Carl Graddy
Had a family business trip to Central Illinois last week, and whenever I travel, I always try to carve out a little “me time” to hunt down a unique, off-the-beaten-path spot with some retro character. Most of my family knows I’ll gladly drive an hour (or more) for a great local root beer, so that’s exactly how I ended up in the small town of Oglesby, IL population 3,791 at The Root Beer Stand, established in 1955!
This place checks all of my boxes for classic Americana nostalgia. It has that true old-school roadside diner feel, complete with pull-up ordering outside (not a drive-thru) and a small indoor dining room straight out of Happy Days, filled with booths. It was about 45 degrees when I visited, so dining inside was the perfect choice.
I of course started with an ice-cold frosted mug of their house-made root beer, and it was spot on perfect. If you’ve never had this style before, it’s different from typical fountain soda, meaning less carbonation, for a smooth, rich flavor taste, and full of character. It foams when first poured and then appears to be flat, but drinks more like the traditional root beer you’d imagine from decades past.
For my food, I went with the Bacon Double Cheeseburger basket which includes two patties, cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and 1000 Island dressing, and made it a basket with fries and a small salad. Everything came out hot, fresh, and quickly. Service was genuinely small-town friendly, the kind that makes you feel like a regular even on your first visit.
The atmosphere really takes you back, a total retro vibe that feels straight out of a classic American diner era. Great food, great service, and a root beer that easily makes my “worth the hour-plus drive” list.
The Root Beer Stand is now officially on my permanent must-stop list anytime I’m in Central Illinois. If you’re looking for a little nostalgia, classic drive-in food, and one of the best root beers around, definitely check this place out.
Also know that it’s CASH ONLY!!
… moreJessica
I really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately we won’t be returning. The sides of the tables were dirty, that probably should have been our first clue. We were warmly welcomed by our waitress, and the inside has a fun oldies vibe, which we liked.
Unfortunately, the food was disappointing. The burger was extremely thin and lacked any flavor. The fries were barely warm and tasted very basic. The side salad came in a small Styrofoam cup (which didn’t bother me), but it wasn’t crisp and the dressing tasted off. We ordered mac & cheese bites as an appetizer, they were good at first bite, but then they were cold in the middle.
Super bummed because we really wanted to enjoy it.
… moreShiko Macseko
I want to apologize to the root beer stand for my poor review early last year. I’ve had this place a few times now and even came with a friend. I want to give it a 5 star rating. The food is good, the restaurant has attentive staff and it’s popular enough that even the food is cheap and there is so many delicious options. I tried the chili bowl and it blew me away. Best drink is the root beer of course!
… moreKeirstyn Charles
Had dinner here the other night with a friend. The prices were reasonable. The set up is your very family friendly setting and very casual, and classic. The staff was all very friendly and helpful. The menu has a pretty great selection but also very simple (in a great way). The burger was delicious! The rootbeer in a frosty mug really hit the spot. Ended up even taking two gallons of rootbeer home. I definitely recommend!
… moreXen Powell
The food is good for a small time operation and the service is honestly among the better for a mom and pop stop. The root beer has a strange but intriguing taste. The prices are honestly really good for the amount of food.
… moreTristin Haas
Found this restaurant by chance. We were on a road trip and needed gas so we pulled off and went to Casey’s. My wife had mentioned wanting to stop for ice-cream and when I pointed the Rootbeer Stand out she said that was where she wanted to go. We loved the old-time feel and the atmosphere was great. We ended up both getting a bit to eat as well as her ice-cream. She went with the Oreo cookie dough flurry and is was “amazing”. We both got hotdogs for our meals. I went with the Coney basket, that comes with fries and a small side salad. I will say personally I would have liked a few more onions on the dog. The salad was very simple lettuce and ranch only. The fries were nice and crispy, but they weren’t salted very much, I was glad they put ketchup in the bag. My wife got the chili cheese dog with a small fry and cheese sticks. Along with her ice-cream we shared a small root beer as the sign said it is homemade. It is a very good root beer. I am not a huge root beer fanatic but it did not taste like any root beer I’ve had in the past. It has a freshness to it that is hard to describe. Our total bill was less than 25 dollars for both meals an upgraded side and a dessert. The only thing you have to remember about this place is they only take cash. They do have an atm in the restaurant itself. We will be adding this to our road trip plans when we go up to Chicago in the future. Maybe next time we will go ahead a buy a gallon to take with us.
… moresj mbring
What a find! If you are traveling on Highway 39 past Olgesby, IL, and you are hungry, this is the place to stop. It is just a short way off the expressway and SO MUCH BETTER than your typical fast food place. Food is homemade, very reasonable, and nostalgic. The staff is super friendly and the place is filled with locals, since they all know how good it is. Who doesn’t want a tasty cheeseburger and a root bear float?
… moreEvanne Ellis
I enjoyed making a pit stop here. The food is pretty simple, but it was good, and the price was right. They’ve got a good variety of options. I think it said their root beer was homemade. The staff were friendly and on top of things. Heads up…cash only, but they do have an ATM. You can either sit in your car or dine inside. Bathroom inside too. The best part of the whole experience for me was the vintage vibe!! Please don’t change a thing!
… moreAndromeda Dickey
Such a neat place to stop!! The food was so good, the service even better! Those workers were flying all over to help everyone and they really did well. The root beer was definitely amazing, a long with the ice cream! Really glad we stopped. Can park and order outside, there’s a patio area or you can eat inside. It’s a bit tight inside but manageable. Easy to get to from the state parks near by too. Also, plus for Pokemon Go players, it’s a pokestop!!
… morecastercamber
Old style drive-in, something from pre-interstate days, even has a “big boy” out front.
Pull in, order your food and out it comes to your car. I had a shake, wife had grilled cheese. She reported, “Yummy!”
I recommend.
… more