Blue Springs Cafe
3505 George St, Highland, IL, 62249
Blue Springs Cafe Menu
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Address :
3505 George St
Highland, IL, 62249 - Phone (618) 654-5788
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :11:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : No
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Mike T.
I will say that they lure you in well with the "Featured on Food Network" billboard. My wife and I decided to give it a try. We walked in and with no one else waiting to be seated, the manager asks us how many, and we let them know 4 kids and 2 adults. I watched as she got the table ready and proceeded to talk with the regulars, only when she was done with the personal chit chat did she ask us to sit, about 3 mins, not a horrible deal but after driving cross country it was a little magnified. The food was food family style where you select an entree off the menu on the wall, and the server brings cole slaw, beets, and biscuits with Apple butter. We waited 15 mins for the server to get our drink orders, and it was busy and she apologized. She came back quick with our drinks and took our food orders. At this time the table next to us was seated, and there server asks if they would like to reserve some pie. I found it odd to reserve it before the meal, but figured it being Saturday night and they seemed to be locals, he called them by their names, so I thought he knew their ordering habits. Our server visited our table three more times and never mentioned it. When it was time to order desert they were out of every pie flavor, at 730 PM. They close at 9, so while I didn't fault her for the cook being short, I did fault my server for not asking up front after we told her it was our first time eating there. Bottom line is walk in before dinner and order the pie, of not you may miss out! Also we asked the sever for crayons and paper to which she said sure, and proceeded not to bring at all even after I reminded her. Get the pie to geaux!
(2)Tommy M.
Yelp has the location wrong! Address is right but it maps you to a home 3.7 miles away! But don't let that stop you from going. The walleye is fantastic and the pies might not be a foot high but they sure come close. All meals come with pickled beets, cole slaw, mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans. Plus biscuits and apple butter. Too much food for one!
(4)Nick T.
For a home cooked style meal this place was phenomenal! Saturday night they have an all you can eat buffet line with prime rib and everything else they run on the normal menu for 15 bucks. What great way to give everything a try. Plan on repeating for sure. I normally wouldn't think this type of restaurant as being five stars but for price and everything home cooked I'm saying 5! Also they are cash and check only but do have an ATM in the building.
(5)Phoebe B.
After traveling on I-70 last week, we decided to stop to have a nice, sit-down dinner after so many long hours of travel and get a break from the rain. I used my Droid app to locate a nice place to eat. After reading so many positive reviews, the Blue Sprints Cafe sounded like the perfect place to stop for some down time and have some good food. I was pleased by the atmosphere, very homey and quaint. However, upon reviewing the menu offerings, there was no healthy menu options. Even the salad was laden with cheese and was made up of iceburg lettece. With the word "cafe" being in the name, we expected that there would be some sandwhiches or more healthy salad/soup offerings but this was not the case. So we opted to forego the diets and have a nice homestyle meal. :-) I had the chicken and dumplings and my travel companion had the roast beef. Service was a bit slow but we got our meals within 15 minutes of ordering. What a disappointment! The meals were so over salted that they could barely be eaten. It was obvious that no one had tasted the food before going out, otherwise it would not have been served. Since we both were so tired, we did not bother to complain. And opted to pay our tab and just to get back on the road. We considered trying the desserts but did not want to risk further disappointment based on our dining experience. I will choose another place next time we travel. This was not worth the stop. Food was barely above truck stop dining (salty, greasy fair).
(2)Margie N.
This little place is a jewel! They have a very select menu, which is posted on the wall- fried chicken, roast chicken, meat loaf, lasagna,etc. That and your drink are all you order. Then, they begin bringing food family style: Cole slaw, beets and bread with apple butter to begin. With the entree comes more and more: mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and I don't remember what all! Everything homemade, fresh and plentiful. Bit save room! They make real hemade pies- both fruit and cream - that are "mile-high" and will knock your socks off! The pieces are huge. It's casual and relaxed. The servers are college kids who work together and ate very friendly. We took he leftovers and fought over them the next day!
(5)Norma K.
Had a great lunch. Food was great, but I'd save room for the pie next time!! Share a sandwich & some pie, & you'll have the best of both worlds.
(4)Terry B.
The best coconut cream pie I have eaten in my life.
(5)Teri D.
Blue Springs Cafe is located right off of I-70 in Highland and they have a sister restaurant in Grant Fork (pop. 250) off Highway 160 so I am just about smack in the middle of the two of them and they have the same food and decor--Country Kitchen. One is in a former Stuckey's and the other in a big old farm house. Nothing fancy here, but it's all fresh and homemade--including pies made just like your granny used to make--homemade crust and all! The food could be awesome with a little imagination, but it's the solid no-frills home cooking you used to find every Sunday afternoon after church at your grandma's house. Service varies, but the food is always fresh, and everything is served family style and every entree comes with bowls of real mashed potatoes and gravy, beets, coleslaw, homemade biscuits, honey and whatever sides come with the meal on the plate, usually stuffing with the turkey and roast pork. They have a standing selection of menu selections that are posted on the wall in several places. Fried chicken that is crispy and juicy, fried fish, gizzards and livers, roast pork loin that comes with stuffing in addition to all the sides, same for the roasted turkey dinner. Roast beef, chopped steak, and other family favorites round out the selections Beer and wine is available and make sure you save room for the amazing homemade pies made totally from scratch--lemon, chocolate cream, coconut cream, and an assortment of fruit pies--blackberry, cherry, peach and more! Saturday they have a steak special at the Blue Springs Cafe--filet mignon, salad, choice of potato, bread, glass of wine for 13.99 and it's GOOD!! The service is friendly and fairly efficient and the atmosphere is pure country kitchen. They give you more food than anyone could possibly eat--the last time I ate dinner there, I had lunch for 2 days out of the doggie bag I took home, but pack up half your dinner and make sure you get a slice of the best pie I've had since Grandma Dean passed on 40 years ago.
(5)Matt U.
While this rating is simply based on the pie, all we can say is that the foot tall pies are well worth stopping for! In an attempt to lure us in based on signage on the interstate was totally successful, especially the sign that announced they'd been featured on the food network. The place sit about 200 feet off the interstate and it totally unassuming. You walk in and are greeted by the pie counter where something like 15 pie options are at your fingertips. The ones worth stopping for, IMO, are quite literally a foot tall with the bulk being Merengue. They are spectacular! We tried a chocolate one and it was delicious - dark chocolate as the base with a nice crust and the 9 inches of Merengue brought it as close to heaven a pie can get! They only take cash or check, but do have an ATM if you're like 80% of the world now and don't carry cash. A great roadside stop off if you're in the area on your way to St. Louie.
(5)Cole Y.
We were traveling once again enjoying the road. We saw the sign and stopped and they were closed. The sign didn't say the hours they were open. 11 to 9 we know now. On our way back we stopped again. Now that we knew the hours lol All we wanted was pie they did look good from what we saw on the counter. The girl said they were 18 dollars We thought that was a high price but we wanted to try them anyway. Then she brought out a 9 inch pie not the same bigger pies that were on the counter. Needless to say I wasn't paying 18 dollars plus for a 9 inch pie. Just because you were on the food network doesn't mean you rape people. Shame on you. I'll pay 13 for the pies in Amish country their excellent And bigger. Lol
(2)Tony W.
My wife and I were traveling from St. Louis to Cincinnati via I-70. We saw a sign along the highway advertising Blue Springs Cafe, next exit. The sign also had a 'Food Network' logo on it, so we decided to stop, since it was literally right off of the exit. What really got our attention was the 'Foot High Pies' on the sign. The only pies that were actually a foot high were the meringue pies, Lemon, Banana, Chocolate and Coconut. The fluffy meringue topping was how the pie got to be a foot high. The topping was 2 to 3 times the thickness of the pie filling. Not what I want in a meringue pie. I like the filling and the meringue topping to be of equal thickness. We decided to take home the apple pie, which was really good, but was not a foot high. Bring cash or be prepared to use their ATM on site. Maybe they haven't heard of the Square, which allows you to take credit/debit card through a cell phone. Just a FYI.
(3)Karen S.
Excellent food. ..the chicken and dumplings were delicious. ..hubby had the chicken fried steak. ..there are a good number of sides and the pies are truly homemade. ..I don't know who gets up at o dark thirty to make all those pies but someone does. .. to my great delight
(5)Ethan C.
Stop here for some good home cooking. Three entries were too much for the five of us. They start with biscuits, cole slaw, and pickled beets. The biscuits were good, the cole slaw was fine, and you can't expect much of beets. But the entrees were splendid. Freshly fried chicken, piping hot, but not overcooked. Juicy meat loaf with wonderful flavor. Roast pork with gravy. Plus mashed potatoes, green beans (with ham bits), brown gravy, and sausage gravy. This is real, freshly cooked food. We sampled three pies. The lemon meringue and pecan, chocolate chip were wonderful. The blackberry pie was OK, but nothing special. Just be careful if you stop here on a road trip, because you have to plan for a serious food comma.
(4)Allison F.
Traveling along I-70, I saw a billboard advertising for Blue Springs Cafe, home of the Mile-High Pie. SAY NO MORE! I took the exit, in which I saw the restaurant standing all by its lonesome self just off of the interstate. (Probably because everyone else is too scared to compete with Blue Springs...you'll see why.) The restaurant is littered with blue-checkered table cloths and PIE. Pie all over the counter when you first walk in. Banana, coconut, lemon, and coconut cream pies standing at one foot tall, followed by the flatter apple, rhubarb, peach, cherry, and blackberry pies. I knew I couldn't walk out of here without ordering one of the mile-highers. On the wall were menu boards listing all the available dishes: chicken and dumplings, meatloaf, salmon, roast beef, lasagna, fried shrimp, pork sausage, ham steak, catfish...you know, everything that a Grandmother raised on a farm in Kentucky would fix you. I went with the chicken and dumplings, not knowing all of the extras that would come with it. First came the biscuits, apple butter, pickled beets, and cole slaw in little bowls. By the time I was able to process all that had been laid in front of me came the chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, and green beans (they serve it up "family style" at Blue Springs). WHOA. Who was going to eat all this? Did they think I had friends coming? Never in my life have I been given so much food at once. It was wonderful. The food tasted just as I had said about the menu board: like your farm-raised Grandmother from Kentucky fixed it. There was a a whole lotta love in my many, many dishes, so much that I had to put it in a to-go box. One of my favorites was that cinnamon-heavy apple butter. When is Blue Springs going to sell it by the jar, because it was the PERFECT complement to my biscuits. Had I been served less, I probably would have been caught sucking it down out of the bottle. But wait! I haven't talked about the best part of the meal: THE BANANA CREAM PIE! Lawdy! The pie had chunks of ripe bananas and pudding topped with a huge mound of meringue that got better with each sweet bite. It was one of the loveliest pies I've ever tasted, so lovely that I bought a chocolate one to take home. May my experience persuade you to stop here on your next road trip, because you'd be a fool not to. I'll be planning another trip in that direction just to stop at Blue Springs Cafe.
(5)Gloria F.
Home style, family style dining at its best. Start with cold sides, then move on to a generous main course ( most of which is fried) with mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans.Yum. Delicious, unhealthy food with great service. If you can still eat more, they have mile high meringue pie or fruit pie. Kaitlynn was the best waitress ever. Never waited for a refill.
(5)Doug B.
Worth stopping at for the experience. Family style. Prompt friendly service. I had meatloaf which was just a tad overdone but still good. Be sure to try the pies. Huge slices! Bring cash or check though. No credit cards but ATM onsite.
(4)Kayla B.
Blue Springs Cafe is a small spot right off of 70 near Highland, IL. The decor and food will instantly remind you of your grandmother's house. I didn't eat a meal here (just had the pie) but I noticed all the meals were $12-15, which sounded a bit pricey for what seemed like a roadside cafe/diner. Note: all the sides are served family style. I had heard about the pie here, so I, of course needed to try it. Everyone who knows me understands my pie obsession. I tried the chocolate pie which was smooth, creamy and very rich. I definitely enjoyed the generous slice I was served. I was, again, a little surprised at the $6 price tag for a slice of pie. That's how much I've paid for a similar sized slice of pie in DC (a super expensive city), but I would have thought a place in the midwest would be a little more reasonably priced. Bottomline: Good Pie, but not amazing. And for a $6 slice of pie, I want amazing. It's probably worth stopping here for the experience, though.
