Big Ed’s Main Street Soda Grill

This is a great little soda shop/​cornerstone for a historic downtown. I’m hoping the service we got was not typical however. It seemed like half the staff was in training and they were completely overwhelmed on a Sunday afternoon. Our server had no idea what anything was or how to make it. The dirty dishes were all over the coolers because the bus boy/​dishwasher was making things for the clueless servers. They were in desperate need of a manager to take control. The food and drinks we had were good, would definitely give them another chance.

A cool retro soda shop interior with great shakes, malts and basic food. The burger and fries are particularly good. A nice fixture of vermilion with friendly service.

What a cool spot to grab a sweet treat. When I was home at Christmas we decided to pop in downtown Vermilion and my dad suggested this spot. Definitely a fun suggestion. My family and I sat at the counter which added to the experience.
We all ordered shakes and they were delicious. My husband and I ordered shakes that were unique from anything I’ve seen at other dessert shops. We had the Green River (ice cream, lemon lime syrup, and 7 up) and the Red River (ice cream, cherry syrup, and 7 up). Both were delicious.

Been in many times over the years and always get good service and food. My daughter loves the root beer floats and the food is always yummy. This place takes you back about 50 years.

Great old fashioned soda shop. The inside venue is quaint with great from the past décor. Diner type food. Great service. We sat outside. Fun place to people watch. The frozen custard hit the spot. Definitely family friendly.

Fun place for kids! Food is always good, service is quick and ice cream is a must! The old fashioned decorations are cool to see. They always have coloring books and crayons to keep the kids entertained while you wait for food. Overall its a great family environment!

This quaint restaurant takes one back to the days of soda counters. The menu is standard burgers, sandwiches, and hot dogs — with many ice cream options available for dessert. Service was friendly and responsive. While all of our food was tasty and our experience was positive, there was no wow factor to garner more than 3 stars.

I loved eating here as a kid. In a small town like Vermilion there isn’t a whole lot to do but in the summer time the place to be was «uptown» with your friends so I have a lot of happy memories here. Nostalgia!
Soda Grill is right on the corner of the historic part of the city and on your way to Main Street Beach. Since I was younger I think it may have changed hands a few times but the same charm remains. This is a must stop when you are in the area but I wouldn’t drive from out of town just to try it. But worth a visit when you’re here.
The food is good but nothing original. The usual soda shop staples of greasy burgers and salty fries will make you thirsty for a big milkshake. Yum! My personal favorite is the corn dog and fires because where else can an adult get a corn dog besides the fair? After your meal you can walk it off on your way down the road to the beach. Small town living at its finest.

Drove pretty far out of our way to check this place out… what a complete disappointment! The kids working there are totally unprofessional and clearly much more interested in socializing with each other than preparing food for customers. We waited 40 minutes for two burgers and two shakes, which is way too long when there’s only one other customer. The milkshakes were so bad that we threw them right out. How do you screw up a milkshake? The burgers were so sloppy and carelessly thrown in a to-​go container that it wasn’t even worth trying to eat it. Waste of time. Waste of money. Oh, and the tchotchkes on the wall stopped being cute when the employees stopped dusting. Just gross.

I gave this 3 stars for the atmosphere. The food wasn’t great, but wasn’t bad. Just average. My fish was over breaded but you could tell it was a frozen patty. The phosphates were fun for my children and the waitress went out of her way to cater to my daughter who is lactose intolerant.

This is a great place to eat the waitresses are great and friendly. Big Ed and his family are fantastic people. My wife and I have been going there ever since we were in school we are now 70 years old so that’s a very long time we’ve always enjoyed the atmosphere and the food is cooked to your liking. If you’re looking for a great hamburger french fries and drinks plus ice cream, this is the place to go.

Fun, Retro, Good old school style burgers…
Chocolate Malt = Crack
Do the math–

We had shakes, fries and Onion rings. They were great! Big Ed’s Soda Grill will transport you back to a time when life was simpler. When you get a shake they give you the spare shake in a tin. The décor is old fashioned original antiques. A great trip to yesteryear.

This review is for their Malt Shake and friendly service. The girl at the counter was very patient with my questions (What is an Egg Crème? What is the difference between a Malt and a shake? What is your specialty? What would you suggest?) At that point, she suggested the Malt Shake which was absolutely delicious! I have never been to an old fashioned-​style soda fountain and her patience and kindness made me feel less awkward. If you have never had a malt shake and you are curious, please take a chance and travel to Vermilion for an awesome and delicious experience.

Our waitress was Kelsey and she greeted us with a great big smile! I had the «King James» burger (two kinds of cheese, egg, and bacon) and it was delicious! My daughter had the peanut butter burger (pb and sweet pickles) and loved it. Can’t wait to go back.

Service was super friendly. Lots to choose from on the menu. Went with unique item… Peanut butter burger On suggestion from server… And it was really yummy. Would definitely go back!

Great place to take the kids into as it has a old diner setup with some antiques from my childhood or older. Haven’t been able to get in for a little bit, but the last time I was in it was looking a little cluttered with all of the decorations. My kids love the soda fountain, and I love the chance to share a Muddy River with them. Although I have been known to order a second one for myself. Reasonable food on the cheap, but I wish the Burgers were cooked to some other degree than well done and dry.

I love this place!!! Fun atmosphere with delicious food and yummy deserts!!! The burgers are made fresh and are really good! The chicken salad is so good. I have been here a hundred times and it’s always perfect!

Amazing burgers and old school soda fountain drinks and desserts. Coney Burger was top notch, Cherry Phosphate, and Boston Cooler (a ginger ale float) were delightful. We picked this place while just driving by, because we noticed the soda fountain sign… mad serendipity!

We love to visit Vermilion and have stopped for lunch at the Main Street Soda Grill twice. The first time we sat down and they never waited on us. We tried to get their attention but they never came around so we left. The second time was a year later (July 2013) and the service was much better. We both had burgers and fries the usual fare. The burgers were good and the fries were the standard frozen — deep fried but they were cooked right. The only issue I had was they don’t put the condiments on the table and make you bob and weave through the crowd to get some ketchup! The prices were average for a tourist based business. It looks like they really get busy around noon so if you can hold off for an hour wait and get in when they are not so busy. We will probably go back my wife likes the old time soda fountain atmosphere.