Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket – Willowbrook, IL

2 05 2009
  • 645 Joliet Road
  • Willowbrook, IL 60527
  • (630) 325-0780
  • Website
  • Menu
Dell Rheas Chicken Basket on old Route 66 in Willowbrook, IL

Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket on old Route 66 in Willowbrook, IL

Yup.  We hit another Chicago area Diner’s, Drive-In’s, and Dive’s place.  J and I are back in Chicago for another weekend trip.  We have tickets to a show in Hammond, IN tonight which isn’t far from her parents house.  Her mom and step-dad had a prior commitment during the day, so J and I were on our own for lunch.  I had been wanting to check out another place we saw on Triple D that was only about 20 minutes from her parents.  After they left for the morning, J and I got going and headed to Willowbrook for lunch.

Dell Rhea’s Chicken Basket has been on Joliet Road in Willowbrook for almost 70 years.  Of course, in the early days, Joliet Road was Route 66.  A lot has changed since then.  Interstate 55 is in Dell Rhea’s backyard and the old Mother Road is hidden behind an office park. In fact, J is very familiar with this area.  Her high school speech team used to stay at a Holiday Inn down the road and her grandma was in an area nursing home for a few years yet she had never seen our destination.

It’s not really hard to find and there are signs from IL-83 for the out of towners like us.  The building is a classic Route 66 icon.  There’s a big neon sign out front and the decor hasn’t aged in fifty years.  Parking is a little wierd.  The spots out front are spots that are perpendicular with the building, so you take a sharp 90 degree turn off the road into a spot crossing a lane of traffic in the process. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chicken, Illinois, Local Flavor, Reviews, Sandwiches, willowbrook

Andy’s Mexican & Ameican Deli

20 04 2009
  • 2102 N. Aurelius Road
  • Holt, MI 48842
  • (517) 268-0051
  • No Known Website
  • Menu
Andys Mexican & American Deli on North Aurelius Road in Holt

Andy's Mexican & American Deli on North Aurelius Road in Holt

Finally!  I think I’m probably the last person in the South Lansing/Holt area to grab lunch at Andy’s Mexican & American Deli in Holt.  We’ve tried a couple times and even got up early yesterday to try and get lunch before I had to be to work at 2:00.  When I called to make sure they were open, I got an answering machine saying Andy changed his hours and was closed on Sunday. 

Last night, J and I decided it was time to clean out our closet.  We ended up filling six garbage bags with clothes we haven’t worn since we moved here.  Since we were going out in the rain to drop them off at Goodwill, we thought we’d double back to Holt and stop in to Andy’s for lunch.

Andy’s Mexican & American Deli is on North Aurelius Road in Holt.  It’s actually located inside Brower’s Foods & Hardware.  It takes up the space that used to be Big T’s Extreme Deli.  When we walked into the store, Andy was at the cash register chatting with the lady from the hardware store.  Still, he greeted us like he knew we were there for food.  We made our way back to his part of the store and started looking over the menu posted on the counter.  We were told that the taco lunch was the special for today.  I was going to get taco’s anyway, but I didn’t want the rice and beans that come with it.  I never end up eating them and there was an option for tacos a la carte, so that’s what I did. I ordered three, but he must have mistook what I said and only made two.  He only charged for two, so no big deal.  Sometimes, I think it’s me.  My orders get screwed up every so often and I’m pretty sure it’s because I’m not clear.  Even J says she has a hard time understanding me from time to time. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Deli, Holt, Local Flavor, Mexican, 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

Dairy Dan – Revisited

15 04 2009
  • 7035 S. Cedar Street
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 268-1264
  • No Known Website
  • No Online Menu
  • Original Review (4/11/08)
Dairy Dan on South Cedar Street in Lansing near the city limits.

Dairy Dan on South Cedar Street in Lansing near the city limits.

J must have been reading my mind this afternoon.  When she came home for dinner the first thing she said wasn’t “hi.”  It was, “I’m craving ice cream.”  That’s funny because I was craving ice cream too.  I was going to suggest making a quick run to Dairy Dan after dinner, but she beat me to it.

Dairy Dan is our go to when it comes to ice cream.  It was the first place we found after moving here because it’s just down the street from our apartment on South Cedar Street near the Lansing city limits.  The building is a walk up that’s only open in the summer.  They opened for the season just a few weeks ago.  We drove by all winter bummed that we couldn’t stop and get ice cream.

