Jon’s Country Burgers

28 05 2008
  • 3109 S. Cedar St.Jon's Country Burger
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 393-1627
  • No Known Website
  • Menu

I’ve driven by Jon’s Country Burgers quite a few times on my way to some other restaurant downtown and always wondered, “What the heck is a country burger?”  Well, I found Jon’s menu on-line and answered that question.  It’s “two patties of fresh ground meat, melted cheese, pickle, lettuce, and salad dressing on a toasted bun.”  OK, so that really doesn’t sound appetizing to me (it’s the salad dressing part), but I needed a place to eat a quick dinner one night because I didn’t feel like cooking.

I picked my girlfriend up from work and we headed down Cedar to Jon’s which was obviously a drive-in back in the day.  There’s still an awning for curbside service, but there’s also a dining room…which USED to actually be the drive-in.  It looks like they just put up four walls and added some furniture.  You can still see the wall that used to be the exterior wall.  The door to “go inside” is still there and the waitresses use still use the small counter to pick up orders behind the glass wall.

Jon's Country BurgerJon’s was a little confusing for us first-timers.  When we walked in, we really didn’t know what to do.  A waitress came out and said to just find a seat so we did.  We pulled out the menus on the table and began to look them over.  A different waitress came over with water and told us when we were ready to order to just pick up the phone.  Yes, there are phones at every table that connect you right to the kitchen.  That’s how you place your order.  The waitress doesn’t take it. 

After a few minutes of looking over the menu, my girlfriend picked up the phone and placed our order.  She got the chicken stips which came with an order of fries.  They were the standard deep fried chicken strips, but they were soft and moist.  She got honey mustard on the side and asked for a couple sides of barbecue sauce as well.  The five strips and out of the bag fries were more than enough for her. 

I got the Bacon Burger with Cheese basket.  My sandwich came with fries and applesauce which I passed over to my g/f.  They also brought out a shaker of cinnamon to the table for the applesauce.  My burger was, again, your standard drive-in burger.  There were two strips of crispy bacon a slice of cheese on a juicy burger.  It’s the kind of meal that just begs for me to oversalt the fries then wipe the plate with the burger just to make it a little more salty.  I’m not sure why, but it’s one of those wierd things that I’ve just been doing forever with cheap burgers.

I finished my burger and fries long before my girlfriend did.  I really didn’t feel like there was a whole lot there.  Either that or I was really hungry.  The waitress came and took my plate while my girlfriend finished then seemed to forget about us.   I don’t want to be too tough on her because she was in training and she was a little timid it seemed like.  My g/f finished her meal then we sat there for 10-15 minutes waiting for a check.  The waitress finally came over and asked if we needed anything else and we ended up just asking for the check just to make sure we got it then.  She went back into the kitchen area and came out a few minutes later.  The total for the two of us was $20.  Stupid me, I thought I had a $20 in my wallet, but to my surprise when I opened my wallet, there was only $10.  I felt a little stupid having to ask my girlfriend to spot me $10, but she did and I’ll make it up to her with lunch tomorrow.

Jon’s is a really unique place.  The ordering system is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before.  It lets you talk directly to the cook, so you take the middle man out and make sure you get exactly what you order.  Some of the other things were a little wierd.  The waitresses uniforms looked too much like nurses uniforms and they were always carrying around trays which really made things feel more like a hospital than a restaurant.  The food was classic comfort food which met, but didn’t exceed my expectations.  It’s another one of those places I’m glad we went to just because of the uniqueness of the building and the expeience, but not sure if we’ll go back.  It probably wasn’t a good thing that on our first trip there we had a waitress in training since we didn’t really know how things worked.  It was almost so confusing that it really took away from the dining experience.


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Categories : Burgers, Lansing, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Pisanello’s Pizza

26 05 2008
  • 110 N. Main St.Pisanello's Pizza
  • Mt. Pleasant, MI 48854
  • (989) 773-9906
  • Website
  • Menu

I had family in town for the Memorial Day weekend.  On Sunday night, our two options were either sit on the couch and watch the Sprint Cup Race or we could pack up and head to Mt. Pleasant and spend a few hours at Soaring Eagle.  Gambling is always a good option with my family so we headed north.  I didn’t realize Mt. Pleasant was 75 miles from Lansing when we started.  I put the address in my GPS and after a few minutes, I looked at the miles and thought “Oh crap!”  I told everyone it was only a half hour or so.  After a quick conference..actually, I just asked my dad, he said “Go,”  so I went.

