Trails End Lodge - Deer Lodge

My wife and I tried Trails End last Friday, which also is karaoke night. The dinner and local regulars who sang made for an entertaining evening. The Lava stone cooking was a good experience as you can cook your steak to your liking. I used the Montreal seasoning on the steak prior to slapping it on the eleventy billion degree stone. My wife had a nice portion of scallops which she impatiently flipped too soon and left most of the seared crust on the stone. Cooking error on her part, but the scallops were still tasty. Be warned, you will get asked to bust out your favorite karaoke standard if you sing along with the rest of the crowd. The entire staff was friendly and welcoming.

Gotta say this has been my best visit here in a long time, the bison burger was absolutely amazing, the drinks were great , the waitress was on top of her game, even the weather was great, I'll definitely be back soon and bring friends. On a date night with my woman of 23 years and could not have picked a better place and time to take her.

Very well worth the drive! Had the Trail Special, had steak, pork chop, lamb chop, and sausage. You cook it on a lava stone right at the table. It was so good! I am embarrassed to say that I ate every last bite all on my own! I will definitely go back again! Our ticket was about $60 but if I had paced myself there was enough food for a few meals. Make the drive to Cobden, IL and try it out!

Coolest dining experience I've had in a long time...and very unique to southern IL. Quaint place, hidden from the main road...very friendly staff, delicious food and gorgeous views from the back patio. Their specialty is you being able to cook your entree on hot lava stones right in front of you at your table. Very good prices for the large amount of food you get!!

I'll never go to this place again. Ten shrimp, a baked potato, a meager portion of veggies, and a tiny salad $22. Dinner for two with four tiny drinks $90 with tip. The four drinks added together would have barely made two. It was noisy, cluttered, and furniture needed to be cleaned (and then burned). We had to ask the waitress to clean off the table as we sat down. It was sticky and had crumbs on it. She happily did it and sprayed the cleaner in my direction so I could get a good whiff. The parking lot and surrounding area are poorly lit. I guess I'm too picky because the place was packed. It was the worst value for dollars I've been eaten in Southern Illinois. Pass it up.