Leatherneck Nation

This is sort of a catchall thread category area, so thought I would try to start one that might be useful to every fan, especially the out of towners like myself who grow tired of the same old Mickey D stuff (nothing against them, I just finished off two Egg McMuffs). When you are in Macomb or surrounding area, where do you eat? Do they have the best damn this or that on planet earth? Does it leave a hole in your wallet? Are you afraid of catching botulism when you eat there? Like on all other threads, we appreciate and respect your personal opinions here too.

Might as well include restaurants you would like to see. I will throw out first one and that is Potbelly's. Really tasty subs for the money. Their sub roll perfectly complements whatever you put inside it. I think the closest one might be in Peoria.

Hey Seal... I haven't been to the Sunrise (near campus) for breakfast in a couple years, but the food was always really good. I do prefer Rocky's & The Macomb Family Diner for breakfast. If you're talking lunch/dinner, then then I'd say Rocky's, the Jackson Street Pub (best horse shoes & ponies in the area), Chicks (can't ever go wrong with their Chicken Lips) and I personally have always had great service & food at the Sports Corner.

On W.Jackson it's Vitale's or Italian Express if Italian is what you're craving... The Red Ox also on W.Jackson (try the Ugly Steak.. it's worth it). Not sure if you're a fan of Chinese, but Yummy Chen's on W.Jackson & Sesame Garden (formerly Lin's Garden) now in the Maclan Plaza, across from Pizza Hut on E.Jackson serve up some pretty good eats. The Mexican joints in town Guadalajara's (E.Jackson) and El Rancherito (W.Jackson) are pretty good too. Aurelio's just off the square/near Train Station & Larry A's (Maclan Plaza) have real good pizza. Got a sweet tooth, the FYI-Frozen Yogurt shop across from Chandler Park get's a thumbs up from me.

Can't forget Ponderosa. Every time my dad came and visited me for school he would always take me there. Needless to say he is a big fan of buffets.

Well, as I was typing this up, it looks like Kipp beat me to some of the recommendations, but I figure I'll post this anyway, since there's a few he didn't have listed.

I have a somewhat unique perspective, since I live here, but here's what I like (that aren't big chain places) broken down by style:

American:
Chubby's - where the old Phoenix Records was after they moved off the square (W. Adams, a couple blocks east of campus). Chubby's does Chicago-style food, italian beef, hot dogs, etc., but they also have an amazing horseshoe (especially the buffalo chicken one). I've heard complaints from other people about the service, but personally, I've never had any problems.
Jackson Street Pub - on west Jackson, same place it's been for decades. Hasn't changed..still a dark "hole in the wall" kinda place with great food. Also has a great horseshoe (try the tenderloin horseshoe). Just be aware that they don't accept credit cards...cash or check only.
Rocky's - west Jackson, where the old Regulator bar was (if it's been a while since you've been back)...but now painted purple. Sandwiches, burgers, the usual "sports bar" kinda stuff. Personally, I'm a fan of their Reuben sandwich.
Sports Corner @124 - right across the street from the southeast corner of Chandler Park. I haven't eaten here much, but when I have, it's been good.
Chick's - on the south side of the square. The specialty...chicken lips (kinda like long chicken strips covered in a somewhat different take on traditional Buffalo sauce). You can have them by themselves, in a sandwich, baked potato, pizza, salad, nachos, and my personal favorite, in a wrap.
Old Dairy - just off the square to the south, across the street from the public library. They've got great sandwiches, a large selection of desserts (pies, cakes, etc.), ice cream and coffee. A great place for a relaxing lunch.

Pizza/Italian:
Unfortunately, I can't speak much about the italian food in Macomb, since it generally disagrees with me. But, here's what I do know.
Larry A's Pizza - east Jackson, across from the K-Mart/CVS area. Larry A is Larry Aurelio...a member of the Aurelio family that started the Aurelio's Pizza chain. I don't know the full story, but Larry started and ran the Aurelio's location in Macomb after he had attended Western. At one point, many of the locations were sold/converted to franchise locations, and Larry was essentially forced out of the business. So, he took the original Aurelio family recipe and opened Larry A's Pizza. I've heard many people say that this is by far the best pizza in the area.
Italian Express - west Jackson, next to Dairy Queen. great subs, pasta, italian breads
Palermo Pizza and Subs - west Jackson, out more towards the edge of town. haven't eaten here, but I've heard from a lot of people that the sandwiches are amazing. so much so that when they used to be located in Colchester, college kids would carpool the 15 minute drive out to Colchester just to eat there.