It was about 7:45 when we left Lansing and the only other meal we had eaten was at about 2:00 when we ate at Wendy’s, so finding a restaurant before we hit the casino was a must.  I had read somewhere about a really good pizza place in Mt. Pleasant…and like gambling, pizza is always a sure bet in my family.  I did a quick Google search for “Best Pizza Mt. Pleasant, MI” and Pisanello’s popped right up.  I figured this had to be the place.  I didn’t realize it until I started writing this review, but Pisanello’s is actually a small chain with nineteen locations in Ohio and Michigan with the original being in Alliance, OH.  The Mt. Pleasant location is located in a small building in downtown.  There were just a few booths and one table big enough for our party of seven.  We noticed a sign that said “order here” so my mom and I went up to the register to place the order. 

We started with an order of breadstix.  The order consisted of six breadstix dusted with parmesean cheese.  A marinara sauce came on the side for dipping.  There were six breadstix and seven of us, so as you can imagine, we tore through them in just a few minutes.

Next up were the pizzas.  We got two 16″ pies for the seven of us.  One of them we got half cheese, half pepperonni.  The other was half sausage and half bacon.  They were both a thicker crust, but not a Chicago style.  They were actually very similar to Papa John’s pizzas, but they tasted much better.  the crust was chewey and the cheese was piled on.  The pies came out smokin hot and the cheese was stringy, but stuck to the crust.  I had the pepperoni side of one of the pizzas and the pepperoni’s were cooked perfectly.  I like it when the meat has a little crunch to it and these did.  When all was said and done, there was one piece left between the two pizzas, so the portion was the perfect side.  As a bonus, both pizzas came with a cup of garlic dipping sauce (again, very similar to Papa John’s) for the crust.

The hit of the evening was definately dessert.  My mom noticed a “dessert pizza” on the menu and had to give it a try.  She didn’t have a very hard time convincing anyone else it was a good idea either. About the time we were finishing up with the pizza, the cook brought out the dessert pie.  A small pizza crust was covered in cinnamon sugar and vanilla icing.  I think we may have fought over this one a little bit….I think everyone at the table would have loved to eat the whole thing themselves.  It was delicious.  Everyone looked at me asked if I could do that at home.  I probably could, but I don’t think it would be as good.

My family is usually pretty tough to please when it comes to pizza.  Some of them like thin crust while others prefer the thicker crust.  Everyone left with the same opinion of Pisanello’s though.  It was delicious.  In the past, I’ve mention my quest for the perfect pizza.  This wasn’t quite that because it reminded me a lot of Papa John’s pizza which I also like, but don’t love.  Pisanello’s was a great choice for us.  Everyone was very happy with the food, but even better, we ate all that food for $30!


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Categories : Local Flavor, Michigan, Mt. Pleasant, Pizza, Restaurant, Reviews

Wendy’s – S. Lansing

26 05 2008
  • 6620 S. Cedar St.Wendy's Old Fashioned Hamburegers
  • Lansing, MI 48911
  • (517) 394-1341
  • Website
  • Menu

I know…Wendy’s is fast food.  What the heck am I doing stopping at Wendy’s.  I have a good excuse…really.  I had family come in to town for the Memorial Day weekend.  They drove four hours straight not wanting to stop for lunch, so when they got here, everyone was really hungry.  Since there’s a Wendy’s right around the corner, I suggested we stop there for a quick lunch before heading out to the malls.

It has actually been a really long time since I have eaten at a Wendy’s.  We used to go all the time for the salad bar (which I’m pretty sure they don’t do anymore) and Frosty’s (which they’ve upgraded..more later).  I remember Wendy’s as being super greasy burgers.  The last time I remember eating at a Wendy’s (about four years ago), the grease had soaked through the wrapper almost making the wrapper clear.  It was good, but it was messy and I know I probably knocked at least six hours off my life by eating that burger.

The Wendy’s on South Cedar Street has been undergoing some renovations recently.  I drive by it almost everyday and I’m never sure if it’s open as there is always work trucks there.  My girlfriend says she sees people inside at night when she comes home from work.  The interior clean and obviously new and the facade has been upgraded to the newer style Wendy’s getting away from the glass dining rooms near the front.

