Midwest Foodie Road Trip!

lebradford · July 2014

My husband and I want to go on a mini-Midwest road trip! I thought I would see if anyone knew of any cool things to see or do, places to stay, and most importantly, places to eat along or around our path! FYI, we aren't really sports people, but other than that we're pretty open!

Specifics for people who like words: We're going from Chicagoland west through northern IL, IA, and stopping around or in Omaha, NE. Then we'll go southeast to Kansas City MO. Then east to St. Louis, MO, then northeast through central IL back to Chicagoland.

Specifics for people who like pictures: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Chicago,+IL/Omaha,+NE/Kansas+City,+MO/St+Louis,+MO/Chicago,+IL/@40.5999543,-91.8169804,7z/am=t/data=!3m1!4b1!4m34!4m33!1m5!1m1!1s0x880e2c3cd0f4cbed:0xafe0a6ad09c0c000!2m2!1d-87.6297982!2d41.8781136!1m5!1m1!1s0x87938dc8b50cfced:0x46424d4fae37b604!2m2!1d-95.9979883!2d41.2523634!1m5!1m1!1s0x87c0f75eafe99997:0x558525e66aaa51a2!2m2!1d-94.5785667!2d39.0997265!1m5!1m1!1s0x87d8b4a9faed8ef9:0xbe39eaca22bbe05b!2m2!1d-90.1994042!2d38.6270025!1m5!1m1!1s0x880e2c3cd0f4cbed:0xafe0a6ad09c0c000!2m2!1d-87.6297982!2d41.8781136!2m1!6e4!3e0

I hope the map picture works. Sorry the link is so long. :-(

Jags8 · July 2014

If you were coming up to WI I could help!

lebradford · July 2014

@fuzzylogic We have Oklahoma Joe's on the list for sure! I hadn't heard of the brewery, so I'll make note of that too!

@WhoCanItBeNow Thanks! We were actually starting to get worried that there wasn't enough to do in Omaha, so I'm glad you said that. I think we'll check out The Old Market. Do you know anything about places to eat? We were thinking The Gray Plume. Have you ever been there?

pudgybunny · July 2014

Lots of great pizza places in Chicago, but Gino's East is by far my favorite for deep dish! They use beer in the crust and offer two options for sausage... chunks or hmm, how to say this, a layer or sheet of sausage. Sausage in every bite!
that's what she said

lebradford · July 2014

WhoCanItBeNow said:
I have been no place down there. I don't venture that far. The few times I have been down there was to a nightclub.

I'm laughing that there wouldn't be anything to do. The Omaha metro area has just under 900,000 people.

Yeah, I guess living near Chicago breaks other "big cities" for you to an extent. :-P

lebradford · July 2014

andreab7412 said:
**Lurking**

Omaha has tons in the old market. We usually go and walk around and eat on a tour. Drinks and an appetizer, walk some more, dinner, drink some more, desert. So 3 places and we start at 4:30 or 5. The are lots of cool stores to look at and if its a weekend usually street musicians. The twisted fork is a good one for sure. There is a pasta place, can't think of the name, that is also awesome. I personally don't love the upstream, but a lot of people do. The website for down there breaks the restaurants down pretty well. There is quiet a price range spread.

Then of course there is the zoo, also close to downtown. There are also museums and wineries along the way. Whenever we go from Omaha to kc I always want to leave earlier and stop at the wineries, we need to one of these days.

Where are these wineries you speak of? @andreab7412

rlpointer · July 2014

In Kansas City (although technically it is in Independence), there is Smokehouse BBQ, but one of the more popular one is Arthur Byrant's in downtown KC. If you like BBQ.

lebradford · July 2014

You guys are awesome!

Ladymouse · July 2014

It seems like you'd have to have BBQ in KC, though I don't know where (we just barbecue that way at home.) Central Dairy in Jefferson City, MO has gorgeous cinnamon ice cream OR I hear a lot about Shakespeare's Pizza in Columbia, MO.

nikiz628 · July 2014

I saw Midwest and got excited that you were coming through Indiana...but you aren't! Your trip sounds like a blast! I can't wait to hear about it!

Cythe · July 2014

I'm too drunk to read all the responses (thanks bachelorette party) but! If you're going through South Dakota, of course hit up Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills. Dead presidents ftw. But, if you're going through Sioux Falls stop at a little locals place called Bobs Cafe. Trust me. Get the chicken.

3houlagirl · July 2014

If you're going through St. Louis (my home town!) You HAVE to go to The Broadway Oyster Bar. They have amazing food, live music on the weekends, and bread pudding to. Die. For. DH and I had our super-casual wedding reception there.

Also Schlafly's bottleworks, and if you go anywhere not downtown, Fitz's and Blueberry Hill are both great places. There are also a bunch of Wineries in Augusta, MO. Take your pick; they're all awesome.

As far as not food, you should go see the City Museum. It's hard to describe, but it's an indoor/outdoor playground constructed by local artists using only materials recovered from abandoned buildings. Very unique.

Your trip sounds so fun! You'll have to update us!

Bee1112 · July 2014

3houlagirl said:
If you're going through St. Louis (my home town!) You HAVE to go to The Broadway Oyster Bar. They have amazing food, live music on the weekends, and bread pudding to. Die. For. DH and I had our super-casual wedding reception there.

Also Schlafly's bottleworks, and if you go anywhere not downtown, Fitz's and Blueberry Hill are both great places. There are also a bunch of Wineries in Augusta, MO. Take your pick; they're all awesome.

As far as not food, you should go see the City Museum. It's hard to describe, but it's an indoor/outdoor playground constructed by local artists using only materials recovered from abandoned buildings. Very unique.

