Take Me to Ted's

Category: Food Drink

Head to Ted’s Garage in Clinton for tasty all-American fare in a fun, fifties-style setting.

The Food
My first visit to Ted’s is on a Wednesday evening. It’s Italian night—spaghetti for $8.95 or trio pasta for $9.95. Tempting, but to be honest, what I really want is the deep-fried walleye and breaded shrimp with homemade chips and coleslaw. But that’s the Friday night special—all you can eat for $9.95—so I’m just going to have to come back.

I’ve heard rave reviews about the steaks on the menu, so instead I opt for the Cheyenne Sirloin with sweet potato fries.

Not that I’m settling. I realize this when my steak arrives—juicy, flavorful, cooked to perfection and accompanied by a mountain of sweet potato fries and brown sugar butter. Yes, you read that right. Brown sugar butter. My dining companion, who ordered a pulled-pork sandwich (it’s massive, with a sweet, distinctive barbecue flavor) can’t stop raving about the butter that also accompanies his sweet potato fries. “It’s unhealthy,” he says, “but delicious. What a novel idea.”

The Setting
If the sign advertising $10 buckets of beer (a nightly special) doesn’t draw you into Ted’s Garage, the setting will.

The restaurant, opened in 2004, is run by the same folks who own Baum Chevrolet Buick Co. next door. It even features a showroom that’s a near replica of what new car dealerships from the fifties and sixties looked like. Light green wainscoting and dark green trim form a backdrop for diner-style tables and booths, glowing gas station signs, old gas pumps, and black-and-white photos of a simpler time.

Featured cars and bikes on display—which change every month or so—are on loan from neighbors, friends, and customers. Much of the rest of the memorabilia actually resided at Baum Chevrolet in the 1950s and 1960s—including the overhead door at the north end of the showroom, which was actually snagged from the car dealership’s service department.

Even the menu gets in on the theme, with categories including Tune Ups (appetizers), Phill-Ups (beverages), and Dashboard Specials (daily features). Menu items boast names such as Lug Nuts (freshly baked golden-brown dough balls), Brake Pads (a hamburger horseshoe), and the Roadmaster Filet (a six-ounce filet served with your choice of potato, salad, and bread).

After my salad, steak, and fries, I’m stuffed. It’s too bad, really, considering I didn’t even try the artery-clogging appetizers or a hand-dipped shake. Maybe next time.

Because there will be a next time.

Get There
Ted’s Garage is open for lunch from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and for dinner from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday. On Saturdays the restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Reservations are accepted by phone or email.

Ted’s Garage 
808 W. Highway 54
Clinton, IL 61727
217.935.8008

Tags: Food & Drink | Clinton | Ted's Garage | Restaurants |

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