Krekel’s Custard

Good place to try if you’re in Decatur!
During the times I’ve been at Krekel’s I’ve gotten a cheeseburger and their custard.
Their burgers are average, and super greasy, but good if that’s what you’re looking for. I didn’t know veggies (lettuce, tomatoes, onions) were an add on the first time I was there.
Their custard is amazing, though. They have a variety of flavors, but I’ve typically gone with their lemon custard or their strawberry custard. Don’t forget to add the sprinkles, and you’re set!

Krekel’s on East Main is the epitome of burger stands. Simple and outstanding. To make this burger even better — eat it fresh, right on site. You won’t be disappointed… unless you want one on a Sunday.

Outstanding Decatur favorite. Best cheeseburgers anywhere. Grilled buns. Seared beef patties. Good service. Never had a bad meal. Great soft serve ice cream desserts. And that classic restaurant feel.

I was born in Decatur and lived there until I was just over twenty years old and until today I’d never had food from any Krekel’s location. Okay, I had only fries with (okay) cheese sauce and a triple cheeseburger with onions, so I’ve tried little of what’s offered here, but the burger was wonderfully fatty and delicious. There is no solid scientific evidence that saturated fat is bad for humans, so at least the burger wasn’t bad for me – the fries, though good and tasty, were likely fried in vegetable oil and I’m getting skeptical of how healthful that really is. I needed to salt both — apparently that’s left to the customer. The burgers are fried to order so there’s a bit more wait than is usual with industrial fast food, and the giant burger chains undercut the prices here, so it’s slower and more expensive. I think it’s worth the wait and the extra cents.

Ahhhh Krekel’s. One of the most memorable establishments during my stay in Decatur, IL.
Krekel’s is amazing. There is nothing like it and I’ve been blessed with the opportunity of trying their delicious custards. I’ve yet to find anything similar to it in CA.
I used to get them every weekend when I would do my laundry at the ghetto laundry mat on Mound. Wish they had it here in Bay Area.
⁵⁄₅! Must try!

Classic Krekel’s burger with cheese and new crinkle cut fries are great!
The fish sandwich was delicious with the best I’ve ever had tartar sauce! Fish itself was tasty but not the absolute best ever but I will have it again!
Overall: great go for the burger stay for the custard!

Best chocolate shake and strawberry cone EVER!!! Loved it as a kid and still do now

First visit. Loved my vanilla sundae with chocolate syrup. Great real old time flavor

Awesome! The burgers are an amazingly greasy guilty pleasure! The fries are a match made in heaven… and the custard, oh my goodness… i got the lemon and it made time stand still. Everything that custard should be! Beats Jarlings anyday! And it’s cheap! By no means, should you be concerned about caloric intake or how many points your cholesterol goes up… The perfect way to spend your «cheat on my diet» day!

Never frozen patties? Check, Smashed beef burger so greasy that reminds of Dick’s Drive-​in burgers in Seattle? Check.
This place is pretty well known in Decatur for their greasy smashed burgers. Fresh/​never frozen ingredients and milk shakes are pretty popular. I’ve had my share of burgers around the world but this place can compete with most of them. Especially being as cheap as they are, I don’t know how local Mcdonald’s stay in business.
It definitely deserves a visit if you are in the area, they do have 4 in the city so swing by and grab yourself a greasy ass smashed burger!
Different store may/​maynot accept cards for payment. Make sure you have cash in hand!

The only bad thing to say about this place is that in the wintertime, it gets REALLY cold lol.
Love it! Best burgers in town, thin and crisp. The lemon ice cream is awesome as well, prefect blend if sweet and lemoney. Yum
This is our go to place whenever we come to town!

Handy location, good cheeseburgers (think steak & shake, but a little greasier and tastier), VERY reasonable prices and great ice cream. Fries were surprisingly good and cheap as well. Lemon ice cream is what it’s famous for, not my favorite cause it’s more a sweet lemon and I prefer tart lemon, but still great. Strawberry lemon swirl is about perfect. A medium ice cream cone is enough for most normal people. Would be interested in seeing what a large looks like!

Classic cheeseburger fry and shake place! Love it! Get a double with cheese and all the fixings! Fries and of course a lemon shake! But they have several shake flavors to choose from if lemon doesn’t suit you! But I can’t imagine that happening, it’s amazing! Also have great chili, grilled cheese and ice cream cones but get sprinkles! They have 4 locations in Decatur too. Krekels on woodford st, Krekels at colonial mall, Krekels on rt 36 and Krekels on wood st!

I grew up in Decatur, but moved when I was in my early 20’s. It’s been years since I left Decatur, but I still crave these crispy burgers and always make sure to pick up a few whenever I come back to visit. I’ve had burgers from all across the country, but the ones at Krekel’s stick out due to their uniqueness. I’m a huge fan of the crispy edges and thin patties — perfect for a light meal or snack. On the plus side, they’re ridiculously cheap as well. From what I remember, single burgers would cost under $ 3 and double burgers would cost a little over $ 3 — an affordable price that rivals all other burger chains in the area in terms of getting the most for your money. The milkshakes are also the best in town.
Another good reason to go to Krekel’s is that it’s one of the few thriving local business in town. It seems like Decatur is oversaturated with mediocre chain fast food joints, so it’s nice to see one restaurant that is distinctly unique and offers something special to the residents of Decatur.

