I just had to add I had the pork tenderloin this past Friday and it was the best pork tenderloin dinner I've had in a long long time and pork tenderloin dinners is an item I almost always have if it is on the menu. It is fresh! It is not the frozen type you get just about everywhere these days, big plus. It was big too another big plus. I had mashed potatoes nice and think, once again big plus. Add the gravy a deep rich brown gravy (kudos to Liz who made it fresh) and this meal competes with the French Dip as my favorite at Calico Cafe. Both the French Dip and Pork Tenderloin if I were to rank them would easily be in the top five meals for home cooking type meals. Again price is right I tip at 20%+ and have yet spent more then $10 for a meal and have not yet left hungry. Only negative on Calico Cafe is it is a bit of a drive from Cortland but even the drive is making this little gem worth it
(5)
T F.
Really liked this place. Staying near-by. Stopped by chance. Glad we did. Had lunch once and breakfast a few days later and all six of us enjoyed it.
(5)
Melissa B.
I love their food but they take too long. I waited over 45min+ for my food along with my other orders. Yet when I call to pick it up it's done in 20min.
(3)
Amanda S.
This place is so unsuspecting. I was in Sheridan visiting family and we needed a yummy place to catch some grub after a night of heavy drinking. I thought it was going to be the usual diner food, bland but gets the job done. Man was I wrong!!! So yummy! I had the biscuits and gravy skillet. It blew my mind. Seriously try it! The staff was super friendly. I will be back......very hungry... and likely hungover. See you then!
(5)
A. L.
Wonderful plates of food! Veggie skillet- amazing. BLT wIth homemade potato chips, delicious. Fried pork tenderloin sandwich, so tasty, could feed three people, ha! Biscuits with sausage gravy, divine. Off the beaten path, worth the drive.
(5)
Erin B.
Very helpful, friendly and absolutely delicious! The chopped steak was huge, the eggs were double yolk and the decor was vintage. We had four people in our group and we all decided to come back for breakfast tomorrow!!!
(5)
Keith T.
Quiet little place with huge flavors and affordable prices! This place is a hidden gem! Best breakfast I've had in at least 10 years! I'll be a back weekly!
(5)
Lauren Olivia F.
Breakfast was amazing!!! Our waitress was wonderful! The locals were all super friendly!!! Will be back
(5)
Pam D.
We loved this little place. Good food, cute atmosphere, good service and reasonable prices. Can't ask for much more than that on a road trip! Christopher had the spaghetti and I had the 50/50 which was spaghetti and fried chicken. It was all very good and came with a simple but fresh salad bar and garlic bread. The portions were ample. The only disappointment was the hamburger - vegetable soup I brought home for Mom. It wasn't bad, but it lacked flavor. Anyhow, this is a great little spot to stop for breakfast, lunch or dinner, if you happen to be in Sheridan Illinois.
(4)
John K.
Great little place. Had the Hay Bailer Special, biscuits & gravy with 4 eggs on top. Skipped dinner that night.
(4)
Edward K.
This place is awesome, Great food, Great place, Great people. The real deal. This place knows how to feed people.
(5)
Michael M.
Very comfortable low budget place. Friendly with small town locals. Food was hit or miss. Chili from a can, French dip and Italian beef had the same meat. The latter was difficult to eat. 11yo liked the spaghetti, 9yo liked the BLT. Chopped steak plate was very tasty topped with mushrooms and onions and mashed potatoes w/gravy and green beans. Food seemed to take a long time to prepare.
(3)
J B.
O. M. G. This place...I cannot say enough. Calico is the owner and she was working hard the day we were there. We stopped for lunch on July 2nd, 2013. I had the super special of the day, the bacon stuffed, bacon wrapped meatloaf sandwich. 2 slices on toasted bread with mozzarella cheese slice, offered with homemade fries or homemade chips (I went with homemade chips per Calico's recommendation and they were great). The sandwich was awesome. My wife had their Texas toast chicken melt with homemade coleslaw and homemade cream of broccoli soup. Again, awesome. The kids got sandwiches off the kids menu and when they came out, they were cut and stacked in a tent shape, great. I also had a cup of the homemade potato salad, again, awesome. If you ever find yourself along the Fox River in central Illinois, do yourself a favor and find it on your GPS and stop by.
(5)
Robert C.
