The top restaurant in IL for June isn’t in Chicago, Yelp reviews say: The list
A downtown Springfield lunch spot has been named the most popular restaurant in Illinois this month, beating out competitors across Chicagoland. Yelp’s June ranking put the small “mom and pop” kitchen at the top of the state.
FULL STORY: These are the 10 most popular restaurants in Illinois this month, Yelp says
Here are key takeaways:
- Long Nine Junction earned the No. 1 spot in Yelp’s June ranking of Illinois restaurants, holding a 4.9-star rating with more than 300 reviews. Owners Emily and Corey Faucon reopened the downtown Springfield spot in November after previously closing in 2021.
- The restaurant specializes in house-roasted meats, made-from-scratch breads and cookies, with everything made in house by a staff of just four employees. “We love being in the heart of downtown and our new concept has brought us a lot of joy!” Emily Faucon said.
- Menu highlights include “the ultimate beefy sammich” with slow-braised chuck roast, melted cheese and homemade bread, plus a pesto parm panini, the French pig and bacon ranch sandwich. The kitchen also serves soup, salad and bowl meals during its lunch-only hours, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday through Friday.
- The other nine restaurants on Yelp’s June list, in order: Penumbra (Chicago), Oriole (Chicago), Siunik Armenan Grille (Glenview), Sahara Palace Restaurant (Rockford), Country Donuts (Crystal Lake), QC Coffee and Pancake House (Rock Island), Chicago Magic Lounge (Chicago), jeong (Chicago) and The Norwegian (Chicago).
The summary points above were compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists. The full story in the link at top was reported, written and edited entirely by journalists.
This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 12:26 PM.