We visited Schooners on the MBIP tenderloin tour and on the second chicken wing tour and had great meals both times. In addition to those two dishes, Schooners is also known for their beerbatter fried chicken.
So I think it’s high time to quit clucking around on this fowl tour and get the cluck over there for some fried chicken! Motherclucker!
Here we are at Schooners. This Peoria landmark famous for tenderloins, chicken wings, fried chicken and frosty mugs of beer opened its doors on July 15, 1981 and has been standing tall ever since.
Two more years and it’ll be their forty year anniversary! Oh how the beers…I mean years have flown by!
This young fellow was watching me take pictures outside and came up and asked if I would take his photo. His grandma gave the okay so here it is!
His name is Jermaine and he’s a nice and polite young man!
There’s a good crowd out here in the beer garden, but I prefer to eat inside and get away from that nasty sunshine that lasts way too long on a summer night!
The bar is crowded but I spy a seat right there in the middle. As soon as I sat down, Melissa was serving me up a cold bottle of Budweiser. I love it in here!
Dan was seated next to me and we’ve met before in my MBIP travels. He was enjoying one of their legendary frosty mugs of beer.
Dan’s a musician and he plays in the Wolf & Gypsy Band. He’s also working on a Ramones tribute show and I’m looking forward to that!
There’s lots of knick-knacks and things behind the bar to gawk at including a quartet of beers on tap, Schooners t-shirts and photos of Jeff Mauro, the Sandwich King and a nice tribute to Jesse Flores, founder of Flores Music!
Schooners is the only bar in Peoria and beyond with two walls devoted to a “Mushroom Hall of Fame.” Founding owner, Greg “Gebby” Gebhards is an avid mushroom hunter and he made this hall of fame for his fellow mushroom hunting associates.
Back in the ’70’s, I probably could’ve made this wall, but of course I was indulging in a different kind of mushroom!
I love the wooden, rafter styled ceiling in here. It kind of makes you feel like you’re in a giant attic.
Meanwhile, back at the bar, Dan is hanging out with Brad and Cory and it looks like it’s just about time for a beerbatter fried chicken dinner!
And, whoomp, there it is!
I got the two piece fried chicken dinner with an order of Cole slaw and corn fritters. Let’s try the side dishes first.
The Cole slaw is very good, nice and crispy and just a little bit of a tart flavor.
I poured some syrup on the corn fritters and they were amazing! They’re covered in powdered sugar, deep fried and doughy and chewy inside! Delicious!
Now on to the star of the show, Gebby’s Beerbatter Fried Chicken. This is made from Gebby’s original recipe and it looks fantastic. Let’s dig in and give it a taste!
Wow, this is delightful fried chicken!
The beerbatter is crispy but lightly battered and the chicken is juicy and flavorful! I’ve never had the fried chicken here before, but I will have it again!
A fan of the MBIP blog who didn’t want his picture taken bought me a drink, so that’ll be dessert!
A perfect fried chicken dinner at Schooners!
Chicken Rating
Four Dixie Chickens—I can’t believe I’ve never tried the fried chicken in all of the years I’ve been coming here! It’s crispy, lightly battered with their homemade beerbatter and so tasty and delicious!
And don’t forget to get the corn fritters with your dinner, they’re a perfect compliment for the chicken!
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730 E. War Memorial Drive
Peoria Heights
309-686-9895
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