Burger Barge — Restaurant in East Peoria

Review Visit: April 12th, 2012

The Burger Barge is not actually on a barge.

But it is a next to a river that has a riverboat casino and plenty of traffic going up and down the waterway.

Burger Barge is a staple of dining in the East Peoria area. It’s just one that you would never know is there due to it’s location. So, you can consider it a hidden gem of sorts. The place is located off one of those access roads that runs parallel to the main road. Not only that but it’s about 25 feet lower than the main road and lined by a ton of trees and floral. All of that put together makes it hard to kind of spot the place when you drive by. But once you know it’s there, you are golden.

So, you make your way to the Burger Barge but be warned on a few things. The access road has many potholes and will do some work on your car’s suspension. Once you reach the Burger Barge, pray it isn’t busy or else you won’t find a parking spot anywhere. There have been many times where I have tried to come here and there was just nowhere to park and that’s taking in to consideration the ability to park in the grass.

If you survive the access road and find a parking spot, you are golden. Once inside, you get a distinct feeling that this place is cozy, unique, grimy, and delicious all at once. You are seated either inside or outside, depending on the season/weather and your choice of where you want to sit. I’ve been here a few times and have tried both. Personally, I like the outside as you can enjoy the view of the river and all the Asian Carp jumping as boats go by. Okay, maybe the carp aren’t a sight to see, but the view is nice and the outside seating is comfortable.

The building itself seems to be a house renovated in to a restaurant. Or it seems that way from the outside. Once you enter, it feels like a shanty dive bar restaurant with aquatic decor everywhere. Not that that is bad in any way. Just a fair warning before heading in. Though, you may pick up on the unusual design of the place from the outside, which gives one a sneak peek of things to come.

The place is known for their burgers and each one I have had is a winner in my book. It’s served with a plastic knife stabbed through the middle. Whether this is a threat from the chef or to keep the burger together, I am not sure. Probably the latter. Since this place is known for their burgers, they offer a wide variety to choose from and they aren’t your typical offerings. The menu sports a bit of a sea flair. Lots of references to water things and things you would probably find in a seaside town.

If you are feeling adventurous for a great burger and you have some sturdy sea legs, give the Burger Barge a chance. You might just set anchor there and declare it the best...

This place is a joke. The owner, Gigi I think, sits at the bar and gets drunk every day of the week. I have been here a number of times and witnessed it because this place happens to be a popular place for people who own a boat because of the barge obviously. Anyways, our server Hailey is a complete piece of work. This girl was flat out rude to my family and I and when we asked to speak to a manager after her messing up our order, refusing to fix it, and not giving us refills, she got started laughing and said she’s part owner. I find this very funny because we found our later than Gigi is her grandma! I’m not sure how that makes you part owner, you are just in her family and may someday inherit the place but she is not the owner and that girl needs to learn how to have better customer service skills. Anyways, he burgers are good sometimes but this place is really overpriced considering that you don’t even get a side with them! On several occasions, I have met people there and we sat at the bar. Katie is an extremely rude, unfriendly bartender who kisses up to Gigi whenever she is around but is rude to not only other staff members but also customers when Gigi is nowhere to be seen. There was a wonderful bartender with a great personality and great sense of humor that actually cared about what the customers concerns were named Hilary. The scowl that Katie always has on her face is enough to drive customers away! The Meadows and Sheridan location are cleaner than this one, but people always say the food is better here. I disagree, I feel that the food is the exact same at all three locations. Funny story, one of the bartenders that works at crusens used to work at the burger barge years back and he mentioned that Gigi, the owner, would get drunk every night and the bar and light up a cigarette then fall asleep with it in her mouth! He used to have to babysit her and pull it out of her mouth just so she wouldn’t burn the place down. The only reason she has any businesses open still is because he ex husband gave her them when they got a divorce! As unprofessional as this woman is I’m surprised they are still open...

Burger Barge has the best burgers in the Peoria area, in my opinion. I like the original with the works. The dock sauce makes the great tasting burger even better. If you are more adventurous there is a huge menu full of burgers...they have add ins like eggs, bacon, ham, taco fixings, cheese blobs and the list goes on.

The sides are pretty special too. You can get fries, onion rings, homemade chips or any combination of the three. There are also breaded mushrooms (my favorite), cheese blobs, cheese sticks and lots of others.

Not in the mood for a burger? They have you covered with a variety of seafood such as clams, shrimp, and fish! Corn dogs, chicken strips and grilled cheese are options too!

This is the second Burger Barge location and it is the largest of the three. It is actually divided into three separate restaurants each with it's own vibe and theme. The first is the boardwalk, a favorite of families. You can sit at tables or picnic tables and the room has various arcade games to keep the kids busy while the adults visit. It can get kind of loud in this section. The second part is the beach theme. It give a feeling of partying on the beach. You can dine or drink at the bar or tables in this section. It is a fun place for adults, but kids are welcome too. The last is the Captain's Quarters. It is the quietest and nicest of the three. As you enter this restaurant you notice the dimmed lighting and the rich dark woods that make up this space. This is a good spot if you want to enjoy a quiet meal with conversation. The menu is the same for all three places and the food is all prepared in the same kitchen so it doesn't matter which location you choose to dine in, you will still have a great meal.

Come enjoy a burger here and you will be...