(2)Terry C.
This was one of the best meals we had on our road trip; enroute to St. Louis, we saw many signs that read "Mile High Pies" so we decided to stop. The restaurant was clean and spacious. We were greeted and the waitress told us we can sit anywhere we wanted. My friend and I ordered the chicken fried steak and a fried chicken entree. The entrees were served with a side of mashed potatoes, corn, beets, cole slaw and the most delicious butter biscuits. They also provide apple butter for the biscuits...hMmmMmmM Yum. Both of the entrees were great. Too bad we were too stuffed to try any of their pies. and like others have said, the pies are not a foot high. They did look pretty good though.
(4)Kaci G.
The food is great. They have the best chicken livers. Servers are always friendly. I haven't had a bad experience here ever.
(5)Alicia R.
Traveling between Indiana and Kansas, I always see the signs for this place and it's "foot high pies," finally, I stopped in - thank goodness! They serve old-fashioned cooking, in an old-fashioned, homey atmosphere, and it's pretty great. After driving for hours looking at the bleak winterscape, this warmed my heart. I went in during lunch and got the walleye plate with green beans and mashed potatoes. The walleye had been freshly fried, and had a nice flavor and crisp coating. The mashed potatoes were massive and tasty, and the green beans were satisfying. I could only eat half my plate, but wanted to try the pie. My server brought out a to-go container, and put my pie in one, too, but brought me a fork so I could savor a few bites before hitting the road. I had the coconut, and of course it was huge, and pretty good. I shared some with my dad when I arrived home, and he loved it, too. The menu is not very extensive, but I think everything is made with love and is probably good. My server said that meatloaf was a pretty popular choice, but I was drawn to the walleye. Perhaps it was because I came during a quite time, but I enjoyed the service - he even gave a to-go cup for the rest of my soda. Prices are pretty good - I think my huge lunch plate was $7.
(5)Chris K.
The food is decent, it's country style home cooking, nothing to write home about. I had the buffet for a Sunday lunch with a fairly large crowd (8). The tables were packed extremely tight you could barely walk anywhere. Overall the food is decent, my biggest complaint is that they don't take credit card/debit card, but have an ATM machine. We all get why you do it. But c'mon. It's the 21st century, get one installed/setup to help customers.
(3)Mike A.
Excellent lunch! Chicken livers, taters, and gravy! Mmmmmm!!!!! Then mile high banana cream pie with boulders of bananas! Only reason for 4 star instead of 5 was our waiter could have been little more attentive and left the magazine put down. Will be back! I hear the blackberry pie calling my name.
(4)Sarah T.
This was a welcome stop on our drive from Kansas City to Indianapolis. I give it three stars because the food was average in my opinion, but the pie really was fantastic. I'd probably stop again if I make the same drive.
(3)Juliana P.
I can't review the food--just the Mile High Pie. Apparently, this was on Food Network, "Best Thing I Ever Ate". While I don't like unnecessary blow back on food network featured places, I can say when you are a pastry chef and call it the "Best", even though its in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, I want to try it. Driving across country, we stopped in for the chocolate mousse Mile High pie. The meringue was high, but soggy. The chocolate wasn't great, and I really didn't like the crust. It honestly spoiled my appetite for dinner, not because we ate too much, but because it was just so blah. I wouldn't really bother stopping and I feel like it does have undue praise.
(2)Mashel R.
Stopped here on a road trip from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania to Manhattan Kansas. We were thrilled to see these foot high pies for ourselves. They really are spectacular to behold. We stopped in with a carload of seven people and chose to buy two pies. We bought a chocolate cream that had about 7 inches a meringue on top and a dense heavy apple pie. I swear the apple pie may have weighed 5 pounds. we then drove another few hours with the pies waiting for us in the back of the van. It was not until later that evening, New Year's Eve did we get to enjoy our foot high pies. The chocolate pie was very rich but the meringue balanced the flavor. The apple pie was tart and sweet, I do not think they even added sugar. We enjoyed our pies and will recommend them to anyone passing through.
(5)Diane S.
Pies rule but the ambiance and service and freebies on the table will bring you back too. I wasn't impressed with the chicken and dumplings but I'm pretty sure that they're authentic and lots of people will rank them their favorite. Never had a meringue on a pie that i enjoyed before and I'm picky on chocolate pie. They won me over on both counts and an excellent and tasty crust. I'll do a drive by whenever i can afford the carbs. Bring cash. $5 a pie slice to go, if nothing else. Apple was equally worth a stop. And i can make both so rarely think anything i buy is worthwhile because homemade is better.
(4)Mark F.
Classic country style cooking with portions and refills to spoil any diet. Super friendly Katie the server filled the empty restaurant (it was closing hour in the snow) with a bright smile and endless cheer.
(4)Amy M.
I loved this place. I went with a big group and had the homemade pork sausage and a chocolate pie. Its homestyle so about 5 or 6 side dishes came out to be passed around the table. These consisted of green beans, mashed potatoes, beets, rolls, and gravy. After that a huge plate of about 4 or 5 pork sausages on beets came out for me. I somehow finished all of that and had room for pie. I needed to try the pie and even though I was stuffed, I finished the pie as well because everything was just amazing! Thank goodness we stopped here!
(5)Jamie H.
We found this place on our long drive home from Indiana on Yelp. The food was excellent. I ordered the country fried steak while my two companions ordered the fried chicken. Both were amazing. Before receiving your food, they bring out biscuits, beets, and cole slaw served family style. When you get your food, you also get mashed potatoes, gravy, and greens beans, which is also served family style. I liked all the sides except for the cole slaw. I generally don't care for cole slaw, but my husband said it was a little too sour for him. We also tried the peach pie and the chocolate merengue pie. Both where good. This is definitely a place to check out if you are passing by.
(5)John H.
I saw the signs on I-70 and I thought I would give it a try. The best part about the meal, was the service. My waiter, was very attentive. Of course, I was the only person in the place but still, he met my expectations. The Fried Shrimp, were very tasty. The biscuits, were dry. The Apple Butter, was a little off. The Green Beans, Corn, Mashed Potatoes, & Gravy were all out of a can. I was extremely underwhelmed by the food. So much so, I skipped the famous "Mile High Pies". Then to cap off an already bad experience, I was told they don't accept credit cards. I travel for work and I use my company credit card extensively. I asked; "Did I miss a sign somewhere?" The reply was:"There should be one on the door." I paid my cash. I tipped the young lad and on my way out of the restaurant, I scanned for "Cash Only" signs. I saw a grand total of ONE sign. It was on the side of the pie case. Not the front, where it is plainly visible. It was on the side. There were none on the front door or in the vestibule. I feel like a rube who, was served a sub standard meal. The Blue Springs Cafe is, in my opinion; a highway restaurant, designed to fleece the unwary on their travels. It's no wonder, i was the only patron in the place at supper time on a Tuesday Night. I won't be going back and I do not recommend this establishment.
(1)James G.
We stop here every time we're on I-70. The food is amazing with very large portions. The sides are served family style. Lunches are about $8 while dinner is about $13 - really not much at all. Then there are the foot high pies and fruit pies. Just amazing. When we're heading home we make a point of carrying out at least a pie. They are made daily and when they're gone, they're gone. Just a note - it is cash only, but there is an ATM by the pies, just in case.
(5)Christine M.
We found this place 8 years ago when we moved St. Louis. We always stop here when we are traveling. The wait staff remembers us even if it's been months since our last visit. They even remember our orders as we have our favorites. All the dishes come with homemade sides--the pickled beets are sooooo good! And we never leave without pie. The prices are reasonable, the comfort food is homemade, the place is cozy and the staff is friendly. If you see this place while traveling on I-70 you need to stop.
(5)Robert M.
Roadtrip 2015 ! 6500 miles and had to stop here TWICE! Awesome food, service and great price. Chicken and Dumplings like Grandma made. Fried Chicken or Chicken fried steak..ALL gets a 10! Don't let those young servers fool ya...all offer great service and a smile ...gotta love their job! Super friendly...cant wait for my next visit! Dreaming of the cherry pie!
(5)Chris J.
Great comfort and home cooking. Meatloaf was good as was everyone's food. Chocolate Pie was excellent!
(5)Danielle K.
Saw the sign for the Mile-high pies driving along I-70 on pi day so we had to stop. We ended up getting a cherry pie to go! Very good.
(4)Kate J.
OMG OMG OMG. I drive this section of I-70 a few times a year. Believe it or not, I plan my departure to coincide with their dinner hours. Recently, I drove like a mad woman because I realized I was going to be cutting it close, so it was with a sigh of relief that I pulled in with a few minutes to spare. Another Yelper refers to the Blue Springs as an oasis on the highway, and there simply isn't a better way to describe it (so thank you, T.F.) I call 30 minutes out and order the family pack, and there is plenty for dinner, and snacks for the rest of the trip. It is quite simply the best friend chicken I've ever had. I'm not a meringue pie person, which is sad because the pies look amazing, but I do indulge in a fruit pie, if they have cherry.....it's refreshingly tart.....I hate sweet gelatinous cherry pie filling. The staff is very accommodating for carry out orders, but remember NO credit cards. This place is a bargain......the family pack with all the sides is around $20. You will also love the sides...including the beets.....yes I said beets. Green beans, mashed potatoes....real mashed potatoes......gravy.......oh dear I have to stop now or I'll get in the car and drive 500 miles for dinner.
(5)Alison G.
Awesome food! Great service, farmhouse cozy atmosphere. Try the walleye fillets and the home made coleslaw (vinegar based)... then there are the mile high pies!
(5)Jeff S.
I was traveling home from a conference and although I had a credit card. I was running low on cash. I thought I would order a meal and a famous advertised foot high pie. But found the price of their family style meals a bit high for a single person. In fact I did not have enough cash to buy pie. However I thought I might go back out to the car but before I thought I would take a look at the pies, at least from appearance the pies seem to lack filling, the crust looked oily and the murange was where the majority of the "foot" was. I elected to pass on the pie and return to the meal. The biscuits were stale but the apple butter was good. The slaw's vinegar was overwhelming for my taste. The pickled beets were just right. I had ordered the fried chicken and it was freshly hot out of the fryer and it was crunchy and lightly coated as I expected. Fried Chicken was the star, pie brought me but the chicken was a welcome consolation. The mashed potatoes and light gravy were also a great partner with chicken and the green beans were dark green and cooked just right for a Midwesterner with obligatory bacon. Gave 3 stars for not taking credit and what I thought was bit high for a no cash establishment off a well traveled highway. I 70
(3)Julie L.
Saw the signs on I70 and thought we'd stop in on our way back to Milwaukee after a 3 day business trip. All home made dishes. Lunch plates were $7.95 and were not skimpy by any means. Service was great. The chicken and dumplings were absolutely delicious. This place reminds you of eating in grandma's kitchen. Very comfortable homey feeling. If there's a negative, it's that they don't take plastic. It's worth hitting an ATM on your way if you don't have a check book with you.
(4)D. R. S.
We found Blue Springs Cafe about 8 years ago and make an effort to eat there every time we travel that section of I-70. It's Midwest comfort food... Large portions for a reasonable price. On Sundays, the sides (pickled beets, coleslaw, green beans, mashed potatoes, white gravy & biscuits with apple butter) are served family-style. During the rest of the week the lunches are served with individual sides. The "foot high" pies fall a few inches short (They're about 9" tall & that's a lot of merengue). We've had the banana cream, the coconut cream and the chocolate. The slices are large enough to share and not too sweet. They are tasty. For those who want gourmet Chicago or St. Louis-style food, you'll be disappointed. The clientele consists of locals and travelers. It's a great stop if you want down-home food served by friendly staff to down-to-earth folk.