Jesus God this place is amazing. I would eat those sausage patties out of Rosie O'Donnells navel.
(5)
nic m.
Calico cafe is a diner, and a great one at that. If you are in the area, maybe visiting Matthessian State Park or Starved Rock, or staying at Fox River Resort, this is a perfect choice for breakfast or lunch. We went in June 2013, and the restaurant was full of happy diners. The very friendly owners were cooking food and waiting tables, and it was clear they were proud of their food. We ordered the veggie omelet with swiss cheese and it was cooked perfectly. Fluffy, cheese fully melted, vegetables fully cooked and chopped small enough that you didn't need a knife. Offered in 2 sizes if you want a smaller option than the 4-egg. I took the small omelette after running 7 miles and it was just the right size. We also ordered a side of sausage links and practically licked the plate. Finished off with a rhubarb strawberry pie with fresh whip cream on top. I am still dreaming of that pie. Cost is very budget-friendly. They appeared to still be doing some painting on the ceiling and a few walls, but hopefully the next time I'm back they'll be completely done. One star short because they didn't have everything on the menu that we wanted to order, no non-dairy milk/creamer, and also (mostly) because the bathrooms aren't as lovely as the rest of the place (but it might have had to do with the time I was visiting in relation to the painting work). I would give it 4.5 stars but the half-star isn't an option here. Charming place, locally owned, great service, tasty food. Loved it. Will go back. Fully support this cafe!
(4)
Johnny T.
Nice little diner in my book! It was 1:50 when I got out of my car and noticed that they closed at 2, which made me hope that they weren't gonna spit in my food. Inside had a lot of various small town decorations and figurines. My presence wasn't deterred, due to my late arrival. Menu was pretty extensive so I asked what was good and the girl recommend the Texas Chicken, which was a boneless chicken drenched in ranch sauce, then topped with barbecue sauce and shoestring onions with a side for $6. While waiting, I got some sweet tea and a slice of unbelievable apple date pie, which apparently was made my Calico's mom. The sandwich was delicious! Has a lot of flavor and was priced well below what I'm used to. Would love to have one of these places near by. Local History Lesson: The town got its name from General Philip H. Sherman, who was a cavalry officer during the Civil War.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Scott K.
I just had to add I had the pork tenderloin this past Friday and it was the best pork tenderloin dinner I've had in a long long time and pork tenderloin dinners is an item I almost always have if it is on the menu. It is fresh! It is not the frozen type you get just about everywhere these days, big plus. It was big too another big plus. I had mashed potatoes nice and think, once again big plus. Add the gravy a deep rich brown gravy (kudos to Liz who made it fresh) and this meal competes with the French Dip as my favorite at Calico Cafe. Both the French Dip and Pork Tenderloin if I were to rank them would easily be in the top five meals for home cooking type meals. Again price is right I tip at 20%+ and have yet spent more then $10 for a meal and have not yet left hungry. Only negative on Calico Cafe is it is a bit of a drive from Cortland but even the drive is making this little gem worth it
(5)T F.
Really liked this place. Staying near-by. Stopped by chance. Glad we did. Had lunch once and breakfast a few days later and all six of us enjoyed it.
(5)Melissa B.
I love their food but they take too long. I waited over 45min+ for my food along with my other orders. Yet when I call to pick it up it's done in 20min.
(3)Amanda S.
This place is so unsuspecting. I was in Sheridan visiting family and we needed a yummy place to catch some grub after a night of heavy drinking. I thought it was going to be the usual diner food, bland but gets the job done. Man was I wrong!!! So yummy! I had the biscuits and gravy skillet. It blew my mind. Seriously try it! The staff was super friendly. I will be back......very hungry... and likely hungover. See you then!
(5)A. L.
Wonderful plates of food! Veggie skillet- amazing. BLT wIth homemade potato chips, delicious. Fried pork tenderloin sandwich, so tasty, could feed three people, ha! Biscuits with sausage gravy, divine. Off the beaten path, worth the drive.
(5)Erin B.
Very helpful, friendly and absolutely delicious! The chopped steak was huge, the eggs were double yolk and the decor was vintage. We had four people in our group and we all decided to come back for breakfast tomorrow!!!
(5)Keith T.
Quiet little place with huge flavors and affordable prices! This place is a hidden gem! Best breakfast I've had in at least 10 years! I'll be a back weekly!
