[GrandpasArms]

Hi All : Due to things beyond my control I have know missed 3 Grand Americans since 1975.
Hope all are well. I missed all. For many years (10 yrs) Mcilwain Mansion, Julie & Denny , They shared there home with us. Our home away from home.
Anybody stay or visit Okawville, IL. Original Springs Hotel !! Owner Mary
I always stayed in Okawville, IL. at Bed & Breakfast down the street from hotel.
We ate many meals at Pistol City, Coulterville, IL. and Southside Ribs in Sparta, IL.

Hope all make it home Safe & Sound.

Joe Woods/Ontario

Okawville, IL. Original Springs Hotel is an interesting place. It is OLD and has a certain amount of charm. It's not dirty by any measure, but it doesn't look or feel the same as the spit-and-polish franchise hotels. The mineral spring baths are a hoot and the sauna makes you wilt - neither is advised before competing. The food is excellent and very affordable, especially with the cash credits they supply. Portions are generous.

It's a short 30-minute road trip to the fields. Unless a person camps at The Grand, almost every lodging is 30 minutes away - give or take.

I think we'll be staying there again in 2022.

 

[C-Money]

It was a nice stay, not sure if I would stay on the 3rd floor again....couple of interesting things happened up there that the staff and I could not explain. Was surely a good stay though.

 

[alf174]

I got ribs on two days at Southside, the first was great, the second was not good. Should have a gotten the steak.

 

[o-hale]

My shooting buddy and myself tried the ribs at Southside, they were really dry and quite tough.
Not near as good as what I remember from days gone by.

 

[jk80]

I got ribs on two days at Southside, the first was great, the second was not good. Should have a gotten the steak.

You wouldn't have probably liked the steak either. Last one I had I sent back twice. So tough I was looking for whip marks where the jockey was hitting it! Lol. I was in there at the US open and had the pork chop. Chop was OK. Fries were cold and beans were a bit firm. It was an hour and 40 minutes from sitting down to paying. Didn't bother during the grand.

 

[MRS. KS-OKIE]

I would rate Burnt Ends BBQ in Red Bud way higher than South Side . Their burnt ends were out of this world and the Bread Pudding was to die for.....

 

[HeyNow]

I would rate Burnt Ends BBQ in Red Bud way higher than South Side . Their burnt ends were out of this world and the Bread Pudding was to die for.....

We usually would rate Burnt Ends better but this year ribs were reheated and left to heat way too long. They were dry. Burnt ends were better. Sour cream potato salad, beans and chips good but hush puppies overcooked. Interestingly Southside pork chop was out of this world 🧐. Guess it depends on who was cooking that day.

 

[Joe Woods]

It was a nice stay, not sure if I would stay on the 3rd floor again....couple of interesting things happened up there that the staff and I could not explain. Was surely a good stay though.

Carrying the luggage to third floor was out of question, Joe

 

[slide action]

Since we had our dog with us we didn't go out to eat. I have tried South Side before and it was great however, I have heard from some people that it's not what it used to be. The food vendors on the grounds did an AMAZING job and the food was GREAT ! The Staff and trap help at this years Grand did an AWESOME JOB. They were short shafted , over worked but ,I never heard one complain, not even once ! My hat's off to them !! The vendors were sparse and pretty picked over by the time I got there ,and the component availability by Grand week was Dismal to Non Existent but , as far as the events went it was still the GRAND and was a lot of fun !

 

[jk80]

I would rate Burnt Ends BBQ in Red Bud way higher than South Side . Their burnt ends were out of this world and the Bread Pudding was to die for.....

I drive past that place on the way down and have been wondering about it. I LOVE burnt ends. I'll have to give it a try next year.