Road Tips

Smokey Bones - Springfield, IL

Late last year, I put on a new Focal dealer in a small town near Springfield, IL.  I was at the store doing training one evening and was going to take the group out for dinner afterward.  However, the owner went home sick and the rest of the staff either had family obligations, other plans or, in one guy's case, had to go work at a second job.  I went back to Springfield and settled into my hotel, sort of cold and hungry.  I decided to go out and scope what was in the general area for food establishments and I happened upon a Smokey Bones barbecue place just down the road on Dirksen Parkway from where I was staying.  (See map).

Smokey Bones is a somewhat regional chain of nearly 70 restaurants located in 17 states - primarily in the Southeast.  Based out of Orlando, the original Smokey Bones restaurant was opened in 1999 by the Darden Restaurant Group, the same corporation that owns Red Lobster and Olive Garden (two restaurants that I'll never go in), but they also own the upscale Capital Grille steakhouse chains and the very good and not so upscale LongHorn Steakhouse restaurants (both of which I'll happily eat at).  The original concept of a Smokey Bones restaurant was to have barbecue served in a somewhat Northwoods lodge appearing structure, complete with pine paneling and high ceilings, with stone-hearth fire places.  It was somewhat out of character for a place like that to get its start in Orlando, but with Darden's money behind the restaurant they began to grow and branch out with franchises across Florida and the Southeast.  

In 2007, Darden sold their interest in Smokey Bones to Barbecue Integrated, an off-shoot of the huge Sun Capital Partners investment company based out of Boca Raton, FL.   Many of the Smokey Bones locations have been upgraded in their look and feel, getting away from the rustic, mountain lodge theme and going to a more contemporary decor.  

The one in Springfield still had the mountain lodge motif going for it.  The main dining room featured booths with wood backs with similar wood paneling on the walls.  It as well lit and it seemed comfortable enough.   

I took a seat at the bar and waited for the bartender to acknowledge me.  She was the only one behind the bar and most of the people eating at Smokey Bones that evening (after 8 p.m.) were seated at the bar.  There were two ladies to my right - a mother who worked as a waitress at Smokey Bones, and her 20-something daughter who was there to pick her up, but was also getting something to eat.  How did I know all this?  They were loud in their conversation and their banter back and forth was so rapid fire that I thought I'd walked into a Gilmore Girls episode.  

The bartender stood there and conversed with the lady and her daughter for about a couple three minutes, completely overlooking the fact that I was seated two spots away with neither a menu or a beer - two things I wanted and wanted right friggin' now!  When she finally came over, she was all nonchalant and folksy, like I'd just sat down seconds before instead of about five minutes prior.  I did get a menu and I did get a beer.  

The menu at Smokey Bones is nothing overly special - it was typical of a chain with a number of appetizers, sandwiches and burgers, chicken entrees, pasta and seafood, and, of course, barbecue with steaks and chops.  Places like this with large and varied menus scare me because they do so much that they can't do everything really well.  They can only usually get the food "good enough". 

I was in the mood to try their barbecue that evening and in most cases at barbecue places I've not been to before, I like to do the combination platter.  Smokey Bones had a combination where you could choose three meats from a list of brisket, pulled pork, smoked sausage, chicken and turkey that are slow smoked.  But you could also choose from chicken fingers, smoked chicken wings, deep fried chicken wings or a grilled chicken breast.  I'd never seen those items on a barbecue combination menu before.  

I looked briefly at getting one of the rib combos - a 1/3 rack of Smokey Bones baby back or St. Louis-style ribs with your choice of pulled pork, brisket or sliced smoked turkey.  I would have rather liked to buy the ribs individually by the bone as some barbecue joints will do.  But not at Smokey Bones.  

The bartender, busy as she was, came back long before I was ready to order.  I found that was a mistake as when I was ready to order, she was too busy to come to me now.  I left my empty beer glass toward the bar side of the top and waited for her to show back up.  She was getting a number of "to-go" orders for people who had called ahead and were waiting at the bar for the pick-up.  When she finally did get back to me, I ordered the three meat combo, but I only wanted brisket and pulled pork.  So I did double brisket for two of my meat choices and the pulled pork for the third.  She said I got a couple sides to go along with the barbecue, so I took baked beans (always have to try the baked beans) and the cole slaw. 

