Live from Mossville, Illinois, it’s Saturday Afternoon with your host, Lucky T’z Bar & Grill and starring this week’s special guest stars, Star and Kevin and featuring The Ready For Prime Beef Player, Marty Wombacher. And now, please welcome all the way from Mossville Illinois, this week’s host, Lucky T’z Bar & Grill!
No, that’s not a typo up there, this week we’re going out on a Saturday afternoon. I have a work-related Christmas party to go to tonight and since I don’t blog about where I work, I thought we’d go out for a few beers in the afternoon this week. And so that’s what we’re going to do...but first I need to answer the MBIP World Headquarters door...
It’s my friends Star and Kevin, looking fantastic as always! We’re going to have a beer here and then...
We’re on the road. Kevin’s driving, Star’s riding shotgun and I’m in the back bothering both of them with the MBIP camera. Hey, it’s what I do!
Here we are at Lucky T’z. Star and Kevin discovered this place and said the building is loaded with history, as well as booze, so it sounded like a great place to go and hang out on this fine Saturday afternoon!
One thing I don’t like about going out in the afternoon is that it’s just too damn bright out here, let’s get inside and hope that it’s nice and dark in there.
I love the front porch out here, so far the place has a real inviting feel to it.
I just stepped in here and I love it already! It’s nice and dark and it feels like it’s nighttime, even though it’s only three in the afternoon! Star and Kevin already have spots down there at the end of the bar, so I’m going to go join them and get settled in!
As soon as I sit down, Tina who’s the pretty owner of Lucky T’z and also does duty as the bartender in here serves up the first beer of the afternoon. Tina’s owned Lucky T’z for over four years now and knows the entire history of this building, which is over 170 years old! She told us that the building was originally a stage coach stop and hotel and some of the people that have stayed here in the past include Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Al Capone and the Shelton Brothers to name just a few.
I love all the wood in here, it gives the bar kind of a ski lodge feel to it.
Here’s a shot of the bar from the back of the room. It looks like Kevin and Star have made a new friend, let’s go over and say hi...
This is Cookie A.K.A. Mad Dog who cooks in the kitchen and enjoys a few beers on the other side of the bar as well. Great to meet him!
One of the many names this building has had through the years is Grant’s Inn and here’s Tina holding a plaque from those days gone by that a friend of hers made for the bar.
There’s lots of historical photos in here and this is a collection of vintage Abraham Lincoln photos, who as I mentioned earlier, was someone who stayed here in the past.
This a classic photo that Tina’s holding. That’s the notorious gangsters, the Shelton brothers, Bernie and Carl to the left at the bar in here and the gentleman second to the right is Charlie Barger. Barger has the distinction of being the last man hung for a crime in Peoria.
Here’s a shot of Peoria’s Bicycle Club gathered in front of the building when it was called, The Crawls Inn. Tina said these were the original bikers that hung out in here back in the day! And please note the unplanned obligatory mirror shot going on up in the top photo!
Here’s a photo of Lucky T’z as it stands today. It’s been signed by friends and regulars here at the bar and grill.
Check out this old time classic phone! I haven’t seen a phone with a dial on it for years! The only app this phone has on it is if you put a fried mushroom on top of it!
Tina said this fellow didn’t have a name, so Kevin named him, Coyote Joe!
There’s a couple back rooms behind the bar. the first one has tables for dining and there’s also live music back here on weekends and occasional week nights.
We’re going to be eating at the Christmas party later, so we’re just sticking to beer this afternoon, but they have a full menu in here and we’ll have to come back soon and check out the food in here. Chris Kaergard of the PJ Star recently gave them a great review and you can check that out right here.
The very back room has wooden booths for dining, drinking and relaxing in, a pool table and a fireplace to make it nice and cozy in the winter time!
Meanwhile, back at the bar, Tina is entertaining Kevin and Star with a story.
In addition to owning Lucky T’z, Tina has bartended all over town through the years and has some great stories to tell. She’s a lot of fun to sit at the bar and chat with.
One trademark of the place is all the signed dollars on the ceiling and walls.
I could spend all afternoon just walking around and reading the different messages on the bills!
Fred MacMurray’s got nothing on Tina! Here she is behind the bar with her three sons: Joshua, Jacob and James. What a great looking family!
Check this out, I’ve never seen a curtain in the bathroom, how elegant! And of course this can only lead to...
The first blonde obligatory bathroom mirror shot! Thanks to Tina for the great hospitality and to Kevin and Star for driving and hanging out, we had a blast! We’ll see you all tomorrow!
Lucky T’z Bar & Grill
10307 State Street
Mossville, Illinois
309-580-8003
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