Vaccine food tourism - Grundy County, IL?

So I snagged my husband a COVID vaccine appointment on Saturday in Morris, IL. Ummmm, road trip? The appointment is at 12:30, so is there anywhere interesting we could stop for lunch on the way back?

It would have to be takeout - we are not risking dine-in these days. I will cross my fingers for decent picnicking weather.

My pushpins in the area are these: if you're willing to drive a bit farther than you planned, a half hour west of Morris, in the La Salle/Peru area, are Rip's Tavern (Ladd, fried chicken), Skoog's Pub & Grill (Utica), Moore's Root Beer Stand (Oglesby, hamburgers), and Cajun Connection (North Utica). Also to the west but closer to Morris is The Wedron Office (Ottawa, fried chicken). Twenty minutes east of Morris, in Minooka, is the Shrimp Barn. Further east than that, you're in the Joliet area, and from there on east and north there are plenty of options.

I hope this is helpful. I can't vouch for whether any of these businesses are still in business or their hours or carry-out options; I have to get back to work so I'll leave you to google that info if you're interested.

I was also going to suggest Cajun Connection or Rip's but thought they might be too far. I'd say they're both worthy of the trip!

There's also BASH (Burger and Sushi House) in Ottawa. We went there for a birthday gathering a couple of years ago and were very skeptical, but it was excellent)! I've heard that they are planning on opening another location in Glen Ellyn, but not sure if that's still happening.

If it's a decent day, you could also make a day of it and take a hike around Starved Rock State Park!

There's a truck stop in Morris that has been mentioned a couple of times on the board. I'll try to find a link to share.

The GP wrote:There's a truck stop in Morris that has been mentioned a couple of times on the board. I'll try to find a link to share.

You're probably talking about R Place in the TA Travel Center in Morris, best known for their four-pound Premium Ethyl Burger – two pounds of meat, a pound of bun, and a pound of toppings. Eat it in an hour and it's free (the record is seven minutes). It's unclear to me if R Place is currently open. I suspect not, as their Google knowledge panel says 'closed' and a phone call went unanswered.

We went to the Hoopston, IL CVS to get our shots. Unfortunately we were not aware of any good place to eat but I will note for anyone there is a McDonalds right across the street from the CVS where you can't eat in but you can grab a bite and use the restrooms.

wineaux wrote:If it's a decent day, you could also make a day of it and take a hike around Starved Rock State Park!

I would not be planning a hike at Starved Rock State Park after a shot. I would want to get home ASAP in case of bad side effects.

I know you can have side effects from the first dose, but most people do not have side effects until after the second dose. I had my second dose nine days ago, and actually went grocery shopping at Jewel after wards. I did not start to feel many side effects until several hours after I got home when I started getting a really sore arm. It was definitely better the next day.

I only know one person who got side effects after the first dose, and I think there is something genetic going on there. She told me that the one and only time her father got a flu shot, he got really sick. She refuses to go for her second shot because she had major side effects for a few days after the first shot, and contacted the CDC.

South of Grundy County, but we got our second Pfizer COVID vaccine dose at the CVS in Hoopeston, IL a couple of weeks ago. Not exactly "on the way home", but a reasonable detour, we stopped for an early dinner at Jim's Steakhouse in Bloomington. Hadn't been there, or it's sister location in Peoria in years, but weren't disappointed.

Since it was our second vaccine dose, we weren't uncomfortable dining indoors for the first time in over a year in the near-empty restaurant at 4:30 PM. Blackened scallops appetizer, dry aged cowboy rib eye and lobster mac and cheese were great. House "Brittany" salad dressing on the included salad is a must.

Décor is no doubt dated and somewhat underwhelming, but the food, cocktails, wine and service were spot on.

(Just a reminder, vaccine doesn't provide promised immunity until 14 days *after* the second shot, as I understand it.)

We were just downstate, which is apparently as awash in vaccine as it is in brown food.