There is a drive-up window at Dairy Dan, but I prefer getting out and walking up to the window, so I parked under the sign and made the short walk to the window.  I know I wanted a Flurry, but I wanted to let J get a look at the other items.  Like most ice cream shops in this area, they put pictures of all their creations in the window so you know what you’re ordering.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Ice Cream, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

El Oasis Antojitos Mexicanos – Michigan Avenue

13 04 2009
  • 2501 E. Michigan Avenue
  • Lansing, MI 48912
  • No Known Phone Number
  • No Known Website
  • Menu (sorta)
El Oasis Mexican stand on East Michigan Avenue in Lansing.

El Oasis Mexican stand on East Michigan Avenue in Lansing.

After a long day at work and only a few hours of sleep, I was on the hunt for something to eat quickly so I could get to bed as soon as possible.  The first thing that popped in my head was Mexican.  I’ve been wanting to try a new place in Holt located in Brower’s Hardware.  When I got there, there was a sign on the cash register that the owner had to make an emergency run to the hospital for a family member and they were not open.  I then drove back out to Jolly Road to try Julie Joe’s for a second time.  Note on the door that they were closed for Easter (this was Saturday, not Easter Sunday).  The last place I could think of where I could get Mexican food quickly was El Oasis on Michigan Avenue.  The thing that really sucks is that if I had just picked that first, I wouldn’t have had to drive all the way back out there.

El Oasis is a cart that set up shop in a parking lot on the corner of East Michigan and North Francis Avenues.  They have another location inside Tony’s Party Store on Cedar Street (review HERE)which we tried last summer and had some problems with.  They got our order totally wrong and J ended up with ground beef, which she doesn’t eat, on her tacquitos and I ended up with her chicken on my tacos.  We had to trade dishes and I’m not a fan of avocado, sour cream, or raw tomatoes, so, needless to say, we weren’t very impressed. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Lansing, Local Flavor, Mexican, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Quality Dairy – Charlotte

27 03 2009
  • 686 Lansing Street
  • Charlotte, MI 48813
  • (517) 541-0738
  • Website
Quality Dairy on Lansing Street in Charlotte

Quality Dairy on Lansing Street in Charlotte

I told you I was working on getting to every Quality Dairy store.  Actually, this time it was kind of necessity.  I had to work in downtown Lansing at 6:00.  As soon as I got done, I was hitting the road to work in Champaign, IL again this weekend.  I had to make the four hour drive to my parents house that night.  Work took a lot longer than I had anticipated and I ended up leaving at 9:00.  By the time I left, I had to pee.  I hadn’t eaten since lunch and I was really thirsty.  As I got on I-496, I thought to myself, “Self!  Where I can I accomplish all three tasks in one stop?’  The answer was easy.  Quality Dairy.

The Quality Dairy in Charlotte sits right off I-69.  I see it everytime we pass through Charlotte on our way home.  It’s a large store with gas pumps and a laundromat as well as the typical Quality Dairy staples. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Charlotte, Local Flavor, Michigan, Reviews, Sandwiches

Pizza Papalis – Southfield

20 03 2009
  • 23703 Greenfield Road
  • Southfield, MI 48705
  • (248) 552-7272
  • Website
  • Menu
The Pizza Papalis in Southfield on Greenfield Road

The Pizza Papalis in Southfield on Greenfield Road

I was sort of waiting for my first Pizza Papalis experience to be with my pizza loving dad before a Tigers game.  The Greektown location was on the many places suggested to us last summer when J and I went to see our White Sox beat up on the Tigers.  We passed, but we shouldn’t have.  We keep saying, next time we’re in Detroit.  I’ve got six tickets to a Tigers game in July and I was expecting to take my family there.   I probably still will…especially after sampling their pie today.
I was working in Southfield and the company I work for always buys lunch and usually buys pizza.  I was really pumped when I walked in to the conference room to see boxes from Pizza Papalis.

If you’re from the Detroit area, you already know all you need to know about the Metro Detroit chain.  Being from Chicago, I hold all pizzas that claim to be “Chicago Style” to a very high standard. 