When my meal made it out to me, I was ready to eat.  It had been a long day of travel, meetings and trainings.  Smokey Bones has four different types of barbecue sauce available - a sweet sauce, a hot sauce that is a little more subdued in sweetness and more tangy than hot, then there was a sauce that was a vinegar and tomato based, and a Carolina mustard sauce.  I'm not big on the mustard sauces for barbecue, so I didn't try it.  I did try the vinegar sauce and it was just too runny and vinegary for me.  I ended up combining the hot sauce and the sweet sauce to try on my barbecue.

The brisket was lean and tasty, but nothing all that special.  Actually, it tasted more like a roast beef than a smoked brisket.  It was edible, but not the best brisket I've ever had.  The pulled pork was similar - nice chunks of pulled pork that had a good flavor to it.  I probably should have ordered a double shot of the pulled pork because it was a little bit better than the brisket.  

The beans were all right - a little bit of the hot sauce helped zip them up - and the cole slaw was sweet and creamy, actually it wasn't all that bad.  For a meal that was close to the hotel, it did all right for me.

Smokey Bones is one of those types of places that you can count on if you're hungry, it's close to your hotel and you don't want to do a lot of research on some of the better local places to try.  The food was  acceptable to me, but as I said, they try to do so much that they can only do everything just so well.  Still, Smokey Bones shouldn't be dismissed as another chain that tries to cater to the masses.  The barbecue I had was good in the pinch.  At least you  hope that the other locations are as consistent as the one in Springfield.      

D'Arcy's Pint - Springfield, IL

I had a meeting with a potential dealer in Springfield, IL recently and afterward I decided to grab a bite to eat at a place I'd heard about for quite sometime, but had never been to before - D'Arcy's Pint on the west side of the Capitol City of Illinois.  (See map)  D'Arcy's is a large Irish bar/restaurant that is famous for one of the culinary treats in Springfield - the horseshoe sandwich.  More on the horseshoe later. 

D'Arcy's Pint began in 1998 when co-owners Glenn Merriman and Hallie Pierceall opened in a shopping center on MacArthur Blvd. - the main North-South road through Springfield.  It quickly became one of the best places in the area to get good food and a cold beer in a fun and inviting environment.  It became so popular that just seven years after they opened they moved to a larger location in a building that features two bars and two dining areas along with an outdoor beer garden. 

D'Arcy's Pint features a full menu, but they claim to have the best horseshoe sandwich in Springfield.  The horseshoe sandwich is indigenous to Springfield as the history of the food dates back to the late 1920's.  Legend has it that a Springfield man, Steve Tomko, came up with the idea of the horseshoe.  But historians around Springfield refute his claims and say that a chef by the name of Joe Schweska came up with the idea - or actually, he got the basic idea from his wife.

Schweska was the chef at the old Leland Hotel in downtown Springfield.  He was talking to his wife about coming up with something new to put on the lunch menu at his restaurant in the hotel.  She suggested doing something that used a Welsh Rarebit sauce on top.  Schweska cut a piece of ham into the shape of a horseshoe, placed it on a couple pieces of bread, then topped it with potatoes and the cheese, mustard, Worcestershire sauce that is the basis for a Welsh Rarebit sauce.  (Picture courtesy of Roadfood.com)

Schweska eventually moved away and Tomko began to take credit for creating the horseshoe sandwich.  But older people remember Tomko as a dishwasher in the kitchen where Schweska was the cook.  Nonetheless, wherever Tomko went to work at a restaurant in Springfield, he served a horseshoe sandwich.  They were so popular that a number of restaurants around Springfield came up with their own horseshoe sandwich.   D'Arcy's Pint is no exception.  

But I didn't think I'd care much for a horseshoe sandwich.  It is sort of like a "slinger" in St. Louis and a "Magic Mountain" in the Quad Cities - a bunch of stuff thrown together on a plate and served with a cheese sauce.  Some places use a white cheese sauce on their horseshoe sandwiches, others will use a cheddar cheese sauce.  It just didn't appeal to me at all.  No, I wanted something much different than a horseshoe sandwich that day.

It was about 1:30 when I got into D'Arcy's Pint that afternoon and I was surprised to find the place packed with people.  As I said, there are two dining areas in the place and both the west and east dining areas were full.  There was a handful of people waiting to get a table.  The hostess told me there was a spot at the bar in the east dining room if I wanted to eat there.  I had no problem with that and I took the last chair available at the very ornate bar. 