(5)Lauren Olivia F.
Breakfast was amazing!!! Our waitress was wonderful! The locals were all super friendly!!! Will be back
(5)Pam D.
We loved this little place. Good food, cute atmosphere, good service and reasonable prices. Can't ask for much more than that on a road trip! Christopher had the spaghetti and I had the 50/50 which was spaghetti and fried chicken. It was all very good and came with a simple but fresh salad bar and garlic bread. The portions were ample. The only disappointment was the hamburger - vegetable soup I brought home for Mom. It wasn't bad, but it lacked flavor. Anyhow, this is a great little spot to stop for breakfast, lunch or dinner, if you happen to be in Sheridan Illinois.
(4)John K.
Great little place. Had the Hay Bailer Special, biscuits & gravy with 4 eggs on top. Skipped dinner that night.
(4)Edward K.
This place is awesome, Great food, Great place, Great people. The real deal. This place knows how to feed people.
(5)Michael M.
Very comfortable low budget place. Friendly with small town locals. Food was hit or miss. Chili from a can, French dip and Italian beef had the same meat. The latter was difficult to eat. 11yo liked the spaghetti, 9yo liked the BLT. Chopped steak plate was very tasty topped with mushrooms and onions and mashed potatoes w/gravy and green beans. Food seemed to take a long time to prepare.
(3)J B.
O. M. G. This place...I cannot say enough. Calico is the owner and she was working hard the day we were there. We stopped for lunch on July 2nd, 2013. I had the super special of the day, the bacon stuffed, bacon wrapped meatloaf sandwich. 2 slices on toasted bread with mozzarella cheese slice, offered with homemade fries or homemade chips (I went with homemade chips per Calico's recommendation and they were great). The sandwich was awesome. My wife had their Texas toast chicken melt with homemade coleslaw and homemade cream of broccoli soup. Again, awesome. The kids got sandwiches off the kids menu and when they came out, they were cut and stacked in a tent shape, great. I also had a cup of the homemade potato salad, again, awesome. If you ever find yourself along the Fox River in central Illinois, do yourself a favor and find it on your GPS and stop by.
(5)Robert C.
Jesus God this place is amazing. I would eat those sausage patties out of Rosie O'Donnells navel.
(5)nic m.
Calico cafe is a diner, and a great one at that. If you are in the area, maybe visiting Matthessian State Park or Starved Rock, or staying at Fox River Resort, this is a perfect choice for breakfast or lunch. We went in June 2013, and the restaurant was full of happy diners. The very friendly owners were cooking food and waiting tables, and it was clear they were proud of their food. We ordered the veggie omelet with swiss cheese and it was cooked perfectly. Fluffy, cheese fully melted, vegetables fully cooked and chopped small enough that you didn't need a knife. Offered in 2 sizes if you want a smaller option than the 4-egg. I took the small omelette after running 7 miles and it was just the right size. We also ordered a side of sausage links and practically licked the plate. Finished off with a rhubarb strawberry pie with fresh whip cream on top. I am still dreaming of that pie. Cost is very budget-friendly. They appeared to still be doing some painting on the ceiling and a few walls, but hopefully the next time I'm back they'll be completely done. One star short because they didn't have everything on the menu that we wanted to order, no non-dairy milk/creamer, and also (mostly) because the bathrooms aren't as lovely as the rest of the place (but it might have had to do with the time I was visiting in relation to the painting work). I would give it 4.5 stars but the half-star isn't an option here. Charming place, locally owned, great service, tasty food. Loved it. Will go back. Fully support this cafe!
(4)Johnny T.
Nice little diner in my book! It was 1:50 when I got out of my car and noticed that they closed at 2, which made me hope that they weren't gonna spit in my food. Inside had a lot of various small town decorations and figurines. My presence wasn't deterred, due to my late arrival. Menu was pretty extensive so I asked what was good and the girl recommend the Texas Chicken, which was a boneless chicken drenched in ranch sauce, then topped with barbecue sauce and shoestring onions with a side for $6. While waiting, I got some sweet tea and a slice of unbelievable apple date pie, which apparently was made my Calico's mom. The sandwich was delicious! Has a lot of flavor and was priced well below what I'm used to. Would love to have one of these places near by. Local History Lesson: The town got its name from General Philip H. Sherman, who was a cavalry officer during the Civil War.
(5)