There were seven of us that needed lunch and we were putting it all on one order.   I got the Baconator combo.  Two fresh cooked burger patties, cheese and a mound of bacon were piled on the bun.  Unlike most burger places, Wendy’s does square burgers instead of round and to my surprise, this burger is NOT how I remembered Wendy’s burgers.  It wasn’t super greasy and it was really quite delicious.  They definately didn’t skimp on the bacon either.  The combo comes with fries and a drink.  The fries are just your average fast food fries and were a little on the salty side, but good. 

Pretty much everyone else I was with got some kind of burger as well. My aunt got a baked potato  which is what she gets quite often.  I’m not sure which one she got but ther are three options..sour cream and chives, bacon and cheese, and brocoli and cheese.  My dad and brother both got Frosty’s instead of drinks with their meals.  My brother just got the original chocolate Frosty.  It’s a little bit thicker than a milkshake, but made with real milk.  It’s kind of a cross between soft serve and a milkshake.  You still need a spoon, but it’s thinned out just a little.  My dad got one of the new Frosty shakes.  I’m guessing he got the Chocolate Fudge Frosty Shake.  They take the original Frosty and add a little fudge to it for a handspun Frosty shake.

While fast food is never my first option, I was really happy with Wendy’s food this time.  It wasn’t a greasy mess which is what I was afraid it was going to be.  It’s nice that it’s so close and it’s nice to know that there is a decent option if I’m ever hungry and just not in the mood to sit down in a restaurant for a meal.


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Categories : Burgers, Fast Food, Lansing, Reviews

Krazy Jim’s Blimpy Burger – Ann Arbor

25 05 2008
  • 551 S. Division StBlimpy Burger
  • Ann Arbor, MI 48104
  • (734) 663-4590
  • Website
  • Menu

Not only is Blimpy Burger the oldest burger joint in Ann Arbor, it’s also one of the most famous places in town.  The humble little shop on the corner of Packard and Division Sts. is voted best burger year after year by a variety of publications and they’ve even been featured on Food Network’s Diner’s Drive-In’s and Dives which somehow I missed. 

I was in Ann Arbor the Big Ten Baseball Championships and needed to find lunch before crew call at U of M.  I had heard of Blimpy Burger and thought it would make a good lunch.  Apparently, half of Ann Arbor thought that too.  The line weaved around the tables inside and right to the door.  The building is small. There’s only room for a handful of tables that line two walls and a couple free stand tables next to the counter.  The service is described as cafeteria style.  You actually walk up to a counter where the cook asks you what you want and he cooks it right there in front of you.

Ordering is a tradition in itself at Blimpy Burger and something I thought was going to be really intimidating.  On their website, they give you instructions for ordering and those same instructions are posted in the restaurants.  For the most part, they’re just to keep the line moving.  It starts out simple.   Everyone who’s ordering must order themselves.  You can’t just send Mom up to get food for everyone.  Your first stop in the process is the deep frier.  A fry cook asks if you want anything deep fried.  Your choices are fries (which are steak fries) or vegetables like onion rings or mushrooms.

After you get your fried food, you make your way to the grill.  The cooks actually put on quite a show and this part can be fun to watch.  The cook will first ask what you want.  Adults have to get at least a double and they go all the way to quints (that’s five burger patties) and beyond.  All the meat is fresh.  What they do is take a disher and make little balls out of fresh beef.  The cook puts those balls on the grill then slams them down into patties.  He had probably five or six orders going at one time with all of them being at least triples.  The patties aren’t huge.  Once slamed down, they’re pretty thin, so a triple isn’t as huge as you’d think.

After the cook asks what you want, the next question is “Do you want any grilled items.”  By this, he means bacon, onions, etc.  Don’t say cheese.  Cheese isn’t grilled.  The guy in front of me made that mistake.  I didn’t want anything, so he moved on to buns.  The regular bun comes standard, but they also have choices of onion or Kaiser rolls for an additional charge.  As the burgers are just about done, the cook turns around again and asks if you want cheese.  They have five choices.  I went with cheddar although the bleu cheese option was there.  The burgers cook a little longer then they are passed on to the cashier who finishes the burgers off with condiments.  There’s even a correct way to handle this process.  Wet condiments first then everything else.  I passed altogether as I just wanted to taste the burger.  The cook appreciated that.  He turned around and said most people don’t do that, but they really should.