(4)David S.
Nothing to write home about. The food was fair with decent prices. They need more variety with side dishes. I had the pork ribeye, it was very average. Their pies are great though.
(2)Teri D.
On our road trip was getting peckish so started looking at signs to see where to go. The Food Network sign drew me in. Glad it did too. Foot high pie? Well I didn't measure it but if it's any indication, it was right around Thanksgiving and we walked in to tables full of pies waiting to be picked up - must've been close to 100 of them. Basic good old fashioned food with the menu being written up daily. And they will tell you what they have run out of before you get too intent on ordering it. The little side salads were basic but good but the ham and green beans were fantastic. The ham was tasty without being overly salty like some places. And the prices were very very good. For lunch the special was entree and two sides for $7.95 with a slice of tall pie for $4.75. The only thing that knocked off a star was the fact they don't take credit/debit cards. Cash or - who uses these anymore - personal check. If you don't have cash there is an ATM right at the end of the counter. If you're rolling down highway 70 then stop here for the pies if nothing else!
(4)Sarah V.
This place is pretty good but they only accept cash. This definitely takes a star for me because I don't want to pay an ATM fee and I do not like to carry cash. The food is good but it's not amazing. I like the family style idea, plus you get more side dishes if you run out. They do this on Sundays. The chicken is good and I always get that because the few other entrees I've gotten I wasn't a big fan of. The sides are good too. I wouldn't say go out of your way to eat here but it's nice to have around for the comfort food and to get away from the shit restaurants in Highland.
(3)Viola S.
Delicious home style cooking and incredible pies makes this a stopping point when we are traveling through the area. The portions are generous and the prices are modest. We've had pork with dressing, walleye and meatloaf;.all come with sides of coleslaw, beans, pickled beets and a variety of other tasty choices. The luncheon portion of crispy cornmeal breaded walleye was larger than most dinner portions in other restaurants. The waitress was very pleasant But the stars are the foot high meringue pies that taste as marvelous as they look.
(5)AJ G.
This place is a treasure: a genuine classic all-American roadside cafe with servings that would warm your mother's heart. Everything appears to be real, homemade, and tasty. The assortment, size, and quality of pies is mind-blowing. Prices are very reasonable. Skip every chain restaurant for 50 miles and eat here.
(5)TJ H.
We stopped here on a road trip from St. Louis after seeing the place featured on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" (egg episode!). We went for one reason and one reason only, and it was totally worth it. The pies were amazing. The hook, foot high pies, is not what did it for me. Though the coconut part of the pie was fantastic, creamy, and delicious, the tallness factor was the least exciting part of the experience. The tart cherry pie was heaven, and the crusty, flaky apple made the extra 40 minutes of driving totally worth it. Definitely try it if you're anywhere near the area. Quick service, great fresh pie, and a homey atmosphere.
(4)T F.
Oasis on the Highway? This place has it all.....plenty of parking, home style setting, foot high Meringue pies(and other non-meringue), stichery and quiltery ( yes, not words but you didn't have to pay to read this!) and even some gambling machines. Bring cash as no ccards accepted...there is an ATM but just bring cash! Food, doesn't matter, it is delicious ... Fried chicken is the thing you came for (and the pie). Ask your waitress - they are very helpful. Did I mention the pie? Lemon Meringue is what they are known for but the cherry, apple and chocolate is outstanding as well. Finally, this is just plain old fashioned fun... See, you pick one up on your way to your destination. You show up with a pie and everyone looks forward to your next visit. Then pick one up on your way back home and Whamo.....goodness in every bite! For my family, it is a break in the driving, fun to eat, then back on the road and b4 you know it...you arrive at your destination.....with a foot high pie! Easter they sell about 300 pies, get your order in advance, call ahead.
(5)Karla T.
First cash check only, there is a ready ATM near the check out. Menu is on the wall for all to see. You order an entree and they bring the cold sides first "family style" which is to say vinegar coleslaw, canned pickled beets, biscuits with "whipped spread" and a squeeze bottle of Apple butter. Slaw was absolutely nothing special, they put cabbage in a food processor maybe one carrot for color then added a white vinegar and white sugar dressing. Beets were canned, maybe they added more vinegar sugar. Biscuits were chewy, Apple "sugar" butter and what is wrong with good old fashioned BUTTER. We ordered chicken fried steak, bbq baked chicken and the sausage and red cabbage. These entrees came with hot "family style" sides. Real mashed potatoes, that had to be boiled and mashed in the water they were cooked in. No cream no butter not even whipped spread. Green beans came out of a can heated served. Gravy was white, I'm sure powder from a package reconstituted, lumpy no flavor. Baked chicken was well done to falling off the bone. Half chicken was a very small chicken. Bbq was ketchup and more vinegar. Sausage was flavorful but dry. Red cabbage was drowned in vinegar. Must buy the stuff in bulk. Chicken fried steak was good, more flavorless lumpy gravy though. This is a pie place lemon meringue was lemon filling runny, fruit pie strawberry rhubarb crust was underdone, no color. The staff is over the top nice friendly. Can't make up for the mediocre food.
(2)Lori F.
Very good home style food. We didn't get their lunch special that was $7.95 but we got their family style dinners that were $11.95, it came with all you can eat of five sides dishes and a big portions of the main food. We were so stuffed but had to try the famous pie, I was disappointed with the pie but my husband liked his. So over all loved the food and not so much the pie! Service was great!
(5)Alicia O.
I stopped here on a whim on my way home from a day in Vandalia thinking I need some comfort food. Must admit the big sign stating they were on the Food Channel got my attention more than anything. Can't believe I'd never stopped before. In my opinion, when you walk into a restaurant and are the youngest one there outside of a Grandma or Grandpa, you're in the right spot. Seasoned elder foodies, dont mess around. They want good food cheap. Bingo.....this is the location for all of that served with home town comforts. When I got the menu I laughed at myself. The nice waitress gave me a small menu (its also listed on the wall) and said "everything is $7.95 and you get two sides". I immediately thought like it felt like that scene out of My Cousin Vinney when the menu says "breakfast lunch or dinner". I chuckled and decided what the hell, I'm starting off with dessert! Yes I ordered and ate mile high coconut cream pie $5.95 before ordering lunch or as we say in the country dinner. Dinner in the country is supper. Note, SHOW UP WITH CASH OR CHECKBOOK. They only take those, but an ATM is onsite. Note2, PAY ATTENTION TO THE SPECIALS, or ask. They have things not on the menu and may draw your attention more than the prefixed menu. My waitress did not ask and this is the only downfall I noticed. I ordered the country fried steak with white gravy, mashed potatoes (REAL) and green beans with shredded pieces of ham. I prefer chunks of bacon but hello it's still pork and you never go wrong with pork. The green beans almost seemed frozen to me but cooked long to make them seem more home made. I could be wrong but I'm used to my southern G'ma who cooked them all day and they lost color and nutrients while gaining much loved salt and fat. Needless to say, my food came out very hot and fresh in a short amount of time. I said I was only going to eat half and take the rest home. This barely survived the test. Food was delish and I will be back. It's only a 15-20minute drive from Maryville/Edwardsville area. Overall the food is good and very reasonable for what you get. They get you on your ticket with the pie prices. I'd say skip the slice at $5.95 and buy a whole buy for around $17 if there are several of you or if you want to take some home and enjoy it when there is more room in your tummy.
(4)DeeDee J.
I give this place 2 stars, and my husband chose 3. Super nice and friendly staff. Good biscuits and mashed taters. Green beans from a can. Baked chicken was tough and dry. The pie? Over sweetened. I, too, was surprised to see all the fruit pies out on the counter in the open. As soon as I saw the ATM machine, I knew that they wanted cash only. I agree that there should be a large and conspicuous sign with that info. Glad we stopped for the experience, but we won't be back.
(3)Darin C.
Love the pies here. Always stop here on my way back from Indiana to get a slice of lemon meringue pie. Would like to try other pies but have no more room in the cooler.
(5)John G.
I got off of this exit to get gas. I'm glad we decided to stop here for lunch. And OMG the pies! Very happy!
(4)Dodd A.
I am a big fan of homestyle cooking, but this place was a big disappointment. We stopped due to the billboard advertisements along the interstate hoping for some good cooking. My wife ordered the chicken breast, which was tough and chewy. I ordered the chicken fried steak, which was actually not bad with the mashed potatoes and country gravey. One thing that was a let down was the side salad. As a restaurant, if you are going to lazily settle for the bare minimum iceburg salad, at least put more veggies on it to make it look somewhat appetizing. Now the part about the pies. Their foot-high pies are apparently the trademark items. We were about to order a slice of their fruit pie, but then we noticed something disturbing. The fruit pies were all sitting out in the open on a display counter. We watched as a greasy man and his wife hovered their heads over the pies for a smell. Then we wondered how many other people have been sticking their heads over the unprotected pies. We hoped that these were just display pies, but then we watched as a server cut a slice and served it to a patron. Gross. The meringue pies were behind a piece of protective glass, so we ordered the chocolate cream pie. Most of that "foot high" description is simply merignue sitting on top of a rather thin layer of chocolate cream and crust. It's a lot like advertising a "jumbo hot chocolate", but then serving someone a milimeter of hot chocolate covered with nothing but whipped cream. The worst part was the payment process. As I walked up to the counter, I noticed a sign tucked behind the counter and not in clear sight stating they do not accept credit or debit cards. I assumed that a restaurant sitting right on the interstate would accept such payment, but this was not the case. I was curious if I was to blame for this, and that maybe I missed a sign at the entrance. After all, I have been to homestyle restaurants with this policy, but I am always warned at the front door. I went to the front door and entrance area and saw no warning signs telling customers as they enter that there are no credit cards accepted. There is only the sign behind the counter that was also tucked away. Then I put two and two together. The restaurant has their own ATM where people without cash are forced to take out money. It really makes sense. Why would the restaurant want to extend the courtesy of telling people credit cards are not accepted when they have the opportunity to bleed ATM fees from patrons? In my opinion, this was a questionable and deceitful arrangement. Luckily we had emergency cash in the car. Overall, the chicken fried steak was not bad, but that was the only plus. The remainder of our experience here was rather poor. My recommendation is to keep driving along I-70.
(1)Michael D.
Traveling on a business trip. Just flew in from Texas. Saw a Yelp review and decided to stop in. Glad we did! Amazing service, the waitress was very polite was always there if we needed anything. The green beans are killer! Chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes is a good combo. Don't forget to try the banana pie! Would definitely stop here again.
(5)David A.
Was going home to St. Louis after a day at the lake and stumbled on $16.95 buffet featuring prime rib plus the "foot high pie". The buffet was the best way to sample things since it seemed that all of their entrees were on the buffet. Pretty good food. Home cooked. Good size salad bar set up. The stuffing tasted like thanksgiving. Fried chicken was excellent. Home made sausages. Bring cash the credit card machine did not but they had a ATM inside. If there is not a buffet they serve family style
(4)Gail W.
Whenever we are in the area, we eat at Blue Springs Cafe. We decided to go home that way on Saturday from St Louis -- a little out of the way for us, but SO worth it! The food is good, old-fashioned home cooking. The fried chicken is great, but, if you are there on a Chicken and Dumplings day, choose that! They are every bit as good as my grandmother's and that is saying a lot! I grew up having pickled beets whenever we had chicken and dumplings, so I'm thrilled they offer beets as a side. The green beans taste fresh and are seasoned with ham -- not too salty at all. The cole slaw has a vinegar based dressing, not mayo, which my husband prefers since he doesn't eat mayo. Don't get too full because you have to have pie! The lemon is wonderful -- just sweet enough and just tart enough. This is the only place where I'll eat meringue and there is certainly plenty on these pies! And, yes, they don't take credit or debit cards. Missed the sign on the counter? Check the front door. There are no credit card decals on the doors--a sure sign that an establishment doesn't accept credit cards.
(5)M Terri O.