 

The menu at D'Arcy's Pint features a number of appetizers, soups and salads for starters.  The bulk of the menu is typical bar food that you'd find at an Irish-themed restaurant - pot roast sandwich, cheese steak sandwich, fish and chips, and reubens.  They also featured a number of burgers and grilled chicken sandwiches.  D'Arcy's Pint also served pizzas and after 4 p.m. they had a dinner menu that featured Irish fare such as Shepherd's Pie, corned beef and cabbage, and a traditional Irish "boxty" - a potato pancake that is stuffed with things like corned beef and cabbage and grilled in a pan.  They also have steaks, seafood and chicken items on the dinner menu, as well. 

I was torn between the reuben and the Irish-American B.L.T. Darcy's had on the menu.  When my bartender asked me if I was ready to order, I told her that I was torn between the reuben and the B.L.T.  The guy next to me - obviously a regular - turned and said, "Oh, buddy.  Get the reuben.  It's the best around." 

An unsolicited recommendation is always welcome.  I went with the reuben.  The bartender asked me if I wanted to upgrade from chips to french fries for $1.50.  Sure, what the hell.  I also ordered up a Smithwick's to go along with the lunch.

When my sandwich showed up, I was pleasantly surprised to see a lightly grilled, swirled marble rye reuben on my plate.  The french fries were nothing special and probably not worth the $1.50 up charge.  The sandwich was good sized and full of tender corned beef.  As I usually do, I asked for a side of 1000 Island dressing to go along with the sandwich.  Some reubens don't have enough 1000 Island dressing on them and I like to dip the reuben into more dressing.  I was surprised to find that I was charged - I believe - 50 cents for a 1 oz. container of 1000 Island dressing.  I found it somewhat amusing and perplexing at the same time that they charged me for the small amount of dressing they gave me.

 But that minor experience didn't take away from the taste of the sandwich.  The guy sitting next to me didn't steer me wrong - the reuben at D'Arcy's Pint was as good as he said it was.  The corned beef was lean and flavorful, there was a generous amount of sauerkraut and cheese on top, the bread was just fabulous - I'm hoping that it was homemade or - at the very least - made by a local baker for D'Arcy's Pint.  The bread was thick and held together even with all the moist fixings inside.

Before I left, I had to use the restroom.  I took a look inside the west side dining room and saw that it was equally as large as the one on the east side.  However, the bar was much smaller with a short three-sided bar with high backed chairs.  I found out later that this particular bar was originally in one of Springfield's original ice cream soda shoppes - the Sugar Bowl - that was in business from 1927 to 1959.  I found it rather interesting and sort of neat that they were using an old time ice cream shoppes counter as a bar.  

My reuben sandwich, the beer and a tip for the bartender came to just a bit over $15 bucks.  Sort of expensive for lunch, but it was a large sandwich with a lot of meat.  I'm still sort of amused that they charged me for extra dressing, and the fries weren't worth the $1.50 up charge.  But, overall, it was not that big of a deal.  I don't know if I'll land that dealer in Springfield, but at least I know of a good restaurant/bar to grab a quick sandwich while I'm in town.  D'Arcy's Pint did not disappoint. 

Cozy Dog Drive In - Springfield, IL

The Cozy Dog Drive In is an institution in Springfield, IL.  Located along a busy stretch of South Sixth St. on what was the famous Route 66 (see map), Cozy Dog Drive In has been serving up their famous cornmeal batter-encased "Cozy Dogs" served on a stick since founder Ed Waldmire, Jr. began selling them at the Lake Springfield Beach House in 1946.  The rest, as they say, is culinary history in Springfield. 

Actually, Waldmire and a friend, Don Strand, came up with the concept a few years before to encase the hot dogs with a batter - sort of like a corn dog - but which allowed for quick deep frying of the "cozy dog".  Strand, a bakery student with Waldmire before Waldmire entered the Air Force, came up with the batter concoction.   Strand sent some of the batter to Waldmire at his air base in Amarillo, and with the help of the kitchen at the local U.S.O.,  he experimented with the deep-fried, battered hot dogs on a stick.  They were an instant hit with the servicemen who visited the U.S.O.  After Waldmire was discharged after World War II, he brought the "cozy dogs" back to Springfield.  After he began selling them at the beach house, he then sold them at the Illinois State Fair later that summer.  

Waldmire opened his first restaurant in downtown Springfield soon after that.  A second location soon followed.  In 1949, Waldmire built the Cozy Dog Drive In next door to what is the present day location for the Cozy Dog Drive In.  Waldmire's son, Ed III, also known as "Buz", and his wife, Sue, took over the business in the mid-70's after Ed Waldmire, Jr. retired.  Buz and Sue eventually divorced about 10 years ago and Sue bought out Buz's interest in the business.  She and her sons, Josh, Nick, Tony and Eddie run the business today. 