It took me about a half hour to get through line.  I elected to take my burger to go since the place was packed, but quite a few people were grabbing trays to stay.  Once I got to my destination, I chowed down.  The burger was delicious.  Blimpy Burger is NOT all hype.  They really do have good food.  The triple was about the size of a double most places.  The cheese was melted into the burger and the burgers were so moist they were just falling apart.  I actually had a hard time finishing the burger and fries which almost never happens.  I just got the small order of fries and with the sandwich, the total was just over six dollars.

Blimpy Burger is an absolute must in Ann Arbor.  Make sure you have plenty of time as I imagine it’s always busy like it was the day I was in there.  This place lived up to the hype as a classic burger joint.  Their slogan is “cheaper than food”…..they could also add “better than food” 


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Categories : Ann Arbor, Big Ten Tour, Burgers, Local Flavor, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Grand Traverse Pie Company – Okemos

22 05 2008
  • 3536 Meridian CrossingsGrand Traverse Pie Company
  • Okemos, MI 48864
  • (517) 381-7437
  • Website
  • Menu

My girlfriend is heading back to Chicago to see friends and family this weekend and wanted to bring back something unique to Michigan.  We were going to drive up to Middleton to an Amish Mennonite Bakery but were afraid we’d get up there and they wouldn’t have any cherry pie.  Since they don’t have a phone we didn’t know the name of the place, we couldn’t call ahead.  Instead of taking the chance, I suggested we go to the Grand Traverse Pie Company.  A small chain located here in Michigan that started in Traverse City in the mid-90’s.  Their specialty?  Pies of course.

We stopped in the Okemos location around lunch time.  Since we hadn’t eaten yet, we decided to do that first.  Grand Traverse reminded me a lot of Panera Bread.  You order at a counter then wait for your name to be called.  At least you know your sandwich is being made fresh.  There were quite a few choices for lunch ranging from cold sandwiches to soups and salads.  Both my girlfriend and I went with a grilled sandwich.

She got the Grilled Smokehouse.  The sandwich consisted of smoked ham, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and a spicy dijon mustard on sourdough bread.  The neat thing was this sandwich was served in a pie tin.  On the side, she got berry coleslaw and a pickel spear.  The ham was delicious and there was a lot on it.  She peeled a few pieces off to give to me.  She’s doesn’t like a whole lot of meat on her sandwiches and this one had a lot.  The mustard was spicy, but again, there was a little too much.  Both pieces of bread were covered with the mustard where one side probably would have been better.  Even with those two minor complaints, she loved the sandwich.  The ham had a great smoky flavor that the mustard balanced.  The lettuce and tomato were just enough to cool down the spice.

I got the French Dip.  The sandwich came with a huge cup of Au jus.  I didn’t realize it when I ordered, but sauteed onions came on top of the roast beef.  I really don’t like onioins so I scraped them off which also took off most of the cheese.  The bread was just hard enough that it really soaked up the au jus and made for a nice crunch, but held the flavor of the juice.  I got a bag of chips on the side along with the pickle spear.  The chips were just a small bag of Lays.  Usually at places like this, the French Dips are a little on the small side and I end up leaving hungry.  Not here.  The sandwich was a good size and had a lot of flavor.  It’s easy to overcook roast beef, but this was done just right.

I passed on dessert and I’m kicking myself.  I don’t really like pie, but I do like cheesecake and there was a delicious looking slice of an Oreo cookie cheesecake.  My girlfriend got a slice of Laksehore Berry Pie Grand Traverse Pie CompanyCrumble to take home with us.  Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and apples are packed into this slice.  She picked all the flavors but the apple out.  That one seemed to fade into the background, but she did call it one of the best pies she’s ever eaten.  We also grabbed two whole pies since that was the original purpose of our trip.  Being in Michgan, she went with two Cherry Pie Crumbles to take home.  I’m sure her parents and friends will love them.  Like I said, I don’t really like pie, but these both looked delicious.  Our meal cost around $18 for the two sandwiches and drinks.  For dessert, we got out for under $30 and that was two pies and a slice.


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Categories : Bakery, Chains, Michigan, Okemos, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Dalmation Firehouse Grill

21 05 2008
  • 1107 S. Washington Ave.Dalmation Firehouse Grill
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 485-7877
  • No Known Website
  • No Menu Online

I got an e-mail from a reader over the weekend that suggested I try the Dalmation Firehouse Grill on my quest for the perfect burger.  Lance, the reader, called Dalmation’s burgers the “best in Lansing” and “amazing.”  With an endoresment like that, how could I pass?