Saw the road signs . Can't resist a good pie! Had the chocolate cream. Was HUGE! Pretty messy, but very yummy. Not TOO sickeningly sweet, but plenty sweet enough - more like a pudding pie. Good crust. The dinner menu on the wall looked REALLY good - chicken livers AND beef liver? Wish I'd had the appetite for a full dinner! I don't know when I'll ever be in this area again, but if I am, I will make sure to stop.
(4)Tara B.
My husband had the walleye which was amazingly delicious and I had the fried chicken breast sandwich that was pretty darn good. They give you tons of food. Everything comes with two sides and is $7.95. All the food was very fresh and seemed homemade. Good service, good food, good prices. Would definitely go here again if we were passing thru.
(4)Paul S.
Pie was good. I had the salad. The meals come with all those sides. I couldn't eat it all. The Salad was basic but not bad. I think if you are going to go for the food here, that you go for the more unusual items. Liver and Gizzards, bone-in fried cat fish, and so forth. The green beans were actually exceptional and not overcooked, they had a lot of taste.
(5)Lynne W.
Pie was outstanding and alone worth the stop. Food is fixed price - no a la carte. All prepared to order and quite good. Come hungry. You won't be disappointed.
(5)Darrin P.
I wish there were more restaurants like this along the interstate. Great food and nice staff. I recommend the banana cream pie. I will definitely plan my trip next time I'm on I-70 to stop here. Keep up the great work!
(5)Nadia M.
Stopped here on a cross country road trip from Pittsburgh to San Francisco. Saw the road signs advertising Foot-Hi Pie and I knew we had to stop - we are a little pie obsessed. Did a quick search on my phone and saw that they had been featured on the Food Network "Best thing I Ever Ate" for their Lemon Meringue Pie. Great! I love lemon meringue pie. This place looks old fashioned right down to the blue checkered table cloths and it felt like an authentic roadside café. Before getting to the pie, we chose from their lunch menu which was $7.95 and included choice of 2 sides. They had sandwiches and hot meals. Hubby ordered fried chicken and was told it would take 15-20 minutes, he did not want to wait, so we both ordered the Walleye. I would have waited. His sides were baked beans and pickled beets and mine were fries and coleslaw. The fish came lightly breaded with a thin crunchy cornmeal crust, served on a slice of white bread and was piping hot, as were the fries. They were battered and crispy and I loved them. They would have been perfect if the ketchup had been Heinz! It was some generic ketchup in a plain squeeze bottle. The coleslaw was the non mayo kind - sweet and sour, which I prefer. It was a little to wet for my liking, had a pool of water in the bottom of the bowl, but it was a generous portion and had good texture. The pickled beets were very good and the baked beans tasted homemade with 2 kinds of beans and not too sweet. Overall the lunch was pretty good - fresh, generous portions and well priced. Which brings me to the pie. Major disappointment from a place known for pie. We shared a slice of lemon meringue and while it might measure a foot high in the pie plate, the slice we received was falling apart with the meringue sitting off to the side of the filling and no recognizable bottom crust. The crust that was there was wet and soggy which is a huge problem in a pie. The lemon filling was not overly sweet but it lacked tartness and could have been a bit firmer. The meringue was good but with mediocre filling and soggy crust, it just did not work for me. Overall, worth a stop if you are in the area. Good food for what it is and pleasant enough service. I took off 2 stars for wet, soggy pie because that is what they are known for and it should better, especially after being featured on the Food Network.
(3)Bill C.
I may lose my "food critic" license but I'm going with 5 stars. Is this a 5 star restaurant? I don't know but it was for us on the night we went. We had been here a few years ago and it was unmemorable. Not bad but not outstanding. After seeing them on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate", my curiousity was piqued so we went back. Glad we did! My wife said, "This is the kind of restaurant that a Cracker Barrel would be if they were authentic (country)." Exactly. Kind of like a cross between an old style restuarant and your favorite elderly Aunt's house. Service was great and food was perfect. I had the Italian sausage (made locally I was told), my wife had the roast beef - very tender. The sides wer awesome; especially the beets and mashed potatoes (scratch made). Of course, we had to have some pie so we shared a piece. A little steep at over $5 per slice but it was incredible! Best lemon meringue pie I've ever tasted! This was not a cheap meal - We each had a dinner, 1 drink (coffee) and 1 piece of pie came to around $42 with tip. But the food and atmosphere (very down home!) made it worth the trip. We'll be back.
(5)Julia S.
Went here after reading the reviews about their pies. We were disappointed. Turkey burger was chewy and grisley. Soup was luke warm and tasted like vinegar (stuffed pepper soup). My main squeeze liked his bbq sandwich and baked beans and fries were hot and crispy. Best part beer is ice cold and served in frosties. Split the meringue chocolate pie and it was really wet and not very flavorful.
(3)Leslie W.
My family flew to the Midwest to meet my husbands family, so we gathered here for lunch. I remember seeing this restaurant featured on the Food Network' show The Best Thing I Ever Ate. This restaurant is famous for their "foot high pie." My in laws concurred it was a good place to eat at, so we decided to try it. The lunch options are not figure friendly to say the least, as over half the menu options are deep fried, like fried shrimp, fried chicken, fried gizzards, and more. I opted for the Chef Salad since it seemed like the healthier choice considering I wanted to try pie afterwards. The salad consisted of ice burg lettuce (I wish it came with a higher grade lettuce, but it's a small rural town so what could I expect), raw broccoli, grape tomatoes, sliced red onions, and chicken, with your choice of salad dressing. The chicken tasted awful, like it was reconstituted from a freezer bag. The rest of the produce tasted pretty fresh, but nothing to rave about. Our waitress, however was wonderful as she was very attentive to our large party. Finally when our pie arrived I was so excited to try it after the unappetizing lunch. I ordered the lemon meringue pie, and it was the best lemon meringue pie I ever had. The crust was buttery and flakey, the lemon had a slight tang and was smooth and rich, and the meringue was light and creamy. I shared it with my son and he love it too! My husband ordered the coconut cream pie, which is his favorite type of pie and he didn't care for it. He thought it was too sweet and didn't have a strong coconut flavor. Overall, an ok place for lunch, but come for the pie!
(3)bob t.
The other reviews are fair, but perhaps a bit mean on the ratings. We stopped in because of the billboard (foot-high pie indeed, they were barely 8 inches when we were there...). their web site is: foothipies.com the tenderloin was good. the fried walleye less good, but good. the pie was good. the service was relatively fast. What would really be nice is a yelp path, where you can say I'm driving from x to y, and where is the best food on that path.... this place belongs on that map!
(4)Starlett R.
my husband and I always go here for the whole fried catfish, it is great and the home style meal is very good. The green beans are hard to beat. If you are from the area, stop by on Friday for all you can eat specials. omg the pies here are great too.
(5)Stephanie P.
After more than a year of traveling I-70 between Cincy and Columbia we finally succumbed to the "mile high pie" billboard and ate dinner at Blue Spings. I started by picking out my pie and was glad I did as they ran out of pie by the end of the meal. The menu is posted on a board and features homestyle favorites including fried chicken, catfish, meat loaf, homemade sausage. My youngest had a half order of chicken and dumplings which were very delicious. The dumplings were tender and had lots of flavor. The mixed fried chicken was four huge pieces with coating that had just the right amount of crunch. The fried shrimp were nothing special, however. The family style sides were amazing. The biscuits were piping hot, fluffy and the apple butter was clearly homemade. It had a lot of cinamon. My husband loved the pickled beets. They had a lot of cloes. The mashed potatoes and gravy were Thanksgiving worthy. We had two pieces of pie--bananna and chocolate cream. The meringue was indeed quite fluffy. I liked the banna but was not impressed with the chocolate. It was runny and a bit bitter. Beware they are a cash only place and the in house ATM was down. Staff is friendly and keeps the food flowing. Decor isn't much but it is clean and neat. We may have a new tradition on the drive home.
(3)Mark B.
A classic piece of America. I've been stopping here for decades. Today shared the chicken fried steak with my son to save room for bites of the chocolate, lemon, and banana cream pie. What a great little place. This is THE place to stop for lunch or dinner east of St Louis.
(4)Julia W.
Home of the Foot-Hi Pie! There are less than 20 items on the entree menu at Blue Springs Cafe, a little spot off I-70 in Highland, IL. That's alright, though, because you're likely coming for the pie. I've been bugging my husband to stop at this cafe since we were college sweethearts making the trip between school in Indiana and his family in St. Louis. Finally, after 9 long years, we FINALLY stopped by for a quick dinner and a slice of pie. Every meal at Blue Springs comes with pickled beets, coleslaw, applesauce, real mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans with bacon. I found that both hilarious and sweet--who needs all that? What a strange combination of sides! But clearly, Blue Springs knows better than I do, because I ate my way through quite a bit of those sides and the meatloaf I ordered. Everything tasted almost exactly like it came out of my Grandma Rose's kitchen and I think that's what I liked best about our dining experience. It was a down-home, casual, comforting and nostalgic dinner. And then there was pie. A rich, smooth chocolate cream pie with mounds of meringue. The pie was the entire reason I wanted to visit Blue Springs and it was a tasty slice, but I think I ended up enjoying the flavor flashbacks induced by my meal even more. And because the portions were so large and those funny sides so plentiful, I was able to enjoy another Grandma-ish meal at home the next day. Who knew I'd end up favoring pickled beets and meatloaf over chocolate cream pie?? P.S. There's a really nice changing table in the ladies' room. Thanks, Blue Springs. :)
(3)Lance L.
Like the cracker barrel should be. In an old stuckeys, which is fun.
(3)Daniel F.
Great place between Effingham and St. Louis. Right off the interstate, so convenient for travelers and those needing to be at Greenville College, an easy 15 min. drive. Very much a country style restaurant, wood floors, rustic decor too. Meals served family style with cold sides, then hot ones with the entree, of which there were about 12 options. Not a good place for vegetarians though. Food was good, sides as well. Pies, as advertised, were certainly topped with a lot of meringue, and the lemon pie I had was very tasty. Again, great place for families, as kids can easily share with parents. Minus one star for cash only, in this day and age, catering to tourists as well as locals, I'd pay a little more for the convenience of plastic.
(4)V B.
Map appears wrong. Possibly the best pie I have ever enjoyed. Very close to I-70 near Highland IL. Just watch for the Mile High Pie billboards. I never pass it without picking up some great pie, especially cocoanut cream. Pie Heaven. You must try.
(5)Trudy G.
If you are on I70 in IL not far from St Louis this restaurant is worth a stop. The menu is on the wall and the starters (biscuits, apple butter, pickled beets and cole slaw) and sides (mashed potatoes, brown and white gravy, green beans) are family style. Not a slaw fan, I was happy to enjoy this vinegar-based version and the pickled beets were delicious. Three membersoff our party enjoyed the meat loaf, although it could have been shared as the portions are generous, and I had the fried walleye. While the batter was light, it was salty so I picked out the big chunks of fish. One disappointment is that they do run out of items: we arrived at 5:30 pm to find they were out of baked chicken and most versions of the mile high pie. But the service was well-paced and the atmosphere bright and homey. And the pie we did choose, blackberry, was the best we had ever enjoyed!
(4)C M.
Great homestyle food. Pies! Downgraded because it is on a MAJOR highway and does NOT take credit cards.
(3)Ken T.
Stopped here a few times on our way back to St Louis, discovered the Saturday evening buffet, including prime rib! We went there this past Saturday; place was busy but no line, food was very good, fair variety of items, everything that I sampled was good. So far, have not had any pie, will try to remember to leave room next time. My wife insists that i eat 'normal American' food at least twice a week; if we lived closer to this place, i'd comply happily.
(4)Nikki S.
Good homemade food. I really enjoyed it. The roast beef was a little salty, but that is my only complaint about the food. Food was homemade and they are old timey recipes. Like like adding cloves to their pickled beets, which took me back to my grammas beets.The biggest drawback to this place is the prices are high. The pies were almost $5.00 a slice! Dinners are around $13.00 a plate. Take cash or your ATM card, no credit cards taken.