Now, if the name Waldmire is somewhat familiar to some people, it could be that you may have heard of Bob Waldmire.  Bob Waldmire is Ed, Jr's son and is somewhat famous for his surrealistic drawings of informational maps along Route 66.  A self-professed "60's Hippie", Bob Waldmire traveled back and forth on the old Route 66 taking the time to draw the people, places and points of interest along "The Mother Road."  Ironically, Bob Waldmire became a vegetarian and hasn't eaten a Cozy Dog for years. 

 

 

 

Sadly, Bob Waldmire recently passed away from cancer.  At the end of his life he was living in an old converted school bus on the family farm outside of nearby Rochester, IL.  The school bus was environmentally friendly with solar panels for electricity and was equipped with a solar oven.  Waldmire's legacy lives on with his pictures on display at Cozy Inn and at other various sites along Route 66.  His 1972 orange Volkswagen van that he used to live in when he would go on his trips up and down the highway will be on display in a museum in Tulsa.

From my original trip to Joe Rogers Chili Parlor in Springfield a few months ago, a Road Tips reader, Steve Z., said that I really needed to go to Cozy Dog Drive In and try their chili dogs.  "I'd be interested to hear if you like them better than (Joe Rogers)", he wrote after my blog entry.  I was heading home from St. Louis one morning recently and decided to stop into the Cozy Dog Drive In to see what they were like.  

From the first time you walk into Cozy Dog Drive In, you're immediately transported back to the 60's with their kitschy style of decorations around the place.  If I hadn't found out that this building was built in 1996, I would have guess this was the original Cozy Dog Drive In from back in the late 40's.  It just sort of had that feel to the place.  

You order your food at the front counter and order off the menu that is located on the wall above one of the grills.  In addition to their famous Cozy Dogs, the Cozy Dog Drive In also serves breakfast, burgers and tenderloins.  But I was there for the chili dogs.  I stepped up to the register and ordered a chili dog and a chili cheese dog.  Or, excuse me - in Springfield they spell it "chilli".

After getting scads of orders for Cozy Dogs, the lady at the counter seemed sort of incredulous that I wanted a chilli dog.  "You want a chilli dog AND a chilli cheese dog?"  I told her that was correct.  She turned back to one of the line cooks and said, "OK, this guy wants a chilli dog AND a chilli cheese dog."  The way she said it, I was fully prepared for everyone in the restaurant from the line cooks to the people seated at the tables and booths to suddenly stop, look up and see who this idiot was who was ordering chilli dogs.  I'm sorry, I just don't care for what is basically a corn dog. 

For larger orders that take more time, you can go sit at one of the many tables and booths throughout the place.  My order didn't take long, less than 60 seconds, so I just stood near the counter and waited.  There's a condiment area next to the pop machine.  I didn't figure that out until after I sat down in a booth. 

The chilli dogs aren't overly big, but that didn't matter to me.  From my first bite, I knew that Joe Rogers had Cozy Dog Drive In beat in terms of the taste of their chilli.  Cozy Dog Drive In chilli dogs were a little more bland tasting, the chilli was more thick and it just didn't have the pizazz I got from Joe Rogers chilli dogs.  Plus there's only one type of temperature for chilli at Cozy Dog Drive In, as to where you can get five or six different degrees of spiciness at Joe Rogers.  

It didn't take me long to down the two chilli dogs.  They were served in a small basket with wax paper at the bottom.  I didn't see a place where you could drop off the baskets and throw away your refuse.  I kept looking around the place until I saw a couple take their baskets and empty pop glasses to an area back by the kitchen where there was a large trash can and a window where to set the basket.  I didn't want to make any rookie mistakes on my visit to Cozy Dog Drive In.

Will I be back to the Cozy Dog Drive In?  Ah, if it was for a chilli dog, I'd go to Joe Rogers first.  But there is a lot of interesting things to see at Cozy Dog Drive In and I think I'd like to go back at a time when it wasn't so busy just to take a closer look at some of the memorabilia including many of Bob Waldmire's original drawings.  For history buffs who are into Route 66, Cozy Dog Drive In is a must stop. 

