BLOOMINGTON - Linden Street Grill is back in business, with new owners and some new twists.

But the Donnelly family kept much of the menu that drew customers and kept the name. Fried chicken and tenderloins are mainstays.

Some Central American dishes and a little soul food complement this sandwich-chicken-burger stop, as do homemade pies.

Linden Street Grill is a carryout place at 1002 N. Linden St., Bloomington, which is a bit east of Franklin Park and a bit south of Empire Street on a piece of Linden Street shared by businesses and homes. Mitchell's Meats occupied the spot for decades before closing in 2003.

A barber named Ed Heitz partnered with Glen Lynch to create the takeout restaurant. They closed the restaurant in 2006.

The new Linden Street Grill is an outgrowth of Sandra Donnelly's growing catering business, which was a side business in need of a commercial kitchen. She is a Realtor by training and still works in the industry but primarily tends the store, helping customers, baking and sharing cooking duties.

Her husband, part owner Curtis, is a fire inspector. Three of their five children are involved in the business - Chris and Renee Donnelly and Janeese Wright. Chris is a part owner. It tells you something about the family that the three moved from Texas to participate.

On a recent Monday, I had a fish sandwich. It was a good, everyday fish sandwich - crispier than most and advertised on the menu as such as a "crispy fish sandwich." Sauce and lettuce gave it a little extra life.

The highlight was the side dish. Instead of fries, I had fried plantains.

You will alternately hear plantains referred to as a type of banana or something that looks like a banana but isn't. The banana as we think of it is the thing you usually eat raw when the peel is yellow. Plantains are used in cooking and baking - with various uses optimized when the peels are green, yellow and black.

The side dish at Linden Street is made from green plantains. They are starchy at this point and a sort of tropical equivalent to the potato. They are less sweet than bananas, especially in the plantains' green stage, although my fried plantains had sweetness to them.

My second treat of the trip was dessert: A slice of coconut custard pie. The Donnellys try to keep this one in stock every day. If you are into coconut, it's worth a special trip.

The third treat was getting to know Sandra Donnelly a bit during the wait for my order, as an ordinary customer, then later during a formal interview.

With a refreshing honesty, she admits rookie mistakes, such as overestimating the business' ability to deliver, and she never stops crediting others for their contributions.

Her family starting running its first restaurant at the beginning of last month.

The menu is dominated by standard American, while most specialties filter in as specials. Some of the specialty items are passed down from Donnelly's mother, the late Norma Barrow; Donnelly's parents came from Central America. Mother-in-law Martha Donnelly, who lives in Missouri, also has provided recipes.

More on menu

A chicken meal with a breast and wing, with a side order plus a biscuit, costs $6.26. Knock about 30 cents off for dark meat. The 16-piece dinner is $26.95. Sandwiches and burgers cost $3.95 to $6.95.

The turkey sandwich is sliced from a turkey cooked in house, not from processed meat.

Facilities

Seating would be nice, but there just isn't room. In fact, the business isn't equipped with public restrooms. There is, however, a decent amount of waiting area space and it is inviting. There are four picnic tables outside.

Drinks

Choices are fountain soda, pink lemonade and raspberry iced tea.

Hours

Closed Sunday. Open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. all other days.

Phone ahead

Phoning ahead can spare you considerable time waiting. It's (309) 829-6690.

Advance orders

A notice of at least 24 hours is requested for orders for 20 or more people.

Delivery

Delivery to businesses can be arranged.