(4)Mike T.
I will say that they lure you in well with the "Featured on Food Network" billboard. My wife and I decided to give it a try. We walked in and with no one else waiting to be seated, the manager asks us how many, and we let them know 4 kids and 2 adults. I watched as she got the table ready and proceeded to talk with the regulars, only when she was done with the personal chit chat did she ask us to sit, about 3 mins, not a horrible deal but after driving cross country it was a little magnified. The food was food family style where you select an entree off the menu on the wall, and the server brings cole slaw, beets, and biscuits with Apple butter. We waited 15 mins for the server to get our drink orders, and it was busy and she apologized. She came back quick with our drinks and took our food orders. At this time the table next to us was seated, and there server asks if they would like to reserve some pie. I found it odd to reserve it before the meal, but figured it being Saturday night and they seemed to be locals, he called them by their names, so I thought he knew their ordering habits. Our server visited our table three more times and never mentioned it. When it was time to order desert they were out of every pie flavor, at 730 PM. They close at 9, so while I didn't fault her for the cook being short, I did fault my server for not asking up front after we told her it was our first time eating there. Bottom line is walk in before dinner and order the pie, of not you may miss out! Also we asked the sever for crayons and paper to which she said sure, and proceeded not to bring at all even after I reminded her. Get the pie to geaux!
(2)Tommy M.
Yelp has the location wrong! Address is right but it maps you to a home 3.7 miles away! But don't let that stop you from going. The walleye is fantastic and the pies might not be a foot high but they sure come close. All meals come with pickled beets, cole slaw, mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans. Plus biscuits and apple butter. Too much food for one!
(4)Nick T.
For a home cooked style meal this place was phenomenal! Saturday night they have an all you can eat buffet line with prime rib and everything else they run on the normal menu for 15 bucks. What great way to give everything a try. Plan on repeating for sure. I normally wouldn't think this type of restaurant as being five stars but for price and everything home cooked I'm saying 5! Also they are cash and check only but do have an ATM in the building.
(5)Teri D.
Blue Springs Cafe is located right off of I-70 in Highland and they have a sister restaurant in Grant Fork (pop. 250) off Highway 160 so I am just about smack in the middle of the two of them and they have the same food and decor--Country Kitchen. One is in a former Stuckey's and the other in a big old farm house. Nothing fancy here, but it's all fresh and homemade--including pies made just like your granny used to make--homemade crust and all! The food could be awesome with a little imagination, but it's the solid no-frills home cooking you used to find every Sunday afternoon after church at your grandma's house. Service varies, but the food is always fresh, and everything is served family style and every entree comes with bowls of real mashed potatoes and gravy, beets, coleslaw, homemade biscuits, honey and whatever sides come with the meal on the plate, usually stuffing with the turkey and roast pork. They have a standing selection of menu selections that are posted on the wall in several places. Fried chicken that is crispy and juicy, fried fish, gizzards and livers, roast pork loin that comes with stuffing in addition to all the sides, same for the roasted turkey dinner. Roast beef, chopped steak, and other family favorites round out the selections Beer and wine is available and make sure you save room for the amazing homemade pies made totally from scratch--lemon, chocolate cream, coconut cream, and an assortment of fruit pies--blackberry, cherry, peach and more! Saturday they have a steak special at the Blue Springs Cafe--filet mignon, salad, choice of potato, bread, glass of wine for 13.99 and it's GOOD!! The service is friendly and fairly efficient and the atmosphere is pure country kitchen. They give you more food than anyone could possibly eat--the last time I ate dinner there, I had lunch for 2 days out of the doggie bag I took home, but pack up half your dinner and make sure you get a slice of the best pie I've had since Grandma Dean passed on 40 years ago.
(5)Phoebe B.
After traveling on I-70 last week, we decided to stop to have a nice, sit-down dinner after so many long hours of travel and get a break from the rain. I used my Droid app to locate a nice place to eat. After reading so many positive reviews, the Blue Sprints Cafe sounded like the perfect place to stop for some down time and have some good food. I was pleased by the atmosphere, very homey and quaint. However, upon reviewing the menu offerings, there was no healthy menu options. Even the salad was laden with cheese and was made up of iceburg lettece. With the word "cafe" being in the name, we expected that there would be some sandwhiches or more healthy salad/soup offerings but this was not the case. So we opted to forego the diets and have a nice homestyle meal. :-) I had the chicken and dumplings and my travel companion had the roast beef. Service was a bit slow but we got our meals within 15 minutes of ordering. What a disappointment! The meals were so over salted that they could barely be eaten. It was obvious that no one had tasted the food before going out, otherwise it would not have been served. Since we both were so tired, we did not bother to complain. And opted to pay our tab and just to get back on the road. We considered trying the desserts but did not want to risk further disappointment based on our dining experience. I will choose another place next time we travel. This was not worth the stop. Food was barely above truck stop dining (salty, greasy fair).
(2)Margie N.
This little place is a jewel! They have a very select menu, which is posted on the wall- fried chicken, roast chicken, meat loaf, lasagna,etc. That and your drink are all you order. Then, they begin bringing food family style: Cole slaw, beets and bread with apple butter to begin. With the entree comes more and more: mashed potatoes, gravy, green beans and I don't remember what all! Everything homemade, fresh and plentiful. Bit save room! They make real hemade pies- both fruit and cream - that are "mile-high" and will knock your socks off! The pieces are huge. It's casual and relaxed. The servers are college kids who work together and ate very friendly. We took he leftovers and fought over them the next day!
(5)Norma K.
Had a great lunch. Food was great, but I'd save room for the pie next time!! Share a sandwich & some pie, & you'll have the best of both worlds.
(4)Terry B.
The best coconut cream pie I have eaten in my life.
(5)Trudy G.
If you are on I70 in IL not far from St Louis this restaurant is worth a stop. The menu is on the wall and the starters (biscuits, apple butter, pickled beets and cole slaw) and sides (mashed potatoes, brown and white gravy, green beans) are family style. Not a slaw fan, I was happy to enjoy this vinegar-based version and the pickled beets were delicious. Three membersoff our party enjoyed the meat loaf, although it could have been shared as the portions are generous, and I had the fried walleye. While the batter was light, it was salty so I picked out the big chunks of fish. One disappointment is that they do run out of items: we arrived at 5:30 pm to find they were out of baked chicken and most versions of the mile high pie. But the service was well-paced and the atmosphere bright and homey. And the pie we did choose, blackberry, was the best we had ever enjoyed!
(4)C M.
Great homestyle food. Pies! Downgraded because it is on a MAJOR highway and does NOT take credit cards.
(3)Ken T.
Stopped here a few times on our way back to St Louis, discovered the Saturday evening buffet, including prime rib! We went there this past Saturday; place was busy but no line, food was very good, fair variety of items, everything that I sampled was good. So far, have not had any pie, will try to remember to leave room next time. My wife insists that i eat 'normal American' food at least twice a week; if we lived closer to this place, i'd comply happily.
(4)Juliana P.
I can't review the food--just the Mile High Pie. Apparently, this was on Food Network, "Best Thing I Ever Ate". While I don't like unnecessary blow back on food network featured places, I can say when you are a pastry chef and call it the "Best", even though its in the MIDDLE OF NOWHERE, I want to try it. Driving across country, we stopped in for the chocolate mousse Mile High pie. The meringue was high, but soggy. The chocolate wasn't great, and I really didn't like the crust. It honestly spoiled my appetite for dinner, not because we ate too much, but because it was just so blah. I wouldn't really bother stopping and I feel like it does have undue praise.
(2)John H.
I saw the signs on I-70 and I thought I would give it a try. The best part about the meal, was the service. My waiter, was very attentive. Of course, I was the only person in the place but still, he met my expectations. The Fried Shrimp, were very tasty. The biscuits, were dry. The Apple Butter, was a little off. The Green Beans, Corn, Mashed Potatoes, & Gravy were all out of a can. I was extremely underwhelmed by the food. So much so, I skipped the famous "Mile High Pies". Then to cap off an already bad experience, I was told they don't accept credit cards. I travel for work and I use my company credit card extensively. I asked; "Did I miss a sign somewhere?" The reply was:"There should be one on the door." I paid my cash. I tipped the young lad and on my way out of the restaurant, I scanned for "Cash Only" signs. I saw a grand total of ONE sign. It was on the side of the pie case. Not the front, where it is plainly visible. It was on the side. There were none on the front door or in the vestibule. I feel like a rube who, was served a sub standard meal. The Blue Springs Cafe is, in my opinion; a highway restaurant, designed to fleece the unwary on their travels. It's no wonder, i was the only patron in the place at supper time on a Tuesday Night. I won't be going back and I do not recommend this establishment.
(1)James G.
We stop here every time we're on I-70. The food is amazing with very large portions. The sides are served family style. Lunches are about $8 while dinner is about $13 - really not much at all. Then there are the foot high pies and fruit pies. Just amazing. When we're heading home we make a point of carrying out at least a pie. They are made daily and when they're gone, they're gone. Just a note - it is cash only, but there is an ATM by the pies, just in case.
(5)Mike A.
Excellent lunch! Chicken livers, taters, and gravy! Mmmmmm!!!!! Then mile high banana cream pie with boulders of bananas! Only reason for 4 star instead of 5 was our waiter could have been little more attentive and left the magazine put down. Will be back! I hear the blackberry pie calling my name.
(4)Matt U.
While this rating is simply based on the pie, all we can say is that the foot tall pies are well worth stopping for! In an attempt to lure us in based on signage on the interstate was totally successful, especially the sign that announced they'd been featured on the food network. The place sit about 200 feet off the interstate and it totally unassuming. You walk in and are greeted by the pie counter where something like 15 pie options are at your fingertips. The ones worth stopping for, IMO, are quite literally a foot tall with the bulk being Merengue. They are spectacular! We tried a chocolate one and it was delicious - dark chocolate as the base with a nice crust and the 9 inches of Merengue brought it as close to heaven a pie can get! They only take cash or check, but do have an ATM if you're like 80% of the world now and don't carry cash. A great roadside stop off if you're in the area on your way to St. Louie.
(5)Cole Y.
We were traveling once again enjoying the road. We saw the sign and stopped and they were closed. The sign didn't say the hours they were open. 11 to 9 we know now. On our way back we stopped again. Now that we knew the hours lol All we wanted was pie they did look good from what we saw on the counter. The girl said they were 18 dollars We thought that was a high price but we wanted to try them anyway. Then she brought out a 9 inch pie not the same bigger pies that were on the counter. Needless to say I wasn't paying 18 dollars plus for a 9 inch pie. Just because you were on the food network doesn't mean you rape people. Shame on you. I'll pay 13 for the pies in Amish country their excellent And bigger. Lol
(2)Tony W.
My wife and I were traveling from St. Louis to Cincinnati via I-70. We saw a sign along the highway advertising Blue Springs Cafe, next exit. The sign also had a 'Food Network' logo on it, so we decided to stop, since it was literally right off of the exit. What really got our attention was the 'Foot High Pies' on the sign. The only pies that were actually a foot high were the meringue pies, Lemon, Banana, Chocolate and Coconut. The fluffy meringue topping was how the pie got to be a foot high. The topping was 2 to 3 times the thickness of the pie filling. Not what I want in a meringue pie. I like the filling and the meringue topping to be of equal thickness. We decided to take home the apple pie, which was really good, but was not a foot high. Bring cash or be prepared to use their ATM on site. Maybe they haven't heard of the Square, which allows you to take credit/debit card through a cell phone. Just a FYI.
(3)Karen S.
Excellent food. ..the chicken and dumplings were delicious. ..hubby had the chicken fried steak. ..there are a good number of sides and the pies are truly homemade. ..I don't know who gets up at o dark thirty to make all those pies but someone does. .. to my great delight
(5)Ethan C.