Krekel’s is definitely one of those hometown gems that you grow to love more and more with age. By far this is the best lemon ice cream I’ve ever had… then again, it’s likely the only place I’ve ever ventured to have the lemon ice cream because of the rave reviews! (Get it with spinkles!) It cherry milkshake is also a favorite of mine, so be sure to try one of them at least!
In terms of the burgers, definitely don’t anticipate it to be healthy. At. All. By the time you get the burger, the grease has already started soaking into the paper wrapper, but you won’t be disappointed by the flavor. It’s absolutely delicious with gooey cheese accompanying the amazing burger experience. The fries don’t have much if any salt on them so make sure to add your own!

Rocks. Only word to describe. I didn’t even mind that it was cash-​only. whether a single or double — the burgers are where it’s at. The bag is greasy from the fries and it makes you wanting to eat it even more. The staff is quick and efficient. Know what you want to get, because you don’t want to be the guy holding up the line.
If you are in Decatur, be sure to have at least one meal here.

My husband always talked about how great these burgers are. When I saw the exterior and the seating, I wasn’t interested. We grabbed a couple burgers and milkshakes and OMG. Definitely the best burger I’ve had. The prices are really cheap! It is a pretty sketchy looking establishment and location, but the food is amazingly greasy and delicious.

Like the town of Decatur itself, this Krekel seems to be an establishment that is slowly dying. Everyone sees that it is dying and yet nothing is done.
The building is badly in need of updating. Small windows through which the employers speak to you and then quickly close. Through the window one can watch the burgers being made. When you make the misfortune of ordering a burger you will first see an employee open the fridge that has a sign on it stating «broken door.» The door is held together with duck tape. Lots of duck tape. Behind the door are hundreds of balls of ground beef. The employee will grab the raw meat with her bare hands, throw it on the grill, grab a spatula smash the meat flat and let it cook. She will then close the fridge door with her bare hands and move on to make your fries. At no point after handling the raw meat will she wash her hands. Nor will any of the other employees who open the fridge. Why I ate the burger after watching this, I’ll never know.
After your burger has been fried to a crisp, rare meat hand employee will place it on a flavorless bun with some ketchup, mustard, onion and pickles. I had the cheeseburger, or the CB as the sign said.
The burger is not good. The meat has no flavor other than grease and burnt meat. The onion was flavorless and not fresh.
The fries are somehow worse than the burger. No salt to speak of. They tasted like oil.
The good: After eating my ecoli burger, it was clearly a shift change and new employees showed up. Before they touched the grill I quickly ordered a lemon ice cream cone. I’m comfortable saying it was the best lemon ice cream I’ve ever had. Not too sweet with just a hint of lemon. Almost tasted like lemon curd frozen. I liked it.
I understand why this place is so popular. In Seattle we have Dick’s. Terrible burgers from a crappy little walk up location. Objectively it isn’t any good, but it has always been there and so the locals love it. Deep down they know it isn’t actually good, but it’s always been there and it makes you happy. This isn’t a perfect analogy because DIck’s is clean and salts their fries, but I understand the nostalgia and love for a crappy burger. So locals keep enjoying this place. Out of towners, don’t bother stopping here.

Smashed Burger. Smashed Burger.Smashed BURGER! Krekel’s has some of the best Midwest Smashed Burgers around. Steak and Shake aint got NOTHING on this place! You can view your beefy-​heavenly work in progress through the large window by the grill. And if you stare? Don’t worry, the grill master is used to it. Just try not to drool on the window– that’s gross.
The burgers are 2 oz of meat, pounded thin, and cooked until crispy on a hot griddle. They are then scraped off and placed onto a soft bun. By the time they reach your eager hands, the juices and steam from the burger have turned the cheese into a molten goo of yumminess. The steam perfectly moistens the bun. Yum– Yum-​YUM!
And the fries are GREAT also!
Cash ONLY– this custard stand is open ALL YEAR AROUND!

I grew up eating Krekel’s so obviously I am a huge fan. Since moving away from Decatur, IL I have yearned to find a burger joint that can meet my expectations. A few here in St. Louis have come close, but no one beats Krekel’s!
The burgers are very thin and crispy — I recommend going with a double (maybe even a triple) cheeseburger if you are hungry. The fries are just so-​so, but if you put enough salt and catsup on them, they are just fine. The lemon ice cream is out of this world! Really, you can’t go wrong with any ice cream from Krekel’s, but lemon is my personal favorite.
You can call in an order before picking it up, but even on a busy day the wait at Krekel’s isn’t too bad. The gals who work at the counter always wear red and are ready to help. Gives it that personal touch!
There are days where I crave a Krekel burger and am sad that I don’t live closer… but it makes a trip to Decatur even more worthwhile!