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* I stopped at the Pontiac Wally’s for the first time several months ago while my brother Devin and I were driving from our parents’ house to our uncle’s house. We needed gas anyway and my only superstition is to always stop in Pontiac on my way through. I don’t usually care about such things, but wow is it ever big and impressive…
My uncle loves jerky, and Wally’s actually has a jerky bar. Imagine that.
* All during the spring session and then through the summer’s special sessions, I heard legislators, lobbyists, reporters and staff talking about how much they loved the place and how they always ran into somebody they knew there. I was driving back from Chicago after a White Sox game and ran into Sen. Patrick Joyce while he was filling his tank. Senate President Don Harmon ran into Gov. JB Pritzker at Wally’s a couple of weeks ago. “I saw somebody I knew at Wally’s” has truly become a thing. From today…
Patterson was on his way back from today’s Chicago bill-signing ceremony. He was supposed to send me some Wally’s pics, but I guess he forgot.
* The Question: Your best Wally’s story?
posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 2:15 pm
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Every time I am going to Springfield or back I generally stop in Pontiac for gas/food/coffee/whatever. Gotta checkout the Wally’s next time.
Comment by BilboSwaggins Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 2:20 pm
Have not hit Wally’s but it is spectacular at night with about 1 million watts. Still basking in the very good stops at Lorenzen Road and Coal City.
Comment by Annonin' Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 2:22 pm
They have a very good BBQ station as well. We always stop on our way to Chicago.
Comment by Get It Solved Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 2:25 pm
Five kinds of fresh popcorn.
Comment by walker Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 2:29 pm
Never been but I will make a point next time I’m in Pontiac. Swinging an arc around Chicago with Pontiac-like distance, they should be looking at Gilman, La Salle Peru, Rochelle, and Belvidere.
Comment by Six Degrees of Separation Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 2:38 pm
Don’t get over that way. So never heard of Wally’s.
Comment by Huh? Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 2:38 pm
I walked in and thought “WOW”
A mom, dad, and 5 year old walked in behind me and the boy exclaimed (loudly) the f word as he was looking at the ceiling.
Comment by Lurker Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 2:41 pm
===the boy exclaimed (loudly) the f word===
I did the same. lol
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 2:44 pm
It’s pretty crazy there. Don’t sleep on the BBQ. On a non-work trip, my wife found a (hokey/homey) wedding gift for someone. As for work trips, my only complaint is that the opening of Wally’s seems to have increased by Chicago-to-Springfield drive time by about 15 minutes
Comment by Joe Bidenopolous Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 2:45 pm
So, is this just basically a Midwest version of Buc-ee’s?
Comment by Leap Day William Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 2:53 pm
Never been, but it looks very similar to Buc-ee’s stations located in Texas and parts of the southeast. Dozens of gas pumps, bathrooms clean enough that they brag about them and just so. much. stuff. It’s basically a tourist attraction.
Comment by Father Ted Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 2:55 pm
-they should be looking at Gilman-
Totally. Would be a great location to hit to and from Champaign-Urbana.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 2:56 pm
It is Illinois’ answer to Buc-ees. It’s a great place to stop, use the restroom, get gas, coffee. If they don’t have the snack in question, you probably didn’t want it anyway. Lots of children’s’ gifts.
Comment by thoughts matter Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 2:58 pm
Not a Wallys story but an I55 stop none the less at the Shell in Dwight. Inside I saw Penn Jillette and followed him to the magazine rack and asked him what he was doing in a truck stop in Dwight Illinois. He said, “ I am looking for Lou Reed. “ He noticed my excitement with my head and eyes darting around the place in anticipation of seeing Lou coming around any corner. He said, “ No No, not here, I am looking for the Lou Reed article in Rolling Stone.” He bought the magazine and jumped in a Lincoln Town car and headed back towards the interstate
Comment by Reggaeman Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 3:04 pm
I grew up in Kankakee and went to ISU, so I’ve always stopped in Dwight for the Dairy Queen and Normal to grab a gondola from Avanti’s. I’m a creature of habit on the road, but Wally may require a stop next time.
Comment by 47th Ward Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 3:07 pm
The brisket is *chef’s kiss*. First visit was on the way down to the State Fair for Dem day, then again on the way back. Same for special sessions. My GPS has now started to suggest it as a destination, hehe
Comment by Chito Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 3:24 pm
forgot to mention the cool all-in-one soap/rinse/dry faucets in the bathroom.