Dalmation Firehouse Grill is located in REO Town next to the Cadillac Club.  It’s a small diner with a lunch counter and only six tables.  We stopped in for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon and the place was about half full.  The waitress came over for drink orders while we looked over the menu.  They’re only open for breakfast and lunch.  They switch over to the lunch menu at 11 am.  The waitress came back with our Pepsi’s and we were ready to order.

My girlfriend went with the BLT.  The sandwich came piled with bacon, lettuce and a few slices of tomato on white toast with a light spreading of mayo.  The lunch baskets came with fries, a pickle spear and a brownie bite.  While her sandwich was filling, her complaint was the same as mine on the burger.  The bacon was really chewey and not very crispy.  A couple hours later, she said her stomach was rumbling.  She really prefers her bacon way overdone and crispy.  The structure of the sandwich was great as you really got a lot for your money and had the bacon been a little crispier, this would have been the perfect BLT.  The bread was buttered when it was toasted and she said that gave the sandwich even more flavor.  The fries were the out of the bag type and they mixed shoestring and crinkle cut fries for some reason.  They were crispy and cooked perfectly.  The brownie bite was a great addition to the meal for desert.  It wasn’t very big, but the flavor was huge.  It was very gooey, fudgy, and even had chocolate chips in it.

Since the burger was the reason we chose Dalmation Firehouse for lunch, that’s what I had to get.  They had a few different kinds of burgers on their menu, but I chose the bacon cheeseburger.  I finally got what I was looking for in flavor of the meat.  It was a classic diner burger.  It was juicy and cooked perfectly on the flattop.  The cheese was melted almost into the burger and it was topped with a ton of bacon.  Like I stated early, the bacon was really chewey.  The flavor of it was good, but it was hard to eat.  After biting into the sandwich, I had to rip the bacon with my teeth.  I really liked that they put an extra effort into the bun.  It wasn’t just the usual seasame seed bun.  This bun was soft and flaky.  They buttered the bottom of it then toasted it on the grill as well.  It makes for an extra layer of flavor that most places skip on.

The Dalmation Firehouse Grill is truly a neighborhood diner.  The small space makes it cozy and the staff seemed to know most of the people in there at the time.  A couple of the waitresses were sitting at the counter talking to a customer and our waitress was carrying on a conversation with two soldiers who were sitting behind us.  The grill is out in the open so you can watch you meal being cooked.  Thank you, Lance, for the recommendation.  I’m not sure I would have found this place on my own.  Is it the best burger in Lansing?  Well, it’s probably the best I had so far.  The individual components of the burger have by far been the best.  The bacon knocks off a lot of points, but the meat, cheese, and bun combo was incredibly tasty. 


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Categories : Burgers, Diner, Downtown, Lansing, Local Flavor, REO Town, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Monical’s Pizza – Champaign, IL

20 05 2008
  • 103 W. Kirby AveMonical's Pizza
  • Champaign, IL 61820
  • (217) 356-4243
  • Website
  • Menu

Monical’s Pizza is a small chain located primarily in Central Illinois with a few locations in Indiana and one in Wisconsin.  I grew up eating at locations in Bradley, IL and Watseka, IL.  Monical’s was always the hang out after football games and where we went with large groups before hitting the movies.  While in Champaign for the Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track Championships, I got reacquainted with this childhood memory. 

Monical’s actually got it’s start in nearby Tolono, IL.  The restaurant on Kriby Ave. is one of the new Big Tomato locations which has a bigger menu than just the pizza Monical’s has served since the late 1950’s.  I didn’t actually get to eat in the store.  The manager on my job ordered a bunch of pizza for dinner one night since we weren’t able to get a real dinner break.

Monical’s is a super-thin crust and crispy pizza.  There are actually spices added to the crust which give the pizza an interesting flavor.  Usually on thin crust pizza, you get a pretty bland crust.  With Monical’s, you actually have to wipe your hands clean because you end up with spices on them.  Instead of being cut into wedges, the pizza is cut in tiny squares.  Just something elset that makes them stand out above the usual pizza pie.  The sauce is a thin red sauce with a little bit of a kick then cheese and toppings are piled on.  Where I’m from, Monical’s pizza can’t be eaten without their signature sweet and tart salad dressing.  I always thought it was wierd, but people actually have the waitress keep the salad dressing on the table when the pizza came, but people just love this stuff.  You can actually buy bottles of the dressing on their website.

