Smokey's Country Diner

Being from the Iowa side of the river, the Illinois Quad-Cities is a bit foreign to me. We finally ventured over to East Moline, which is, well, East of Moline. We followed 7th Avenue which magically turned into 17th Avenue, where we found Smokey's Country Diner.

Welcome Hansel.  Welcome Gretel.

 We were greeted in a small front room with one booth and a couple tables. We went ahead and slid into the large booth by the door. They have a larger dining area in the next room.

 The lengthy menu includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and all meals are served all day.

I want to take this home to read it over and over.

 Picking my dinner was the hardest decision I've made in a while. Rough life, right?

I elected to continue my tenderloin quest and bravely stepped forward to challenge another promising piece of pork. I also got cheese fries because... CHEESE FRIES!

Richie ordered...a monster burger. Surprise?! Bateman went with the mammoth sized Mac Daddy plate, barbeque pork in a cave of macaroni and cheese with, oh, just a niggle of baked beans and scant serving of coleslaw.

 Red insisted on getting a waffle that I knew she would not eat. She is 50% bread, 20% chicken nugget and 30% fruit snacks.

 Richie's burger came out tasting fresh and homemade.  All three(!) patties were juicy and flavorful enough for him to claim that it rivals Lee's on 14th for the best burger in the QCA.

  

And here's another giant tenderloin to add to my collection.

Love me tender

 I ate about 2/3 of this pretty piece of pork. It was seasoned well and grilled perfectly. In my valuation of all the tenderloins I have had thus far, this is #2 on my list. Still gotta go with 11th Street Precinct as top pig. The fries were a bit on the soggy side, but they were thick and appeared to be fresh cut. The cheese sauce was an excellent addition. I didn't touch the coleslaw because it's coleslaw.

 The waffle was soft and fluffy but remained untouched. Red did gnaw on the bacon and consumed most of my toasted bun. (With lots of ketchup)

  
  I spy an uneaten waffle in the background.

 We received a bounty of food and feasted like kings and queens and then...the bill came and we felt a bit like paupers.  I have to say, it's fair for the amount of food you get, but not what one usually expects of a family restaurant. Nonetheless, the food will bring us back in the near future.

Lee's on 14th

Don't worry, we are still alive. We still eat food, but it's usually microwaved or served in a white paper bag. Our weights our down, but our cholesterol and BP are through the roof. Truthfully, Richie has been to a lot of delicious food places lately, but refuses to write a blog, so I had to wait until we actually went somewhere together.

Holes in the wall (hole in the walls?) aren't easy to visit when your child is a picky eater who despises high chairs. So we finally decided to leave her in the car while we ate and got lunch at Lee's on 14th. (Is she joking?)

 (Yes.)

Photo from Road Tips       < Check out his blog!

Lee's used to be a little joint called the Waffle House, but not affiliated with the amazing chain. It reopened with new owners and the new name in 2010. They are only open Monday through Saturday from 6:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. You pretty much have to be old or jobless to eat there.

The place is very small but well lit and clean. It can get a little warm in there with all of the cooking going on, but a fan created a nice tropical breeze. We sat at the counter and perused their one page lunch menu.

It is a typical diner menu with grilled sandwich baskets, a couple of cold options, and fries for the side. Richie, of course, had to conquer the cheeseburger basket. Their single burgers are 11 ounces of beef, so only the truly brave and noble should try the double. Being neither, he opted for the single.

 I ordered the grilled tenderloin with a side of cheese fries. I am on a mission to find the best grilled tenderloin in the QCA. Stay tuned.

The cook is in full view of the counter, so we sat mesmerized while he prepared our meals. Let me set the scene for you.

A young rugged man wearing a black t shirt and cargo shorts emerged from the steam carrying a giant burger patty and slapped it hard on the grill. Then he grabbed my loin, gently laid it out, and covered it with a press. Getting hot yet?

Next he snatched a bag of crinkle cut french fries from the freezer and cast them into the sizzling fryer. I spent the next five minutes eye stalking my pork and thoroughly creeping out the cook. Nonetheless, our food was promptly delivered to the counter and to our mouths.