Stop here for some good home cooking. Three entries were too much for the five of us. They start with biscuits, cole slaw, and pickled beets. The biscuits were good, the cole slaw was fine, and you can't expect much of beets. But the entrees were splendid. Freshly fried chicken, piping hot, but not overcooked. Juicy meat loaf with wonderful flavor. Roast pork with gravy. Plus mashed potatoes, green beans (with ham bits), brown gravy, and sausage gravy. This is real, freshly cooked food. We sampled three pies. The lemon meringue and pecan, chocolate chip were wonderful. The blackberry pie was OK, but nothing special. Just be careful if you stop here on a road trip, because you have to plan for a serious food comma.
(4)Allison F.
Traveling along I-70, I saw a billboard advertising for Blue Springs Cafe, home of the Mile-High Pie. SAY NO MORE! I took the exit, in which I saw the restaurant standing all by its lonesome self just off of the interstate. (Probably because everyone else is too scared to compete with Blue Springs...you'll see why.) The restaurant is littered with blue-checkered table cloths and PIE. Pie all over the counter when you first walk in. Banana, coconut, lemon, and coconut cream pies standing at one foot tall, followed by the flatter apple, rhubarb, peach, cherry, and blackberry pies. I knew I couldn't walk out of here without ordering one of the mile-highers. On the wall were menu boards listing all the available dishes: chicken and dumplings, meatloaf, salmon, roast beef, lasagna, fried shrimp, pork sausage, ham steak, catfish...you know, everything that a Grandmother raised on a farm in Kentucky would fix you. I went with the chicken and dumplings, not knowing all of the extras that would come with it. First came the biscuits, apple butter, pickled beets, and cole slaw in little bowls. By the time I was able to process all that had been laid in front of me came the chicken and dumplings, mashed potatoes, and green beans (they serve it up "family style" at Blue Springs). WHOA. Who was going to eat all this? Did they think I had friends coming? Never in my life have I been given so much food at once. It was wonderful. The food tasted just as I had said about the menu board: like your farm-raised Grandmother from Kentucky fixed it. There was a a whole lotta love in my many, many dishes, so much that I had to put it in a to-go box. One of my favorites was that cinnamon-heavy apple butter. When is Blue Springs going to sell it by the jar, because it was the PERFECT complement to my biscuits. Had I been served less, I probably would have been caught sucking it down out of the bottle. But wait! I haven't talked about the best part of the meal: THE BANANA CREAM PIE! Lawdy! The pie had chunks of ripe bananas and pudding topped with a huge mound of meringue that got better with each sweet bite. It was one of the loveliest pies I've ever tasted, so lovely that I bought a chocolate one to take home. May my experience persuade you to stop here on your next road trip, because you'd be a fool not to. I'll be planning another trip in that direction just to stop at Blue Springs Cafe.
(5)Gloria F.
Home style, family style dining at its best. Start with cold sides, then move on to a generous main course ( most of which is fried) with mashed potatoes, gravy and green beans.Yum. Delicious, unhealthy food with great service. If you can still eat more, they have mile high meringue pie or fruit pie. Kaitlynn was the best waitress ever. Never waited for a refill.
(5)Mashel R.
Stopped here on a road trip from Pittsburgh Pennsylvania to Manhattan Kansas. We were thrilled to see these foot high pies for ourselves. They really are spectacular to behold. We stopped in with a carload of seven people and chose to buy two pies. We bought a chocolate cream that had about 7 inches a meringue on top and a dense heavy apple pie. I swear the apple pie may have weighed 5 pounds. we then drove another few hours with the pies waiting for us in the back of the van. It was not until later that evening, New Year's Eve did we get to enjoy our foot high pies. The chocolate pie was very rich but the meringue balanced the flavor. The apple pie was tart and sweet, I do not think they even added sugar. We enjoyed our pies and will recommend them to anyone passing through.
(5)Diane S.
Pies rule but the ambiance and service and freebies on the table will bring you back too. I wasn't impressed with the chicken and dumplings but I'm pretty sure that they're authentic and lots of people will rank them their favorite. Never had a meringue on a pie that i enjoyed before and I'm picky on chocolate pie. They won me over on both counts and an excellent and tasty crust. I'll do a drive by whenever i can afford the carbs. Bring cash. $5 a pie slice to go, if nothing else. Apple was equally worth a stop. And i can make both so rarely think anything i buy is worthwhile because homemade is better.
(4)Mark F.
Classic country style cooking with portions and refills to spoil any diet. Super friendly Katie the server filled the empty restaurant (it was closing hour in the snow) with a bright smile and endless cheer.
(4)Amy M.
I loved this place. I went with a big group and had the homemade pork sausage and a chocolate pie. Its homestyle so about 5 or 6 side dishes came out to be passed around the table. These consisted of green beans, mashed potatoes, beets, rolls, and gravy. After that a huge plate of about 4 or 5 pork sausages on beets came out for me. I somehow finished all of that and had room for pie. I needed to try the pie and even though I was stuffed, I finished the pie as well because everything was just amazing! Thank goodness we stopped here!
(5)Christine M.
We found this place 8 years ago when we moved St. Louis. We always stop here when we are traveling. The wait staff remembers us even if it's been months since our last visit. They even remember our orders as we have our favorites. All the dishes come with homemade sides--the pickled beets are sooooo good! And we never leave without pie. The prices are reasonable, the comfort food is homemade, the place is cozy and the staff is friendly. If you see this place while traveling on I-70 you need to stop.
(5)Robert M.
Roadtrip 2015 ! 6500 miles and had to stop here TWICE! Awesome food, service and great price. Chicken and Dumplings like Grandma made. Fried Chicken or Chicken fried steak..ALL gets a 10! Don't let those young servers fool ya...all offer great service and a smile ...gotta love their job! Super friendly...cant wait for my next visit! Dreaming of the cherry pie!
(5)Chris J.
Great comfort and home cooking. Meatloaf was good as was everyone's food. Chocolate Pie was excellent!
(5)Danielle K.
Saw the sign for the Mile-high pies driving along I-70 on pi day so we had to stop. We ended up getting a cherry pie to go! Very good.
(4)Kate J.
OMG OMG OMG. I drive this section of I-70 a few times a year. Believe it or not, I plan my departure to coincide with their dinner hours. Recently, I drove like a mad woman because I realized I was going to be cutting it close, so it was with a sigh of relief that I pulled in with a few minutes to spare. Another Yelper refers to the Blue Springs as an oasis on the highway, and there simply isn't a better way to describe it (so thank you, T.F.) I call 30 minutes out and order the family pack, and there is plenty for dinner, and snacks for the rest of the trip. It is quite simply the best friend chicken I've ever had. I'm not a meringue pie person, which is sad because the pies look amazing, but I do indulge in a fruit pie, if they have cherry.....it's refreshingly tart.....I hate sweet gelatinous cherry pie filling. The staff is very accommodating for carry out orders, but remember NO credit cards. This place is a bargain......the family pack with all the sides is around $20. You will also love the sides...including the beets.....yes I said beets. Green beans, mashed potatoes....real mashed potatoes......gravy.......oh dear I have to stop now or I'll get in the car and drive 500 miles for dinner.
(5)Alison G.
Awesome food! Great service, farmhouse cozy atmosphere. Try the walleye fillets and the home made coleslaw (vinegar based)... then there are the mile high pies!
(5)Jeff S.
I was traveling home from a conference and although I had a credit card. I was running low on cash. I thought I would order a meal and a famous advertised foot high pie. But found the price of their family style meals a bit high for a single person. In fact I did not have enough cash to buy pie. However I thought I might go back out to the car but before I thought I would take a look at the pies, at least from appearance the pies seem to lack filling, the crust looked oily and the murange was where the majority of the "foot" was. I elected to pass on the pie and return to the meal. The biscuits were stale but the apple butter was good. The slaw's vinegar was overwhelming for my taste. The pickled beets were just right. I had ordered the fried chicken and it was freshly hot out of the fryer and it was crunchy and lightly coated as I expected. Fried Chicken was the star, pie brought me but the chicken was a welcome consolation. The mashed potatoes and light gravy were also a great partner with chicken and the green beans were dark green and cooked just right for a Midwesterner with obligatory bacon. Gave 3 stars for not taking credit and what I thought was bit high for a no cash establishment off a well traveled highway. I 70
(3)Julie L.
Saw the signs on I70 and thought we'd stop in on our way back to Milwaukee after a 3 day business trip. All home made dishes. Lunch plates were $7.95 and were not skimpy by any means. Service was great. The chicken and dumplings were absolutely delicious. This place reminds you of eating in grandma's kitchen. Very comfortable homey feeling. If there's a negative, it's that they don't take plastic. It's worth hitting an ATM on your way if you don't have a check book with you.
(4)D. R. S.
We found Blue Springs Cafe about 8 years ago and make an effort to eat there every time we travel that section of I-70. It's Midwest comfort food... Large portions for a reasonable price. On Sundays, the sides (pickled beets, coleslaw, green beans, mashed potatoes, white gravy & biscuits with apple butter) are served family-style. During the rest of the week the lunches are served with individual sides. The "foot high" pies fall a few inches short (They're about 9" tall & that's a lot of merengue). We've had the banana cream, the coconut cream and the chocolate. The slices are large enough to share and not too sweet. They are tasty. For those who want gourmet Chicago or St. Louis-style food, you'll be disappointed. The clientele consists of locals and travelers. It's a great stop if you want down-home food served by friendly staff to down-to-earth folk.
(4)David S.
Nothing to write home about. The food was fair with decent prices. They need more variety with side dishes. I had the pork ribeye, it was very average. Their pies are great though.
(2)bob t.
The other reviews are fair, but perhaps a bit mean on the ratings. We stopped in because of the billboard (foot-high pie indeed, they were barely 8 inches when we were there...). their web site is: foothipies.com the tenderloin was good. the fried walleye less good, but good. the pie was good. the service was relatively fast. What would really be nice is a yelp path, where you can say I'm driving from x to y, and where is the best food on that path.... this place belongs on that map!
(4)Starlett R.
my husband and I always go here for the whole fried catfish, it is great and the home style meal is very good. The green beans are hard to beat. If you are from the area, stop by on Friday for all you can eat specials. omg the pies here are great too.
(5)Stephanie P.
After more than a year of traveling I-70 between Cincy and Columbia we finally succumbed to the "mile high pie" billboard and ate dinner at Blue Spings. I started by picking out my pie and was glad I did as they ran out of pie by the end of the meal. The menu is posted on a board and features homestyle favorites including fried chicken, catfish, meat loaf, homemade sausage. My youngest had a half order of chicken and dumplings which were very delicious. The dumplings were tender and had lots of flavor. The mixed fried chicken was four huge pieces with coating that had just the right amount of crunch. The fried shrimp were nothing special, however. The family style sides were amazing. The biscuits were piping hot, fluffy and the apple butter was clearly homemade. It had a lot of cinamon. My husband loved the pickled beets. They had a lot of cloes. The mashed potatoes and gravy were Thanksgiving worthy. We had two pieces of pie--bananna and chocolate cream. The meringue was indeed quite fluffy. I liked the banna but was not impressed with the chocolate. It was runny and a bit bitter. Beware they are a cash only place and the in house ATM was down. Staff is friendly and keeps the food flowing. Decor isn't much but it is clean and neat. We may have a new tradition on the drive home.
(3)Mark B.
A classic piece of America. I've been stopping here for decades. Today shared the chicken fried steak with my son to save room for bites of the chocolate, lemon, and banana cream pie. What a great little place. This is THE place to stop for lunch or dinner east of St Louis.
(4)Julia W.