Over the years, it kind of seems like the pizza has changed and not in the good way.  The location I always used to go to in Bradley is now closed and the other locations just don’t have the same feel to them as this one did, so I’ve kind of been turned off to their pizza.  I’ve eaten at many of the locations and every now and then it’s just good to go back to an old favorite.  That’s how this weekend felt when I was unintentionally scarfing down a whole pizza.  It’s not usually my first choice any more, but when it’s put in front of me, I can’t help but wolf it down.


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Categories : Big Ten Tour, Champaign, Champaign/Urbana, Illinois, Pizza, Reviews

Merry Ann’s Diner (Campus Location)- Champaign, IL

19 05 2008
  • 1510 S. Neil St.Merry Ann's
  • Champaign, IL 61820
  • (217) 352-5399
  • No Known Website
  • Menu (downtown Location)

So here’s the first of my reviews of dining in Big Ten communities (well, second if you count The Fleetwood Diner in Ann Arbor).  I was in Champaign for the Big Ten Men’s and Women’s Outdoor Track and Field Championship.  When I lived in Peoria, I would end up in Champaign quite often for work.  When we had an early call time, I would pretty much always be put up in the Hilton Garden Inn on Neil St.  From the hotel, I always saw this little diner called Merry Ann’s.  For the most part, I needed to get to bed and didn’t have time to grab a bite to eat, so I kept passing this place up.  Not this time.

I spent the weekend in town and I got off work at a fairly early time on Saturday.  I had eaten nothing but cold meat sandwiches supplied by University Dining Services for two days, so I needed something good and greasy.  I walked across Neil to get to Merry Ann’s.  There were only a couple guys sitting in a booth when I got there, so I grabbed a spot at the bar.  The set up is pretty interesting.  There is only one row of booths and the bar.  All the booths have a cut-out area on the kitchen side so the waitress never has to go out to the dining area.  Merry Ann’s is your typical 24-hour diner and the menu is too.  It’s filled with breakfast items, greasy burgers and they even have some after midnight “hangover” specials. 

The waitress brought me a Pepsi and asked if I needed a menu.  I glanced over it and right away, one thing jumped out.  The Horseshoe!  If you don’t know what a horsehoe is, check out my post on unique regional foods.  This is what I really miss about Central Illinois.  The flat top was right in front of me, so I was able to watch the cook grill the burger, fry the fries, toast the bread, and squeeze the cheese on.  I actually got quite a bit more than I expected.  The fries came piled on and the burger was a pretty good size.  The cheese, for being squeezed out of a bottle, was just what I wanted.  I devoured the “sandwich” in just a few minutes.  The waitress was actually a little surprised I finished so quickly, but I was really hungry. 

My bill was a little over $7, so with tip, I got out of there for ten bucks.  Merry Ann’s is a great asset to the University of Illinois’ campus.  Diner’s are getting rarer and Merry Ann’s has been there for 25 years this year.  I’ve drove by there on my way to Memorial Stadium on Saturday mornings and the place is usually pretty busy.  If your in town, hunt this place down…it’s on Neil and Kirby and two blocks from Assembly Hall and Memorial Stadium.


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Categories : 24-Hour Diner, Big Ten Tour, Burgers, Champaign, Champaign/Urbana, Diner, Illinois, Restaurant, Reviews

Chicken Coop

19 05 2008
  • 848 S. Kalamazoo St.Chicken Coop
  • Paw Paw, MI 49079
  • (269) 657-6136
  • No Known Website
  • No Online Menu

I was on my way back towards the Chicago area one day when I needed gas.  I got off in Paw Paw to stop at a Speedway and I noticed a sign across the street.  All it said was “Chicken.”  I looked down and saw a little restaurant that looks like it was a chain store at one time converted into a little chicken shack.  I figured what the heck.  I was hungry and not sure when I’d actually get a chance to eat again, so I stopped in.

When you walk in, you walk up to a counter and order.  The menu is is pretty much chicken and fish.  Off to the right there’s a dining room that didn’t look very inviting.  There’s a few booths then a few tables scattered in the remaining open area.  Behind the counter are the deep fryers so you can see your chicken getting fried.

