.  It’s the dirty, cramped convenience store that I remember from my childhood.  I don’t mean dirty like disgusting, but just not sparkling clean like the Holt store was. 

They were running a sale on 44 oz Slurpee’s, but that was just way too much sugar.  We both ended up grabbing a 22 oz. cup which cost more than the 44 oz, but neither of us could trust ourselves to not drink the whole thing if we bought the bigger one.  No wonder America’s so fat.  Six months ago, I would have bought the 44 oz. and drank the whole thing just because it was cheaper. Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , ,
Categories : Chains, Michigan, Okemos, Reviews, Specialty Shop

Walmart Supercenter – St. Johns

11 10 2008
  • 1165 Superior Rd.
  • St. Johns, MI 48879
  • (989) 224-8099
  • Website
The Walmart Supercenter just off of Business 127 in St. Johns

The Walmart Supercenter just off of Business 127 in St. Johns

I’ve blogged about Walmart before.  J and I hit the Walmart in Delta Township (review HERE) about once a week to get things we can’t get at Horrocks (review HERE).  The big reason we go to Walmart and not somewhere else is they are the only place in town we can find Mandarin Orange Propel.  I grabbed the last Propel out of the fridge last night so we needed to get more.  We had talked about going around Lansing to the Delta Township store on our way home, but first, we wanted to go into St. Johns to get gas.  I noticed on Lansinggasprices.com that St. Johns had gas for $3.05/gal.  We found a BP on US 127BR that had gas for that price so we stopped and filled up.

After getting gas and a potty break, we kept heading south to try and find the freeway again.  Along the way, we found gas for $3.02 and $2.99.  That $2.99 was at the Murphy’s USA in the Walmart Supercenter parking lot.  I noticed the Walmart and put my turn signal on to turn in.  Why go all the way out to Delta Township when there was a Walmart Supercenter right here?  It sounded like a good idea to me, so we went in to do some shopping.

You all know what Walmart looks like and what you can find there.  The only reason I’m writing this review is to blow off a little steam about rude, inconsiderate, and just plain ignorant cashiers.  Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : 3 Comments »
Tags: , , ,
Categories : Chains, Grocery, Michigan, Reviews, St. Johns

Press Release – Sonic open in Flint

10 10 2008

From a press release….I guess it’s a little closer to Lansing.

SONIC® Drive-In Opens Location in Flint

(Oklahoma City) – Flint residents now have a reason to stay in – stay in their cars that is. SONIC®, America’s Drive-In® today announced the opening of Flint’s first SONIC Drive-In, a restaurant where you order your meal and eat right from the comfort of your own vehicle.

“We are very excited to open a SONIC in Flint,” said Bill Wentworth, Jr., franchisee of the SONIC Drive-In. “We are looking forward to serving the community and delivering the fun Carhop service SONIC Drive-Ins are known for across the country.”

The Wentworth Group is the principal owner of the new SONIC located at 3140 Miller Road in Flint. The restaurant features 27 drive-in stalls, two walk-up ordering stations and a drive-thru.

The drive-in will open at 7 a.m. on Oct. 13 to serve customers a delicious breakfast. With the full menu available all day, customers can enjoy a Breakfast Burrito to start their morning or as a late night snack.

SONIC, which specializes in made-to-order fast food, is known for its specialty menu items and personal Carhop service. Unique drink combinations make SONIC Your Ultimate Drink Stop!® SONIC’s slow-melting ice, helps drinks stay cool and keeps them cooled longer while maintaining flavor. SONIC’s full menu is available all day, giving guests the option of eating breakfast for dinner or ordering a SONIC Blast in the morning. Favorites include TOASTER® Sandwiches (sandwiches served on thick Texas Toast), Extra-Long Cheese Coneys (hot dogs with chili and cheese), fresh hamburgers, handfresh-made Onion Rings, Tater Tots and a variety of Ffrozen Favorites® treats and Fountain Favorites® drinks. SONIC’s ever-growing menu is full of options to satisfy every taste, such as Fresh Fruit Smoothies.

SONIC, America’s Drive-In (NASDAQ/NM: SONC) started as a hamburger and root beer stand in 1953 in Shawnee, Okla., called Top Hat Drive-In, and then changed its name to SONIC in 1959. The first drive-in to adopt the SONIC name is still serving customers in Stillwater, Okla. As the nation’s largest chain of drive-in restaurants, SONIC has more than 3,400 drive-ins coast to coast. More than a million customers eat at SONIC every day; and with more drink combinations than any other quick-service restaurant – more than 168,000 to be exact – SONIC is Your Ultimate Drink Stop®. For more information about Sonic Corp. and its subsidiaries, visit SONIC at http://www.sonicdrivein.com.

###


Comments : 10 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : Chains, Flint, Food News, Michigan

Culver’s of Okemos

7 10 2008
  • 5140 Times Square Place
  • Okemos, MI 48864
  • (517) 853-8714
  • Website
  • Menu
Culvers of Okemos on Times Square Pl

Culver's of Okemos on Times Square Place near Wal-Mart

I was looking at my stats today and noticed there were a ton of hits for a post I put up last week about $1 butter burgers at Culver’s.  I should have looked at that post.  I thought it was tomorrow, but I got an e-mail from J who was excited about those $1 burgers…..and it was today!  I scrapped dinner plans and went to pick J up from work.  Last year, we waited in line for $1 burgers at Culver’s in Morton, IL and it was totally worth it. 

