PEORIA (25News Now) – Consistent food and homemade root beer are what draw so many customers to Lou's Drive-In on North Knoxville Avenue in Peoria.
“Lou's is definitely a staple,” said local stand-up comedian Edgar Sandoval, who visited Lou's for dinner with 25News photojournalist Kyle Vincent on this week's “You Gotta Eat!”
Local comedian Edgar Sandoval and 25News photojournalist Kyle Vincent appear at Lou's Drive-In (25News Now)
Jeffrey Noble remembers coming here for the first time when he moved to Peoria in 2001.
“I drove by and saw all the people there. It was packed. It must be a good place if it's got that many people,” Jeffrey said.
“Plus, the smell was amazing. You could drive by and smell it from blocks away,” he said.
Josie Bennington: “There's nothing quite like having an ice-cold root beer when it's hot outside,” said manager Josie Bennington.
Josie has worked at Luce's for four years, following in her mother's footsteps – her mother used to be a “curvy”.
“My mom actually worked here when she was younger, so she said, 'Hey, you're 15, let's get started. It's time to get a job and get out of the house,' so I started working here,” Josie said.
Edgar ordered the tenderloin, which he said was tasty and juicy – and large enough for what he calls a “bun.”
Lou's Drive-In Tenderloin Basket (25News Now)
Kyle, who is filling in for Andrew Best this week, recalls coming to Lou's as a kid, where he had a meal of chili dogs and ice-cold root beer made in-house.
Lou's Drive-In Chili Dog Basket (25News Now)
“It's a classic. There's nothing better than a cold root beer on a hot day. Nothing beats the combination of a hot dog and root beer,” Kyle said.
Edgar remembers that when he started working as a news reporter here in 1996, Lewes was one of the first places he went.
“Everyone is saying, 'You should definitely try it.'”
“It's been consistently good over the last few years. It's an organization,” Edgar said.
House-made root beer is definitely a signature feature at Lou's.
“It's always delicious. It's always consistent. The root beer float is the best,” Jeffrey said.
Josie says it's a tradition that will continue at Lou's Drive-In. “It's a tradition that will continue,” manager Josie said.
“Honestly, people come from all over to try our hot dogs and root beer. I love hearing the stories of people who came here when they were in high school and are over 80 years old. People love it here,” Josie said.
Lou's Drive-In, located at 4229 North Knoxville Avenue in Peoria, is open during the summer from 11am to 7pm Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday, and 11am to 8pm on Friday and Saturday.
Lou's Drive-In (25News Now)
You can keep up to date with Edgar's comedy travels on his Facebook page and Instagram .
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