I ordered the popcorn chicken basket.  You have a choice of a la carte, baskets, and meals (I think that was the word used…might have been platter or something similar…the point is, you get three choices).  Baskets Chicken Coopcome with a side and the meals get the side and a pop.  The popcorn chicken was dropped into the deep fryer when I was standing there, so there was a five minute wait.  It wasn’t quite what I was expecting, but that’s not a bad thing.  Usually, popcorn chicken is little bite size pieces.  In this case, they were more like chicken chunks.  The order only came with five pieces which when you think popcorn chicken, doesn’t sound like a lot, but for the “popcorn chicken” that I got, it was actually a pretty substantial meal.  The side I got was fries, but they were what you’d expect.  The cook did take a little extra effort and dump the fries that were sitting under the warming light back into the fryer, so the fries were warm and crispy.

I found an article in the local paper that says The Chicken Coop won’t be at this location much longer.  Pretty soon there will be a Walgreens there.  That kind of sucks for the restaurant. I never would have found it and definately would not have stopped if it hadn’t been located right off the Interstate.  The food was alright, but it isn’t something that’s memorable. 


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Categories : Chicken, Fast Food, Paw Paw, Restaurant, Reviews

Bonnie’s Place

14 05 2008
  • 415 E. Saginaw St.Bonnie's Place
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 372-1559
  • No Known Website
  • Menu

After winning practically every category in the Lansing City Pulse Best of…., I figured it was time to give Bonnie’s Place a try.  We had passed the quaint little bar on Saginaw a few times as we were trying to find our way to Old Town through the construction plagued streets of downtown Lansing.  Bonnie’s sits on the corner of Saginaw and Cedar Sts. just off of downtown.  We pulled into the parking lot on a pretty rainy day in Mid-Michigan and found a spot right up front.  We got there about one o’clock.  The lunch rush was just finishing up.  We were shown to a table in the non-smoking section of the bar….but I really don’t think it mattered.  The inside of Bonnie’s is pretty tiny.  There’s a bar on one side and on the other side of a half wall are two rows of booths.  My girlfriend described the dining room part of Bonnie’s as a little diner. 

The waitress came back for drink orders and we were ready to order.  Since Bonnie’s had been voted “Best Burger” I had to try the burger.  I got the Bonnie Burger.  A 1/2 lb burger was topped with 1/4 lb of shaved ham, Swiss and American cheese.  The sandwich was served in a plastic basket with a pickle spear and an order of fresh cut fries came in another basket.  Now remember, these burgers were voted best in Lansing.  My burger was huge.  The ham added a salty layer to the sandwich.  Could I call it the best burger in Lansing?  Well, that depends on the criteria for best burger.  The extra’s on the burge were unique and creative.  The actual burger patty wasn’t anything to write home about.  The sandwich as a whole was definately the best burger I’ve had since moving to Lansing, but like every other burger I’ve had, the meat didn’t stand out on it’s own.

Bonnie's PlaceMy girlfriend got the Buffalo Chicken Wrap.  The tortilla for the wrap was the really interesting thing about this sandwich.  It looked like it may have been toasted after the wrap was put together…almost pressed.  The wrap came filled with spicy buffalo chicken pieces, lettuce, tomatos, and a mayo.  The wrap only came with a pickle spear on the side, so she got an order of fries as well.  The spicyness was definately there.  On the car ride home, she was still talking about the heat.  Half of the sandwich is sitting in our fridge right now so she has lunch tomorrow.  The size of the wrap was overwhelming and more than enough for one meal.  Usually, she’ll pick most of the tomatos out of a wrap like this, but with this one, I only noticed a few pieces on her plate so the wrap must have been put together real well.

The fries were also voted best in Lansing.  We both had an order with our meal and I think we both agreed they were good.  She said many times that the fries were good.  With fresh cut fries, she feels most places under cook them.  Not the case with these fries.  They were golden brown and crispy.  I felt they needed a little something to make them the best in town.  I’ve been to a few places that have served fresh cut fries and they were all about the same.  Some kind of unique season was needed to make them stand out.

As an overall review, I loved Bonnie’s.  The small atmosphere was comfortable and the menu offered some unique, interesting items.  I would definately call Bonnie’s the best when it comes to burger combinations.  I would say they may even have the best overall burgers when you consider the condiments and add-ons.  The actual burger patty is nothing special though.  It’s the kind of place that I would love to take my parents.  The food is comforting and not so far out there that they’d be afraid to try something new.  Bonnie’s is absolutely a recommendation for dining out in Lansing.


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Categories : Burgers, Lansing, Local Flavor, Pub, Reviews

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