Wheelhouse — Restaurant in Springfield

Oh my gotto!! Came in for a solo date with moi-self after not having stopped by since the relocation. I’m glad I peeped their menu online first to see if any changes were made & won’t lie, I was shook. Literally thought I was being redirected to a scam site & even called the restaurant to confirm, “Is this the same Wheelhouse that used to be a truck, but was also in a hotel, and maybe has now relocated but with a different menu?” Yes, all in one breath. What a change this place has made in such short timing! Upon arrival, the atmosphere was intimate, open & inviting. I was greeted/seated right away & had a general idea of what I thought I wanted to try. I ordered the Dragon Berry Mule Mocktail, Summer Salad & Carne Asada. Right off the bat, I was given a welcome plate of their chips & salsa. Their salsa was very fresh & the crunch from their chips were a great snack to munch on with my mocktail, which was a perfect concoction for my taste buds. When the summer salad came out, I KNEWWWW I was in for a treat. The trifecta of flavors that comes from the joining of the cucumber, watermelon & mint mixed together in that chili pepper dressing. I could eat that salad as a meal alone, but I needed to save room. The Carne Asada… Holy FREAKING airball. Y’all are sleeping for real if you’re not already in your car & on your way to eat here right now. You are clearly not reading the words being written in this review. Talk about cooked to perfection, bursting with flavors & honestly who in the heck came up with corn hash?? Don’t be scared of the jeow som if you’re more daring when it comes to heat. I highly recommend dipping a slice of the meat, potatoes, & a whole pepper with every bite if you want some kick. I went in with no expectations with their new menu, but was dancing in my seat by how good everything was. Definitely hit the spot for me & I’m excited to come back to try other dishes… but next time, I’ll bring my friends so we can try the shareable plates. The revamp might be a whole new vibe & design to a classic oldie, but this place is still a solid goodie in the 417 area. Chefs kiss to the boys in the kitchen! Please keep up the awesome work. Customer service was top tier per usual, so thank you for continuing to feed my soul. My belly...

Real food that is very delicious. My daughter and I ate here a few months ago while in town for groceries; I enjoyed it so much that I had my friend take me here today ... while in town for groceries. Both times I had the drunken noodles (I think that's what they are called?) with tofu (which, as far as I understand, makes it vegan and gluten-free). The first time it was grilled tofu, and the second was crispy tofu. The crispy was my favorite. The photo doesn't do justice to all the veg that was in the dish ... and the large portion makes at least 2 meals for me. My friend had the steak tacos and really liked them. He said everything was seasoned nicely.

Great staff, too. Friendly and patient.

On a side note, I rarely eat IN a restaurant because of major sensory issues due to autism (I'll have my friend get to-go and I'll eat in the vehicle). My daughter assured me I'd be ok here, and she was right. This place does not have music, the tvs are all on silent, the crowd is minimal, and there are hardly any of the "cafe sounds" you'd expect to hear. There are lots of more private spaces, too. One of the few restaurants I can handle without shutting down.

It's 5 stars...

I hate to say I was disappointed because I had high hopes after looking at reviews for this place. It started when we arrived to pick up our takeout order. We waited for five minutes at the empty counter before we were seen. This was not the best start but I understand maybe they were in a rush with other work. I ordered the Drunken Noodle with grilled tofu at a 3/5 spice level. My food had virtually no taste and spice, in another word: bland. A Drunken Noodle sauce is famous for bold flavor whether one got tofu, chicken, or any protein, so you can imagine my surprise. The good part was that the portions were great, but that doesn't matter much when the food tastes like that. My partner ordered a bowl with peanut sauce and shrimp. She was disappointed because it was disproportionately lettuce, basically a salad, and overall the vibe left a lot to be desired. The total of our order was $35, normally justified for what I expected but I regret spending so much for a lackluster experience. Unfortunately we will not be going back until the food improves, and I do...