Dining in Decatur, Illinois

Ariana R. Cherry-Shearer
Decatur, Illinois offers plenty of areas of interest for central Illinois tourism. It hosts about three hundred different kinds of festivals and events each year. Decatur is also home to several Abraham Lincoln's historical marks that include the site for his first political speech. After some sight-seeing, Decatur offers a variety of places for dining.

One restaurant that is fairly new in Decatur is the chain restaurant, Ruby Tuesdays. The resta serves lunch and dinner daily. For families who would rather dine at home or another location, they also offer dinner to go as an alternative. The menu selection offers a wide variety of food from jumbo crab cake to Asian dumplings for appetizers, Louisiana fried shrimp or chicken bella as their specialties, and signature sides that include sautéed baby portabella mushrooms or white cheddar mashed potatoes. Guests who dine in can also choose to visit the endless fresh garden bar. Dieters can also choose from a menu of smart eating choices with food selections that offer fewer calories and grams of fat. Kids ten and under also are offered their own special menu selections too. Specialty drinks include $5 martinis, premium cocktails, and classics like Long Island Iced Tea. Reservations can be made by calling ahead of time.

For those who like to dine next to beautiful bodies of water, they can dine at the Beach House. The Beach House sits along the shore of Lake Decatur in Nelson Park. It offers a scenic view of the lake for guests who wish to dine in a relaxing outdoor like setting. The Beach House can host or cater to events such as private parties, family gatherings, business meetings, weddings, or group organization luncheons. Lunch and dinner is served with the restaurant opening at 11am each day except Sundays. The lunch menu consists of starters like soup of the day or crab cakes, salad choices that include Greek, rustic, or Caesar, or sandwich choices like walleye, chicken, or a patty melt. Dinner includes choices of seafood, flatbreads, steaks, sandwiches, and salads. Guests can also choose from a unique variety of wine to be served with meals.

A great place to dine for fun and entertainment is Blocks Brewery. It serves lunch and dinner with lunch opening at 11:00am and dinner beginning at 4:00pm. A breakfast buffet is served on Sundays mornings until noon. Guests can begin their meal with appetizers that include loaded brew fries, jalapeno poppers, Block's Buffalo Wings or spinach and artichoke dip. Menu selection choices consist of a variety of salads, burgers, pizza, sandwiches, wraps, burritos, and desserts that offer a unique twist like deep fried brownie bites. Block's also offers fun entertainment the last Friday of each month that offers open mic night. The Brewery is also available for booking parties.

If you plan on coming to Decatur for some history, shopping, to attend a festival, or are just in the area, there are plenty of places to feed a hungry and rumbling traveler's stomach. Whethere it be something simple, equisite, or you just need a quick bite, there is plenty of unique places to dine when you are visting Decatur, Illinois.

Published by Ariana R. Cherry-Shearer

Ariana Cherry-Shearer began writing for the Web in 2006. Her first love is poetry & she has published 2 collections. Ariana also writes web content. She has written for: Examiner, Demand Media, Need an Artic...   View profile

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