Niemerg's Steak House - Effingham, Illinois

When you are driving from Indianapolis to St. Louis on I-70 about two hours into the journey it happens.  Your eyes glaze over and you begin to think that if you have to stare at one more farm field without seeing some sign of life, then you may lose your will to live.  Just as you begin to contemplate which bridge to drive off, it appears.  The crossroads of America pops up on the horizon.  You roll into Effingham, Illinois, and being devoid of civilization for so long you seek out a place to eat.  Somewhere to recharge your batteries and renew your belief in American society.  When you experience this, look no further than Niemerg's Steak House.

Niemerg's Steak House fully represents everything that makes the Midwest great.  A place where an army of working class heroes prepare comfort food for all walks of life from farmers to weary travelers to business persons.  The food is not only good and comforting, but it is some of the most affordable meals I have ever enjoyed.  I make the trip from Indianapolis to St. Louis and back several times a year and I never make the trip without stopping at Niemerg's.  

The decor is nothing exciting, but it fits the conservative nature of the area.  No matter what time of the day you choose to dine, you will find very limited parking in the large parking lot and all the hustle and bustle of numerous employees serving tables.  The dining area is deceptively larger than the outside would lead you to believe so there is rarely a wait.  The staff keeps the place clean and they are always professional and courteous.  

The menu is a compilation of classic comfort dishes like ribeye steak, liver and onions, pork chops, chicken fried steak, and fried chicken.  The menu also includes a few local favorites and a couple quirks.  Now based on everything I've told you thus far, I am sure you will not be surprised to hear appetizers include items like jalapeno poppers, onion rings, and mozzarella sticks.  But what if I told you this restaurant offers up the best egg rolls I've ever tasted.  The hand rolled egg rolls are overstuffed with seasoned pork, cabbage and other vegetables before being fried to crispy, golden perfection and then being offered along with homemade sweet and sour sauce.  If I find out you went to Niemerg's and didn't try the egg rolls, I will be forced to ban you from reading future posts.  You won't regret trying them.

The crisp of the cabbage and the crunch of the wrapper go so well with the tangy sauce.  Juicy, tasty deliciousness will drip down your chin as you enjoy the egg rolls.  

Hand Rolled Egg Roll Appetizer

By the time you are done with the appetizer, your mind will already be blown and you will be telling yourself there is no possible way to top the egg roll.  To that I will tell you to hold on to your hand because we have two more courses left.  For the entree, there are many great options including their crispy, crunchy fried chicken, but I tend to favor recommending a dish that is only available in central Illinois.  In this small swath of land, there is a dish that is so cheesy, so ooey, so gooey, you will be down for the count.  The kind of dish that will leave you so full and satisfied that you will be able to feel your heart beating in your chest for at least several hours.  What dish could that possibly be you ask?  None other than the Horseshoe or for the slightly less famished, the Pony.

The Horseshoe and the Pony are central Illinois staples.  Take a piece of grilled Texas toast and place whatever type of meat on top of it.  Cover the meat completely with crispy, french fries and then smother all of it in melted cheddar cheese.  If you absolutely must have something healthy as part of the dish then you can top it off with some grilled onions and chopped tomatoes.  I chose to have the hamburger pony on this particular visit.  Just as you would imagine, it is sinfully delicious.  Savory, cheesy.  It fits the definition of a hot mess to a T.

Hamburger Pony

There is only one rule at Niemerg's, which is that you must save room for dessert (Editorial Disclaimer:  Please note this is not actually a rule at Neimerg's rather a rule imposed by the author of this post.  Following the rule will lead to the utmost gastronomic satisfaction)  Desserts are made in house and are delicious.  Pies are the main route to take and there are dozens to choose from.  I personally am very fond of the coconut cream, apple pie and pecan pie, but chances are great that on any given day you will have more choices for pies than you will be able to deal with.

Niemerg's is a must stop destination.  Great food, family atmosphere and amazing prices are the story of the day.  Niemerg's is just like the family dog.  Always faithful and always there when you need them.I got two egg rolls as an appetizer for $3.49, a bowl of vegetable soup for $2.19, my hamburger pony was $3.49 and a piece of pie topped it all off at $2.49.  All in all, I left weighing at least a couple pounds more than I came in and ready to tackle the rest of the trip after a brief nap in the car.  the best part was that I got all of that food for less than $12 before tax and tip.  Where else can you get that?