Home of the Foot-Hi Pie! There are less than 20 items on the entree menu at Blue Springs Cafe, a little spot off I-70 in Highland, IL. That's alright, though, because you're likely coming for the pie. I've been bugging my husband to stop at this cafe since we were college sweethearts making the trip between school in Indiana and his family in St. Louis. Finally, after 9 long years, we FINALLY stopped by for a quick dinner and a slice of pie. Every meal at Blue Springs comes with pickled beets, coleslaw, applesauce, real mashed potatoes and gravy and green beans with bacon. I found that both hilarious and sweet--who needs all that? What a strange combination of sides! But clearly, Blue Springs knows better than I do, because I ate my way through quite a bit of those sides and the meatloaf I ordered. Everything tasted almost exactly like it came out of my Grandma Rose's kitchen and I think that's what I liked best about our dining experience. It was a down-home, casual, comforting and nostalgic dinner. And then there was pie. A rich, smooth chocolate cream pie with mounds of meringue. The pie was the entire reason I wanted to visit Blue Springs and it was a tasty slice, but I think I ended up enjoying the flavor flashbacks induced by my meal even more. And because the portions were so large and those funny sides so plentiful, I was able to enjoy another Grandma-ish meal at home the next day. Who knew I'd end up favoring pickled beets and meatloaf over chocolate cream pie?? P.S. There's a really nice changing table in the ladies' room. Thanks, Blue Springs. :)
(3)Lance L.
Like the cracker barrel should be. In an old stuckeys, which is fun.
(3)Daniel F.
Great place between Effingham and St. Louis. Right off the interstate, so convenient for travelers and those needing to be at Greenville College, an easy 15 min. drive. Very much a country style restaurant, wood floors, rustic decor too. Meals served family style with cold sides, then hot ones with the entree, of which there were about 12 options. Not a good place for vegetarians though. Food was good, sides as well. Pies, as advertised, were certainly topped with a lot of meringue, and the lemon pie I had was very tasty. Again, great place for families, as kids can easily share with parents. Minus one star for cash only, in this day and age, catering to tourists as well as locals, I'd pay a little more for the convenience of plastic.
(4)V B.
Map appears wrong. Possibly the best pie I have ever enjoyed. Very close to I-70 near Highland IL. Just watch for the Mile High Pie billboards. I never pass it without picking up some great pie, especially cocoanut cream. Pie Heaven. You must try.
(5)Teri D.
On our road trip was getting peckish so started looking at signs to see where to go. The Food Network sign drew me in. Glad it did too. Foot high pie? Well I didn't measure it but if it's any indication, it was right around Thanksgiving and we walked in to tables full of pies waiting to be picked up - must've been close to 100 of them. Basic good old fashioned food with the menu being written up daily. And they will tell you what they have run out of before you get too intent on ordering it. The little side salads were basic but good but the ham and green beans were fantastic. The ham was tasty without being overly salty like some places. And the prices were very very good. For lunch the special was entree and two sides for $7.95 with a slice of tall pie for $4.75. The only thing that knocked off a star was the fact they don't take credit/debit cards. Cash or - who uses these anymore - personal check. If you don't have cash there is an ATM right at the end of the counter. If you're rolling down highway 70 then stop here for the pies if nothing else!
(4)Sarah V.
This place is pretty good but they only accept cash. This definitely takes a star for me because I don't want to pay an ATM fee and I do not like to carry cash. The food is good but it's not amazing. I like the family style idea, plus you get more side dishes if you run out. They do this on Sundays. The chicken is good and I always get that because the few other entrees I've gotten I wasn't a big fan of. The sides are good too. I wouldn't say go out of your way to eat here but it's nice to have around for the comfort food and to get away from the shit restaurants in Highland.
(3)Viola S.
Delicious home style cooking and incredible pies makes this a stopping point when we are traveling through the area. The portions are generous and the prices are modest. We've had pork with dressing, walleye and meatloaf;.all come with sides of coleslaw, beans, pickled beets and a variety of other tasty choices. The luncheon portion of crispy cornmeal breaded walleye was larger than most dinner portions in other restaurants. The waitress was very pleasant But the stars are the foot high meringue pies that taste as marvelous as they look.
(5)AJ G.
This place is a treasure: a genuine classic all-American roadside cafe with servings that would warm your mother's heart. Everything appears to be real, homemade, and tasty. The assortment, size, and quality of pies is mind-blowing. Prices are very reasonable. Skip every chain restaurant for 50 miles and eat here.
(5)Lori F.
Very good home style food. We didn't get their lunch special that was $7.95 but we got their family style dinners that were $11.95, it came with all you can eat of five sides dishes and a big portions of the main food. We were so stuffed but had to try the famous pie, I was disappointed with the pie but my husband liked his. So over all loved the food and not so much the pie! Service was great!
(5)T F.
Oasis on the Highway? This place has it all.....plenty of parking, home style setting, foot high Meringue pies(and other non-meringue), stichery and quiltery ( yes, not words but you didn't have to pay to read this!) and even some gambling machines. Bring cash as no ccards accepted...there is an ATM but just bring cash! Food, doesn't matter, it is delicious ... Fried chicken is the thing you came for (and the pie). Ask your waitress - they are very helpful. Did I mention the pie? Lemon Meringue is what they are known for but the cherry, apple and chocolate is outstanding as well. Finally, this is just plain old fashioned fun... See, you pick one up on your way to your destination. You show up with a pie and everyone looks forward to your next visit. Then pick one up on your way back home and Whamo.....goodness in every bite! For my family, it is a break in the driving, fun to eat, then back on the road and b4 you know it...you arrive at your destination.....with a foot high pie! Easter they sell about 300 pies, get your order in advance, call ahead.
(5)Karla T.
First cash check only, there is a ready ATM near the check out. Menu is on the wall for all to see. You order an entree and they bring the cold sides first "family style" which is to say vinegar coleslaw, canned pickled beets, biscuits with "whipped spread" and a squeeze bottle of Apple butter. Slaw was absolutely nothing special, they put cabbage in a food processor maybe one carrot for color then added a white vinegar and white sugar dressing. Beets were canned, maybe they added more vinegar sugar. Biscuits were chewy, Apple "sugar" butter and what is wrong with good old fashioned BUTTER. We ordered chicken fried steak, bbq baked chicken and the sausage and red cabbage. These entrees came with hot "family style" sides. Real mashed potatoes, that had to be boiled and mashed in the water they were cooked in. No cream no butter not even whipped spread. Green beans came out of a can heated served. Gravy was white, I'm sure powder from a package reconstituted, lumpy no flavor. Baked chicken was well done to falling off the bone. Half chicken was a very small chicken. Bbq was ketchup and more vinegar. Sausage was flavorful but dry. Red cabbage was drowned in vinegar. Must buy the stuff in bulk. Chicken fried steak was good, more flavorless lumpy gravy though. This is a pie place lemon meringue was lemon filling runny, fruit pie strawberry rhubarb crust was underdone, no color. The staff is over the top nice friendly. Can't make up for the mediocre food.
(2)TJ H.
We stopped here on a road trip from St. Louis after seeing the place featured on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" (egg episode!). We went for one reason and one reason only, and it was totally worth it. The pies were amazing. The hook, foot high pies, is not what did it for me. Though the coconut part of the pie was fantastic, creamy, and delicious, the tallness factor was the least exciting part of the experience. The tart cherry pie was heaven, and the crusty, flaky apple made the extra 40 minutes of driving totally worth it. Definitely try it if you're anywhere near the area. Quick service, great fresh pie, and a homey atmosphere.
(4)Alicia O.
I stopped here on a whim on my way home from a day in Vandalia thinking I need some comfort food. Must admit the big sign stating they were on the Food Channel got my attention more than anything. Can't believe I'd never stopped before. In my opinion, when you walk into a restaurant and are the youngest one there outside of a Grandma or Grandpa, you're in the right spot. Seasoned elder foodies, dont mess around. They want good food cheap. Bingo.....this is the location for all of that served with home town comforts. When I got the menu I laughed at myself. The nice waitress gave me a small menu (its also listed on the wall) and said "everything is $7.95 and you get two sides". I immediately thought like it felt like that scene out of My Cousin Vinney when the menu says "breakfast lunch or dinner". I chuckled and decided what the hell, I'm starting off with dessert! Yes I ordered and ate mile high coconut cream pie $5.95 before ordering lunch or as we say in the country dinner. Dinner in the country is supper. Note, SHOW UP WITH CASH OR CHECKBOOK. They only take those, but an ATM is onsite. Note2, PAY ATTENTION TO THE SPECIALS, or ask. They have things not on the menu and may draw your attention more than the prefixed menu. My waitress did not ask and this is the only downfall I noticed. I ordered the country fried steak with white gravy, mashed potatoes (REAL) and green beans with shredded pieces of ham. I prefer chunks of bacon but hello it's still pork and you never go wrong with pork. The green beans almost seemed frozen to me but cooked long to make them seem more home made. I could be wrong but I'm used to my southern G'ma who cooked them all day and they lost color and nutrients while gaining much loved salt and fat. Needless to say, my food came out very hot and fresh in a short amount of time. I said I was only going to eat half and take the rest home. This barely survived the test. Food was delish and I will be back. It's only a 15-20minute drive from Maryville/Edwardsville area. Overall the food is good and very reasonable for what you get. They get you on your ticket with the pie prices. I'd say skip the slice at $5.95 and buy a whole buy for around $17 if there are several of you or if you want to take some home and enjoy it when there is more room in your tummy.
(4)DeeDee J.
I give this place 2 stars, and my husband chose 3. Super nice and friendly staff. Good biscuits and mashed taters. Green beans from a can. Baked chicken was tough and dry. The pie? Over sweetened. I, too, was surprised to see all the fruit pies out on the counter in the open. As soon as I saw the ATM machine, I knew that they wanted cash only. I agree that there should be a large and conspicuous sign with that info. Glad we stopped for the experience, but we won't be back.
(3)Darin C.
Love the pies here. Always stop here on my way back from Indiana to get a slice of lemon meringue pie. Would like to try other pies but have no more room in the cooler.
(5)John G.
I got off of this exit to get gas. I'm glad we decided to stop here for lunch. And OMG the pies! Very happy!
(4)Dodd A.
I am a big fan of homestyle cooking, but this place was a big disappointment. We stopped due to the billboard advertisements along the interstate hoping for some good cooking. My wife ordered the chicken breast, which was tough and chewy. I ordered the chicken fried steak, which was actually not bad with the mashed potatoes and country gravey. One thing that was a let down was the side salad. As a restaurant, if you are going to lazily settle for the bare minimum iceburg salad, at least put more veggies on it to make it look somewhat appetizing. Now the part about the pies. Their foot-high pies are apparently the trademark items. We were about to order a slice of their fruit pie, but then we noticed something disturbing. The fruit pies were all sitting out in the open on a display counter. We watched as a greasy man and his wife hovered their heads over the pies for a smell. Then we wondered how many other people have been sticking their heads over the unprotected pies. We hoped that these were just display pies, but then we watched as a server cut a slice and served it to a patron. Gross. The meringue pies were behind a piece of protective glass, so we ordered the chocolate cream pie. Most of that "foot high" description is simply merignue sitting on top of a rather thin layer of chocolate cream and crust. It's a lot like advertising a "jumbo hot chocolate", but then serving someone a milimeter of hot chocolate covered with nothing but whipped cream. The worst part was the payment process. As I walked up to the counter, I noticed a sign tucked behind the counter and not in clear sight stating they do not accept credit or debit cards. I assumed that a restaurant sitting right on the interstate would accept such payment, but this was not the case. I was curious if I was to blame for this, and that maybe I missed a sign at the entrance. After all, I have been to homestyle restaurants with this policy, but I am always warned at the front door. I went to the front door and entrance area and saw no warning signs telling customers as they enter that there are no credit cards accepted. There is only the sign behind the counter that was also tucked away. Then I put two and two together. The restaurant has their own ATM where people without cash are forced to take out money. It really makes sense. Why would the restaurant want to extend the courtesy of telling people credit cards are not accepted when they have the opportunity to bleed ATM fees from patrons? In my opinion, this was a questionable and deceitful arrangement. Luckily we had emergency cash in the car. Overall, the chicken fried steak was not bad, but that was the only plus. The remainder of our experience here was rather poor. My recommendation is to keep driving along I-70.
(1)Michael D.
Traveling on a business trip. Just flew in from Texas. Saw a Yelp review and decided to stop in. Glad we did! Amazing service, the waitress was very polite was always there if we needed anything. The green beans are killer! Chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes is a good combo. Don't forget to try the banana pie! Would definitely stop here again.
