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$$ Crazy Joe's Fish House, Ava IL

693 Suchman Road
618-763-4417
Fried fish – period. OK, not quite true, they have fried chicken, fried crawfish, fried frog legs, fried chips and French fries. The slaw is good and not fried. Crazy Joes is a fun and obviously informal atmosphere and if you have a craving for fried fish, a few beers and laughs with your friends and you want to go to an out of the way place this your place. If looking for an entrée that is not fried, you want something quick and close or you want to use your credit card go elsewhere. Limited at what they do, but what they do has good results, I could recommend the bluegill.
π π π       They do one thing, and do it pretty well.
π π ½       Pole barn, picnic tables. Very friendly and welcoming   

$$ The Cajun Cowboy, Murphysboro IL

308 Walnut
618-565-4766
Cajun and Creole style cuisine are synonoumous with New Orleans and Louisiana and are culinary treat when well prepared. Unfortunately the meal at the Cajun Cowboy did not represent what a treat these styles can be. The gumbo was cold in one spot, hot in another. It was bland and tasteless which is not at all indicative of this Cajun staple. A shrimp dish was served awash in butter and although the shrimp seemed to be prepared correctly in terms of tenderness they too somehow lacked flavor, the only taste being that of the barrage of butter that they floated it above the rice. The gator dish on the menu warns that it is spicy hot lives up to the claim, hot but nothing more.
π ½       Food was bland and not particularly well prepared.
π π       Small and cozy, wait staff was friendly   

Newell House, Carbondale IL - full review coming soon

210 East Main
618-549-6400

My only dining experience was almost two years ago, long before the blog so I’ll go back (soon) to try it again with a critical eye (lol)! But I did want to put this teaser out now because we have ended up in “the grotto” for desserts and/or drinks several times after a hard night of restaurant reviewing to unwind and talk. Good friends, comfortable chairs and couches and the extraordinary talents and friendliness of Jordan make the Grotto a favorite spot to end the evening.

Food score - TBD.
π π π π   AAA service and comfortable setting in “the grotto”  

$$ Thai Taste, Carbondale IL

100 South Illinois Ave
618-457-6900

I like Thai food and know enough about it to know that the widely held axioms of it being too hot/spicy to eat are not necessarily true. Although many dishes are or can be extremely hot there are many that have wonderful blends of flavors and textures that are not. I’d recommend pad thai the national noodle dish of Thailand as a savory yet non spicy entrée.

We, and by we I mean the rural Southern Illinois community, are fortunate to have a couple of decent ethnic choices that often are missed unless your in a larger city. Thai Taste has both a decent selection of dishes, a 1-10 scale for spiciness for almost each dish, and the dishes are generally well done.

The largest caveat I’d offer that would prevent an all out recommendation is the inexplicable disgustingness of the carpet. If any association to the worn and soiled carpet (an undetermined original color now black in most places) is made on general sanitation and cleanliness in the kitchen I’d stay far, far away. Get a new floor covering!

π π π       Good food, reasonably priced. There is a wide range of regional cuisine available. Cantonese, Sichuan, Thai dishes among them.
π             General concerns about the cleanliness based largely on   the carpeting. “To go” a better option?  

$$ Hunan, Carbondale IL

$$ Hunan, Carbondale IL
710 East Main Street
618-529-1108

Hunan seems to satisfy any craving for Chinese cuisine for my friends in the area. Our recent foray was very pleasurable and the food was good. The adventurous may try some exotic fare from the chefs’ specials, I can attest that the tea smoked duck was delicious but you’ll have to try the tripe dishes yourself and let me know how they are. Although adventurous I’m not exactly Andrew Zimmer. The soups have an excellent reputation.
There are plenty of dishes that I feel are “dumbed down” for the American palate that might not be exactly as they are in China, but that is fairly typical of any cultural food brought to America (think Mexican, Italian, etc., they’re usually any where from a lot to a bit different in the US). That doesn’t make them any less desirable. Allow me to philosophize…..any food or wine that you like is good.
From my understanding there are two Chinese restaurants in the area that out class the others. I will make that trip to Marion to check out the competition but in the meantime I’ll certainly recommend Hunan.


π π π       Good food, reasonably priced. There is a wide range of regional cuisine available. Cantonese, Sichuan, Thai dishes among them.
π π π ½   Very attentive and polite wait staff.  

$ The Root Beer Saloon, Alto Pass IL

#4 Main Street
618-893-1634

The Root Beer Saloon may be the most unique dining destination we’ve reviewed. I’d post the hours, but they seem to be open when they feel like it, and close up show when they have other plans. Generally they’re open for lunch. The restaurant seats relatively few so large groups are ill advised to show up unannounced. No credit cards accepted.

When they are open it was our experience that it takes the husband and wife proprietor a while to warm, but once they do they are plethora of information subjects ranging from custom guitar building (If you come in with an extra $6000 or so in your pocket you might want to pick up one of the curly maple Zuni Custom guitars built by Michael Blank the owner).  The food is unique and ever changing. I was doubly surprised to find cioppino on one of my visits, first to find it anywhere outside the San Francisco area (much less Southern Illinois), and secondly then to find it was pretty good.  Herbed pork loin was another dish we tried that was good. There are two alluring factors to this place (1) the craziness of the décor which includes 175 sets of antlers and  150+ mounted ducks and geese and too many other artifacts to mention and (2) the food is anything but basic fare and totally unexpected and generally done well.
Oh yeah, the root beer saloon is so named because they have at least 3 craft / draft root beer selections – if you haven’t had a frost mug of draft root beer you don’t know what you’re missing.
π π π      Surprising menus, a solid 3 pi (good/B) rating.
π π π      You’ll remember the very unique setting, hit and miss with the service.

$ Harbaugh's Cafe, Carbondale IL

901 S Illinois Ave
618-315-9897

Hands down my favorite breakfast in Southern Illinois. A favorite destination shared by many with lines stretching out the door onto the sidewalk almost every weekend.

Harbaugh’s is open for breakfast and lunch only and feature a menu that is fairly extensive. You’ll find the expected comfort foods such as eggs, pancakes, biscuits and gravy as well as more than a couple of delicious selections you’re less likely to make at home. The Mexican omelet and the “some like it hot” frittata are a couple of my favorite choices.
π π π ½  Great breakfasts and reasonably priced.
π π   You’ll remember the breakfast not the ambiance. Good wait staff