When you can't face another fast food joint

In the nearly 17 years we’ve been making the drive from Indianapolis to Evansville, we’ve driven through Terre Haute hundreds of times. About 10 years ago, my father-in-law told us of a short-cut that would shave about 15 or 20 minutes off our trip.

Instead of driving through Terre Haute, we get off I-70 West at Exit 11, the Riley/Terre Haute exit and head east on Indiana 46. At that exit, there is a McDonald’s, Burger King and Arby’s. But sometimes, a mom’s gotta put her foot down and say “no more fast food.”

Enter the Riley Snack Shack.

The independently owned restaurant offers an extensive menu of diner-type food. The kids meals were nothing to write home about, but the onion rings were quite tasty. (Please don’t tell my personal trainer I said that.)

For me the real appeal of the Riley Snack Shack is the diversion from a menu where you order by number,  tables with chairs that are not bolted to the ground, and the chance to support a mom-and-pop operation. For the kids, it’s the chance to hang out with the gorilla.