On I-70 close to Highland, IL off exit 30 rests a quaint little restaurant with a blue roof named Blue Springs Cafe. I'm sure many of its patrons are drawn in from the hand painted signs along the interstate promising foot high pies. I must admit, I was one of them. Many times I have traveled along that stretch of I-70 and drooled over the various signs posted near the exit. My BFF and I were discussing how good a nice slice of home made coconut cream would taste and since we were already half way there, we decided to head over to the Blue Springs Cafe!
Just pulling into the parking lot, it isn't immediately clear that a little country gem is hidden inside. You begin to feel its charm however, right after you open the door and step onto the old time hardwood floor. On your walk through the little lobby you will find various little hand made items you can purchase such as doilies, dish towels and even hand crafted soaps.
This is a seat yourself kind of place. You won't find a fancy host or hostess waiting for you at the door to escort you to your seat. You will find a friendly wait staff inviting you in and telling you to make yourself at home and sit where you like. The dining room is quite large with ample seating for larger parties or just a couple of good friends who on a whim decided they would like a slice of pie! Booths and tables are available for your seating pleasure. Each of the tables are adorned with blue and white checkered table cloths, a vase with some cute faux flowers, the usual packets of sugar and sweet n low, and a mason jar cleverly being utilized as a napkin holder. One side of the dining room was wallpapered in an old fashion country floral print and the other side blue and white stripes. A blue antique stove in the front of the room and painted menus on each wall adds to the country charm. of
After being seated I expected the waiter to bring over the usual cafe menu filled with lots of diner fare and odds and ends. What I got, since it was lunch time, was a very simple laminated sheet with a small, but satisfying selection. The lunch selections were 7.50 or you could choose from the family style menu, which is how all of their meals are served after 4pm. The family style meals include your main entree, mashed potatoes with country gravy, green beans with bacon, cole slaw, pickled beets, and home made biscuits with apple butter. We went for this and both chose the fried chicken. A sign on the outside of the restaurant promised food "like grandma used to make". I was skeptical, but it really did taste like my grandma's chicken! Well, at least how I remember it tasting. This had me pondering, did all grandma's use Crisco? The rest of the fixins were very tasty as well. Everything tasted just like I was 10 years old again and having supper at grandma's. If you have a large appetite, no worries! All of the sides are refillable, and trust me you will want more! Now I said we just went for pie originally, but we had to have the full experience. I barely saved a little room to squeeze in my coconut cream, but boy I was glad I did. Our waiter told us a woman came I'm every morning around 4 am and made all these scrumptious pieces of heaven. My coconut cream had a light flaky crust, the filling was rich and creamy with real flakes of coconut and meringue on top. I also tried the peach and cherry, not at the same time of course! Both were very sweet and very good! I will definitely be visiting the Blue Springs Cafe again in the future. Hopefully sooner than later, because I am sure I will be craving pie! I would also like to try the chicken and dumplings, my mouth is watering just thinking about it. Blue Springs Cafe is open daily until 9 pm. They only accept cash or checks, there is nothing indicating so except for the onsite ATM machine. Coke products are served!
