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truckstops

Iowa 80 Truckstop bills itself as "the largest truckstop in America" 

 Well, They will need more than "biggest" to get me to stop there again - as it stands now, I won't waste my time going in there again.

There is a TA (TransAmerica) logo on the side of the building, so I expected them to have at least WiFi and a decent buffet (the East Columbus [Hebron] TA on I-70 in Ohio has a really excellent buffet, WiFi, and plugins for the laptop at most tables. Unfortunately, Iowa 80 has none of these.

I was very disapointed in Iowa 80 Truckstop Kitchen (the main restraunt - there are several fast food places in the building, as well - I didn't try those - in retrospect, perhaps I should have hit the Taco Bell). The cost was $12.xx for a crappy buffet and a cup of coffee, The buffet didn't have much selection. The meatloaf and mac'n'cheese weren't too awful, but there was no butt of beef roast to carve chunks off from (as with the East Columbus TA), no wireless internet (some locked network called "CHROME" - don't know what that was, but it was no help at all, to me). The service wasn't much, either - coffee was not refilled. No plugs for laptops - there were electrical boxes under a couple booths along one wall, but none of them had receptacles. Overall, my impression was that this place is a "tourist trap" and best avoided by any serious travellers - although I can't speak to the truck services. There didn't seem to be many drivers in the restraunt, though, which is some kind of a tip-off, I think.

The Homestead on I-74 in Illinois is better - about 40 miles east and south from Iowa 80. Homestead has a really good chili, good [free] wifi, and one of the tables in the smokng section is next to an A/C electrical outlet that can charge the laptop batteries... I reccomend the chili - not as spicy as my own, but thick, with plenty of meat, gravy-like sauce, only a couple pieces of onion (in the bowl I had), and the beans (it did have beans) were not kidney beans, but something like pintos - quite tasty. It also seemed to have tomato in it - not something I usually add to chili, but not bad, in context.

I had an omlette here [Homestead] a few months ago (cheese and mushroom, if I recall correctly) which was also good. I would have ordered more this time, but I had just had that (unsatisfying, but bulky) food up at Iowa 80, and was not terribly hungry...

Homestead seems a "homey" place - a couple drivers spoke to me, and the wait staff was friendly. They also do parties, and e.g. will be serving dinner on Christmas.

Info about Homestead:

Homestead Travel Plaza, I-74, Woodhull, IL
Entered info for this site at layover.com's "computer friendly truckstops" (Illinois) page.

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