Rockford dinner

Looking for a last minute place to eat tomorrow night in downtown Rockford. Ok it doesnt have to be downtown but will be coming I90 to 20 to Main or soemthing similar up to downtown. 2 adults and 2 teens, both sort of picky. Not fast food but not wildly expensive either. It's pre-theater dining, so early. Thanks for the help. Am unfamiliar with the area.

Rockford is home to just about every chain you can imagine and most are along Rte 20 ( State Street) just off of I-90. One of the better is Thunder Bay Grille which is across the street from it's sister, The Machine Shed. Both offer good sit down, full meals. I like Thunder Bay better, nice northwoods theme, nice service. Both are just off I-90. They are owned by the Heart of America group that owns hotels and restaurants in the midwest. I've been to the Johnny's Italian Steakhouse in Peoria, which they own, and would consider that pretty upscale for a small chain.

http://www.thunderbaygrille.com/

Rockford is also getting better in the non-chain arena. Some places that come to mind:

Brio website
515 E State St

Carlyle Brewing Company website
215 E State St

kikiB's website
1641 N Alpine Rd (Edgebrook shopping center)
not downtown, but not too far out of the way

Or just check out the Convention & Visitor's Bureau for more dining options.

I really wish I could remember the name of this one but it was in downtown Rockford on the top floor of a 20 story building I believe. I am not sure if it is even still there. I took my prom date there since I grew up in the sticks. At the time it was "the place" to go in Rockford. Sorry that was a LONG time ago. So here are a couple other suggestions

Saffron Bistro(Frenh Morrocon)
6164 E. Riverside Blvd.
Loves Park, IL

Cru(tapas style)
509 E. State St.
Rockford, IL 61104

Table 13(Italion)
1313 Auburn St
Rockford, IL 61103
(815) 964-1300

Fot more casual here are a couple of my favs
Old Chicago's(good beer and some real good calzones)
6280 E State St
Rockford, IL 61108
(815) 227-4040

Thunder Bay Grille: Rockford
7652 Potawatomi Trail
(I-90 and East State Street)
Rockford, IL 61108
815-397-4800
Fax: 815-397-5713

Hope this helps

My son and I had an overnight Boy Scout campout at the Discovery Museum in Rockford last night. I figured I'd make the best of it by enjoying a nice meal prior to the campout as long as I had to trek over an hour to our destination. Based on suggestions in this discussion, we chose to dine at Thunder Bay Grille. What a fantastic place!! The meal began with some light but solid biscuits served with a heavenly cinnamon butter. These were unreal - buttery and sweet. After we ate our 4 biscuits, I mentioned to our waitress how delicious they were especially with the butter. She then proceeded to bring out 4 more biscuits and cinnamon butter. Fantastic!! For dinner, my 8 year old had a 6 oz. sirloin perfectly grilled to medium rare. I had the 12 oz. bison ribeye also grilled to a perfect medium rare. My meal was rounded out with a delicious cup of loaded baked potato soup, a smattering of frizzle fried onions and a twice baked potato.

This is why I love LTH. Without this site, who knows where I would have ended up for dinner. Because of this site, my son and I had a delightful meal prior to our overnight Boy Scout excursion. Thank you, LTH!!!

I had forgotten about that cinnamon butter! Yum! I'm glad you enjoyed Thunder Bay.

Is the Rathskeller still in operation?

razbry wrote:Is the Rathskeller still in operation?

Haven't eaten there in years! I hear their ad on WNIJ regularly and their website is active so I think so.


http://www.derrathskeller.net/

I remember some good German food at the derrathskeller...in-house made sausage, and other traditional dishes. I think I need to go back and check it out!

It has been a while since anyone posted here. I'm heading to Rockford for a speaking engagement next week, and I'd love to know if there are any updates -- new places discovered, changes to places listed above, openings or closings.

Thanks for any additional insight.

The Stockholm Inn, at least when I went, had all you an eat Swedish pancakes with plenty 'o lingonberries on the breakfast buffet. I think my better half ate more than 10. The menu says the pie is homemade--I've never had it. It's a great place, the food pretty much diner-like with some interesting daily specials that come with delicious bread and rolls. The bread, along with pastries and other items, are available to purchase on your way out. Skip the "flavor burst" soft serve machine--so not worth it (I only know 'cause it's free with the kids menu).

Stockholm Inn Menu

Stockholm Inn has THE BEST Swedish pancakes I've ever had, but you have to order them fresh off the menu. The buffet is not nearly as good and I was actually surprised they stooped to doing that.

The rest of the menu is typical breakfast diner fare with some Swedish specialties mixed in, but the pancakes are the reason for going. I'm not a Lingonberry fan, so I don't typically get those.

Well, thanks to the construction along almost all of I90, I didn't get to Rockford quite as early as I'd hoped, so instead of looking for one of the wonderful recommendations made above, I backtracked a few blocks (once I found the venue where I'd be speaking) to a place I had seen as I drove down Main St. -- Chiquita Food Market and Taqueria. Bright, cheerful market with a terrific little taqueria inside. I ordered a taco and a burrito, somehow thinking that, since the taco was $1.99, servings would be pretty small. Ha. The burrito (I forgot to ask the price, and none are posted) was $5.99 and was massive. The carne asada taco would probably have been enough for dinner, and I brought most of the burrito home. But both were excellent. Chips brought to the table were fresh and crisp, and the red and green sauces were both good and looked homemade. Nice people. Good food. Not a place for an important celebration, but great if you're in a hurry or have a craving for Mexican food and happen to be in Rockford.

Also, the sign said that on weekends, they have birria.

Chiquita Food Market
1414 S Main St
Rockford, IL 61102

For even faster food, there was a guy out front with a cart selling elote and a few other "street food" items.

Also worth mentioning is the venue -- Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum. If you get to Rockford or are passing through and want to see a fascinating, splendidly preserved slice of American history and Victorian charm, this is a place to stop. Really wonderful place, with an all-wood interior and all original furnishings. It's on the site where Rockford was founded. Lots of local history. http://www.tinkercottage.com/about-tscmg.html