My tenderloin was BIG. I finished about 3/4 of it, sans bun. It was juicy and topped with God's gift to the sandwich... pickles. The crinkle cut fries were cooked perfectly, a delicious potato pillow wrapped in a crispy case. The melted cheese was the golden icing on the cake.

Richie describes his colossal burger as juicy and flavorful, despite only being comprised of beef, salt, and pepper. The bun was also delicious...as it should have been... I saw the cook slather about half a stick of butter on that thing. 

It was so huge, he was barely able to finish.

I'm sure that, on a better day, he could conquer the double. Like maybe on a day he exercises. J/K! Richie doesn't exercise.

Lee's on 14th is definitely where all the cool cats hang out during the day. The food is good, price is fair, atmosphere is homey, and service is stellar. My tenderloin was filling and satisfying, but I still think 11th Street's was a God send. Burger aficianados should definitely check out this cracker box short order diner, as it is in the running for best burger in the QC (according to Richie).

CLICK HERE for another review from Road Tips and HERE for a similar tenderloin quest.

Checkers Pancake House

Just a hop, skip, and a jump away from Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg Illinois is the cute little diner, Checkers Pancake House. 

It looks to be in a remodeled Wendy's building, but they did a heck of a job on it.  The whole place was extremely shiny and clean.  A busboy was walking around polishing the freaking chairs.  He was actually keeping busy instead of smoking in the parking lot and talking crap about fellow employees.  Color me impressed.  In fact, every single employee was genuinely sweet to us.  Must be something in the water...or coffee.

The menu was similar to Family Restaurant in Davenport.  Pancakes, omelets, and a few dishes with a Greek influence. I knew I wanted a big omelet and Richie wanted a lot of food so we were both pleased with the large menu.  After carefully analyzing my choices, I finally decided on the Hawaiian omelet because I have never thought to pair pineapple with egg.

Richie ordered corned beef and hash, 2 eggs, hash browns, and pancakes.  Less than ten minutes later, our food was served fresh off the griddle.

Aloha!  My ridiculously large omelet was stuffed full of goodies, including the sweet and juicy pineapple chunks.  It was kind of a different taste, not unlike that of Hawaiian pizza.  I enjoyed the salty sweet combination but the mixture of textures was off putting.  I ended up eating around most of the pineapple.
The hash browns were freshly shredded from potatoes.  Definitely a step up from the dehydrated ones that I make from the box.  Just add water.  They were lightly seasoned with salt and pepper.

The pancakes were thick and fluffy but the syrup had a strange flavor.  Maybe we got the sugar free kind on accident?

Richie's meal was nearly gone before I lifted my fork.  A testament to the tastiness of his meal and his amazing digestive system.  We noticed that, like the Family Restaurant, his two eggs magically became four.  Must be using chickens on some serious fertility drugs. 

Both of us left full and happy, especially after seeing our paltry bill for our bounty of food. Checkers is open for just breakfast and lunch, which is unfortunate because their food is perfect for a post midnight feast.
We will be back Checkers.  Oh yes we will.

Jimmy's Pancake House

The best meal of the day, by far, is breakfast.  The food is rich, heavy, and full of added sugars, but you have the whole day to work it off.  Anytime I hear of a place that serves breakfast all day, I begin to salivate and daydream of eggs, crispy bacon, and syrup drenched pancakes.  Obviously a place named Jimmy's Pancake House really got my engine running as I envisioned a flapjack heaven run by a friendly, slightly overweight guy in a paper hat.

I finally got to see what it was really like after a late morning doctor's appointment and ultrasound where I discovered that  the baby girl in my belly was craving a greasy mess.  So we headed into Bettendorf and found the small cafe on 18th street.


Jimmy's is very clean and very green inside. Like, literally, bright green.   We found an empty table and received prompt drink service. The waitresses seemed to know all of the other patrons. Pretty soon, they'll be yelling RICHIE! when we walk in and a witty exchange about HT customers will ensue.

The majority of Jimmy's menu is breakfast. That's what I like to see. At a pancake house, you most definitely want to try the pancakes, even if they make your stomach swell and arms itch. So I ordered poached eggs with ham, hashbrowns and blueberry pancakes.

