Snappers Bar & Grill

"That pre-#MeToo shenanigans are alive and well inside of Snappers in Clinton will be an immediate showstopper for most. To them, it’s a bit like watching old episodes of “Cheers” here in this bar that time forgot, while also not acknowledging that “Cheers” was a great show. The men who frequent Snappers, bless them, still catcall the female bartenders from time to time, and those bartenders, in ways attributed mostly to Dolly Parton movies from the 1980s, reply, “Oh, you hush” or “Come on now,” with a smile. This is not so much an endorsement as it is something to ponder, and canceling the entire affair would mean missing out on what locals call, “Good, basic grassroots food.” That is, when it comes to food, the very highest of praise around Central Illinois, and when it comes right down to it, the food at Snappers is bar food that wears its heart on its sleeve, while also being so much more. The burgers, especially, are as incredibly well-crafted as they are hefty, and more power to anyone who can finish an entire one in a single sitting. Should you be brave enough to try, there might be some hootin’ and hollerin’ from the locals as they watch you struggle, and that’s when the realization hits. Snappers, it turns out, is part of the cultural fabric that makes up Clinton. Anyone who lives there will be quick to admit that they are a bit old-fashioned, which may not be to everyone’s liking, but at the same time, Snappers patrons aren’t ones to judge and will always accept those merely passing through Clinton without needing to tell them they’re accepted. That should just go without saying. There are reasons why the country is so divided, anyone at Snappers will tell you, but none of those reasons has anything to do with pulling up for a meal and a beer and simply saying hi to folks, with or without the catcalls." - Timothy DePeugh