Country Gardens Restaurant & Pancake House

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  Whenever I come home to Paxton, I stop by for breakfast alt east twice a week. The food here is outstanding. The skillets offered are on par with places like Jimmy's Egg, and to be honest I think they are even better here. The service is first rate, the people there are truly friendly and service is prompt and courteous. The atmosphere is small town, which I hold dearly being that I am from the area. I always feel at home when I return for a visit. I look forward to coming back soon.

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  Posted on 05.08.13 Josh K.

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  Love this place.  Decided to try it since the fam and I have gotten tired of the same three places in Gibson and we didn't want to drive all the way to Champaign or Bloomington.  This restaurant is decently priced and so far everything I've had there has been wonderful.  The food is fresh and served quickly.  The waitstaff couldn't be any nicer if they tried.  The decor is cute and very country.  You can order to go and they have wonderful desserts to choose from as well.

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  Posted on 12.27.12 Sara N.

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  I am going to run into a lot of these two to three star restaurants in Paxton. All five of them...haha. Anyway, went here for an omelet and some coffee after moving into my new house in Paxton. Really just average. It's a truck stop/diner type where local students work. I know certain other local business owners who have had a rough time here, but I did not experience anything.
  
  Not many breakfast options in town. It's this, Arcade, Hardee's, or Casey's! HA!

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  Posted on 09.01.12 Pat E.

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  My wife and I travel from Ohio to Normal to visit her sister and we drive through Paxton (and we love the town).  We decided to stop at Country Gardens since we were running a little ahead of time, and that was fortuitous.  The food is excellent, the service was very good, and we just enjoyed the whole experience.  We try to stop by every time since then and have always had a great experience.  I do have a soft spot in my heart for small, one of a kind places.   I recommend this place for anyone.

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  Posted on 06.07.12 L E.

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  So I've eaten here twice, the first time being Memorial Day weekend of last year and the second being just this past weekend.  My old boss/dear friend relocated to Paxton and we ate dinner here when I went down to visit her for a couple days last year.
  
  (I was born and raised in southwestern Virginia so I kind of have a soft spot for little establishments like this.  And both the food and service are GOOD - and oh so friendly on the wallet.)
  
  My husband and I stopped by for lunch en route to Tuscola to visit another friend Saturday.  I'd really liked it the first time I went and I knew he'd dig it too.  I was right.  
  
  It's a very "country," very "charming" little place with a lot farm decor - not as kitsch though since it really is in the farmland.  It's the closest I've come to southern hospitality without being in "the South."  
  
  The menu is pretty expansive and I of course ordered the grilled cheese BOTH times.  I'm so adventurous.    
  
  I also ordered a salad with French dressing, appetizer of mozzarella sticks (they were half the price of anywhere around here that has them so I decided to treat myself - I refuse to pay $8 or $9 for them in Chicago), and of course my grilled cheese entree, done to perfection.  I'm just now realizing that I ate a LOT of cheese that day (see my review of Los Potros in Tuscola and you'll see what I mean).
  
  My ONLY issue is that they use meat sauce as the dipping sauce for said mozzarella sticks instead of your basic marinara.  To most normal people, that probably wouldn't even be an issue and might even be a plus, but I am a vegetarian.  So I had to eat mine plain which just isn't as good.
  
  I actually made this discovery the first time I ate there and had forgotten about it until the moment it arrived at the table and THANK GOD I suddenly remembered.  I probably would've spat it out all over the table horrifying anyone within eyesight of me.   **Sidenote, I actually did that a couple days into starting my job when someone told me the pizza we'd ordered for lunch was plain cheese but pepperoni was actually UNDER the cheese.**
  
  Oh, and they have Pepsi products which is really just a personal problem.  I could always opt for the healthier and cheaper (or FREE) option of water.  
  
  My husband ordered the steak sandwich with fries.  He found it to be absolutely divine.  We're not picky or pretentious people, nor are we "foodies" (to use the parlance of our times).  We don't dine at fancy restaurants on entrees that I can't pronounce.  We just like good food, nice people and great service.  These people are glad you're giving them your business and I dig that.  It feels good to be a paying customer and be appreciated.

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  Posted on 05.15.12 Claire M.

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  I stopped in here twice for breakfast while staying next door at the Paxton Inn for a nearby wedding.
  
  Service  is very friendly, the decor is cute with bright yellow walls and farm equipment hanging up as decorations. The food was very good both times.
  
  My first time there, I ordered things that weren't on the menu, as I just felt like having a regular breakfast after having been on the road for a few days(we drove from NYC). I had a bowl of oatmeal, a fruit bowl and some scrambled eggs. The oatmeal was very good, the fruit was fresh and the eggs were just right.
  
  The next day, I ordered a ham omelet and wanted to add black olives. The waitress came back after a few minutes to tell me that they were out of olives and I told her it was ok, I'd just take the ham. They actually sent someone to the store to pick up the olives for my omelet!
  
  The omelet was great. It was different than I am used to, It was round and very fluffy and so delicious that it was gone before I had the chance to ask myself if I wanted to eat the whole thing!!!
  
  This is a great little place to stop by if you're in the area.

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  Posted on 09.23.11 Stephanie V.

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  Happened upon this place many years ago and was blown away.  Would make the drive a couple of weekends a month for breakfast there.  The food was awesome, the breakfast menu extensive, the servings more than ample.  Reasonably priced, too.  Staff was always friendly and actually got to know you.  Went there last Sunday after a long absence and the waitress I came to know there actually remembered me, what kind of toast I liked, that I drank decaf, etc.  The menu was changed.  Less offereings, but I may have gotten the breakfast/lunch combo menu rather than the full breakfast one, since it was getting closer to lunch time.  The food was ample, as always, but lacked a little in taste from what I remembered.  It's a popular place, usually lots of cuatomers.  I will return again just to see if things have indeed changed, but I still recommend this roadside eatery.

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  Posted on 05.27.11 Edward M.

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