Where: 601 W. Walnut Springfield, MOCaspers is one of those places that everyone should try at least once. But once turns into fifteen times, and I imagine I'll find myself craving chili in August, while I wipe my brow. Chili is the feature at Caspers, and Stephanie, who had visited before, explained to us newbies that the chili is made with no tomato base.
Located in the only Quonset hut I've been in, the decor is kitschy, with diagrams of the emotions of the hand and brain, fish with bug eyes hanging from the ceiling fan, and a black velvet poster of a leopard. I tried to capture as many as I could, but the joint seemed packed to its 30 person capacity.
There are two equally shiny stars at Caspers. The first is the chili; it's rich, brown, meaty texture must be bliss on a winter's day. The beans are tender, and the cheese and onions come loaded on for free and at request. The chili comes piled on everything one desires: hot dogs, hamburgers, Frito pie, mac and cheese. I got the Frito pie, with cheese and onion, and it was delightful. Cheesy, crispy, and hot, the plate was massive (see pics) and I could barely eat half of it. Witt had a cheeseburger, with no chili (baby!), but loved the chili on the left over pie. Gavin and Stephanie both got burgers; Stephanie got a side cup of chili, and Gavin got a cup of ham and beans--steaming white bean cup. Every bowl that come from the kitchen looked as though it had been dipped straight from the pot of food from which it came.
The second, and equally bright star, is the dessert menu. Freshly made shakes with malted powder, and a different pie or cake featured daily, Tuesday is pineapple-upside-down-cake day. Each piece came with its own slice of pineapple on the top and bottom, and was garnished with a maraschino cherry and some brown sugar glaze. Gavin made sure to order it before we got our lunches because it's quick to go. The cake was moist, and delicious.
The first venture of our Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives was a success; next week: Pizza House on Commercial!