(5)David A.
Was going home to St. Louis after a day at the lake and stumbled on $16.95 buffet featuring prime rib plus the "foot high pie". The buffet was the best way to sample things since it seemed that all of their entrees were on the buffet. Pretty good food. Home cooked. Good size salad bar set up. The stuffing tasted like thanksgiving. Fried chicken was excellent. Home made sausages. Bring cash the credit card machine did not but they had a ATM inside. If there is not a buffet they serve family style
(4)Gail W.
Whenever we are in the area, we eat at Blue Springs Cafe. We decided to go home that way on Saturday from St Louis -- a little out of the way for us, but SO worth it! The food is good, old-fashioned home cooking. The fried chicken is great, but, if you are there on a Chicken and Dumplings day, choose that! They are every bit as good as my grandmother's and that is saying a lot! I grew up having pickled beets whenever we had chicken and dumplings, so I'm thrilled they offer beets as a side. The green beans taste fresh and are seasoned with ham -- not too salty at all. The cole slaw has a vinegar based dressing, not mayo, which my husband prefers since he doesn't eat mayo. Don't get too full because you have to have pie! The lemon is wonderful -- just sweet enough and just tart enough. This is the only place where I'll eat meringue and there is certainly plenty on these pies! And, yes, they don't take credit or debit cards. Missed the sign on the counter? Check the front door. There are no credit card decals on the doors--a sure sign that an establishment doesn't accept credit cards.
(5)M Terri O.
Saw the road signs . Can't resist a good pie! Had the chocolate cream. Was HUGE! Pretty messy, but very yummy. Not TOO sickeningly sweet, but plenty sweet enough - more like a pudding pie. Good crust. The dinner menu on the wall looked REALLY good - chicken livers AND beef liver? Wish I'd had the appetite for a full dinner! I don't know when I'll ever be in this area again, but if I am, I will make sure to stop.
(4)Tara B.
My husband had the walleye which was amazingly delicious and I had the fried chicken breast sandwich that was pretty darn good. They give you tons of food. Everything comes with two sides and is $7.95. All the food was very fresh and seemed homemade. Good service, good food, good prices. Would definitely go here again if we were passing thru.
(4)Paul S.
Pie was good. I had the salad. The meals come with all those sides. I couldn't eat it all. The Salad was basic but not bad. I think if you are going to go for the food here, that you go for the more unusual items. Liver and Gizzards, bone-in fried cat fish, and so forth. The green beans were actually exceptional and not overcooked, they had a lot of taste.
(5)Lynne W.
Pie was outstanding and alone worth the stop. Food is fixed price - no a la carte. All prepared to order and quite good. Come hungry. You won't be disappointed.
(5)Darrin P.
I wish there were more restaurants like this along the interstate. Great food and nice staff. I recommend the banana cream pie. I will definitely plan my trip next time I'm on I-70 to stop here. Keep up the great work!
(5)Doug B.
Worth stopping at for the experience. Family style. Prompt friendly service. I had meatloaf which was just a tad overdone but still good. Be sure to try the pies. Huge slices! Bring cash or check though. No credit cards but ATM onsite.
(4)Kayla B.
Blue Springs Cafe is a small spot right off of 70 near Highland, IL. The decor and food will instantly remind you of your grandmother's house. I didn't eat a meal here (just had the pie) but I noticed all the meals were $12-15, which sounded a bit pricey for what seemed like a roadside cafe/diner. Note: all the sides are served family style. I had heard about the pie here, so I, of course needed to try it. Everyone who knows me understands my pie obsession. I tried the chocolate pie which was smooth, creamy and very rich. I definitely enjoyed the generous slice I was served. I was, again, a little surprised at the $6 price tag for a slice of pie. That's how much I've paid for a similar sized slice of pie in DC (a super expensive city), but I would have thought a place in the midwest would be a little more reasonably priced. Bottomline: Good Pie, but not amazing. And for a $6 slice of pie, I want amazing. It's probably worth stopping here for the experience, though.
(2)Terry C.
This was one of the best meals we had on our road trip; enroute to St. Louis, we saw many signs that read "Mile High Pies" so we decided to stop. The restaurant was clean and spacious. We were greeted and the waitress told us we can sit anywhere we wanted. My friend and I ordered the chicken fried steak and a fried chicken entree. The entrees were served with a side of mashed potatoes, corn, beets, cole slaw and the most delicious butter biscuits. They also provide apple butter for the biscuits...hMmmMmmM Yum. Both of the entrees were great. Too bad we were too stuffed to try any of their pies. and like others have said, the pies are not a foot high. They did look pretty good though.
(4)Kaci G.
The food is great. They have the best chicken livers. Servers are always friendly. I haven't had a bad experience here ever.
(5)Alicia R.
Traveling between Indiana and Kansas, I always see the signs for this place and it's "foot high pies," finally, I stopped in - thank goodness! They serve old-fashioned cooking, in an old-fashioned, homey atmosphere, and it's pretty great. After driving for hours looking at the bleak winterscape, this warmed my heart. I went in during lunch and got the walleye plate with green beans and mashed potatoes. The walleye had been freshly fried, and had a nice flavor and crisp coating. The mashed potatoes were massive and tasty, and the green beans were satisfying. I could only eat half my plate, but wanted to try the pie. My server brought out a to-go container, and put my pie in one, too, but brought me a fork so I could savor a few bites before hitting the road. I had the coconut, and of course it was huge, and pretty good. I shared some with my dad when I arrived home, and he loved it, too. The menu is not very extensive, but I think everything is made with love and is probably good. My server said that meatloaf was a pretty popular choice, but I was drawn to the walleye. Perhaps it was because I came during a quite time, but I enjoyed the service - he even gave a to-go cup for the rest of my soda. Prices are pretty good - I think my huge lunch plate was $7.
(5)Nadia M.
Stopped here on a cross country road trip from Pittsburgh to San Francisco. Saw the road signs advertising Foot-Hi Pie and I knew we had to stop - we are a little pie obsessed. Did a quick search on my phone and saw that they had been featured on the Food Network "Best thing I Ever Ate" for their Lemon Meringue Pie. Great! I love lemon meringue pie. This place looks old fashioned right down to the blue checkered table cloths and it felt like an authentic roadside café. Before getting to the pie, we chose from their lunch menu which was $7.95 and included choice of 2 sides. They had sandwiches and hot meals. Hubby ordered fried chicken and was told it would take 15-20 minutes, he did not want to wait, so we both ordered the Walleye. I would have waited. His sides were baked beans and pickled beets and mine were fries and coleslaw. The fish came lightly breaded with a thin crunchy cornmeal crust, served on a slice of white bread and was piping hot, as were the fries. They were battered and crispy and I loved them. They would have been perfect if the ketchup had been Heinz! It was some generic ketchup in a plain squeeze bottle. The coleslaw was the non mayo kind - sweet and sour, which I prefer. It was a little to wet for my liking, had a pool of water in the bottom of the bowl, but it was a generous portion and had good texture. The pickled beets were very good and the baked beans tasted homemade with 2 kinds of beans and not too sweet. Overall the lunch was pretty good - fresh, generous portions and well priced. Which brings me to the pie. Major disappointment from a place known for pie. We shared a slice of lemon meringue and while it might measure a foot high in the pie plate, the slice we received was falling apart with the meringue sitting off to the side of the filling and no recognizable bottom crust. The crust that was there was wet and soggy which is a huge problem in a pie. The lemon filling was not overly sweet but it lacked tartness and could have been a bit firmer. The meringue was good but with mediocre filling and soggy crust, it just did not work for me. Overall, worth a stop if you are in the area. Good food for what it is and pleasant enough service. I took off 2 stars for wet, soggy pie because that is what they are known for and it should better, especially after being featured on the Food Network.
(3)Bill C.
I may lose my "food critic" license but I'm going with 5 stars. Is this a 5 star restaurant? I don't know but it was for us on the night we went. We had been here a few years ago and it was unmemorable. Not bad but not outstanding. After seeing them on "The Best Thing I Ever Ate", my curiousity was piqued so we went back. Glad we did! My wife said, "This is the kind of restaurant that a Cracker Barrel would be if they were authentic (country)." Exactly. Kind of like a cross between an old style restuarant and your favorite elderly Aunt's house. Service was great and food was perfect. I had the Italian sausage (made locally I was told), my wife had the roast beef - very tender. The sides wer awesome; especially the beets and mashed potatoes (scratch made). Of course, we had to have some pie so we shared a piece. A little steep at over $5 per slice but it was incredible! Best lemon meringue pie I've ever tasted! This was not a cheap meal - We each had a dinner, 1 drink (coffee) and 1 piece of pie came to around $42 with tip. But the food and atmosphere (very down home!) made it worth the trip. We'll be back.
(5)Julia S.
Went here after reading the reviews about their pies. We were disappointed. Turkey burger was chewy and grisley. Soup was luke warm and tasted like vinegar (stuffed pepper soup). My main squeeze liked his bbq sandwich and baked beans and fries were hot and crispy. Best part beer is ice cold and served in frosties. Split the meringue chocolate pie and it was really wet and not very flavorful.
(3)Leslie W.
My family flew to the Midwest to meet my husbands family, so we gathered here for lunch. I remember seeing this restaurant featured on the Food Network' show The Best Thing I Ever Ate. This restaurant is famous for their "foot high pie." My in laws concurred it was a good place to eat at, so we decided to try it. The lunch options are not figure friendly to say the least, as over half the menu options are deep fried, like fried shrimp, fried chicken, fried gizzards, and more. I opted for the Chef Salad since it seemed like the healthier choice considering I wanted to try pie afterwards. The salad consisted of ice burg lettuce (I wish it came with a higher grade lettuce, but it's a small rural town so what could I expect), raw broccoli, grape tomatoes, sliced red onions, and chicken, with your choice of salad dressing. The chicken tasted awful, like it was reconstituted from a freezer bag. The rest of the produce tasted pretty fresh, but nothing to rave about. Our waitress, however was wonderful as she was very attentive to our large party. Finally when our pie arrived I was so excited to try it after the unappetizing lunch. I ordered the lemon meringue pie, and it was the best lemon meringue pie I ever had. The crust was buttery and flakey, the lemon had a slight tang and was smooth and rich, and the meringue was light and creamy. I shared it with my son and he love it too! My husband ordered the coconut cream pie, which is his favorite type of pie and he didn't care for it. He thought it was too sweet and didn't have a strong coconut flavor. Overall, an ok place for lunch, but come for the pie!
(3)Nikki S.
Good homemade food. I really enjoyed it. The roast beef was a little salty, but that is my only complaint about the food. Food was homemade and they are old timey recipes. Like like adding cloves to their pickled beets, which took me back to my grammas beets.The biggest drawback to this place is the prices are high. The pies were almost $5.00 a slice! Dinners are around $13.00 a plate. Take cash or your ATM card, no credit cards taken.
(4)Jamie H.
We found this place on our long drive home from Indiana on Yelp. The food was excellent. I ordered the country fried steak while my two companions ordered the fried chicken. Both were amazing. Before receiving your food, they bring out biscuits, beets, and cole slaw served family style. When you get your food, you also get mashed potatoes, gravy, and greens beans, which is also served family style. I liked all the sides except for the cole slaw. I generally don't care for cole slaw, but my husband said it was a little too sour for him. We also tried the peach pie and the chocolate merengue pie. Both where good. This is definitely a place to check out if you are passing by.
(5)Chris K.
The food is decent, it's country style home cooking, nothing to write home about. I had the buffet for a Sunday lunch with a fairly large crowd (8). The tables were packed extremely tight you could barely walk anywhere. Overall the food is decent, my biggest complaint is that they don't take credit card/debit card, but have an ATM machine. We all get why you do it. But c'mon. It's the 21st century, get one installed/setup to help customers.
(3)Sarah T.
This was a welcome stop on our drive from Kansas City to Indianapolis. I give it three stars because the food was average in my opinion, but the pie really was fantastic. I'd probably stop again if I make the same drive.
(3)