Located on the banks of the Illinois River in East Peoria, Illinois is the Burger Barge restaurant. No, it’s not an actual barge, but it certainly looks as though a barge or boat of some type ran ashore and then took off again, leaving behind remnants such as weathered anchors, ropes, and other nautical items. Unfortunately it was a rainy day when I went to lunch at the Burger Barge, so I didn’t stay outside long to inspect the outside, but rather ran right inside to get eating.
The inside is just as nautical with nets hanging from the ceiling and boating gear everywhere. As I took my seat at a table near the door, I noticed a very large (maybe 3 feet tall) parrot perched just behind me on an oversized bird swing. I knew I was definitely somewhere different and I hoped I was in for a treat. The Burger Barge claims that they serve the “best burger this side of paradise.” Of course playing on a few thoughts here. The first is that the Burger Barge is located right next to the Par-a-dice casino, which is a gaming boat parked on the shores of the Illinois River. And the second is the thought of East Peoria being paradise…I’ll just leave it at that. Regardless of the play on words, they claim to have a fantastic burger.
I was impressed with the menu, featuring fifteen different burgers and also a variety of barges (other hot sandwiches from what I could tell). I decided to go simple and ordered a plain cheeseburger and fries. My brother, on the other hand went all out and got the Ship, Captain and Crew Burger (a cheeseburger with the works including coleslaw and fries between the bun) and my mom also got a cheeseburger but with the works, which included their dock sauce.
Our food arrived and I was immediately drawn to my brother’s burger. It looked so good with the creamy, sweet coleslaw and french fries. My mom’s looked tasty as well, especially the tangy dock sauce that dripped from the side. My burger definitely lost in the “looks” category, being that it was very plain and had shredded, unmelted cheese. The Ship, Captain and Crew Burger was definitely the winner. The verdict? The Burger Barge is a really good burger. It’s not greasy and it’s served on a great bun. The next time I’m shipwrecked that side of paradise, I will definitely be back.
The Burger Barge
1401 N. Main St.
East Peoria, IL
309.694.9191
Posted on September 16th, 2008 by katiejocannon
Filed under: Food
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