The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
By David Grimes for The Quill
Late winter is the busiest time of year for The Hub, the cafe at Fifth and Schuyler in Oquawka, but the food is just as good as if it was summer when business keeps the eatery's staff hopping.
"We get a lot of out-of-towners from Aledo, Keithsburg, Burlington, Monmouth and Peoria," says Sue Bigger, who co-owns The Hub with her husband Ron.
The Hub is open to hungry diners 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday.
The most popular meal with patrons at The Hub is breakfast.
And the hottest selling breakfast item is biscuits and gravy or sausage messes.
A mess is a skillet breakfast-a mixture of hash browns, breakfast meat, onions and scrambled eggs.
Sunday buffet draws appetites, too, and includes three meat selections, one of which is always catfish.
"You can't come to Oquawka without having some catfish," Bigger said.
Out-of-towners have celebrated Thanksgiving at The Hub from Aledo and Peoria, too.
And The Hub has the distinction of serving meals to those staying at The Henderson County jail.
Noon and evening meal favorites of The Hub patrons include homemade onion rings and tenderloins, Bigger said, and the Friday night all-you-care-to-eat fried chicken special, Wednesday night tacos and steaks on Saturday night.
The noon honey dijon chicken special for $3.99 last Thursday made lunch something to remember.
In addition to the entree, the special included a baked potato, choice of salad and drink.
If the price wasn't enough to get your attention, the tasty, tender chicken was enough to do it alone.
Sue said she isn't divulging recipe secrets and I wouldn't either, with something this good.
Ever been told something tastes just like chicken?
It's an insult to Sue's culinary delight.
Even the mainstay baked potato left no question about what Idaho meant for the potato to taste like.
I used margarine on mine, but even dry the baker would have been a tasty treat.
It was soggy from steam table storage and it wasn't half baked.
It was the true measure of what a baked potato should be, both in texture and taste.
Average prices for a filling lunch or dinner at The Hub runs $5 and $8, respectively.
The Hub's four-person staff includes cooks Vickie Brant and Cari Downing and wait staff Leigh Ann Sells and Nancy Purvis.
The Hub takes pride in serving made-from-scratch menu items from the onion rings and tenderloins to real mashed potatoes and homemade fruit and cream pies.
Special events like baby showers, birthdays and business meetings are made even more special by having them at The Hub, with smoking and non-smoking sections available and ample space in the dining room section.
Carryouts are available, too, at The Hub by placing your order at (309) 867-8030.
If you plan to grab a bite at The Hub, you may want to get an early start.
"It gets busy when warm weather gets here and river traffic picks up," Bigger said.
A visit to The Hub at Fifth and Schuyler in Oquawka is such a happy occasion, even family members can't help but enjoy one another's company. Leigh Ann Sells shares a laugh with her dad, Ben Sells, while pouring him a cup of coffee.