Your trip sounds so fun! You'll have to update us!

I live in STL!

+1 for the City Museum. It is so awesome! Unlike anything!

The Zoo! It's free.

We recently went to Fitz's. It was really good.

I lived in central MO for a while too so I agree with central dairy and Shakespeare's Pizza. Columbia also has a place called Tropical Liquors. It's all slushy booze. And delicious. They let you taste the different flavors before you buy too.

I went to HS in Hermann MO. It is the best little wine/B&B town EVER! There are tons of winery's and B&B's.

This trip sounds like a blast!

JT325 · July 2014

:::lurker chiming in:::

If you are going through Springfield, IL, stop and get a Horseshoe at D'arcy's Pint. So good!

There's also the Cozy Dog (reportedly one of the very first corn dog makers) and Charlie Parker ' s diner (on Diners, Drive ins, and Dives)

shlittertoots · July 2014

*another lurker*

I grew up and work in Iowa City and you're driving right through it

It's a nice college town and the students are mostly gone for the summer so it would be a great time to visit! A few places depending on what time of day you're passing through are:

1. Breakfast: The Hamburg Inn (or anytime during the day if you want diner food. Presidential candidates always eat here)

2. Lunch/Dinner: I like The Airliner for pizza, Jimmy Jack's for bbq, The Bread Garden for organic/healthy, Stella or Short's for burgers, El Dorado for Mexican and Monica's is right off the interstate and has a variety of food on the menu.

3. Bars: Graze. They have a lot of cocktails and martinis and have great food. It's small plates and everything I've had was delicious.

Enjoy your trip!

penelopec518 · July 2014

@mayaruthie Graze and Shorts = my two favorite places to eat... those and Blackstone!

shlittertoots · July 2014

@penelopec518 I forgot Blackstone! Yum

raelynn71109 · July 2014

I live in Kansas City. Definitely second the rec for Oklahoma Joes! If you are there on a weekend though, be prepared for loooong lines. :-)

jt305 · July 2014

I agree with everything @bee1112 (Go Bearcats) says.

On your way back through Missouri, I would get off of Hwy 70 in Columbia, go to Shakespeare's, go to Trops, head to Jeff City for some Central Dairy deliciousness, get on Hwy 94 (beautiful country drive along the Katy Trail), then stop for a night in Hermann. They have THE BEST wineries and adorable B&B's. Plus, on the weekends, there are always festival things going on. Then get back on Hwy 94 and go through Augusta (more wineries). Downtown St. Charles is beautiful; then you could do some downtown St. Louis stuff (brewery tour, Arch, City Museum, Zoo, etc).

It sounds like a blast and you have lots of options! Have a great trip!

KingLED · July 2014

I don't have any specific suggestions, but check out roadtripper.com when you're on a computer. Their mobile version kind of sucks. You can find all kinds of awesome things. We used it to help plan our trip and it was nice to see all the weird things we never would have heard about.

Also, roadninja is really awesome for any road trip. It tells you what's at upcoming exists. Super useful.

asoneill · July 2014

Cythe said:

I'm too drunk to read all the responses (thanks bachelorette party) but! If you're going through South Dakota, of course hit up Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills. Dead presidents ftw. But, if you're going through Sioux Falls stop at a little locals place called Bobs Cafe. Trust me. Get the chicken.

And if you do happen to ever hit up SD, also check out Wall Drug in Wall. It's amazing, and is where my profile pic is from! (I am on a giant jackrabbit. Best vacation ever.)

We are also doing a midwest road trip this summer! We'll be hitting Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Canton, Cleveland, and Detroit. I might have to snag some of the St. Louis suggestions from this thread - thanks! :P Wish we were hitting KC too - we'd get to add the Royals to our stadium list, but with the baseball schedule we're trying to make, it won't work out this time.

Have a blast and drive safe, @lebradford!

Bee1112 · July 2014

jt305 said:
I agree with everything @bee1112 (Go Bearcats) says.

On your way back through Missouri, I would get off of Hwy 70 in Columbia, go to Shakespeare's, go to Trops, head to Jeff City for some Central Dairy deliciousness, get on Hwy 94 (beautiful country drive along the Katy Trail), then stop for a night in Hermann. They have THE BEST wineries and adorable B&B's. Plus, on the weekends, there are always festival things going on. Then get back on Hwy 94 and go through Augusta (more wineries). Downtown St. Charles is beautiful; then you could do some downtown St. Louis stuff (brewery tour, Arch, City Museum, Zoo, etc).

It sounds like a blast and you have lots of options!
Have a great trip!

For saying go Bearcats and saying how awesome my sleepy little hometown is we are going to get along great. You are awesome

lebradford · July 2014

cakewench2012 said:

Cythe said:

I'm too drunk to read all the responses (thanks bachelorette party) but! If you're going through South Dakota, of course hit up Mt. Rushmore in the Black Hills. Dead presidents ftw. But, if you're going through Sioux Falls stop at a little locals place called Bobs Cafe. Trust me. Get the chicken.

And if you do happen to ever hit up SD, also check out Wall Drug in Wall. It's amazing, and is where my profile pic is from! (I am on a giant jackrabbit. Best vacation ever.)

We are also doing a midwest road trip this summer! We'll be hitting Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis, Cincinnati, Canton, Cleveland, and Detroit. I might have to snag some of the St. Louis suggestions from this thread - thanks! :P Wish we were hitting KC too - we'd get to add the Royals to our stadium list, but with the baseball schedule we're trying to make, it won't work out this time.

Have a blast and drive safe, @lebradford!

_________________
This sounds like fun! I wanted to go to a lot of those places, but we only have 4.5 days!

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