Joe Rogers Chili Parlor - Springfield, IL

Recently, I stopped for a bite of a chili dog at the venerable Joe Rogers Chili Parlor, which has roots in Springfield, IL back to 1945.  I was turned on to Joe Rogers Chili Parlor by Steve Z., a Chicago-area reader of Road Tips, who also suggested I also try the Cozy Dog Inn   in Springfield.  While the Cozy Dog Inn specializes in corn dogs - which I don't like at all - I was sort of intrigued by Joe Rogers.  On a trip back from St. Louis earlier this year, I decided to look for Joe Rogers Chili Parlor and have a chili dog or two.

Joe Rogers started making chili when he was a young man and was finally talked into opening a little diner where people could try his chili just after the war ended in 1945.  Intially in a small building with only 11 counter seats that he called The Den, Joe Rogers had the first of what turned out to be a number of chili (or chilli - as they spell it in Springfield) parlors that sprang up in the coming years around Springfield.  (To see a timeline history of chili - or chilli, if you will - parlors in Springfield, click here.)

In 1973, Joe Rogers passed away and his daughter, Marianne McKay, bought the business from her mother.  By this time there were two Joe Rogers "Den" locations in Springfield.  They had moved to a larger location near the original "Den" and opened another location on the east side of the city.  In 1985, Marianne McKay sold the restaurants to a family who had opened a psuedo-franchised "Den" in Champaign, IL.  Over the next 10 to 12 years, they had some difficulty in keeping the restaurants open and finally shut their doors in the last "Den" in 1995.  Two years later, armed with her father's chili recipe, Marianne McKay opened up Joe Rogers Original Recipe Chili Parlor in its present day location (see map).  For over 60 years, politicians, lobbyists and just plain folk from around Springfield have enjoyed Joe Rogers' chili. 

Joe Rogers chili consists of five different grades of temperatures - mild, medium, medium-hot, hot and something that was originaly called "Firebrand", but is now now as the J.R. or Joe Rogers Special chili.  As it was years ago, if a customer where able to finish a full bowl of the J.R. Special chili, their names would be prominently displayed on a poster in the restaurant.  I'm sure the special chili has loads of habenaro chili peppers in it.  I like spicy chili, but I don't like to have it burn my face or cause third degree burns to my stomach.  Still, I would interested in giving it a taste at some point.  Maybe not a whole bowl, but a taste.

 

 

It was around 11:30 a.m. when I pulled into Springfield.  I drove through town before I finally came upon Joe Rogers on a one way northbound street.  Actually, I passed it and had to traverse around blocks and through parking lots to get back to the restaurant.  I went in and sat at the counter (right) and took a look up at the very simple menu they had on the wall.   Interestingly, they also served something called the Denburger, which was their interpretation of a Maid-Rite loose-meat hamburger.  And you could get it four ways - plain, with cheese, with chili and with chili and cheese.  A number of people were ordering Denburgers while I was there.  

I ordered up two chili dogs - medium-hot.  I also thought I'd try a small bowl of chili topped with cheese.  The ladies behind the counter make up the chili dogs and dish up the chili right in front of you.  My 50's-something waitress sat my chili dogs and chili bowl down in front of me.

Now, I'm always leery of what someone calls medium-hot.  I can usually take very spicy food, but my idea of medium-hot is different from the next person's.  I would have to say that Joe Rogers medium-hot would be categorized as medium, in my book.  It was good, had a nice little bite to the aftertaste, and the hot dogs had that nice "snap" that I like when you bite into them.  However, I think the cheddar cheese detracted from the taste of the chili.  I wish I'd just gotten the chili plain.

Also on the Joe Rogers menu is a tamale and chili.  Although I didn't see anyone order that, I thought that would be an interesting taste.  Joe Rogers chili has a nice chili powder taste to it and some other spices that I couldn't quite put a finger on.  But it was very enjoyable.

I'm glad I got into Joe Rogers when I did because it wasn't long after I sat down and ordered my food that the line began to stretch out the door with people ready to place their order at the counter.  There were a number of "to-go" orders placed while I was there, ordered by people in work clothes and in three-piece suits, alike.  Joe Rogers doesn't take checks or charge cards - it's 100% cash all the way.  

I have to say that Joe Rogers Chili Parlor was very good, a nice surprise, if you will.  I'm always on the lookout for places like this, sort of a nice slice of Americana in the Midwest.  I understand there's a few other chili - oops! - Chilli parlors that are still in business in Springfield.  I may have to try them sometime, as well.  But they're going to have a tough time surpassing the taste sensation that makes Joe Rogers chili what it's been for over 60 years.