Nelly’s Restaurant on Rt 66

The atmosphere is loud (think theme park minus the crowd). Loud music, plus loud TV, plus people talking= probably not for very young, very old or a quiet dinner. This is a Saturday evening. The food is too notch. We ordered a bison burger medium rare (that was better than Greenfire in Rockford) $ 5.50, fries pickles and jalapeño poppers– $ 3.50 each, a Chicago dog and large chilli that came to $ 20 total. The owner also happened to give my kids free drinks and cheese fries because she’s friendly. Nice tourist stop :)

Delicious burgers and fries. Plenty of specialty burgers and originals at this place! The seating leaves s little to be desired, but good buildings are hard to come by in Wilmington. It’s an order at the counter and seat yourself kind of place so grab your food and enjoy. No matter how long you stay, you won’t be pressured to leave, so when you’re done eating you can sit and talk until you’re ready to go.

The staff are friendly; service is fast — and the grub is good!
My brother had a pulled pork sandwich and shared loaded fries (chili, cheese, and jalapeños) with me. I had the hot buffalo wings (5 were enough for a full meal for this lady!). Beer selection is basic — enough to enjoy the spicier things in life.
The ambiance is diner — perfect for a low key night. Enjoy the throwback décor and be sure to ask for a marker to sign the wall!
Bathrooms were clean, and there’s plenty of parking.

Yet ANOTHER AWESOME place to eat in a small town! Super super friendly staff! Make you feel right at home! Great food!!! Just love it there!!! Food made to order and everything is super fresh!!! Needs more than 5 stars!!!

I stopped in here because of the «home cut fries» sign. I didn’t know what to order because everything on the menu sounded good. The girls in the kitchen were making patties from fresh hamburger meat so I opted for the cheeseburger and I have to say it was amazing! I love a good burger but this was beyond anything I expected. I don’t live nearby but I will be bringing my family back very soon. Soooo good!

Went 3 times in 2 weeks. First time they nailed a medium rare burger juicy that tasted great. The other 2 times, disappointed over cooked well done dry burger. I gave them benefit of doubt for visit #2, because there was a huge crowd, and they really don’t have a short order cook so I went back for #3. There was only one other order, and they over cooked the burger again.
Problem is that they are inconsistent. I taunted the place to friends and now I’m embarrassed for sending them.
Fries are always good.

Delicious Patty melt with perfectly cooked onions, melty gooey cheese, and toasted marble rye with thin and tasty onion rings. The Garlic Parmesan Romano fries are D-​Lish also. Perfect lunch for our first meal our Route 66 drive!

We had the pulled pork, which was amazing, the pretzel twist, and a double cheeseburger. Also had the Parmesan garlic fries. Everything was perfect!
Very clean restrooms and friendly staff.

Nelly’s was an awesome experience! Restaurant itself was very eclectic and fun.
Food was very good, with lots of choices. Plenty of vegetarian choices!
I have to admit I could not put the hand cut Cajun fries in my mouth fast enough they were the best I have ever had!

ok… I’m sure that the individuals who have rated this with 4 or 5 stars had a great experience. My husband and I did not. I had the pulled pork, advertised as the best ever! Sorry… that was not true in my case. 1) the bread was very very soggy making it almost impossible to eat the sandwich without it falling apart. The pork was «passable.» 2) My husband ordered a polish sausage. The skin was so thick you could NOT cut into it. The worst part was when he took a bite and had to spit it out because it burst in his mouth… and not in a good way… steaming hot water because the skin was not pierced allowing the hot water to escape. NOT a good experience. 3) The fries were the best part although after our disappointment with the sausage and pork sandwiches, they became an after thought.
NOW, my husband is not one to EVER walk away from a sandwich without finishing the entire thing. This was the first time I have ever seen him leave food on his plate. :(
Lastly, the hand railing leading up to the restaurant needs repair and SOON! This may be a landlord issue but if you are an unsteady person or heavy, if you lean on that railing you ARE going to fall. It was not just a LITTLE loose, it was VERY loose, rocking back and forth.
We were going leave one star but the staff was pleasant and the service was pretty good.
We MAY try the burger if we are ever down that way again.

I like nelly’s concept and food it is family owned. The food is freshly made and prices are reasonable. i making nelly’s one of my regular places. the only thing I would say they need desserts like ice cream

What a pleasently surprising visit here for lunch. This was a luck strike for the day. They have a very extensive menu, with burgers being their specialty. I had one of the chicken wraps with fried mushrooms on the side. I was very happy with the wrap, very fresh ingedients, and the chicken tasted right off the grill. The mushrooms were typical for fast food place and free refills on the drinks.
Very pleasent atmosphere, it’s a place where people write on the walls. There are many people that have come a long way to visit here, Rt66 does Nelly’s well! Great place to eat, I will return. This is a 4 star fast food restaurant.

I haven’t been there a whole lot but they have excellent fries and a great atmosphere and hangout. The only thing I don’t like is the cashier looks at you as if she knows everything about you and you are wondering if she is judging you which is kind of wierd.

FOOD is AMAZING!!! My mouth crys when I am not there!

Yum! Great burgers, patty melt and fries! Service was friendly and the atmosphere was fun! Can’t wait to go back and try some of the other things on the menu.

Fantastic burger spot with big, juicy burgers served 40 different ways. Friendly service, right on historic Route 66.

I love Nelly’s! One of the best places around here in Wilmington! Great food & service!

Buffalo shrimp were excellent and the service was terrific! Definitely coming back to take on the Bomb challenge with some friends and family!

I have yet to try anything other than a hamburger since Nelly’s makes awesome burgers. Fries seem fresh. They also serve beer. From the outside, Nelly’s doesn’t look like much but inside the décor is too fun. I can’t believe they had a New Glarus Beer sign… in Illinois! Of course you can’t get New Glarus Beer in IL, but it was pretty cool. Lots of retro and rt 66 stuff plus local sports teams. You can even sign your name on the ceiling or doodle on a chalk board. The only thing missing is malts and shakes to go with a great burger and fries… at least I didn’t see.

Yummy! Good olé fashioned food in a small town, friendly service & interesting décor.