Jerry's Cafeteria & Catering Co

 

5

10

Michael H.

Granite City, IL

11/13/2007

If anywhere on this good earth deserves 5 stars, Jerry's does.

Jerry's Cafeteria is a Granite City tradition decades in the making.  Every day of every week, Jerry and his family and staff serves up some of the best home made favorites around.  The fried chicken has had guests at innumerable wedding receptions comment that "this is GREAT! where is this from?"  The twice-baked potatoes are to die for.  Well, come to think about it, so is just about anything Jerry's serves.

I've been coming here as long as I can remember, all the way back to when my grandparents brought me here a couple of nights a week for dinner and I'd have either the fried chicken or mushroom steak with mashed potatoes (with gravy, please) and green beans.  Plus a slice of coconut cream pie.  Plus, if I was REALLY hungry, a salad or bowl of applesauce.  And then of course the signature rolls.  And I'd wash it down with a glass of root beer.  Those were the days.

Not only is the food some of the best cafeteria & catering food around, INTEGRITY is the name of Jerry's game.  Two cases illustrate my point:

First:
My sister was married in July of '06, the weekend after the major wind and thunderstorms (the worst in decades) hit the St. Louis area, just about knocking every tree and power line in Granite City to the ground while flooding many of the low-lying areas.  The rehearsal dinner was a romantic (although unintended) candlelight affair in the basement of the church.  The church didn't need electric lighting - it was all the more beautiful with the natural light.  But the true worry of family and friends was how the reception would come together with no power at the hall (thankfully it wasn't as hot as it can be in St. Louis in July) or at Jerry's (the caterer.)  Of course there was no need to worry, as Jerry wouldn't let anyone down.  He paid a friend from upstate to bring in a refrigerated truck to keep all of the ingredients cold and he set up a makeshift kitchen of propane stoves in his back parking lot.  Jerry not only successfully catered my sister's wedding reception but two others the same night.  And, honest to goodness, I think that was the best-tasting Jerry's I've ever had.  Jerry proved - again - his integrity, his love for his customers and community, and his professionalism.

Second:
Last week when my grandma passed away (the one that I have fond memories of going here with growing up), Jerry didn't miss a beat in offering his small meeting/banquet room in the cafeteria for the family and told my grandpa to invite the family for a luncheon - on him - after the funeral.  Absolutely out of the blue, this act was one of the most appreciated and enjoyed of the entire ordeal we went through as a family.

Jerry is a true class act who has made generations smile in Granite City both at his cafeteria and with his catering.  I rate him a "5" - I'd rate him a "10" if I could - and highly recommend it to anyone.

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