recs for Anna/Jonesboro/Carbondale, IL

Hello All-

I'll be heading down to Southern Illinois to tour the local vineyards for a long weekend. Does anyone have good recommendations for restaurants in the area? I'm open to pretty much any cuisine, although my wife is vegetarian, so it would be nice if at least a few places had good choices for her...


Thanks in advance!

I think a search for Carbondale will turn up good info. I'd spend all my free time at 17th Street Bar & Grill in nearby Murphysboro and Pinch Penny Pub/Copper Dragon in Carbondale. Low brow counterpoints to days in the vineyards and tasting rooms.

And I've been hoping someone would take my advice re the Lick Creek Genral Store someday. Very cool place, if it remains.

JeffB,

We're going to be down that way next week. We're going to be with folks that haven't been to 17th Street B&G, so that's lunch. But, as always, your recommendations are pretty irresistable. The Lick Creek General Store is now on the radar, and at the least we can do some recon to see if it is still around.

Thanks,

trixie-pea

Trix--

I did some light googling to check up on Lick Creek. With the Internets as they are today, it's almost impossible to keep a secret. Lick Creek used to be very much a covert operation. I had to be introduced to someone who would vouch for me back in the 90's in order to set up a party. Now I see that it serves breakfast lunch and dinner, has a phone, and is easy to find. That's cool, but it also seems that Lick Creek has changed hands, and the old chef-owner has moved on to a place called Tall Tree Lake.

I'd guess both places are worth checking out.

NB to the OP, as in many small and/or college towns, there exist several interesting ethnic and "progressive" dining options around Carbondale. However, unless you will be down there for a very long time, I'd advise strongly against such places in favor of roadhouses, catfish shacks and BBQ joints. Why eat at an earnest attempt at Schwa in Carbondale any more than you'd seek out an earnest attempt at a BBQ shack on a weekend visit to Manhattan.

Nothing is hard to find anymore-- here's a blog entry about Lick Creek from a former cook, from like yesterday. The B&W photo pretty much sums up my Lick Creek experience.

http://www.rogerdaletrexler.blogspot.com/

Last I heard, Tres Hombres was still dishing up awesome beef nachos (during my undergrad days in C'dale they were $6.99 - kind steep for a poor college boy so I splurged only once in a while) and ice-cold Negro Modelo:

Tres Hombres
119 N Washington St
Carbondale, IL 62901
(618) 457-3308

There is a Greek-owned place in Anna that I think is called the Village Garden. Solid, but not impressive, menu:
145 W Vienna St
Anna, IL 62906
(618) 833-8229

Boswell's Lounge is a tad east and a nice place to tip a few:
109 W Vienna St
Anna, IL 62906
(618) 833-2705

Southern BBQ was always good, but not great, BBQ. Pulled prok sammies with their own sauce on the side and good slaw.
Southern Barbeque
147 E Vienna St , Anna, IL
Phone - (618) 833-5334


Just some options, Davooda

I'm surprised that nobody has mentioned Mary's

I lived in Carbondale for 5 wonderful years in college. Mary's was THE fine dining option in the area. Don't expect Schwa is southern illinois, but it's a neat place, with friendly service, and very good food. It's based in an old house on Park Ave which is the main street through Herrin which is not far from Carbondale.

Mary's Restaurant
509 South Park Avenue
Herrin, Illinois 62948


http://www.marysfinedining.com/index.html