I will be spending a few days in Springfield next month. What are a couple of decent places the locals like to go to?
Open to most types except sushi and indian.
Thanks.

Not from around here...as in Missouri?

Try Lamberts in Ozark.  Directly south of Springfield.  Throwed rolls and home cookin.  
Touch is kinda fancy.
Flame is a fancy steakhouse place downtown

Actually haven't been out to eat dinner in a long while.  Those are the places that come to mind.  

Good luck.

Been in KC since '99 but never stopped in Springfield, just looking for personal experience.

Thanks.

When we're in Springfield we usually hit Di Giacinto's Italian Restaurant just south of Bass Pro on Campbell. Traditional Italian food and an Italian bakery.

Be sure and get a Pineapple Whip while you're in town. It's the best thing in Springfield!  They're usually in one of the lots on the main drags around town.

417 Taphouse, is owned by an ARFCOMMER.

Springfield Brew Co is pretty good.

Black Sheep is good. Went there last night.  Kind of a hipster burger place but it's pretty good.

I would skip Lambert's, for sure. Long lines, mediocre food, high prices. Mostly a place for tourists to get rolls thrown at them.



Last time I was in Springfield to see my parents, I took my parents to eat at the Farmers Gastropub (for my mom's birthday). Everything there was delicious. Price was not nearly what I was expecting for the food we got. We didn't pay that much, and we had appetizers, four entrees, and three desserts.

Pizza House on Commercial. Springfield Brewco for casual dining & Lost Signal Brewery for BBQ, downtown. Bubba's BBQ on West Bypass. Mexican Villa some folks don't like it, but I do and I'm not alone, several locations in town. Ceasar's Old Mexico on E. Sunshine. These are not chains and are locally owned.

Let's stay away from the touristy B.S and have some really great local cuisine.

Ocean Zen Pacific Rim. In the old Mr. Yen's, National and James River. Absolutely wonderful Asian and American fusion and a martini menu that will blow you away. I recommend ONE Northern Lights martini. My favorite is the Mongolian glazed ribeye and lobster/blue crab and cream cheese stuffed won tons. The Tan boys know their shit.

Pizza House now on Commercial. The best pizza you will put in your mouth. Ever. You can't go wrong with the large deluxe or four meat. Just don't wear any StL Cardinals gear. The founders were from Chicago and were Cubs fans. I know her husband passed many years ago, but Dorothy may still be around. The restaurant has changed hands a couple of time since it was forced out of its original location on Glenstone.

Leong's Asian Diner on Republic. The creator of Springfield style chicken with cashew nut. Now in his 90s, David Leong is a Chinese American WW2 vet and inventor of the signature dish.

Now lets talk about the most important meal of the day. Breakfast. While Scramblers and Jimmy's Egg are good options, Cedars makes the best four egg omelets you'll ever put in your mouth and the biscuits for the B&G are as big as your fist. There are two, one on S. Campbell and Walnut Lawn and the other (original) on West Bypass north of Chestnut Expy.

Mexican Villa is more like TexMex. If you go, I recommend the burrito, enchilada style and double wrapped. I would have once said the best BBQ was Crosstown or Pappy's but there's a new kid in town and he beats both hands down. Smokin' Bob's on East Sunshine and Ingram Mill has melt in your mouth burn ends and pulled pork nachos that will blow you away. Don't go too late though. They don't have leftovers. When they run out, they're out until tomorrow.

I didn't think anybody knew about DiGiacinto's. We used to call them Soup and Sandwich. There's another truly authentic Italian restaurant on National just south of Battlefield called D'Arpino's. It's in the same little strip mall as the St. George donut shop. Best, authentic antipasto salad in town.

Touch and Flame are owned by the same family. They also have a restaurant on Walnut St. over by MSU but the name escapes me. Ebbets Field is a great local burger and beer joint. The founder was a Mets fan and former sports jock for KICK 1340 am but his name escapes me. Nick something.

Thank you for all the info. I am taking a group of guys from the KC area to a Mens Christian conference at the end of April and wanted some options to offer them.

Cedars is the QUINTESSENTIAL "greasy spoon".  

But yes-their breakfast is good.  

Used to allow smoking inside which was a major turn off.   Haven't been in there in so long don't know if it's been outlawed.  Thinking it has.

No smoking anywhere inside restaurants now. The Cedars on the Bypass (the original) is exactly that but the one on Campbell and Walnut Lawn is very clean and modern.