Made From Scratch Vegetable Soup

Sandwich Machine - Indianapolis, IN

Up on the northeast side of Indianapolis on Pendleton Pike, sits a long-standing sandwich shop.  One that reportedly serves the best sandwiches in the world.  This little known fact was echoed to me by a co-worker.  Now when you potentially have the best of any single thing in the entire world right in your own town, you have to check it out.  And so it went on one weekday lunch when I found myself on Pendleton Pike with my stomach aching for lunch.  My boss, my coworker and I all clambered in to try the best sandwiches in the world.

The decor inside is typical of a dive sandwich shop that is more than 30 years old.  Paper signs advertising sandwiches, Coca Cola, and other treats are sprinkled throughout the dining room.  We ordered at the counter and then found a seat among the laminate-coated booths that looked to have been removed straight from a 1970s A&W root beer stand and then dropped right in place.

As for food, the menu seemed pretty standard.  A range of submarine sandwiches were on the menu along with hot dog creations, hamburgers, and Indiana's state fried dish, the pork tenderloin.  If the sandwiches were indeed the best in the world, then my money was on the fact that the best sandwich should be Indiana's own tenderloin.  I ordered the big tenderloin since the menu advertised it as the most popular item.  I also opted to get sour cream and chives french fries as my side.  Figuring I should try one more menu item, I ordered a coney dog.

After sitting for a few minutes, I heard my name called and went to grab my lunch.  I fully expected to round the corner and see the food tray glowing with a halo of awesomeness since this would indeed be the best sandwich in the world.  I will say that while it didn't have a glorious glow emanating from it, I remained optimistic.

At least until I tried everything.  In typical dive fashion, nearly everything on my plate was made in a fryer.  The big tenderloin was in fact big, but at the cost of the flavor and texture.  My version of the world's greatest sandwich, would have had the tenderloin being hand breaded and pounded by hand to perfection before being gently fried and seasoned with just the right amount of salt and pepper.  This tenderloin was about 1/16 of an inch thick and was folded under itself several times, but it was devoid of all flavor.  In fact, the sandwich was so thin the entire thing tasted very similar to a fried cardboard box.

The Big Tenderloin with Sour Cream and Chives French Fries

Since the sandwich was clearly not the best in the world, and likely not even the best in a one square mile radius, my hopes lied in the french fries.  They weren't as I expected since my theory was that sour cream and chives french fries would be traditional fries served with a side of sour cream and chives.  Isn't that what you would assume as well?  Well you and I would both be wrong.  Instead, the fries were frozen french fries that were supposed to be flavored with sour cream and chives.  The fries didn't taste like anything in the end, unfortunately since the fries were cooked in the same fryer as everything else under the sun.  The end result was strike two.

The last glimmer of hope lied in the coney dog.  I love chili dogs.  Hands down one of my favorite diner treats.  With anticipation I cracked open the Styrofoam container protecting its precious cargo and then my hopes of a nice finish to the meal sank.The coney sauce, while it may have been tasty, immediately resembled a deep red wallpaper paste slathered on top of the hot dog that was not at all visible under the pile of sauce.  Ever adventurous, I tried a bite anyway and found the hot dog hidden within.  It was a steamed or boiled dog that was certainly not bun length or plump.  The wallpaper paste texture was a good precursor to the flavor.  It pretty much tasted like paste you added some chili pepper and beans to.  

Needless to say, the coney dog was strike three.  I can't say this place was the purveyor of the worlds best sandwiches and I honestly struggle to see how they have survived for over three decades.  I never wish bad things on local, family-owned restaurants, but it is hard to have much positive to say.  Perhaps the one glimmer of goodness is that the prices are fair.  The big tenderloin was $4.79, the fries were $1.79 and the coney dog was $1.56.  The food wasn't inedible and if you are craving a quick, cheap meal from a fryer then you will likely enjoy this place.  If you are looking for the world's greatest sandwich though, then keep on searching.

Ann's Restaurant - Franklin, Indiana

Within steps of the Johnson County courthouse, on the southwest side of the downtown square in Franklin, Indiana, sits Ann's Restaurant.  The restaurant came to life in 1952 and was originally called Alta's Restaurant, after the owner Alta Spicer.  The original 13-seat diner was open 24 hours a day back then.  Ann Daugherty became partners with Alta in the 1960s and eventually took over the business after Alta retired. 

