A downtown Sterling tavern caters to customers who enjoy coming to its place built on a brick foundation of hospitality, hometown pride and homestyle food.

Push open the door at a Galena pub and Illinois quietly disappears. What's inside? Irish wood shipped overseas, crowd-pulling music, history-rooted stories and a sense of welcome that treats strangers like family.

One proud papa: A Savanna restaurateur has taken on an alter ego and is making a business out of his grandkids'-inspired nickname. Meet "Papa Chubby" and his food – keeping customers coming back hungry, and leaving full.

Step through the door at Basil Tree and time quietly rearranges itself. Inside one of Dixon’s oldest buildings, familiarity meets flexibility, from candlelit tables to hundreds of pasta possibilities, all built around making people feel at home.

For nearly 30 years, ye olde Red Knight Pub in Stockton has rolled out a welcome mat that gives people the Red-carpet treatment, with friends and hospitality from people on both sides of the bar.

The former schoolhouse in the tiny southwest Stephenson County town of Loran finds new life as the Slurp 'n Burp – serving hearty plates, cold pints and community spirit much larger than the small burg itself, keeping stories and beer flowing.

Update: After being closed since Thanksgiving week due to a water line break, Lanark's Hilldale Cafe and Catering is set to reopen Thursday, Jan. 15. Its cafe blends creativity and comfort to craft dishes that surprise and delight, each plate served with a dash of inspiration.

The owners of a Mount Morris bar and grill have put their own touch on a longtime establishment in recent years with its food, drinks, fun and free money making it more of a destination.

This popular sports bar and grill in Amboy offers creative twists to its traditional menu, including their famous Philly cheesesteak.