You just arrived in Springfield and you wonder if you can remember that restaurant or fast food place or cafe that you passed by on the way to your accommodation. Stress not, here is a quick short guide for visitors to Springfield on where to dine. We have picked these places as our favorites and also the favorites of our great crew members.
AMBER JACK ALEHOUSE – 3150 Chatham Rd, Springfield, IL
Open from Tuesday to Sunday and starts to serve breakfast at 7:30am. Breakfast ends 11am Tues through Fri, until 1pm on Sat and Sun. Lunch starts at 11am. House special are Baby Back Ribs. We eat here for lunch a couple times a week. It is located in the 62704 zip code. This is how we get there:
I am sure I am going to get some negative comments about this, but if you have kids, then this next place certainly is a kid friendly place and the food is actually very good. CHUCK E. CHEESE’S – 2369 S MacArthur Blvd, Springfield, IL Yes that is right LOL This kid-friendly chain is known for its mouse mascot, pizza parties & play zones & arcade games. Pizzas are freshly cooked and not frozen! This place is close to our office and is located in the 62704 zip code zone.
DILLON’S PIZZA – 500 N. Dirksen Parkway Springfield, IL OH YEA is all I have to say about this wonderful place that offers up OUR FAVORITE pizza pie in town. They have the Best thin crest in Springfield for over 30 years. Pizza sizes are 9”, 12” & 16”. Prices have not changed since May 21, 2010. This is the real deal. It is on the northeast side of Springfield but you NEED to try this place for sure! It is located in the 62702 zip code
ALAMO – 115 N. Fifth Street Springfield, IL This is a tradition in the city. We have been here for more that 25 years and as far as I know, it has been open all of those years. In case you can’t tell, it serves Mexican food. Well really it is Tex-Mex but that is what we are used to in the mid-west. This is just good mexican dishes right at the heart of downtown Springfield in the 62702 zip code.
JOLLY TAMALE is located at 803 S. Dirksen Parkway. They are our number two pick for Tex Mex food especially when we are working on the east side of the city. They have Mexican food at great prices and have been cooking for over 25 years. From our city location it is only about 10 to fifteen minutes to get there depending upon traffic conditions.
GATEWAY TO INDIA is located at 3115 Chatham Road. It is in the 62704 Zip Code. If you are into Indian food especially curry, then this is the place for you to go. They offer a great Indian buffet and full menu. If you do not like Indian cuisine, then please do not go there LOL as they really do not do American! It is a short trip from our office.
CHARLIE PARKER’S DINER – 700 W North St. This is absolutely a fantastic place to eat and is actually known throughout the State of Illinois and is potentially nationally known place to eat. It has always been a good place but after it was featured on the television show Diners Drive Ins and Dives, the place has been a zoo. We had some family from out of town go there for Sunday breakfast and it was packed! We had to wait about 15 minutes! If you are looking for fancy dining, then this is not your type of place. But it your are looking for some great food at a place where locals go then this is it. They are famous for their HUGE pancakes and also their Horseshoes. Most people I know, if your are not from Springfield do not know about Horseshoes. They are DEFINITELY not on a health food diet, but occasionally we LOVE this artery clogging delight! It takes us about 10 minutes to get there from our office. This place is locally owned and operated by Mike and Cindy Murphy. You can check out their website here: http://www.charlieparkersdiner.com/
Here is a bit from the TV episode:
We would like to thank our management and staff at our Clean As A Whistle Springfield IL location for their input on this article!