The Red Oak

The Red Oak holds a fond place in my heart, as well as Bishop Hill. The buildings are lovely with their wood siding or aged brick and stone and the town is wonderfully charming and peaceful to visit.
I honestly think my first visit here must have been with my dad and grandpa. Grandpa was living alone after Grandma passed away in 1994. On weekends, my dad and I would drive to Toulon to fetch Grandpa and take him out to lunch. Most times we went to some not-​so-​exciting family restaurant in Kewanee or DQ, but one time I remember we drove for a distance, I sitting in the back seat watching corn fields pass and listening to Grandpa talk about who lived on which farm and what they were up to, and we ended up at a place called the Red Oak. My love affair was born.
Granted, I haven’t been there in a few years, but I made the trek out there for years afterwards during the holiday season, with either my mom, my friend, or my husband in tow.
We would roll up on the Red Oak and Trisha would be manning the door and even knew how to pronounce my family surname, which was thrilling to me after being subjected to years of constant mispronunciations.
If there was a bit of a wait? No worries, poke around the old house’s crannies and look at the gifts and goodies available.
The building is simple and lovely in its simplicity, a red, wood-​sided house with beautiful wood floors and a welcoming front porch. The atmosphere inside reminds me of a cozy tearoom with cheerfully-​colored walls, thick woven country tablecloths and napkins and rustic wooden tables and chairs. Over the years I believe they may have added on buildings and rooms for more seating.
As far as the menu, I can’t say that I ever strayed from the Swedish meatballs over noodles. It’s simple, delicious comfort food served alongside a side salad with a hunk of fresh baked bread. For dessert? Always the rice pudding. Heavenly. Graced with a lovely plum sauce rather than nasty warm plump raisins.
Bishop Hill remains a magical place for me, and the Red Oak is an integral part of that experience.

Best pies ever! You will be missed!

Let me first express dismay that they no longer have a Eureka, IL location, since it used to be one of the things I looked forward to when visiting relatives there.
Red Oak is a lovely rather old fashioned place– don’t expect fancy fusion cookery. What you should expect is a Swedish style lunch with some delectable desserts. Their Swedish meatballs are wonderful, but the main attraction for me is their unique Swedish Cream, which is a delicious rich raspberry custard. Their other assortment of pies and pudding is wonderful too. If you are ever driving by, it’s a great place to get a relaxing lunch.