The Possum Trot Supper Club has excellent dinner options in Oakwood

Years ago, The Possum Trot Supper Club got me to eat something my mother never could. As a child, I was open minded about trying any food once before deciding I didn’t like it. There were some exceptions to my I’ll-try-anything rule: sardines, pickled herring, plain shredded wheat in skim milk, and Brussel sprouts. My child logic on Brussels sprouts was that I hate cabbage, so why would I like baby cabbage?

I now like both cabbage and Brussels sprouts — and I have The Possum Trot to thank. For whatever reason, I spotted Thai Brussels sprouts on the menu and thought it sounded good. I ordered and enjoyed them when I was a kid, and the rest is history. I enjoy them now with just seasoning, but of course most of the time, there is bacon involved.

The company I work for in my day job got tickets to a Vermilion County Bobcats hockey game for all our employees. I love hockey, and it is a sport that is a thousand times better in person than on television. I immediately knew the plans we would have for that night: dinner and a hockey game.

For dinner before the game, I had to go to The Possum Trot Supper Club, located just off Route 150, across from the Vermilion County Speedway.

As soon as you walk in, you will notice a different vibe than most restaurants. It is an unapologetically old-school supper club. Live piano bar starts at 6 p.m., and there are open hearth charcoal grills in the dining area, so you can see and smell the food being cooked.

The décor is warm, and the lighting is low. When the weather is better, they offer outside dining next to a nice pond with gas firepits.

They have a large, gorgeous bar where you can just go for a drink or order food if you choose not to get a table. I love the feel of the place, and the food is excellent.

Let’s start with the most underrated and overlooked part of dinner: bread and salad (included with entrée) Don’t skip it here. The bread was freshly baked, with a crispy crust outside and a pillowy soft inside. It was great without butter, but of course, I had to add some and watch it melt into the bread.

If you are a fan of Roquefort dressing, The Possum Trot delivers on this classic. Not many restaurants offer it, so I always get it when it is an option. Their croutons were seasoned well and had that crunchy, yet chewy texture I love. It was a great way to kick off my meal. 

My wife ordered grilled salmon ($23.95) with broccoli as her side. The salmon came with a dill aioli on the side which was excellent. The salmon was grilled to perfection with a nice crust on the outside and a flaky, tender inside. The seasoning and sauce complimented the salmon perfectly. I tried the salmon with and without the aioli and enjoyed both bites. If you are a salmon lover, I highly recommend ordering this. In past visits, we have also ordered the fresh fried oysters, and they were generously plentiful.

I had the half slab of ribs and BBQ boneless chicken combo ($23.95). I also added four fried shrimp ($10.95) to my order. You can also choose to add three jumbo broiled shrimp if you prefer. And of course, I ordered the Thai Brussels sprouts ($4.95). The ribs are the house specialty, and it is easy to see why. They were fall-off-the-bone tender with a wonderful flavor from being finished on the grill. The sauce was tangy, sweet, and thick. I love thick sauce on my ribs because more stays on the rib than goes on my shirt. Normally, I’m not a fan of boneless BBQ chicken breasts, but these are the exception. They were tender, flavorful, and a nice compliment to the ribs. They came with the same excellent BBQ sauce used on the ribs.

The fried shrimp were very generous in size and were fried to a golden brown with the perfect amount of breading: enough to get a nice crisp but not too much so the great shrimp flavor comes through. They were served with a side of cocktail sauce which was good.

The Brussels sprouts were outstanding as always. Cooked in a sweet Thai sauce, they were wonderfully tasty and a joy to eat. I realize these weren’t exactly a healthy version of the veg, but hey, I can say I ate all my vegetables! That has to count for something. 

We were going to pass on dessert, until our server told us they had New York Style Chocolate Cheesecake as their special ($5.50).

Thank goodness we split it because this thing was a monster. The slice was so high, I thought I would need a bigger knife to get through it all. It was served with a lovely chocolate sauce and fresh whipped cream. The cake was thick but fluffy — and tasted great. AIt was a wonderful end to a lovely meal.

I believe you will find The Possum Trot Supper Club worth your drive. It’s just 30 minutes east of C-U. And as long as you are in the Vermilion County area, get the most from your miles and take in a Vermilion County Bobcat hockey game. Who knows, you may just get converted to eating Brussels sprouts while you’re at it. 

The Vermilion County Bobcats play at the David S. Palmer Civic Center through April 9th if you want to catch a game. I highly recommend it, and tickets are $10. If you get there early, you can sit where you want. We sat front row on the glass. The skills of these professional hockey players are impressive and a blast to see up close. You may even catch a puck.

You can make a reservation at The Possum Trot Supper Club by calling 217-442-6066.

The Possum Trot Supper Club
2918 Batestown Rd
Oakwood
M+T 4 to 8:30 p.m.
W-Sa 4 to 9 p.m.
Su 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Top image by Carl Busch.