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.

I'm stingy with my 5 stars but Crave really deserves it…read more I made reservations at 7pm and we were seated shortly there after. The booth was very comfortable for two. The vibe was fun and energetic. It was upscale without being pretentious. Our server Alyssa was so very friendly and knowledgeable of the menu which I really appreciated. She recommended the sourdough focaccia and ahi poke for appetizers and they did not disappoint! For our entrees we ordered the filet. We ordered it medium but it came out medium rare but I didn't mind. Butter soft. The Thai cod was very flavorful; the heat was perfect, not overbearing. The cocktails were some of the best we have tasted. We ordered the bourbon drink and the psyche. Wow! No wonder the bartender won a prestigious award. The cost for two starters, 4 cocktails and 2 entrees was rather hefty but worth the money IMHO... our celebration was perfect... so thanks, Crave!

Great new place in Machesney. I enjoyed the Boom Boom shrimp appetizer. It's melts in your mouth…read morewith a crispy crunch and a spicy snap. I also had Mamas Chicken which kid now my favorite in the Rockford area. You get 4 big pieces plus a side. My sister had the side salad and it was the size of a feature salad. The cost for the two of us was under $50. The venue was clean and bouncing with activity. They had a name that tune bingo going. The waitress was helpful and attentive. I will be coming back especially for the chicken and boom boom shrimp.

Sadly we ordered a works pizza that took 45 minutes and wasn't cut through at all. When we ordered…read morewe stated multiple times "no" onions and it's showed up with onions on it. Not a single person has come to check on us in over 10 minutes since our food was brought so we won't be coming back if this is the standards. Great atmosphere, nice staff, but the kitchen and server dropped the ball completely, better management could make this place a success it has a lot of potential. The manager didn't come talk to us at all and proceeded to walk by us 2 times after he was made aware of the issues.

We came here as a group to celebrate our colleague's retirement and the service was terrible. The…read morewaitstaff was not friendly. It was hard to get a drink and they acted like they did not want us there. I personally will not go back. A business establishment should make their patrons feel welcome. There was a lot of money spent tonight and a lot of disappointed people.

food was at best edible, 1/3 burger was a hockey puck and the chicken salad had no flavor also…read morefries were not hot, service was slow 3 drinks and $90.00 later......don't think we will return

Cute local spot! I'm newer in the area, but I heard that they have new ownership and they are doing…read morea great job! Awesome food and drinks. Service was slightly slow, but they had live music and explained that to us right at the beginning that things might take a bit longer. Definitely stop in! They open the garage doors on nice days to hang out on the patio. My only suggestion for the out door lighting is to be able to turn on the sting lights without the super bright flood lights that are out there too. It made it WAY too bright in the evening.

Recently moved from Vegas to Illinois and we been seeing this pub for the last couple months and…read moretoday we decided to just stop by and try it. It's honestly really delicious and the service was amazing and friendly. The bar has a nice feel to it and well decorated, will be coming back to check out the weekly specials since it's just a 4 min drive.

Friday fish at Ernie's does not disappoint. We went with friends, all had baked or fried cod. All…read morewas fantastic. Good sides, cold beer, good service. Looking forward to going back.

I'm bummed we didn't have a great time, as based on the reviews we had much hoped for a fun night…read moreout in Rockford. We were only in town for 2 days so we chose our restaurants carefully. Two things we didn't like about Ernie's: the lack of vegetarian option on the menu and the level of noise. I got the chicken salad and skipped the chicken, but I didn't see any other entrees that were vegetarian. The other thing that made it tricky was a whole restaurant trivia night event happening that we didn't know about. There was no indication. Just after placing our orders, the emcee came out with a microphone and shouted for the next 30 minutes. Disney trivia, I think. Or something about cartoons or old movies with bears. I'm not sure. We couldn't hear each other speak. I startled every time he shouted questions or answers. I had to cover my ears. It was rough! We asked the server if she could ask him to lower the setting on the mic, or at least stop shouting into it, but she said that wasn't possible. So we super quickly ate half our meals and left as soon as we could. Drinks were good though. I got a mango cider, a really unique flavor that was crisp and delicious. That was the best part of our short visit to a very noisy Ernie's in Rockford.

Good food, nice people, and a great atmosphere! I will go again whenever I am in town.read more

We came in this afternoon as a large group of 11. We were seated and given menus, but waited for…read more15 minutes with no one even acknowledging us or taking our drink order. There was a bartender and a waitress working, along with two customers at the bar who were there together. Besides those people, our group were the only customers there. The bartender and the waitress only focused on those two people at the bar and were doing shots with them. We were definitely made to feel like we were an intrusion and not welcomed. It was a very uncomfortable, awkward situation. With that being said, we all got up and left and went down the street to the Rockton Inn, where we were seated and taken care of right away. This could have been a "one off" situation, but if this is how they run their establishment, I would not recommend going here.

Inside and outside it looks like a good place to grab a bite to eat. I ordered a chicken breast…read moresandwich and fries. The chicken was rubbery and flavorless. The fries were cold and soggy. Our server only came once during our meal and was never seen again during our meal. Very disappointed !

Found this place while looking for a Friday fish special. And this delivers! All you care to eat…read moreeither walleye (my fave!) or cod. Our server was brand new on the job, but she did very well. Good coleslaw and tartar sauce. The firehouse theme was basically some of the decor, turnout gear and such on the wall.

Clam chowder kind of night ... It was a great choice . Oh…read moremy it was so delicious Usually so picky for a good soup , but yesterday I had chunks of clam and potatoes. Plus it was hot as it was served ..hate a cold soup.nice med plate to be served it looked so classy .. Morgan was our server . Loved her patience as I couldn't make up my mind in my order.. Battered fish with a side of French fries for my hubby.. Loved that the fish was not oily and still so crunchy ... Kudos for the kitchen I've had a few not many bad experiences... again the coleslaw was delicious aswell. Will be back again love the ambience..although it was busy not a long wait time. Server; MORGAN !!! THX again for a great service..

Awful fish fry! It used to be so good! I don't know what changed. The Friday fish fry used to be a…read morebig portion and was delicious. It's a small portion and tough. Just not good quality fish anymore. Onion rings were soggy, the roasted vegetables aren't good anymore. Not sure if ownership changed or just the food distributor.