On the plus side, my salmon was delicious. My wife had the Brick Chicken and while it had good…read moreflavor, a crispy skin would have made it look much better and probably taste better too. A friend ordered the half arugula salad with extra chicken. I've never seen such an anemic salad and I wish he had taken a photo of it so I could share our disappointment. Food aside, the service was almost nonexistent. Our server seemed like she had been assigned too many tables and was too busy to spend any time at our table. We only asked for some dressing for the pitiful salad but that never came. It also took 20 minutes for someone to take our cards so we finally went up to the bar to get service. The evening ended on kind of a positive note as we were presented with a very good complementary chocolate cake. I'm hoping that next time we go, there won't be any need for an Apology Desert. I been to Crave before and it has a really pleasant dining area with tables, high tops and booths so pick your favorite. The patio is quite attractive and it's nicely decorated too. It was full on 815 Tuesday so that might be why our server was too busy.

Wowza - come here... Award winning bar menu... food was on-point…read more I started with Peach Whisky Sour - shaken properly with egg whites. I thought this might be a tad on the sweet side, but it was not... it was wonderful and very refreshing. I went with the Szechuan Ginger Beef Dip, which came with these great fries. The sandwich itself was decadent. I was literally the 1st person through the door on a Monday night. I sat at the bar and was able to chat with the owner who recently won a couple of big industry cocktail awards. The bartender was super friendly and provided great service. One doesn't necessarily think of Rockford as a culinary destination, but this is a local joint run by a born in raised young woman... Crave is a worthy destination dining spot. But if you're driving by on the interstate it's also worth the stop. The hours are great. The dining room and bar are well appointed and there are even some outside tables. When you're on the road, seek out those local joints. I'm really glad I did.

A 23.00 salad made with ice berg lettuce, mixed drinks served in plastic kids cups, our server…read morewould take orders for a couple people and then would disappear for 5 minutes and then would come back a while later and grab a few more. Several drinks were forgotten. Would not go back.

We have been here twice, staff not welcoming,small portions (taco plate). We did enjoy the outside…read moreseating.

Went for the first time the other day and me and my friend loved it! Everything was farm to table…read moreand they even show the farms they buy from on the back of the menu. First off, my drink. They had a tequila drink (my fav) with a pandan foam?! So delicious. I couldn't stop drinking it. We got a plethora of food and the standouts were for sure the yakitori, scallop curry, and the warm chocolate cake with ice cream. Also get the rolls! The rolls were fantastic. But I think you'd be happy with anything you order. Can't wait to try it again.

What an exceptional and unexpectedly fabulous meal! Every dish was inventive, beautifully…read morepresented, and uniformly delicious. Highlights at our table included the mushroom yakitori, an indulgently cheesy shrimp Asiago, an imaginative re-interpretation of steak frites, and a savory chicken crêpe. Even though we were full, we couldn't resist the passion fruit cloud--and it was an absolute home run. Service, led by Destiny, was impeccable. I also appreciate that a 20% gratuity is automatically included on the bill; we were more than happy to add a bit extra in cash on top.

Such an amazing experience…read more Starting off with the restaurant itself, such a beautifully curated spot that is unlike anything rockford has to offer. Every detail a work of art. We really enjoy the bar area and its ambiance but hope to also experience the dining room as well. We started off with the Dip of the day which was a Miso Ranch dip served with fresh made tortilla chips. This was phenomenal and my only complaint is there wasn't more! We also both ordered a drink off of their happy hour menu. I ordered the old Fashioned and my wife ordered their margarita. Both were excellent. I also ordered the VIEUX CARRÉ based on our Server's recommendation and thoroughly enjoyed that. Such knowledgeable staff makes a big difference. For our main course, I got their Mushroom Pot Pie and my wife ordered the Ora King Salmon. Both dishes blew us away. Neither of us expected to be so full after our meals, their serving sizes were very generous! I wanted to highlight the mushroom pot pie, as a vegetarian, Fine dining usually does not cater to vegetarians. So having options at a place this nice was such a welcomed surprise. The greens included with the Pot Pie really stole the show, The most perfectly cooked and seasoned greens I have ever had. Chef Nick Risseeuw came over and checked on how we were doing and after hearing me rave about his pot pie offered two of his desserts on the house. We got a pistachio orange dessert and a Malt ball ice cream that was his interpretation of whopper candy as an ice cream. Both were DIVINE! Thank you again Nick for your generosity, it was a perfect way to end a perfect meal. I also wanted to highlight the staff as they played an essential role in our unbelievable experience. Everyone was so friendly, attentive, and prompt. We will definitely return soon and cannot wait to see what is in store for their upcoming menu

OMG we loved this place! It was our 1st visit to Salt Rockford and they SHINEDMy husband and I had…read morethe most lovely and delicious dinner!!! And thee cocktails are so good too we are going to attempt to recreate them at home. It ambience is clean and classy with a comfortable atmosphere. My favorite kind of dining experience! We will be back!

A nice bar with a great view of the city and strong drinks!…read more Stopped in for a quick 2 old fashioned before heading downstairs for dinner. They had plenty of space so don't feel you need reservations. The bartender was attentive and I had a drink in my hand in no time, while still taking time to make my drink properly. Not much else I can say, if you want a good drink with a decent view of the town, be sure to stop in!

We stayed at the embassy suites and had a few drinks at the top. What a beautiful place! It has…read moresuch a history and it has been transformed into a hotel with The Top as the crown jewel. It was lovely! If you're downtown, stop in and take in the views! You won't regret it!

What a great place! We had noticed this as we drove by on our way to the Music on the Rock every…read moreWednesday at the Burpee Museum, and when we finished walking through the Rockford City Market on Friday, we decided we had to stop it. Ambiance wise, you have brick combined with stone, interesting tables and chairs, a blacked out ceiling with very nice lighting - this place is stylin! We walked in, selected a seat, and were greeted and promptly ordered. My wife had their regular daiquiri, and I had their Bomb Cherry version. Both were perfectly chilled and were very good. We'd eaten at the City Market, and regretted that because we didn't know that they also have food. Beef sandwiches, pizza, and other stuff. We're going back for a full experience in the near future! FIND this place. If you like daiquiris, this is for you.

The atmosphere was very laid back the owners made you feel very welcome, not to mention the drinks…read morewere amazing and the pizza was pretty good too. Definitely will go back for more delicious drinks.

We dined at The Raven for the first time and had a good experience. The ambiance and overall vibe…read moreof the restaurant and decor felt unique and interesting. Our waitress was very helpful when ordering and offered recommendations and did a great job explaining the menu. Our food came out at a good pace too. We ordered the wild boar bolognese, the wagyu and Iberico burger, and the lemon cheesecake, and everything was great! I also got the Calabrian pepperoni pizza (not pictured) to go, which was basically like a spicy pepperoni pizza. SO tasty! Just wished it was a tad bit bigger for the price. (Cut into 4 slices) still would recommend ordering!

We had a reservation last night and I'm glad I made it (even had to made it for two weeks out to…read moreget the time I wanted). They did try to seat us in a booth immediately near the door (on a cold windy evening), directly on the other side were several boxes of wine likely for their wine wall, but didn't make for a nice look. I asked for a different spot, and they were happy to switch us out if we were willing to wait, and we were early for our reservation, so we didn't mind. We were seated at a table/long bench combo. I see this a lot at places like CK factory, Purple Pig, etc. I always feel like we're too close to our neighbors. We were given a few moments with our menus and then we ordered drinks and their bread with compound butter. I asked for help between two items and was encouraged to try the salmon, especially given I don't have luck with risotto in the area, and my husband ordered the burger. The bread and butter were delicious, I love the density and chew to the bread. My husband enjoyed his southern old fashioned, and my Moscow mule was ok, points off for no copper mug. We enjoyed looking around for all the nods to Ravens/dark elements. My husband said his burger was really good. He had no criticism, which means quite a lot actually. My salmon was phenomenal. It was my first time trying crispy salmon skin, and I'm glad I did. The risotto was so delicious. It was actually the first thing I finished. We were satisfied, and weren't tempted by any of the desserts. We're the type that can be enticed to take dessert to go if we see something delicious. I recommend photos of desserts or someway to display them. It was exciting to try a new restaurant for date night night, I think they're definitely worth stopping in.

I tried this place based on the recommendation from some of the locals. Walking in, this is a place…read morethat only a local could love. It's not a large establishment; mainly you had the bar, some tables and a couple of games. It was dark, dank and honestly it looked like it could use a good cleaning, but I'm afraid if someone did try to clean in there, it would just make things fall apart. The building, furnishings and equipment are all in need of repair or maintenance. The padded arm rest along the edge of the granite looking laminate bar is cracked, peeling and torn leaving holes that expose the stuffing. It was uncomfortable resting against it because the edges of the vinyl were dry and would poke into the skin on my arm. The service was kind of off. There was only one bartender when I was in. It was decently busy and I think she handled all of the tables too. I really wasn't paying attention so I'm not sure, but she would disappear for a while leaving me beerless. Even at the end when we said we were ready to go, she was slow getting the check to us and then collecting the payment. Their special was tacos. The price was good, and they tasted fine. I don't think they were as great as some of the other people in the bar raved over them, but I've definitely had worse in a bar setting. I wouldn't go out of my way for them.

Oh my goodness, how to describe Spanky's...it is quite simply an old fashioned hallway tavern…read more Popcorn machine (free) by the jukebox, men's and ladies rooms are from another time...complete with retro condom dispensers. A couple dart boards, a few big screens in the corners and behind the bar, which spans almost the entire length of the place. 6 or 7 stool height booths along other side of wall with one made for larger groups by the kitchen window. Here's the kicker...great food and very friendly staff. Order anything, it is awesome. Friends of mine swear by the fish fry. Homemade egg rolls once a week too. It hasn't changed much in the 30 years I've been there...but why bother changing a good thing?