Upon Further Review

Webb’s Windsor Pub
7332 North University Street,
Peoria, Illinois
Business phone: (309) 691-9852

3/5 stars

I cannot tell you how close I came to giving this place a higher rating. But after a full 24 hours, I’ve come to my senses and realized that I feel a little ripped off.

I’ve eaten here several times, and I was always pleased with the food and the service.

Last night’s trip to North University with my parents (I have got to find new dining companions) left me ambivalent about both food and service.

Mom ordered a pork chop sandwich, while Dad ordered a BBQ beef sandwich. I opted for the pork tenderloin sandwich, located with the works. We split an seasoned, batter-covered onion appetizer called the “Robin’s Nest.” Think “Awsome Blossom,” a dish offered by one of the casual dining chain restaurants. I forget which one.

We all ordered sodas.

The onion thingy came out first. It was tasty, but far too salty. I went through my drink and a refill on that alone. Then after what we all thought was a bit too long to wait, we each received our orders. Dad’s BBQ wasn’t exactly skimpy, but it also wasn’t as “piled high” as I would have expected. He had no complaints about the taste. That wasn’t the case with Mom, she didn’t finish her park chop sandwich, as she didn’t like the heavy spices it was cooked with.

My tenderloin was freaking huge. It just about covered the plate. And it was covered with sliced onions and tomato. After slicing off two thirds of the thing, I had it down to a size I could barely hold in my hand. But I did find it a little dry. I ended up taking half of it home.

The bill? $45 for the three of us. Not a huge amount, but inflated nevertheless because we were charged for drink refills.

Next time, I’ll order water.

Avanti’s Restaurant
4711 N. Rockwood Rd.
Peoria, IL 61615
Business phone: (309) 688-6565

4/5 stars.

I have trashed Avanti’s several times recently. Most of my ire has been directed at the location at the corner of Main and University. The complaints were about bad service and a decline in food quality and taste.

I took my parents to Avanti’s on Rockwood last week and was amazed at the difference.

Let me start with the service. Our waitperson, Susie, was attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. The food was very good. Mom ordered the lasagna, while Dad and I ordered large spaghetti with meatball dinners.

Mom found no fault at all with her dinner. Dad and I both thought that our pasta should have been drained a bit more before it was served. He solved the problem by asking for some extra sauce. I was perfectly happy mopping it up with some bread (which tasted like the Avantis bread I recall from my youth).

The food was served ridiculously fast. And while they weren’t busy, there were enough customers for us to expect to wait longer than we did.

Our bill was $28, not including tip.

The question remains: Is this traditional Peoria eatery experiencing a renaissance? Or was this a fluke, or an experience localized to the Rockwood location? Only time and a visit to Main and University will tell.

China Village Buffet
206 W Camp St
East Peoria, IL 61611
(309) 698-1888
4/5 stars

The wind must have been just right.

Dad treated me a lunch the other day. We went to the China Village Buffet, a popular eatery in East Peoria. He took the Cedar Street Bridge to get there, which, as every good Peorians knows, offers drivers a scenic view at the Archer Daniels Midland plant.

Being a pleasant day, we had our windows rolled down. The win was wafting in from the south and west, which meant we got a face-full of fumes from ADM. As a Peorian, I grew up smelling ADM. There isn’t a part of this city that isn’t touched by the stench that rises from this place. But on this day, conditions much have been just right, because the odor was absolutely overwhelming.

We managed to hold out breath until we got over the the East Peoria side of the river, where the odor was a far less noticable.

And once we got inside …. ah.

What is there to say? It’s a buffet. The selection is huge, and the food is prepared well. There’s something you are going to like. Myself, I’m fond of the bourbon chicken and this spicy, tangy meatloaf dish they have. And fried wontons. Good stuff. If you are looking to load up on carbs or something like that, this is your place. Just plan on feeling stuffed for the rest of the day.

And I want to say something about their bathrooms. Oh my God, they have the best smelling bathrooms on the planet. They’ve got one of those consumer-brand plug-in de-odorizers in there, and they’ve got is locked up inside on of those clear plastic containers you see in office buildings where they don’t want the employees mucking around with the thermostat. Brilliant.

OK, OK, OK. I am told this joint’s been open for at least a couple years. But I don’t go to Northwoods Mall all that much anymore, so I never learned about it.

But I was hungry, and none of my usual haunts appealed to me today. I ended up at the Mall, intending to eat at the steak sandwich place at the food court, only to discover that IT WAS NO LONGER THERE.

I swear to God, a press release needs to be issued every time an eatery in Peoria closes its doors.

So I wandered over the Waldenbooks (where I picked up a Carl Hiaasen novel that I had somehow missed) and saw a banner advertising this joint.

So I wandered all the way to the other end of the mall and found the Smo-King Pit. It’s located at the end of a little used corridor next to Sears, inside a space that has held many different eateries over the year (NOT the cursed Skewer Inn, however).

It’s not a large place at all. There’s maybe 12 tables and/or booths on the upper level, and maybe a four to six on the small balcony area off in the corner.

They’s got the menu posted on the door, and and I was impressed at the modest prices on the sandwiches. Most of the sandwiches hored around a six and a half bucks, and this includes one side order. I ordered the beef brisket sandwich with a side of fries. My drink (an iced tea, probably instant) was separate. They also serve a strawberry flavored version, on which I took a pass.

The meat was tender and juicy. It wasn’t overly smothered with BBQ sauce, but there was enough sauce to matter. There was plenty of beef, too, as it overflowed the regular-sized bun. I ate with with a fork, ’cause it was too much to pick up and still keep my shirt clean.

The fries weren’t anything special.

The service was friendly, but not obsequious. I paid about $8.50 or so for a decent, tasty lunch that satisfied my appetite.

The menu includes various chicken and fish sandwiches as well as burgers. Their dinner menus includes Pulled pork and beef brisket and grilled chicken. They also offer rib tips, ribs and chicken wings — all sucker bets for diners who want to get their money’s worth.

Grandpa John’s Rib Shack
200 W. McClure, Peoria IL
(309) 685-8902
Three out of five stars

I had lunch with Mom and Dad at this venerable, third-generation rib joint today. They had the beef sandwich, I chose Monday’s daily special: A turkey sandwich with fries and a soda. I should have ordered the beef, as the bun looked empty. Tasty, though, especially with a dab of BBQ sauce. The French fries were delicious, of course.

I noticed one big improvement over my last visit. As Peoria natives know, the BBQ place is located inside a former Hardee’s restaurant (which is, itself, located on the former site of a Sandy’s). The heir’s to Big John remodeled, but they opted to keep the booths and the tables and chairs that were bolted to the floor. This is bad news to a plus-size guy like myself.

Well, they’ve decided to supply guests with free standing chairs. So my parents sat in the booth while I slid a chair over and dined with them. A elegant solution to an uncomfortable problem.

And again, I found the counter staff at Grampa John’s to be down-home friendly and helpful.