Wee Willie's a homestyle treat

Imagine the homestyle diners in many movies and in many small towns, where the waitresses know the customers by name and patrons greet each other from across the room. Now imagine that such a place exists in Bloomington.\nIn fact, it does. Wee Willie's, at 1724 S. Walnut St., serves homestyle meals in a friendly, neighborly atmosphere. Our server was prompt and friendly, and our food was prepared in minutes. And Wee Willie's offers inexpensive meals with generous portions.\nOur service was impeccable. We received constant refills on our drinks, and our server frequently checked on us to see if we needed anything. She continued to be pleasant even when, because of our dessert, we lingered past the 3 p.m. closing time for lunch. That is the ultimate test of good, friendly service, and Wee Willie's passed with flying colors.\nA word of warning: Wee Willie's does not accept debit or credit cards, only checks and cash. Come prepared.\nAppetizers\nWee Willie's doesn't have a specific appetizer menu. But you can order a cup or bowl of the soup of the day or homestyle chili. We sampled a cup of chili for $1.45. It had generous portions of beans and beef, with spaghetti noodles as a nice touch. It was served at just the right temperature, and we could have eaten several bowls.\nEntrees\nFrom the "popular favorites" section of the menu, we ordered a beef manhattan, a bargain at only $4.10. The beef sandwich, served with several scoops of real mashed potatoes and generous portions of gravy, was just right. The gravy tasted a bit metallic, but the potatoes were excellent. The beef was tender and warm. \nWe chose green beans from the long list of available side dishes; the beans needed salt, but were cooked perfectly and had a good flavor.\nWe also tried a grilled cheese sandwich basket, for only $3.35. The basket includes a sandwich, french fries and a side of cole slaw, but we were able to substitute corn for the slaw. The sandwich was served warm. The cheese was completely melted and the bread was lightly toasted; in other words, it was perfect. The fries were a bit undercooked, and the corn was a bit cold. But overall, it was an excellent meal. \nWe opted for an additional side of mashed potatoes with this meal, which were homemade with just the right amount of salt and pepper.\nDesserts\nWee Willie's offers a variety of cakes and pies, which cost $2.05 a piece. Options of the day included carrot cake and apple, peanut butter and peach pies, but that selection varies.\nWe chose the peach pie. The temperature was inconsistent; while part of the pie was piping hot, other sections were cold. But the fruit was sweet and juicy, and the crust flaky. It came topped with whipped cream, which our thoughtful waitress used to draw a smiley face on the pie. The portion was too large to finish, and despite the temperature problem, this was an excellent dessert.\nWe also ordered the peanut butter pie. It was a good peanut butter and graham cracker crust. The meringue topping was excellent and topped with small balls of peanut butter. This large portion was a perfect finish for our meal.\nOverall\nWee Willie's might not seem like the kind of restaurant that would thrive in a college town; it is neither exotic nor glamorous. But we were delighted by the service and atmosphere, and amazed by the low prices of such good food. This restaurant comes highly recommended; it is a gem of Bloomington many students might otherwise miss.