The Frosty Mug – Mt. Vernon Illinois

Following our Thanksgiving family visits to St. Louis Missouri and Omaha Nebraska, I’d chosen Mount Vernon Illinois for our overnight stop on our  trek home…

After some research, I found some reviews for the Frosty Mug Bar and Grill in Mount Vernon.  It was a little bit of a drive from our hotel, but after all this is a local neighborhood joint…and it isn’t aimed at passing motorists blowing along on the expressway.

One of the reviews I read told of a potential customer’s frustration as they circled the building at night after not being able to locate the entrance on the street side.  They never did figure out how to get in and they also thought that the place looked ‘sketchy’ in any case…

We circled the building as well and finally determined that the entrance was at the far end of a semi-dark patio with picnic tables in the back… The potential customer just didn’t look hard enough!

The inside dining area of the Frosty Mug Bar and Grill was fairly busy, especially for the Sunday night after Thanksgiving.  It was no surprise that most of the customers were regulars! 

There were tables in the bar area as well.  The bar is separated from the main dining area by a half wall.

One curiosity at the Frosty Mug is the drive-up packaged liquor sales.  They actually prepackage your favorite drinks for you for a party or to just take home to enjoy in the peace and quiet of your own home…

Laurie and I really like neighborhood ‘joints’ like the Frosty Mug.  These types of places are usually very friendly and the prices are usually “right” too!

Was I smiling because I’d seen something that I wanted on the menu?  Perhaps… 

On this occasion, we skipped the appetizers.  However, for your information the 'usual' appetizers included jalapeno poppers, a variety of chicken wings, pickle chips as well as some BBQ Nachos.  Unusual items for a neighborhood bar and grill included a shrimp cocktail, mini tacos, pork rinds, and spinach artichoke Rangoon.  Prices ranged from $4.00 to $9.50 although you could opt for larger baskets of wings.

The Frosty Mug has a special going on with Bloody Marys for only $3.00 each!  The accompanying cheese and olives were almost a meal in themselves.  There is a drink special every day at the Frosty Mug.  How about a 34 oz. mug of domestic beer on Mondays for $3.00!

I ordered something that I had seen on a menu for over 20 years… This is what they call a “Horseshoe”.  It included 2 hamburger patties served open-faced on a thick slice of toast, then covered with French fries with a cheddar cheese sauce over the top.  I added bacon for a little extra flavor. ($8.75) While it was good…the cheese sauce lacked the “pop” that I remembered from my first ‘shoe’ experience. 

FYI…the Horseshoe open faced sandwich was invented in a hotel in Springfield Illinois and the last one I’d had was in a restaurant that occupied a Quonset hut in Springfield.  ‘Shoe’ cheese sauces apparently vary from chef to chef.  The sauce is generally derived from Welsh rarebit and common ingredients include eggs, beer, butter, cheese, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper.   I like Welsh rarebit but this sauce wasn’t much like it… 

Laurie opted for a half-pound cheeseburger with potato chips. ($7.25) “Sadly”, she couldn’t finish it and I had to come to the rescue!  It was a very nice cheeseburger…

Other sandwiches included pork tenderloin (breaded and fried or smoked), BBQ brisket, bologna or pulled pork and Italian beef.  The Horseshoe that I ate was the most expense sandwich on the menu.  A number of Baskets items and entrees are also available.

We liked the Frosty Mug and we’ll probably eat here again when we stopover in Mount Vernon.  Next time I’m having the fried pork tenderloin!  The Frosty Mug Bar and Grill is located at 1113 Salem Road in Mount Vernon Illinois.  Phone: 618-242-3372.  Their website is found at http://frostymugbarandgrill.com/home/1742543.

That’s it for now.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by to see what was for dinner!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave