Believe it or not, you can go to the bar and not drink. Trust us — we were shocked as well. After learning this mind-blowing fact, we decided to check out People’s Bar & Grill, 2420 Lincoln Way, and see what its lunch menu had to offer.

Atmosphere:

AL: It’s a little strange to sit in an empty People’s when the sun is still shining through the windows. Not that I haven’t done it before, but this time, I didn’t have a giant beer sitting in front of me. The casual environment was great for a quick lunch, though.

ER:People’s Bar & Grill provided the quintessential college dining experience. ISU banners hung from the ceiling, pool tables stood empty in the back and mainstream pop music quietly hummed above. It was a scene straight out of “Saved By the Bell: The College Years,” except there wasn’t anyone there. The lunchtime experience was much more enjoyable than the bartime experience. I didn’t have to scream when talking to Aaron, didn’t have to worry about someone spilling beer on me and didn’t have to take a shower after secondhand smoking 12 packs.

Service:

AL:Amber was a terrific waitress — not too intrusive, but pesky enough to keep my drink filled and my tip on the table. The meal itself, however, took way too long for a burger joint with only two tables’ worth of customers. I’d rather eat a crappy meal fast than an average meal a half-hour later.

ER: We had to wait 18 minutes for a small amount of food — a bit long in my opinion, but I did have to wait for a free sample at Sam’s, so I guess I might be asking too much.

Quantity/Value:

AL:For five bucks, I can’t complain about how much food I got. Unfortunately, I paid almost seven, so I will complain. My wrap was a fair size and my cup of soup was standard, but for that much money, I was left with a shocked look on my face and an emptier wallet.

ER: There wasn’t enough burger for me to stuff in my mouth and chase Aaron around the bar with in an attempt to recreate the scene from “The Godfather,” so I was a little disappointed. For $7.98, I was pretty disappointed with the value of my meal. It just wasn’t enough for the money. B-Bop’s and Hickory Park give a better value.

Quality/Taste:

AL:A BLT wrap is pretty tough to screw up, but it’s also pretty tough to make it memorable. This wrap accomplished both — it wasn’t necessarily bad, but it’s nothing I’ll be suggesting to my friends or faithful readers (hi Mom). The chicken enchilada soup, on the other hand, was something to write home about. Spicy and thick at the same time, the snappiness of such a tasty Mexican-inspired stew left me a bit bloated, yet satisfied. Too bad the rest of the meal couldn’t have been so exciting.

ER: The Godfather, a clever name for an Italian-style burger, seemed like a good choice for the afternoon. The burger was good; in fact, it was better than the “pepperoni and mozzarella hickory” at Hickory Park. The Italian sauces were blended nicely in the burger, which isn’t easy to do, and the pepperoni was a nice addition to the already well-seasoned burger. But, for such a great burger, the fries had a dismal flavor.

Final Say:

AL: 2 of 5 forks

ER: 3 of 5 forks