Mystery Diner: Kaddywampus Sports Grill, Home To Amazing Burgers

If you’re on the hunt for good burgers in Starved Rock Country, you’ve got to make a stop at Kaddywampus Sports Grill in downtown Granville, and give theirs a try – if you haven’t already, of course.

I guarantee you their fresh beef burgers would be strong contenders in any local food contest. The small sports pub serves up big flavor that doesn’t disappoint. On a recent trip through Putnam County, we decided to check out the menu.

Right at the door, we were welcomed with friendly service, and seated quickly in the dining area. They made sure we all had a drink in hand within the first five minutes of being there.

Whatever Illinois team you root for, you’ll find comfort in the decor at Kaddywampus. Memorabilia from every sports team – from Chicago Bulls to Chicago Bears and even both Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs – adorn the walls and bar area. There’s even hometown sports team representation with photos, newspaper articles and a jersey rooting on Putnam County High School’s teams. It’s clear Kaddywampus would be a fun place to hang out on game night.

We quickly dove into the menu, which offers burger options, wraps, chicken sandwiches, grilled cheeses, chicken stix, salads and also full dinner entrees like spaghetti with grilled chicken, chopped steak, and fried chicken (on Fridays and Saturdays only).

Right away, we knew we were going to give the burgers a try. But first, we decided to sample the starters. The cool thing at Kaddywampus is if you can’t get your party to all agree on one starter option for the table, there’s a combo plate that comes with a little bit of everything on the list. With three people in our party, this was a perfect option to get us started. The dish comes with portobello fries, Not So Boring Onion Rings (that’s what they call them at Kaddywampus), Pepe dogs (deep-fried mini hot dogs on a stick) and deep-fried green rice balls. To top it off, you get to pick two sauces. We played it safe with ranch and cheese sauce.

The starter plate was a hit at our table. I’d say the two top favorites were the Pepe dogs and the onion rings. Both came with just the right amount of crisp.

For the main course, our party went for the burger selections. One diner at our table ordered the No. 1 namesake burger on the list, the Kaddywampus Burger, which comes with two steak burgers filled with American cheese. “Our version of the ‘Juicy Lucy,’” the menu claims. The diner at our table gave the burger two thumbs up, and did not leave hungry. The burger comes with all the fixings on the side, plus a helping of tater tots (shoe string fries are another option if you’re not a tater tot person). If you’re going to go with this option, make sure you’re plenty hungry. The double-patty monster burger is sure to satisfy any appetite.

Another diner at the table gave the Harry Caray Burger a go. This one came topped with a one-third-pound hot dog and beer cheese sauce. While it seemed an unusual item, it was surprisingly well done. The hot dog gave it that extra salty flavor, and the cheese complemented the burger perfectly, with no fixings needed to give this burger flavor.

Our third guest went with the Boring Burger, yes it’s really called that on the menu. If you’re not into trying anything fancy, just looking for a simple, delicious burger patty, this is the way to go at Kaddywampus. It’s a plain, juicy beef burger that lets you decide how to fix it to your liking. It was a hit with our diner, who claims to be a bit picky about burger toppings.

While the starters and burgers were plenty filling, we capped off the evening with dessert. Kaddywampus’ menu offers a warm, gooey, cookie goodness treat. The dessert comes with vanilla ice cream, crowned with a warm chocolate chip cookie, whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate and caramel sauces. Make sure to save room for this one, or you just might leave with regrets.

• The Mystery Diner is an employee at Shaw Media. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a story.

Kaddywampus Sports Grill

218 S. McCoy St., Granville

815-339-6010

facebook.com/kaddywampus218