Live, from West Peoria, it’s Saturday Night starring this week’s host, Mike’s Tavern with special guest appearances by Connor, Jen and Joe!
Now, please welcome, all the way from West Peoria, this week’s host, Mike’s Tavern!
Here we are at one of Peoria’s most beloved taverns, Mike’s Tavern in West Peoria.
I love the fact that after it was sold two years ago, it still looks the same and the owners have kept the spirit of Mike’s Tavern alive!
Okay, let’s go in and start our Saturday night at Mike’s!
Nice crowd in Mike’s tonight! The bar was full, but I managed to squeeze in a seat at the very end down here.
Connor was doing bartending duty and here he is serving me up an ice-cold can of beer. Saturday night has officially begun everyone! Cheers!
He also brought me a menu and while it’s a limited menu for now, the items look intriguing and sound delicious. There’s several styles of burgers including a Rocky Mountain Jalapeño High burger that’s topped with jalapeño cream cheese.
That sounds fabulous but I have my heart set on the spicy Tenderloin sandwich. I’ve never had a spicy tenderloin and I’m anxious to see and taste one. I also got their homemade Truffle Tots.
Connor took the order back to the kitchen and while that’s being prepared, let’s take a look around in here and see if there’s anything new!
Well all I had to do was turn around because standing tall behind me is the first cigarette machine in a bar that I’ve seen in decades! Connor told me they just got it in and that while it does work, you can’t buy cigarettes because they aren’t licensed to sell tobacco. That’s okay, I quit smoking over five years ago!
It’s still a cool attraction and I’m willing to bet that Mike’s Tavern is the only bar in Peoria with a working cigarette machine!
What I love about how, Mark Donahue and Bob Bullock, the new owners of Mike’s Tavern have somewhat redecorated in here by bringing in fun and kitschy items on the walls and ceiling, but they’ve also…
Kept some of the classic Mike’s collections like the school desks and the beer can collection behind the bar.
They also have the original pay phone in here, but I couldn’t get a shot because there was a crowd of people hanging out in front of it. Oh well, maybe next time!
There’s the draft list and the drafts themselves. They have an impressive selection here at Mike’s Tavern!
Above the drafts are handles from the past that are now in foamy beer Purgatory…or something like that.
There’s some people in the back room directly opposite the bar enjoying drinks, conversation and Saturday night at Mike’s!
There’s also a state-of-the-art dart machine and gaming machines in a discreet room for all of you gamblers out there!
I stepped out to get a photo of the beer garden and it was empty because it’s pretty chilly out here for a May evening. In fact, let me get back inside to the warmth of Mike’s Tavern!
Okay, I’m all warmed back up and here’s a shot from the back of Mike’s Tavern.
Right after I shot this someone yelled out my name. I was hoping it wasn’t a police officer and it turned out to be…
Jen! We met at The Fish House a while back when I was there with my friend Michelle.
Jen suggested that myself, her husband Joe and Connor all get our picture taken and that’s exactly what we did! Great to see Jen and meet Joe!
Minutes after our photoshoot, Connor came out with tonight’s Saturday night dinner and brought it down to my seat at the end of the bar.
Perfect timing because I’m starving like…you know who!
Ladies and gentlemen, I now present: The Spicy Tenderloin with pickles and onion and a side of Truffle Tots!
It looks and smells amazing! Let’s pretend we have a shovel and dig in!
I thought I’d try the Truffle Tots first and they did not disappoint.
They were crispy on the outside and nice and fluffy inside. They’re infused with Truffle oil which gives the Tots a rich flavor and that’s nicely accentuated by the razor thin-sliced parmesan cheese that’s melting on the Tots.
We’re off to a delicious start!
Now on to the main course of this Saturday night show, the Spicy Tenderloin!
It looks simply amazing and I love the fine details in the making of this sandwich.
The bun is buttered and lightly toasted, the pickles look super fresh and crispy and the onions have been diced as opposed to just throwing a ring of raw onion on the sandwich.
Connor told me that the pork is from Alwan and Sons Meat Company and it’s nice that they source their pork locally. They pound and tenderize the pork into a thin patty and hand-bread it. I’m not sure about the spices, it’s probably a house secret!
I just need to add one more thing to the mix…
A healthy slathering of Heinz Mustard!
You can’t eat a breaded pork tenderloin without a nice layer of mustard on top, it’s just the rules!
Okay, time to take a bite of this fascinating-looking Spicy Tenderloin!
After a couple of bites and I can attest that this is the best breaded pork tenderloin that I’ve ever sunk my teeth into and I’ve eaten a lot of tenderloins in my day!
As noted earlier, the bun is grilled, buttered and it’s bakery fresh. The pickles are fresh and crisp and with the onions they add a nice flavor layer and a crunchy texture to the sandwich.
But the star here is the spicy breaded tenderloin. It’s a thin tenderloin, which I prefer to one of those tenderloins that are thick, big as a Frisbee and kind of taste like a Frisbee.
This is a nice portion and it will fill you up, but it’s not overwhelming. It’s crispy on the outside and the pork inside is tender, juicy and tasty. Its got a nice spicy heat to it too. It doesn’t overpower the sandwich itself, but it’s a nice spicy after-kick after you swallow a bite.
If this is an example of what’s going to be a growing menu, Mike’s Tavern will be a stand-out spot for West Peoria dining! After years of eating Butch’s Pizza in here (not that there’s anything wrong with that!), I’m anxious to try the other tasty items on the menu at Mike’s Tavern!
The kitchen at Mike’s is open for lunch and dinner, Wednesday through Sunday, so stop by for some tasty and unique food selections at Mike’s Tavern!
P.S. Connor informed me that the owners of Mike’s, Mark and Bob recently purchased the Brown Jug on Farmington Road in Trivoli and Connor is also an owner. They are now referring to it as “Mike’s” Brown Jug! They’re open now and they’re fine-tuning the menu.
So check that out and stay tuned for an MBIP Saturday Night dinner from “Mike’s” Brown Jug soon!
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626 N. Cedar Avenue
West Peoria
309-674-1860
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