Live, from Peoria, Illinois, it’s Saturday Night Cheeseburger! Starring this week’s host, Lariat Steakhouse and featuring the Ready For Prime Beef Player, Marty Wombacher. And now, please welcome this week’s host, Lariat Steakhouse!
Alright, all done with work and time to start this episode of Saturday Night Cheeseburger. Tonight I'm taking a request from MBIP friend, commentator and sometimes co-pilot, Al Rizo. Al suggested stopping at the Lariat Steakhouse, which is an excellent idea. The Lariat has been in the same location on Glen Ave. since it opened in the '40's. It's a Peoria institution and I've been there many times, but I've never had a cheeseburger there. So tonight the Lariat is our destination as I point my car north bound and put the pedal to the metal.
And here we are. It's kind of dark and non-descript out here, the restaurant's sign is in the front of the parking lot, facing Glen Avenue.
You have to use the side door...
Because someone "accidentally" drove through the front doors a couple week's ago. Note to self: Go easy on the Budweiser tonight!
As I enter through the side door, I'm greeted by the pretty hostess, Keeghan. I told her I'm going to eat at the bar and she pointed me in this direction...
Da Bar! Let's go grab a seat and get settled in.
And friendly bartender Terry serves up an ice-cold bottle of Budweiser.
Love the sturdy, old-school menu in here. The cheeseburger order is placed, so let's go take a look around this joint.
They remodeled the bar in here and it's pretty colorful.
There's tables opposite the bar lined up along the front window.
A shot of the taps for Spike and all you other beer enthusiasts out there. Personally, I'll just stick to my Budweiser, it's just easier.
Here's the main dining room. It's nice and rustic in here with lots of wood, it has a bit of a ski lodge feel to it. But we're not dining in this room...
And so it's back to the bar we go.
A longshot of the shiny, marble-topped bar.
Beneath the bar there's wooden hooks for your coat or jacket. I always find this classy.
The lights slowly change behind the bar. Here they are at the normal setting...
And now it's morphed into a color I like to call, "whorehouse red."
Moments later, it's a gentler, cooler shade of cyan.
It ain't easy being green, so I ordered up another bottle of Budweiser.
And the table is set for dinner and not a moment too soon, all those changing colors were starting to give me an acid-flashback! Wow, they sure give you a lot of silverware to eat a cheeseburger with!
A loaf of freshly baked bread and whipped butter are served before dinner, that's a nice touch!
And here's a bird's-eye view of the main course!
Quite a delicious burger and the bun is bakery fresh.
I thought I'd change things up this week and instead of fries, I got the au gratin potatoes. I'm glad I got these, they're a house specialty and they took the meal over the top!
Empty plates and a full stomach! Thanks to the good folks at the Lariat for a great Saturday Night Cheeseburger! See you all tomorrow!
My Meal
The Lariat is a steakhouse, so their cheeseburger is made out of chopped prime sirloin. It’s one third of a pound and mine was cooked to perfection with a slab of cheddar cheese and an ultra-soft, bakery fresh bun, just slightly grilled that took it over the top for me. I always say that the bun makes the burger and this one was pure perfection. A doughy delight wrapped around a juicy and tasty cheeseburger. The burger comes with fries, but for a slight additional charge you can substitute their homemade au gratin potatoes, which I highly recommend. The potato is sliced into small slices and swims within a river of tangy cheese sauce that has a hint of sweetness as an after taste. They’re a house specialty and it shows.
The Lariat Steakhouse lives up to its name by featuring seven choice cuts of steak including: Filet Mignon, Ribeye, New York Strip and a 24 ounce T-bone steak. Another house specialty is the Prime Rib, which comes in three sizes, petite, regular and large. If you’re not in the mood for a sizzling steak, other entrees offered on the menu include: Fried Chicken, Pork Chops, Baby Back Ribs and Bacon Wrapped Meat Loaf. I need to make a return visit and try that some night!
Cheeseburger Rating
Three Wimpy's, a wonderful and delicious cheeseburger!
The Lariat
2232 West Glen Avenue
Peoria
309-691-4731
Further Reading: Urban Spoon, Menuism and Trip Advisor.
