As promised, we stopped by to check out Joe’s in the former Gunner Buc’s building on Lakeland Blvd. in Mattoon, IL.  Lots of changes. No more ordering at the counter. It is now traditional waitress service. The liquor store is also gone. That probably wasn’t the best idea in the first place. And the music volume is much more conducive to conversation now.

On the food side, there are still 50 cent tacos on Thursdays and they’re still very tasty. We were starving, so we had a couple as appetizers.  I went with a traditional cheeseburger and Sarah had a black-and-bleu burger with bleu cheese on it. Both came with fries.

The burgers arrived very quickly, although there was not a very big crowd. Still, great service. The burgers themselves weren’t bad at all, but not nearly as good as Gunner Buc’s burgers. Note to Joe: Find out where GB’s got their hamburger and buy the same stuff. Maybe it’s the fat content (which gives burgers their flavor), or maybe something they did in preparing them, but GB’s had super tasting burgers. Same deal with the fries. Joe’s fries just didn’t have that same “so good it’s bad for you” deliciousness. 

The menu at Joe’s had some other interesting looking things, so we’ll be back to try other stuff. Stay tuned.

It is my sad duty to report the passing of Gunner Buc’s. We went by yesterday afternoon and were dismayed to see the sign had changed to Joe’s along with a Cooks Wanted sign. The last time we were in Gunner Buc’s, which was a couple of months ago, we had to wait 45 minutes for our burgers, which ended up overcooked. The normal grillmaster, who was efficient, friendly, and a master at making burgers, was nowhere to be seen. I think the owner was grilling that evening and he just wasn’t up to the task. Now the name has changed, so I’m thinking they must have changed hands. Gunner Buc’s made the best hamburgers ever. Sad to think they’re gone. We’ll try Joe’s and hope for the best. I’ll keep you posted.

If anyone knows the inside scoop on the passing of Gunner Buc’s, please leave a comment and let me know what happened.

And since we’re on the subject of change; we stopped in to Basmati in Champaign last weekend and didn’t recognize any of the staff. The food quality had suffered, too. Does anyone know if it changed hands?

We went for dinner early tonight and had no problem getting a table at Don Sol in Mattoon, IL. Being Sunday evening, there was a buffet. First time at that buffet for us. It won’t be the last. The buffet is a low carb dieter’s dream with meat of the steak, pork, chicken, and shrimp variety. You could make your own fajitas or grab one of the mini-chimichangas or a couple quesadillas. There was another buffet with non-Mexican food and yet another with salad fixins and salsa/guacamole. There was dessert, too. All for $9.99 per person. I tried a little of several meats, a quesadilla, and a mini-chimi. The chimi was  a little doughy, but the meat and everything else was excellent. Sarah opted for the fajita fixins and was equally happy with hers.  To top it off, I had one of their excellent margaritas. Don Sol does ‘Ritas right. Great meal for short money. Really good discounts for kids, too, which would explain why there were so many there.

We tried to get into the new Little Mexico on Charleston Ave. in Mattoon, IL on Friday evening, but there was a half hour wait. Too long for us. So we went back around 5PM tonight and had no problem getting a table. The decor in Little Mexico is Vegas-like in that it makes you feel like you’re sitting at an outdoor cafe in Mexico. There seem to be about twice as many waitstaff as needed, although when it gets really busy it may be necessary to have so many.

We received a basket of tortilla chips and two bottles of salsa within a minute of being seated. The salsa bottles are similar to salad dressing carafes and contain mild and spicy salsa. The salsa was different than most I have tasted, but they were both quite good. We also ordered a margarita each, but were disappointed with them. Don Sol makes far better ‘ritas.

The menu at Little Mexico is not as extensive as other Mexican places in the area, and we hoped that would translate in to better food; fewer things to concentrate on makes the remaining items of better quality, or so we thought. Sarah ordered the Green Chile Burrito plate and I ordered the Beef Chimichanga plate with an enchilada. Both meals came with a scoop (just like ice cream) of refried beans covered with a ground beef sauce. Sarah’s burrito was also covered with it. The only thing not covered with the sauce was the shredded lettuce which passed as salad. The lettuce came with Thousand Island dressing (no choice there), which was a bit out of place with Mexican food. One thing we could not find on Sarah’s plate was any trace of green chile. She got a burrito stuffed with finely ground beef and little else.  My chimi was fair, but the enchilada, which was covered in the missing green chile from Sarah’s meal, was tasteless. The taco on the side that came with my meal was passable, but nothing to get excited about. The 50 cent tacos at Gunner Bucs are better, for what it’s worth.

Our tab for the meal was relatively cheap, but it matched the meal. The $4 margaritas were overpriced. It’s a shame the owners didn’t spend less on decor and more on the kitchen staff. Don Sol is still sets the bar for Mexican in this area.