Ann's Restaurant - Franklin, IN

Ann's has a traditional decor inside and a simple diner-style menu.  To the more sophisticated diner, the decor would seem dated and boring, however for a small-town diner the decor is fitting.  The menu also looks like you would expect.  Good prices for homestyle foods and breakfast served anytime.  Pictures of local landmark buildings in Franklin adorn the walls and the din of customer conversations is occasionally broken by the sound of a ringing bell to alert the servers when an order is up.  A small, three-stool bar sits just outside the kitchen area.

Dining Room of Ann's Restaurant

Arriving for lunch, I chose not to order breakfast items, but settled on a burger and fries instead.  My meal also came with an additional side, coleslaw in my case.  I also added a cup of ham and bean soup.  The soup was designed to come out before my meal arrived, however it didn't show up until I got my entree.  Large chunks of processed ham were in the loosely, creamy broth along with an abundance of beans.  Despite containing ham, the soup seemed to be lacking a dose of salt to help bring out the flavors.  More importantly, the soup needed to be skimmed to remove the fat from the batch.  Small orange bubbles of fat were seen floating lazily in my bowl.

Ham and Bean Soup

When it came to my entree, I surveyed the menu and locked in on a meal filled with pork.  I am such a sucker for anything that used to have a snout while it was alive.  I ordered the sausageburger and fries.  The burger is a half-pound patty of ground sausage grilled on the flat top to crispy perfection.  The warm, toasted bun had 360 degrees of sausage showing like a UFO of meaty goodness.  The hand formed patty had great flavor and was easily the highlight of the meal.  I am also a fan of crispy fries and the ones with my meal were crispy, krinkle-cut fries that were well cooked.  

The coleslaw that came with my meal was cold and crisp.  It was a creamy style of coleslaw and while the crispness of the cabbage was refreshing, it was laden with mayo.  It was just sort of flat.  I added some salt and pepper in an effort to liven it up, but there was just too much mayo.

Sausageburger and Fries

The prices at Ann's are far, despite not being what I saw posted on their website before I came to dine there.  Online my burger was listed at $4.25 yet mine cost $4.79.  The fries and coleslaw set me back another $2.40.  The cup of soup was $1.75 online, yet it totaled $1.99 when I ordered it.  All told the prices were still fair, but if the rates have be raised it would be smart for the restaurant to change the website to reflect their new pricing.

Another positive note is that my server was wonderful.  She checked in often and had a pleasant demeanor.  She knew the menu well, could recommend dishes, and always made sure I had what I needed.  Overall, Ann's is a decent diner-style establishment in a small town.  Though they have hours limiting them breakfast and lunch only it is worth a stop to try the sausageburger.  I can still feel my heart beating in my chest. 

Betty's Burgers - Santa Cruz, CA

Back in February, work took me to California for a week and one day I found myself in Santa Cruz over the lunch hour and I was looking for somewhere to land for a meal.  As we drove down to the beachfront to check out the Pacific Ocean for a minute, we passed a burger joint, Betty's Burgers, just a few blocks from the beach.  A sign proclaiming their burgers as the best burgers in Santa Cruz and so I thought it was time to check it out.

Betty's has a small indoor seating area and a larger outdoor seating area.  It was a perfect afternoon for dining al fresco so I went in to order before dining outside.  Like many fast casual restaurants, you order at the counter and then find your seat and a server brings the food out when it is ready.  The menu had a wide range of burgers and fair prices by California standards.  One of the best things about the menu is that everything is fresh.  Fresh veggies, fresh buns, fresh cut fries, and fresh, never frozen meat.  I also found it funny that they referred to all of their sauces and condiments as lube on the menu.  Burgers range in price from just under $5 to nearly $7.

After scanning the menu, I settled on the Mad Mex burger.  The Mad Mex is a 1/2 pound burger topped with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, chipolte lube, and fresh guacamole.  The thought of a burger with fresh guacamole in California was just irresistable.  I finished my order with some fries and a soda.  Then I found a seat outside and anxiously awaited the arrival of my lunch.  While I was waiting, my mouth watered continually as I saw other diners receive their meals and smelled the wonderful aroma of fresh ground beef sizzling on the grill.

After was seemed like an eternity (but was really only like 8-10 minutes), my meal arrived.  And it looked spectacular.  The burger was nice and very juicy.  About 5 napkins juicy.  The guacamole and all of the veggies on board were indeed fresh and delicious.  Perhaps the only downside to the meal was that the fries were unimpressive.  They were pretty thin and crispy, which I like but they were unseasoned and just not inspiring.

Overall, though I would say that Betty's Burgers would get my vote for best burger in Santa Cruz.  Take a look at this and see for yourself.