Food

Foodie Fun

Eat Your Way Through ILLINOISouth!

We all eat, right? Many of us enjoy eating and love to try interesting foods from new places. In fact, food tourism is a thing – it’s also known as culinary tourism. People will travel for miles, hours even, to dine somewhere that they have heard amazing things about!

New Eats & Experiences

Arguably the most interesting new food experience just opened in Swansea in 2021. Soulcial Kitchen coins itself as the world’s first mobile cloud kitchen with a mission. They offer a variety of distinctive food offerings through delivery, catering, pickup, and food trucks. Soulcial Kitchen is always teaming up with folks to bring customers amazing eats, and they have also implemented a couple of different programs. The Currency of Caring program aims at reducing the level of food insecurity throughout St. Clair County, so tokens can be bought at a fixed cost and given to those experiencing hunger, homelessness, or other difficult situations to ‘pay it forward.’ In just a few short months, the mission and the experience at Soulcial Kitchen have folks like Matthew Fritz raving about their visit. “Great food, awesome atmosphere, and a mission that inspires. These, plus humble hosts with hearts of gold, are what brings me back to Soulcial Kitchen with my family,” Fritz explains. “The Michel’s share a great environment with their customers that invites you to their table and links a delicious meal to the community mission of service.”

Big Eats

For some folks, the bigger the food is, the better the experience is! We have a handful of eating establishments in ILLINOISouth that offer eating challenges, which draw professional eaters and other folks into our region to see if they can take down a ton of food in a short amount of time. Mimmo’s Italian Restaurant in Norris City is home of the 20” pizza challenge, where folks get one hour to finish a three-topping monster. Professional eater Randy Santel accomplished the feat in 2021, but he went above and beyond with his pizza selection. “I didn’t want to end the last stop on my Midwest USA Tour on a lighter note, so I really challenged myself by ordering their 10-topping “Super Deluxe” pizza,” Santel explains. “Everything should have banana peppers so I added those too as the 11th topping. Four pieces in I did regret it, but thankfully my body let me inhale it all and I finished in 46 minutes and 27 seconds. BIG thanks to everyone who came to watch and meet me, it was a great night,” adds Santel.

A giant pizza awaits you at Mimmo’s Italian Restaurant in Norris City

Photo Credit: Randy Santel

Another food monster resides in Iuka at Smoked to the Bone BBQ. There is a five-pound behemoth called the Philabuster which includes three hamburgers, sausage, brisket, pulled pork, turkey, three different cheeses, and fries on a FULL loaf of French bread. Challengers get 30 minutes to finish the sandwich, if they fail then the bill is $40. Professional eater Brandon ‘Da Garbage Disposal’ Clark drove up from Memphis to take on the Philabuster and finished in just under 20 minutes. Aside from him, MANY other challengers have failed. Do you have what it takes to beat the Philabuster?

Burger Joints

There are several eateries in ILLINOISouth that pride themselves on their delicious burgers. Did you know that Americans consume 50 billion hamburgers a year? That averages out to 154 burgers per person annually… crazy right? One of the most fabled burger joints in our region is the Moonshine Store in rural Clark County. They have been featured in Midwest Living Magazine, CBS Sunday Morning, and covered by countless other media outlets. While their half-pound burgers are amazing, the drive to this extremely rural destination and the experience of the old building is what draws folks like Eric Clark to southeastern Illinois just to try it! “The freshest hamburger you will ever have,” Clark admits. “If you remember how good grandpa’s cookouts tasted, this will bring it all back. The most country atmosphere you will ever find. The country store is loaded with antiques that will bring back great memories. Warning to get there early as they close the grill at 12:30. For such a small place there will be plenty of people from all over the USA coming to find this treasure to get a down home style hamburger,” Clark adds.

Sink your teeth into a famous burger at the Moonshine Store

If you’re anywhere near Breese, it is guaranteed that many of the Clinton County locals will point you in the direction of Wally’s for a phenomenal burger. Wally’s has been a staple in this tightknit community since 1951 when the former gas station was turned into a now legendary restaurant by Wally Knue. Their Wally Burgers are cooked about 50 to 60 at a time on their standard flat-top grill.

Salem is the home of another very well-known burger spot simply called Chuck’s Place. This Salem staple has been family owned for over 35 years, and the burgers have been made the same way for over half a century! These old-fashioned burgers receive nothing but rave reviews online, and for good reason. A couple of their offerings include burgers named the Wimpy, and another named the Brutus which weighs in at over a pound!

In the community of Carmi, there is a burger joint that comes complete with carhop service. Yesterday’s Drive-In is the perfect trip back in time to enjoy an old-style cheeseburger and onion rings. For those short on cash, five dollars will buy you five burgers.

Pizza Places

Pizza is another food that is beloved by millions and millions of folks, and there are so many kinds to try. Americans spend $38 billion each year on pizza alone! If you find yourself traveling along Interstate 64 and need some pizza in your life, we highly recommend a stop at Girolamo’s in Nashville. They have a relatively simple pizza menu with 15 toppings to choose from, with original crust, hand-tossed, deep pan, and gluten free crust options as well. From first-hand experience we can tell you the Chicken Bacon Ranch pizza is the way to go!

