Bud Schweppe’s Family Restaurant
I was driving one morning on my way to check out furniture at 40th and Plum located right outside of Sorento Il, and decided to stop in and check out the local hotspot of sorts.
I walked in and had a seat at one of the 15 tables this small establishment offered. I felt right at home as this cozy eatery had the walls adorned with placemat art done by bored customers as well as floors painted with feather dusted paint patterns.
I was promptly greeted by the waitress who immediatley offered me coffee and gave the run down of the daily specials. I took some time and glanced over the menu. They offer all of the traditional breakfast items such as bacon and eggs, biscuts and gravy and omlettes of all sorts. They even have breakfast sandwiches named after the staff and some of the regular customers, with names such as the McRitchie, McConnie, and McBetty, with different meats such as ham, sausage and bacon. The items on the breakfast menu ranged in price from 60 cents for toast to $5.95 for a ribeye steak and egg breakfast. I settled on a Bud’s daily special which was 2 eggs, your choice of bacon, sausage patties or ham, hashbrowns or american fries and 2 pieces of toast all for the low price of $5.95 this price also included my coffee so what a bargain. My food came out in a quick and orderly fashion and I was astonished at the epic amount of potatoes on my plate. I think the waitress took notice to my looks because she said “they always want their customers to feel they are getting the most for their money”. I most certainly felt as though I did. There was enough food on my plate to easily split with 2 adults as I noticed other customers were doing. The taste of the food was superb. The eggs were cooked to order and the bacon was nice and crisp. Everything was served fresh off the grill. The waitress checked back with me several times for coffee refills and to insure my food was to my satisfaction. I was given the check and was directed to the register to pay. The owner of the place Bud himself took my payment, he smiled and was very polite and gave a hearty come back soon.
The next time I came to eat I came on a Friday evening. I had heard rave reviews from friends regarding the fish that was served there so I decided to check it out. Apparently for a place that serves fish daily, Friday night is thier biggest night. I walked in and had a seat, was greeted and told the evening specials which were Buffalo fish, with fries, slaw and a drink for $6.95 or 21 pieces of popcorn shrimp with fries,slaw and a drink also for $6.95. I choose the Buffalo, and also had 2 appetizers one of the sweet potato fries and another of corn fritters. The appetizers themselves were a meal, the sweet potato fries were served with a side of marshmallow cream to dip them in and the corn fritters were served with a side of ranch dressing also for dipping. They were both deep fried delights to the palate. My dinner was served on a large platter and the portions were bigger than the breakfast meal I had previously. The fish was cooked just right and the batter was a very tasty mix of cornmeal, flour and just the hint of black pepper. The fish was served upon 2 pieces of bread to absorb any grease and the slaw was served in a bowl to prevent it from making the french fries soggy. The slaw had a very sweet taste and was the best slaw I have ever had, it was a vinegar based slaw. After making it thru the feast of a meal that I had, I went ahead and ordered coconut cream pie for dessert. The pie was probably six inches tall. The coconut was fresh and nicely toasted. This brought me back to my childhood of eating Grandma’s homemade pies and cakes. This pie was baked fresh that afternoon and was every bit as good as Grandma’s. My total bill came to less than $17.00. I was thrilled to have had such a good meal at such a low price.
I would highly recommend making a stop here if you are in the area your taste buds and your wallet will thank you for it.
Bud Schweppe’s is open 7 days a week from 6am-9pm Monday thru Saturday and Sundays from 6am-3pm. They offer a all you can eat fried chicken buffet on Sundays as well as all you can eat homestyle meals thru the week. For directions or more info please call (217) 272-4025