There are a number of locations in the Detroit area.  The closest one to our job site was the Southfield location on Greenfield Road.  It’s located in a small strip mall with a Kroger and a CVS.  I didn’t go inside, but from the parking lot, it looked to be a pretty large store with plenty of seating.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Local Flavor, Michigan, Pizza, Restaurant, Reviews, Southfield

Soup to Nutz Bistro & Custom Catering

18 03 2009
  • 123 Kalamazoo Street
  • Lansing, MI 48933
  • (517) 485-0955
  • Website
  • Menu
Soup to Nutz Bistro & Catering on Kalamazoo Street in Lansing.

Soup to Nutz Bistro & Custom Catering on Kalamazoo Street in Lansing.

I guess you could say the third time really is the charm.  J and I have tried to eat at Soup to Nutz a couple times in the past only to run into problems.  The first time was on a Saturday after waiting in line for tickets to see Obama speak.  We didn’t realize they weren’t open on Saturday.  The second was during the week.  We wanted to go for breakfast, but we got there at 9:30 and they don’t open until 10:30.  When we got back, we found they don’t do brunch during the week.  At that point, we gave up.  The only day they do brunch is Sunday and we spend most Sunday’s on the couch watching NASCAR. 

After we went to Golden Harvest this past Sunday, a commentor suggested we try Soup to Nutz.  That got me looking at their website again.  I looked at brunch first, but then I got curious about lunch.  J and I are really lunch people and their menu looked perfect.  J got up early to get her taxes done and when she got home, she suggested heading downtown for lunch.

Soup to Nutz Bistro is located on Kalamazoo Street near Washington Square.  There are actually two entrances which can be a little confusing.  The sign is actually above the catering side of the business.  If you go in there, you’re basically walking in to the kitchen.  The other door is the one that enters the dining room.  There’s no sign marking it as an entrance, but you can see tables and others dining as well as a special board in the window.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Cafe, Downtown, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Art’s Bar & Grill – Revisited

14 03 2009
Arts Bar & Grill on Kalamazoo in Lansing.

Art's Bar & Grill on Kalamazoo in Lansing.

It’s been almost a year since our first visit to Art’s Bar & Grill.  It was one of the first places we ate at after moving to Lansing.  The building didn’t look like much, but I had heard the food was some of the best in town.  After a little hesitation, we went in and had one of the best meals we’ve had in town.

J’s parents were in town and we needed someplace to eat.  The original plan was to eat in Mt. Pleasant after gambling for a little bit, but we were still full from lunch, so we headed back to Lansing.  We tossed around a few ideas, but eventually settled on Art’s.  I had heard good things about their pizza and we hadn’t tried it yet.  By hitting up a bar, we could get a pizza and J’s parents could get burgers.

We stopped in around 7:00 on a Saturday.  There were quite a few people, but we found a table in the middle of the dining room.  Just like last time, a waitress noticed us right away and yelled over that she would be right with us.  A few minutes later, she dropped off menus while she was taking care of the rest of the dining room.  There were only two waitresses for the whole building and the one we had was working her butt off.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Bar, Burgers, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Pizza

Izzo’s Pub & Pizzeria

5 03 2009
  • 1145-1147 S. Washington St.
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 853-8500
  • Website
  • Menu
Izzos Pub & Pizzeria in Lansings REO Town

Izzo's Pub & Pizzeria in Lansing's REO Town

It took three tries, but I finally found Izzo’s Pizzeria open.  I happened to be downtown for a late morning meeting.  I was hopping back in my truck a little after noon and I started to head towards Washington Square to find something for lunch when I decided to give Izzo’s a third try.

Izzo’s Pub & Pizzeria is on Washington Avenue in Lansing’s REO Town neighborhood.  The pub has been there since the mid-1960’s.  The Pizzeria has been there since December.  The two businesses are in separate spaces with separate entrances, but they are connected and you can move freely between the two spaces.  The pizzeria side is big enough for a kitchen and a handful of tables.   The interior fits the area.  It has kind of a rustic feel with an exposed brick wall with a relief pattern that sort of resembles the globe.  The tables are surrounded black metal chairs and it’s a bright, inviting atmosphere.

The order counter is near the back of the space.   When I made it back there, a man behind the counter made contact right away.  He asked if I was staying or taking something to go.  J was still at home and I planned on bringing her lunch, so I told him I was getting carry out.  He handed me a menu to look over, but I noticed some slices behind the counter.  I asked if they did pizza by the slice.  He said they did, but all they had was a sausage, mushroom, and onion pie.  Not really my thing, so I ordered a small cheese pizza that I could share with J. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Pizza, REO Town, Restaurant, Reviews

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