There are a few communities in ILLINOISouth that are stacked when it comes to great options for pizza. Waterloo is one of them, and each of their pizza joints offers something a little different. Pie Hard Pizzera is known for its wood-fired quirky named pizzas. They also do different pop-up menus, so the selection is everchanging! Hopskeller Brewing Company also features some interesting wood-fired pizzas, 17 to be exact. They use everything from brisket and prosciutto to caramelized pineapples. Papa Vito’s has been a favorite in Waterloo since 1991 and there’s a reason why! They have a huge array of foods, and if you are a fan of salad – their house dressing is PHENOMENAL. While their pizzas are always great, we recommend their pizza rolls, and believe us, they are NOT what you have seen in the frozen foods section. These appetizers are so good, you can make a whole meal out of them!

Pie Hard Pizzeria in Waterloo

Sit & Enjoy

If sitting down to a nice meal in a restaurant is more your style, ILLINOISouth has plenty of those types of establishments as well. Kretzer’s Grill & Bar in Hoyleton is the perfect example of culinary tourism because they bring in hundreds of folks to this small village of 500 people that otherwise likely wouldn’t make the visit. There are not many places that offer all you can eat seafood, but Kretzer’s marks the spot! People have been known to drive two hours or more to Hoyleton just for their All-U-Can-Eat Snow Crab Legs.

Fill your belly on all-you-can-eat crab at Kretzer's in Hoyleton

Photo Credit: @married2road

There is a dinner-only establishment in Du Quoin that specializes in homemade pasta and steaks. The W Restaurant is a great place to go for fine dining, and they also host private events such as wedding receptions and birthday parties. The outdoor dining area really sets this venue apart, not only are there fire pits and heaters for your comfort, but the outdoor dining area is also attached to a horse arena where you may witness kids learning to ride!

For a real taste of Italy, Joe’s Italian Foods & Pizza in Newton should certainly be on your list. Owners Gaspare and Jill Cucinella have been in the restaurant business for decades – especially Gaspare, who began making pizza at the age of 14 and learned English as a second language from local patrons. “Gaspare’s fiery personality and outgoing spirit is equally matched by the sweet, calming side of Jill,” says long time customer Ross Rowling who makes the drive from Terre Haute, Indiana to eat at Joe’s. “If you stop at this Jasper County jewel once, you’ll be sure to put it on the agenda for future trips to the area. The food gets you in the door, but the ambiance, experience, and unmatched hospitality will keep you coming back,” Rowling adds.

There is a restaurant in Lawrence County that feels like it should be in a big city, but it calls the charming small town of Lawrenceville home. Coco’s Café and Wine Bar is really a treat for your senses. They have everything from comfort food and beer to espresso, hand-crafted cocktails, and wine! There is live music every Friday evening, and beautiful patio dining during the warmer months.

Another highly rated restaurant by customers can be found in Fairfield. Jovalou offers over a half dozen appetizers, and 17 different burger and sandwich options. But their pièce de résistance is the cocktail menu. There are well over THIRTY different cocktails available!

Sweet Eats

Now that we’ve talked about main entrees, we can’t forget about sweet treats! There is a place in Charleston that has turned the doughnut game on its head. Revival City Doughnuts does offer traditional doughnuts, but they serve up SO much more than that. We’re talking seasonal treats that are out of the box, as well as gourmet and specialty creations that you have never heard of before. There is even a doughnut with banana pudding inside and topped with vanilla wafers!

Variety is the spice of life at Revival City Doughnuts in Charleston

Photo Credit: Revival City Doughnuts

There are ice cream options galore throughout our 21-county territory, but one of the newest shops can be found in Red Bud. Sling N’ Scoops serves up a rotating menu of over 50 flavors of artisan ice cream! One of the coolest things they do is an ice cream flight, so that you can have several kinds of dairy treats in the same visit!

There are so many ice cream flavors to try at Sling ‘N Scoops in Red Bud

For a plethora of treats ranging from donuts and cookies to pies and cakes, check out Berkemann’s Baker’s Dozen in New Baden. They made and sold a thousand pies for the Holiday season in 2021 and earned a lot of praise from local media outlets for their donuts. If you’re going to or from St. Louis on I-64, make a pit stop at Berkemann’s for a baked good – you won’t be sad about it!

Pies are the name of the game for Urban Farmhouse Eatery & Pie Company in Highland. While their food is delicious, their dessert is front and center in a display case as soon as you walk in the door. Every pie is homemade and fresh, and they go fast. Order a piece when you walk in, otherwise you could regret it. Oh, and make sure to ask about their Snickers Pie – the Grandaddy of all the pies they have!

Snickers Pie from Urban Farmhouse in Highland

Photo Credit: Urban Farmhouse

Coffee Creations

There is nothing like a delicious coffee drink to start your day, or to keep you going in the afternoon if you are running short on energy! If you are exploring all the BIG things in Casey and need a pick-me-up, stop by Casey Coffee Company. Located right next to the huge pencil, this establishment is always trying new and creative things. From coffee flights to tea and lotus drinks, there is certainly something here to quench your thirst!

Press Coffee and Tea in downtown Trenton offers up nine different specialty lattes and frappes for those who need more than a regular cup of joe. They also recently started tea flights, so that you can taste more than one option. Press also does some very creative drinks based on the season including Pumpkin Pie Chai and Vampire Lattes in the fall.

Rail Coffee Room in Centralia is one of the more well-known coffee joints in our area. They constantly have new flavors and interesting takes on coffee drinks, and their staff is ALWAYS more than happy to tell you what their favorites are. Rail also hosts a Monster Crawl during Halloween-time each year, and it REALLY brings the crowds to downtown Centralia!

Grab a tasty and creative beverage from Rail Coffee Room in Centralia

Photo Credit: Rail Coffee Room

For more food ideas visit ILLINOISouth.org/Dine