Mexican:
El Rancherito - fast service, decent mexican food. a fairly standard, but good, mexican restauraunt.
Guadalajara - in the old Hardees on east Jackson...in front of K-Mart. Similar to El Rancherito, I've only eaten here a few times, but it's always been good.

Chinese:
Asian Buffet - next to k-mart, recent remodel and name change (can't remember the new name, but it's similar). Good chinese buffet, recently added "Mongolian Grill" type service too.
Yummy Chen's - formerly Yen Ching on west Jackson. remodeled, changed ownership and names. Just recently reopened in the last month. I haven't eaten here yet but I've heard it's pretty good.

The slightly "higher-end" places (this is still Macomb, there's not going to be Chicago-level "high end" here):
Red Ox - West Jackson. Known for their steaks and seafood.
Magnolia's - Just off the square, diagonally across from southwest corner of Chandler Park. Southern-style cuisine...seafood, cajun-style entrees, etc. I've been to Savannah and Tybee Island, GA twice, and this is on-par with some of the better restaurants down there. You want some cajun pasta or southeastern coastal style chicken or fish, finished off with an excellent slice of Key Lime pie while sippin' on a Mint Julep or a glass of wine....this is your place.

Ice Cream:
FYI Self-serve frozen yogurt - across from south side of Chandler Park. Your standard frozen yogurt type place, pick your flavor(s), toppings, syrups/sauces, and then pay by weight.
Dairy Queen - ok, so this is the one place that is a big chain, but Macomb's is one of the oldest Dairy Queen locations, is a a staple of the midwestern small town, and was once owned by my great great uncle, Gilbert Stein. Since they're an "outdoor" store, they're only open from March through early October though, so if you're in town during the late fall or winter, it's not really an option.

Can't forget Buffalo Wild Wings on East Jackson (in front of Walmart). It's a great place to go on football Saturdays.

Oh, forgot to mention Vitale's. On West Jackson, across from Taco Bell. Excellent pasta (personally, I'm a fan of the gnocchi) and big portions.

Also, of course, there's the regular fast food/chain places:
McDonalds (2), Subway (3), Burger King (2), Taco Bell, Wendy's, Hardees, Pizza Hut, etc.
We also have, back again as of a few years ago, a Jimmy John's. Macomb was actually the 2nd Jimmy John's location (after the original one in Charleston, IL). The location was eventually closed, and a few other businesses tried their hand at being in that building, but nothing stuck. Within the last 10 years (can't remember the exact year), Jimmy John's came back to Macomb, moving back into the original location, right next to the railroad tracks on West Jackson.

As for places I'd like to see:
Chipotle (or some similar burrito place) - we've had a couple...one called Salsarita that was in the old west side Pizza Hut (now Macomb Family Diner) and another called Baja Burritos that was across from Chubby's. Neither worked out, but I don't know if it was because of lack of publicity, or what.
Panera - has been rumored to be working on getting a location set up here for the better part of a year.

Chubby's on Adams Street is awesome you have to try their Italian beef.

I like Scott's take better... I was in a hurry, so couldn't get as detailed as he did. Also, I thought, how could I forget Chubby's? But I remembered, ever since school started, they're usually swamped. I haven't had it in awhile, but they had/have an item called "The Kentucky Hot Brown" that's really good. Chubby's also features 5 or 6 specialty hotdogs. The Chubby, SlawDog & Chicago-Style being my favorites.

B-Dubbs is a great place on E.Jackson, but I was just assuming everyone knew about them, and I wanted to take a more "local" mom/pop type place approach... but also a huge fan of "Beer, wings & sports!"

Places I wouldn't mind seeing in town: Panera, Dunkin' Donuts, Denny's (or IHOP, Country Kitchen/Cracker Barrel).

Places the town needs majorly: More large scale Manufacturing/ commercial companies (similar to Pella or NTN) to increase jobs

Restaurants the town needs : 1 of the follow - Oliver Garden, Chilies, Applebees


Any of the following would also do well especially near school: Potbelly's, an actual Chipolte, Starbucks, Panera, Noodles & Co.

I could see someone tearing down some old homes in future for a strip of businesses near the school that would have places like these. There is definitely some new development needed.

What recently opened in the former Baja Burrito space on Adams Street? I saw an open sign and some WIU clothing hanging near the windows, but there's no sign indicating the type of business. I never got a chance to try Baja Burrito as their hours were really strange and they weren't around very long. Would love for another burrito place like a Chipotle or Qdoba to give it a try. I'm hoping the Mediterranean restaurant being advertised across the street from the Sports Corner actually opens in the next few months. Love me some gyros!