The last time I went to Castle’s Patio Inn to get some of their homemade garlic cheese spread was last September and it was nice to see owner Barb Castle. I talked to her about when the classic Peoria tavern would open back up and she said she had no idea. I was really afraid that she might not open it back up.
Well, I mentioned this the other week, but the place has been sold and it’s going to re-open soon!
I wanted to go and buy one last tub of cheese from Barb Castle before the place changes hands, so let’s go and start this cheesy journey!
Here we are at Castle’s Patio Inn on Loucks Avenue just off of Sheridan Road. The logo is prominently displayed on the side wall.
It’s the Cheesiest Place in Town and that’s why I always feel at home here! I’m a pretty cheesy fellow!
Cheese is sold every Thursday here from noon to four in the afternoon. If you’re jonesing for some Castle’s cheese spread, stop on by tomorrow afternoon and pick up a tub or two!
Here’s a shot of both sides of the bar and there’s a classic Budweiser trolley hanging overhead.
A quartet of beers are on tap and will once again be flowing soon when Castle’s re-opens in a few weeks!
Here’s the dining area and the walls are loaded with vintage beer signs and sports momentos.
There’s Spuds MacKenzie all lit up on the wall in neon glory!
Okay, let’s head back to the bar…
The cheese tubs are housed in this wooden cooler behind the bar.
And there’s Barb Castle holding up my tub that I’m buying today.
It was great to see her and she said she’s happy to be turning over the bar to the new owners. She’s owned the bar for over 27 years and said she’d miss the people, but it’s time for her to move on. She’s going to be moving to the Quad Cities where her daughter lives and where the legendary cheese spread is made.
And here she is with the new owner of the business, Jake Fleshman. Jake used to live in the neighborhood and has been a regular at Castle’s for years. Now he owns it!
He bought the business and Clay Doblestein, owner of Country Club BBQ purchased the site. Cam Brewer is going to be managing the bar, which they hope to re-open in about a month.
At first they’re going to have a limited menu but they hope by mid-summer to be serving up a full menu of food for lunch and dinner.
I’m so happy this iconic tavern will stay open!
Time to start my cheesy afternoon.
You have to have a sleeve of Ritz Crackers next to your tub of Castle’s Patio Inn Garlic Cheese Spread. It’s just the rules!
As good as this tastes, it’s still better when you’re sitting at the bar with an ice-cold bottle of Budweiser in front of you! That’ll happen soon, so stay tuned!
Good luck to Barb Castle in the next chapter of her life and thanks for all the great times at Castle’s Patio Inn!
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802 W. Loucks Avenue
Peoria
309-685-9570
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