Mary’s Place

I have eaten here one other time close to two years ago so i knew what to expect when walking in. I like dives, i feel you learn more about small towns and the people living there and the individuals passion for their business. If a place has its regulars then you know its good. You have to feel comfortable in a restaurant to enjoy your food. The owner here is friendly and the customers were nice and the food was delicous so what else can you ask for. My chili was very good and my double bacon cheeseburger was outstanding… actually monsterous! Very flavorful and juicy and not one bit greasy. He said he buys most all of his groceries at the local IGA. The special every Wednesday is a fried chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans for $ 7.90. He said he pan fries the chicken which he selects from the local IGA store. The only reason i gave this establishment 4 stars was i thought some things were kind of pricey. My small chili was $ 4.90…it was good but in a pretty small bowl for the price. For 2 double bacon cheeseburgers and 2 small chilis and 2 RC colas it was a total of $ 34! I think that is quite expensive. Everything is homemade here even the hamburger patties but come on. Will i be back… YES! lol

It is as one would expect.
A small, nondescript greasy spoon.
Albeit clean, and well lit.
Yes, it is rundown and needs attention, but the grilled cheese sandwich was okay and the fries were good.
I wasn’t disappointed.

Don’t judge a book by its cover. This place has NO ambiance but the food was great! Better than Cracker Barrel!

Mary’s is classic Americana. As others have noted it is definitely a hole in the wall. But if you check out the kitchen it is cleaner than any restaurant you would normally visit. I travel from four hours away to have the cheeseburgers and RC. The best.
If you want sterile ambiance and bland food go to Applebee’s.

Uummm. this place has no curb appeal. .
I think they closed & forgot to tell the owners.. I can’t understand how they have any recommendations.

Hubby and I ended up in downtown Lincoln, IL during our travels. We were looking for a place to have lunch. The sign told us it was Mary’s Café and promised «Good Food.» Hubby made a beeline for the place. Stepped inside. I followed…
and wondered what kinda place this was! It’s clearly run down. Missing and drooping ceiling tiles, the floor was … interesting, to say the least. I instantly felt like I was inside a condemned building. I had a hard time following my hubby the rest of the way inside.
There was one other party at a booth having lunch. They waved. The next-​over booth was not even attached to the wall any longer, but at least it didn’t rock when I sat down.
The guy who was there running the place — he was nice enough. We asked what kind of lunch we could get, and he recommended the fried walleye sandwich. Our neighbors seconded that idea. OK, we’ll split one of those, and a couple of sodas. He said he didn’t have Coke. It was RC Cola. OK, fine.
Our waiter/​cook brought us two plates, so we could split our meal. The fish was lightly breaded and there was Vidalia onion and tomato with it, on whole wheat bread. So we had lunch, thanked the man, and hit the road. Lunch was about $ 10.

If you’re looking for a little «hole in the wall», «greasy spoon», this is your place! Its cluttered and old, but their cheeseburgers are good. Nothing fancy here. Prices are cheap, and they serve RC from the fountain.