Comment by Chito Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 3:26 pm
===cool all-in-one soap/rinse/dry faucets===
Those confused me at first.
Comment by Rich Miller Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 3:33 pm
I have been there a couple times on my way down and back from Session. The place is so big and clean, I agree with the kid the 1st time I walked in there I said the f word too… oh love the popcorn
Comment by austinman Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 3:38 pm
===cool all-in-one soap/rinse/dry faucets===
===Those confused me at first.===
Then amazed me, a huge leap in gas station bathroom technology.
Comment by Snarkie from Schaumburg Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 4:11 pm
Back when the speed limit was 55, the State Police often assisted my stopping near Pontiac.
Comment by A Jack Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 4:13 pm
The Popcorn
Comment by May Soon Be Required Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 4:19 pm
Every time I go they have a super clean bathroom. The food, I’m less excited about
Comment by Merica Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 4:40 pm
Normally something like this wouldn’t get my attention. But it draws you in. And the next thing you know you’ve spent $15 on ice cream, slushies (they have a whole wall) and beef jerky.
Comment by Pundent Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 4:49 pm
Looks like their second location will be along I-44 in Fenton, MO.
Comment by Ron Burgundy Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 4:56 pm
What will they do without ILGA traffic for the next 18 months?
Comment by Ok Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 5:00 pm
I went there for the first time on my way back from the state fair and ran into three people I hadn’t seen while in Springfield! The place is unbelievable and I agree with another commenter this will definitely increase my drive time, lol.
Comment by Chicago Girl Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 5:28 pm
I don’t do much road driving so no Wally’s stories but now I want to start.
Comment by Levois J Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 5:31 pm
Wally’s and Buc-ee’s seem to have the same brisket. I wonder if they have the same supplier? I have been to both stores, always get a brisket sandwich.
At Wally’s I ran into a old friend I knew at Ft Bragg from 1985, last year on my way back form the Chicago area office.
Comment by FormerParatrooper Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 5:45 pm
You had me at jerky bar….
Comment by Amalia Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 5:55 pm
Jerky and popcorn bars sounds amazing. One day. But unless Wally’s has showers, a dentist office, and a (very sketchy) movie theater for truckers it’s no Iowa 80 mega stop.
Comment by ChicagoBars Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 6:04 pm
Some cars from the Springfield Mustang Club are going to Wally’s and the Rt66 Museum in Pontiac on Saturday. Supposed to have 72 gas pumps there.
If they put one on I-44, it will have to compete with the Uranus (MO) Fudge Factory. Also a neat place to stop. No gas pumps that I could see.
Comment by Behind the Scenes Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 7:42 pm
I’m another die-hard Pontiac stopper!
Comment by Suburban Mom Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 8:42 pm
I’m embarrassed to say after years of making that session drive back and forth I never knew about this place. I’m thinking of making a trip just for the jerky bar. My weekly January thru May trips would have been much better with this place (and less of the KFC/Taco Bell).
Comment by Ferris Bueller Wednesday, Sep 15, 21 @ 10:47 pm
Built with union labor
Comment by Powerhouse Prowler Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 6:11 am
Every stop at Wally’s is the best Wally’s story. It is truly a great experience.
Comment by CubsFan16 Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 7:57 am
I’ve been four times and never ran into anybody.
But twice were with my youngest. On the way to Chicago and back from… After a little sightseeing trip, just him and me - Grant Park, Willis Tower, Art Institute, River/Lake tour ect. We are packing up and he says we need to get going out of town so we can get back to Wally’s.
Yep - two days in the best city in the world and he wants to make sure we get to the gas station again. We spent another 20 minutes or so checking everything out. Had a blast.
Comment by Cool Papa Bell Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 9:21 am
The gold standard of clean restrooms but it’s so much more.
A Pontiac stop has been a regular for my trips to and from Springfield but I feel bad for the Shell station that got hit by a tornado a few years ago. They rebuilt then Wally’s popped up. It’s got to be killing their business.
Comment by Because I Said So.... Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 9:27 am
We’re on the west side of the state, so we don’t often go through Pontiac on our travels. We took a bit more of a scenic route back home from the Chicago area in early August and made a stop at Wally’s. It was pretty cool and is VERY much like a Buc-ees (stopped at one of those on a trip to TX in 2019), but if Buc-ees isn’t going to expand north much, it’s nice to have something like it in the region.
Comment by Scott Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 9:36 am
===and he wants to make sure we get to the gas station again===
This legit made me lol
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Sep 16, 21 @ 9:37 am