How Green Were My Gables

Green Gables Bar & Grill is just a block or so off of Lake Bloomington, north of Hudson, Illinois. It opened in 1952 and the original building dated back to the 1930s, but it was destroyed by a fire in May, 2022. The owners vowed to rebuild and reopened almost 2 years to the day in May, 2024.

I'd been aware of Green Gables but had never been able to visit before the fire, so when my wife and I were in the Hudson area last October we made a point of stopping for lunch.

Green Gables, October 2024.

The interior is bright and spacious, although some people have commented that it lacks the atmosphere of the original space. But capacity has increased by 60% and the kitchen area has been increased and improved. And while I'd never been in the old building, I'll bet cash money that the bathrooms are a lot better as well!

Using a 35mm camera for this shot wasn't practical, so I resorted to my phone. The open kitchen is in the background.

Green Gables was and still is noted for its thin, crisp-edged smashburgers so there was no question what we were going to order. My wife wasn't all that hungry so she decided that a simple hamburger with bacon would suffice.

Nice char from the flattop.

I, on the other hand, decided a double with Americanized Swiss cheese was the way to go. If mushrooms had been available they would've been on there as well.

Gooey goodness front and center.

Would we visit again? Absolutely, although Green Gables is a good 2-1/2 hours from our house so if it happens it'll likely be because we're already in the area for something else (like a US-66 trip, for example). The burgers had good beef flavor and were cooked all the way through but not dry, which is important when working with a thin patty. The kitchen knows what it's doing.

Green Gables Bar & Grill

17485 E 2500 North Road N

Hudson, IL