Restaurants in Vermillion

The towering street-side sign at The Roadhouse shines like a beacon onto a full bar and restaurant with a menu that plays off comfort-fare conventions and spice-steeped Cajun traditions. Drinks leave cool circles on tables as patrons circulate during special events such as ladies' night, and LCD televisions broadcast big games and rousing hot-dog naming contests. A food truck ferries warming infusions of the eatery's dishes, as well as vegetarian offerings, to famished revelers until 2:30 a.m. Wednesday through Saturday.

The Roadhouse's party bus and limo shuttles passengers on evening excursions, protecting them from the risks of driving roads infested with off-leash shadow puppets. Brought-from-home beverages clink together beneath a built-in TV and DVD player, a passenger-controlled stereo, and wood-grain trim.

An unwavering devotion to freshness permeates Tomacelli's kitchen, where pizza chefs adorn their daily made dough with house-made sauce, all-natural cheese, and more than 50 market-fresh toppings. Millions of possible build-your-own combinations complement 23 staff-brainstormed creations, from a ham-and-pineapple-studded hawaiian pie to the seafood supreme's maritime medley of fresh ingredients. Not content to recline on the edible laurels of their circular masterworks, the Tomacelli's kitchen team rounds out the menu with piping-hot pastas and four handheld hoagies ideal for bringing estranged barbershop quartets back together for a reunion tour.

A giant American flag subtly waves hello to patrons from its post high above a fleet of tables, and farming tools plant themselves firmly on a wall inside JoDean's Steakhouse and Lounge. The patriotic theme extends to the kitchen, where chefs grill, fry, and steam USDA Certified Choice steaks, fresh seafood, and sandwiches. More than 50 feet of covered islands emit puffs of steam during daily buffets, including everything from sirloin tips and all-you-can-eat crab legs to Sunday-morning ham-and-cheese omelets. Inside the dining room, framed prints by Bob Byerley adorn the wall, and the lounge boasts a hearty wooden bar where dates can enjoy libations and small talk about acid rain. A number of banquet rooms are available for parties of up to 250 people, and the parking lot can watch buses, RVs, and small aircraft as owners dine.

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Jeremy Seefeldt puts his own twist or pizza at Boss' Pizza and Chicken by topping his specialty pies with eclectic ingredients, such as sauerkraut and pickles, and covering both pizzas and wings with a choice of 20 sauces ranging from sour cream to Asian sesame. Jeremy's chefs also broast orders of up to 25 pieces of dark- or white-meat chicken to pair with their pies or classic southern sides such as coleslaw or potato salad. The staff can swiftly deliver meals in 30 to 40 minutes or dole out feasts from their drive-thru window as late as 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. at certain locations.

Tea Steak House founders and meatallurgists Lloyd and Rickie Ihnen developed an innovative two-week meat-aging process that transforms even the toughest cuts of beef into obedient slabs of savory meat. Enjoy the fruits of the Inhens' meat labors by sprinting toward Tea Steak House's dinner menu, best known for its steaks, such as a 16–18 oz. rib-eye ($15.99) served with a choice of potato, salad, and dinner rolls. Diners who think such an option is too petite for their palate tend to spring upon the 26–32 oz. ham steak ($14) or the pizzaburger ($2.55), while carniv-ornery cuisiniers will be sure to leave room for the heavy-as-lead 10–12 oz. steak sandwich ($11). A 30 oz.-plus Porterhouse T-bone ($25) for dessert completes the circle of meat. Vegetarians, meanwhile, can graze on the weeds growing out back, or opt for a chef salad ($5.99).