Can't really complain or rave about the eggs. They always taste the same. The ham was thick cut and lightly fried. Hashbrowns were plentiful, light, and fluffy. They were a departure from the usual diner style nests of grease. However, I prefer the crispy greasy potato piles.

Richie went all out with a Mexican skillet. Covered with scrambled eggs, the skillet smuggled in chorizo, onions, peppers, salsa, and hashbrowns. Based on his empty plate,I'm going to guess that he enjoyed the spicy breakfast explosion. But no worries, he left room for the mini mound of pancakes and syrup.

So what about the piece de resistance, pancakes?! I would deem Jimmy's Pancake House to be worthy of their name. The flapjacks were classic beige cushions with a slight sweetness from a dusting of powdered sugar. Mine were delicately dotted with an ample amount of fresh tart blueberries. We both flooded our plates with maple syrup, though they may have offered other flavors, I was too enamored to ask.

The pancakes were the perfect shade of golden brown, and the texture was delicate and spongy. Pretty much what God's pancakes would taste like in heaven.

In a few years, the griddle will be nice and broken in and Jimmy's will get that homey coffee smell ingrained in the walls.  Then it will become an official greasy joint.  For now, it is a pleasant cafe with hearty breakfasts and fresh lunches.  But be prepared to wait for a table!

Country Fix'ns

Welcome to the Appalachia of the Q.C., Colona, Illinois. There is a bright spot among the trailers, barefoot children, and fishin' boats, and it's called Country Fix'ns.


Country Fix'ns is a home-style diner that fills daily with regulars. It was a small spectacle when two 20-something city boys walked through the front doors.

The interior is quite plain and unadorned, decorated only by the smell of coffee and bacon, a warm welcome for hungry men.

Being a model greasy joint, Country Fix'ns serves breakfast all day, so Richie ordered the Country Fix'ns Skillet. He may have found a match for Ross' famous Magic Mountain.

He dug right into the giant hashbrown haystack permeated with mushrooms, bacon, eggs and onions. Of course, it was generously shrouded with both breakfast gravy and melted cheese. Ridiculous. As if that wasn't gut-busting enough, Richie poured on the Sriracha!


Bateman had eyes for another greasy classic, a cheeseburger and fries. The sirloin burger was served on buttered and grilled Texas Toast.




Fries were thick cut and made from real potatoes.


The food appeared to be thoroughly greasy and made from scratch. They didn't skimp on portion sizes, so the meals were well worth the small amount of cash they charged.

If you're willing to travel through the trailer trash boonies, Country Fix'ns is a neat little place to try. Bring an empty stomach... and maybe some art for the walls.

The Brothers Family Restaurant

I couldn't find any history online about Brothers Family Restaurant (1718 2nd Ave Rapids City, IL), but I know it has been around for quite some time.

We stopped at Brothers after a short excursion to Cordova IL. It's located just off the first I-80 exit in Illinois.



It's a charming diner that is retro, not in a kitschy way, but more like they haven't fussed over decor since the 70s. Walking in, I got an immediate whiff of fried chicken, lo and behold, it was the daily special.

Richie was happy to try out the all-you-can devour fried chicken, but why anyone would order anything other than breakfast is beyond me. and Ron Swanson. I mulled over the omelet selection and ultimately selected a Denver Omelet.

Our waitress was very sweet and asked about Richie's shark tattoo because apparently her husband has one too. And she has a dolphin.

Our food was ready in good time, probably because they had a massive bundle of fried chicken already prepared. It was all-you-can-eat, so our neighbors at the next table were unbuttoning and taking full advantage. Richie stopped after a leg, breast, and thigh.

Apparently that was pleasing enough. Though the chicken was moist and the skin was crunchy, he felt it lacked enough spice and flavor. I think he's been tainted by Colonel Sanders and his 11 herbs and spices.

On the other hand, the broccoli cheese soup was quite flavorful for a food that looks suspiciously like snot. Mashed potatoes were served school lunch style, one ice cream scoop drowning with gravy.

I had no problem devouring my giant yellow pocket, chock full of goodies- green peppers, ham, and onions. The hash browns had a nice golden canopy of crunch.

Though Richie wasn't terribly pleased with the chicken, everything else, including the service, was very good. Prices were reasonable as well. Overall, it's a nice cozy place to stop on an I-80 expedition.