Acres Inn — Restaurant in Pontiac Township

Acres Inn in Pontiac is a radiant example of Central Illinois’s vibrant food scene, perfectly blending small-town warmth, local sourcing, and culinary ambition.

Culinary Chronicles of Central Illinois had the honor of visiting after connecting with Nick Rynerson of WGLT/NPR, who brought us in as part of their upcoming feature spotlighting our region’s restaurant excellence—huge thanks to Nick for championing local eats and giving us a platform to share why Central Illinois food is so special!

Acres Inn: The Back story Owner Jake Haag and front-of-house manager Darian have energized the corner of downtown Pontiac with a cool, unpretentious vibe that traces its roots to a coffee shop—but this place has gone full-throttle rogue into dinner territory. Known for inspirational hospitality and a kitchen that buzzes with energy, Acres Inn is expanding quickly, with menus that thoughtfully showcase locally sourced ingredients from heavy-hitting Central Illinois farms and dairies like Kilgus Farmstead, Chicken Feather Lane Farms, and Ropp Jersey Cheese.

Local Ingredients, Punchy Menu Cheese Curds: Made with Ropp Jersey Cheese, these are as fresh and springy as they come.

Pimento Cheese: Signature dish—creamy, bold, and designed to make you say "wow."

Crispy Loaded Potatoes: Every bite pops with flavor, making a classic feel inventive.

The mains set the benchmark for local sourcing:

Acres Double Cheese Burger: Ground beef from Kilgus Farms, juicy and beautifully charred, layered with local cheese—this burger showcases what farm-sourced can really mean.

Korean BBQ Chicken Sandwich: Chicken from Feather Lane Farms, transformed with kimchi, spice, and house-crisped bun—East Asian flavors meet Illinois farmstead freshness.

Illinois Hops & Sips Acres Inn’s drink program pops with local flavor too:

Pints from Emancipation Brewing Company, "Hopping on 66" and "Barn Bier" keep things fun and true to the region.Vibe & Service Step inside and you’re greeted by a space that feels just right for a meal with friends.

Darian and the team make guests feel instantly at home, with fast, enthusiastic service and visible pride in every plate heading out. The energy hums—expect laughter, conversation, and a low-key party as lunch rush turns into evening, and plenty of locals dropping in for coffee or a...

Stopped by on our route from Chicago to TX and I am super happy that we did! We were super hungry so called in our order before we arrived.

General: Most of the food is locally sourced and when checking out, the woman at the register informed me she was the baker here- she makes cookies and cheesecake cups + whatever else she’s inspired to whip up with the ingredients they sourced that week. Every employee we interacted with here were super sweet and helpful.

Food: My husband got one of the weekly specials- the Taco Burger and I ordered the Smash Burger. We also got a full sized garden salad & a side of crispy potatoes to share. The garlic croutons were delicious (and I’m usually not a fan of croutons) and I would have preferred a bit more tomatoes and cucumber. The Taco Burger was a bit spicy w/ all the jalapeños but very tasty, and I really enjoyed my Smash Burger (I did add some mixed greens from my salad for a crunch). The burgers both have double patties and they’re each pretty thin so cooked medium-well, & you can’t select another way to cook them, but not dry at all. The crispy potatoes were seasoned well but a bit too thickly cut for our preference (but still tasty).

After eating outside we decided to share a dessert and were able to order through the walk-up window which was cool. We opted for the Caramel Milkshake and wowww- it was soooo delicious!

Bathrooms: Simple, clean, and well stocked. Gender neutral.

Saved this in my Google Maps for anytime we’re road tripping on Route 66 and want a delicious, fresh...

Not only do they have great burgers but a fabulous menu in general & a pretty good coffee menu. Highly recommend the ginger tea, the wedge salad, & the crispy potatoes with ranch (ranch seems to be fresh Buttermilk stuff VS. shelf-stable trash :D)

Clean bathrooms are a plus.

It is a little loud at busy times but overall impressed with the ambience they created as I see a lot of downtown businesses struggle to create one that's anywhere near as pleasant as the one here.

Pontiac has been in desperate need of a good burger spot since at least 2005 (when I first moved there) +, I hate to say it but it's the truth; the entire downtown square is severely underutilized. There's shocking lack of decent places I or any tourist would actually want to take their business and the few formerly good ones are gone. Acres, however, is a place my family now goes multiple times a week.

Hope they continue to do well...