Everyone knows Terry.
“Hey Terry, how are you?” someone calls out as we walk through Ott’s Tavern & Millstadt Fish Stand in Millstadt, Illinois.
Inside, Terry Davinroy’s nephew, a high school classmate and old friends are among the familiar faces. It feels less like a restaurant and more like a reunion, a place where generations come together and newcomers quickly feel like part of the crowd.
Davinroy grew up just down the street in the house where he lives today. Born in East St. Louis, he and his six siblings moved to Millstadt when his parents opened Millstadt Pharmacy.
His love of cooking started in his mother’s kitchen. “I’m like my mom. I’m not really a chef, not trained or anything, but I am a good cook,” he said.
As a child, he even discovered that homemade cinnamon rolls could get him out of Sunday Mass. If he got to stay home to cook with his mom, he was happy. “The kitchen became a place where I could experiment. I just enjoyed it and I enjoyed being creative,” he said.
Davinroy later earned business degrees from McKendree University and Texas A&M and worked in corporate training and higher education. But cooking remained a constant.
After losing his job during the 2008 recession, he worked at a small steakhouse in Wisconsin, gaining experience on the restaurant side of the business. When he eventually returned home, he learned Ott’s was closing. In 2016, he took over.
With Ott’s, Davinroy inherited more than a bar. The property includes a tavern, restaurant, fish stand, outdoor space and former bowling alley, all with deep roots in Millstadt. The property dates to the 1930s, with the bowling alley opening in 1939 and the fish stand following in 1940 under longtime owners Otto Speichinger and his brother, Sylvester.
Davinroy has also preserved Ott’s original recipes, including the coleslaw, still made from a handwritten recipe passed down by Otto’s sister, Issy. His homemade sauce blends cocktail sauce, horseradish and barbecue flavors. Add the sauce and slaw to your fish for what locals call “the works.”
The fish stand remains one of Ott’s biggest draws. Open Friday through Sunday, it serves Icelandic cod fried in 100% peanut oil with Golden Dipt breading, a product once made at the factory across the street.
Davinroy has also preserved traditional recipes, including coleslaw based on a handwritten recipe from Otto’s sister, Issy. His homemade sauce combines cocktail sauce, horseradish and barbecue flavors. Add the sauce and slaw to your fish and you’ve ordered what locals call “the works.”
“You know they’re local if they order something with the works,” he said.
The tavern menu puts Davinroy’s spin on familiar bar food. His toasted ravioli-inspired cannelloni bites have more meat and less bread.
“We’re farm people out here. Nobody wants to eat that much bread,” he said.
His homemade seasoning goes on fries, chips and wings, and his dry-rub wings have won first-place honors in competitions.
Local relationships are just as important as traditions. Schubert’s Smokehouse supplies the brisket for Ott’s barbecue bacon brisket burger, Scharf Farm provides produce, and Millpond Brewing makes Ott’s Lager exclusively for the tavern.
Davinroy carries that community-minded approach beyond the kitchen. He serves with local civic organizations, supports area schools and youth sports, and hosts monthly meals for the American Legion and senior citizens. Catering also gives him a chance to experiment with dishes and accommodate different tastes and dietary needs.
“That’s when I get to play. Once a month I get to make crazy stuff,” he said.
For all that Ott’s offers, Davinroy believes its greatest strength is the community around it.
There isn’t even a sign on the door.
“I know when you walk in, you’re either a friend or you’re a friend of a friend. Somebody sent you here. I’m flattered by that,” he said.
At Ott’s, everyone knows Terry. And after spending time with him, it’s easy to understand why.
20 E. Washington St., Millstadt, Facebook: Ott’s Tavern / Millstadt Fish Stand
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This article appears in October 2026.