limited menu Archives — Low-Rent Foodie

You’ll remember in my last post I was mourning area restaurants that have closed, but that I also mentioned for each one we have lost, another has risen in its place. I was all excited about writing Land of Lincoln Part 3 to highlight some of these. Then COVID became the new Ebola, and our governor kicked us back to Phase 3, which brought the dine-in experience to an end. Technically, we can still eat outside, and several establishments are making do with heated patios and tents that are in compliance with the restrictions. We have been blessed with a lot of nice weather for November here in the 217, but…

…so this won’t last, and we will be back to exclusively takeout.

However, some forward-thinking folks in downtown Springfield have come up with a plan to not only show support for independent, locally-owned restaurants, but also to potentially reward those who patronize them—the Capital City Takeout Challenge!

The list of participating restaurants is updated daily. To get entered in the prize drawing, you need to get takeout from five of these restaurants by December 18. One of these restaurants must be minority-owned. Send in a picture of your receipts, and you will be entered to win up to $1,000! (See the Facebook page in the link above for details.)

Any of the restaurants on this list is worth your time, I’m sure, but below are some that I can personally vouch for. Please note that some establishments may have a limited menu for takeout (so you may or may not be able to order what’s in the accompanying pictures).