In the restaurant business, you’re always told it’s location, location, location.  Culver’s of Okemos couldn’t have done a worse job with that.  I can’t figure out why they would put a restaurant where they did.  It’s down a dark road and there’s nothing around it.  We had a helluva time finding it.  It wasn’t in J’s GPS.  She finally called 411 to get the address, but I had just seen a sign for it near Wal-Mart.  So we drive back by the Wal-Mart and I almost miss it.  There is no sign outside and the building isn’t lit very well.  This store is in a really weird location and we had a tough time finding it.

When we finally did get inside, I was surprised that there wasn’t a line out the door.  I don’t know if it wasn’t advertised really well or what, but it looked like a regular night at Culver’s.  After a short wait, J went up to the counter to place our order.  When we lived in Morton, the Culver’s was within walking distance from our apartment, so we ate there too much.  As far as fast food burgers go, Culver’s is by far the best.  Since burgers were $1, there was a limit of five, so J ordered one with cheese for herself and four plain ones for me.  The dollar burgers were just plain butterburgers.  The cheese I think was a quarter extra. Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : 4 Comments »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : Burgers, Chains, Ice Cream, Michigan, Okemos, Restaurant, Reviews

YaYa’s Flame Broiled Chicken – Saginaw Hwy.

30 09 2008
  • 5415 W. Saginaw Hwy
  • Lansing, MI 48917
  • (517) 886-0995
  • Website
  • Menu
YaYas Flame Broiled Chicken on Saginaw Highway near the Lansing Mall.

YaYa's Flame Broiled Chicken on Saginaw Highway near the Lansing Mall.

What a great idea for a chicken restaurant.  Just the other night, I was craving chicken and considered going to Popeye’s.  Knowing I was kind of bad on my diet over the weekend, I didn’t want to splurge on fried chicken.  This afternoon, J asked me to run out to Horrocks to get some more of them delicious honey crisp apples.  She went to work a little early, so I just waited to eat lunch until after she was gone.  I made my stops at Wal-Mart and Horrocks then got thinking about lunch.  When I was working this weekend, one of the guys I worked with had said something about YaYa’s near Frandor.  For some reason, I remembered there was one near the Lansing Mall, so that’s where I went for lunch.

YaYa’s is a chain of 17 restaurants with locations in Michigan and Florida.  The first restaurant was opened in Seminole, FL in 1985, but the first franchise location was opened in Flint, MI in 1988.  There are two locations here in Lansing and both are on Saginaw Highway.  There’s this one by the mall and the other is farther down Saginaw near US 127.  This particular YaYa’s is located in a shopping plaza in a very commercialized area of Saginaw Highway. 

It was a little after two when I went looking for lunch.  There were no cars parked in front and the inside was empty.  The store is not very big.  It’s longer than it is wide and there are a handful of tables in the space to sit and eat.  The counter is located at the far end of the space.  The menu board is behind the counter above the grills where the whole chickens are butterflied and grilled.  Read the rest of this entry »


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Categories : Chains, Chicken, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Press Release – $1 Butterburgers!!

30 09 2008

Just got this press release.  I’m pretty sure I know where I’ll be next Tuesday….

Prairie du Sac, WI (Grassroots Newswire) — Yes, the rumors are true, the juicy, mouth-watering Butterburger™, made famous by Culver’s® Restaurants, is available on Tuesday, Oct. 7, for just $1.

The $1 ButterBurger celebration will take place at more than 380 participating Culver’s restaurants in 18 states. Every order can include up to five single ButterBurgers, with the guest’s choice of condiments, for the special one-day only price.

As part of Culver’s 2008 Custard Election (Sept. 29 – Oct. 19), an in-store and online voting campaign to select your favorite Democrat or Republican sundae candidate, Culver’s Restaurants are attempting to “buy votes” by driving voter traffic in-store with the second annual $1 ButterBurger guest appreciation day.

Culver’s signature sandwich, the ButterBurger, is made from fresh, never frozen 100 percent U.S. beef raised predominantly in the heartland of America, seared on a hot grill and served on a buttered, lightly toasted bun.

Please join us Oct. 7 at participating Culver’s Restaurants. Interviews with local franchise partners are available.

WHO: Culver’s Restaurant

WHAT: $1 ButterBurger Customer Appreciation Day

WHEN: Tuesday, October 7, 2008

WHERE: Participating Culver’s locations


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , , ,
Categories : Chains, Food News, Michigan, Press Releases, Restaurant

Olive Garden, Red Lobster to Raise Prices.

17 09 2008

Shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to anyone.  The Olive Garden and Red Lobster are having to raise prices to stay profitable.

The company said its menu prices at Olive Garden and Red Lobster have typically gone up between 2 percent and 3 percent each year, with price increases usually falling in the middle of that range. But for 2009, Darden said it will have to raise prices by a percentage closer to the high end of that range.

“It’s not a dramatic increase,” said Chief Operating Officer Drew Madsen. “But it’s a little more pricing than we have taken in the past.”

Darden said the economy — specifically higher costs for food, energy and labor — is to blame. Most restaurants have been pressed by significantly higher costs in the past year with prices for grain and meat rising to record levels and state and federal governments boosting the minimum wage for workers.

 I don’t eat at either.  My mom looooooves Olive Garden though.  It just one of those unfortunate trends.  Not even the chains are immune from the higher prices that cause the mom ‘n pop shops to struggle.


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , , , ,
Categories : Chains, Food News

« Previous Entries Next Entries »