35 new places to eat and drink that opened in the Rockford area in 2024
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — The past year brought more than 30 new places to eat and drink in the region, ranging from a new downtown daiquiri bar to sushi, brunch and other culinary options.
We covered the opening of 35 different restaurants, bars or pubs in Winnebago and Boone counties in 2024 — not including the seven restaurants that opened inside Hard Rock Casino Rockford.
More restaurant news: Capri in downtown Rockford for sale as owners look to comply with vacant property rules
There are multiple new places coming in 2025, too. That includes Lino’s location on Riverside Boulevard in Loves Park, a new Yemeni gourmet coffee shop in east Rockford, El Ranchito in south Rockford, Tahini’s in Loves Park, Capri Restaurant’s sit-down side in Loves Park, Scooter’s Coffee in Rockford, Ripe Life Juice Co.‘s return in downtown, and Raising Cane’s first location in Rockford, to name a few.
For now, here are new places that opened in the area in the past year:
27 Aluna
124 N. Main St., Rockford
The former Octane, 124 N. Main St., was converted into 27 Aluna on Jan. 10.
Chef and owner Patrick Alberto changed the name and the menu to focus on Filipino cuisine inspired by the city where he was raised.
More restaurants: A look back at new restaurants and other food news from 2023
The Olive Branch
4150 N. Perryville Road (online kitchen with pickup at Carlson Ice Arena)
The Olive Branch launched an online kitchen in January from Carlson Ice Arena in Loves Park.
The Greek food truck now serves to-go that customers make online from its commercial kitchen located inside the ice arena at 4150 N. Perryville Road.
The truck also continues to make stops across the Rockford area.
The Goat Pub and Grill
1428 N. Main St., Rockford
The GOAT Pub and Grill opened Feb. 1 on Rockford’s North End.
Owner Tom McDonald renovated space at 1428 N. Main St., formerly North Main Bar, for the The GOAT, which is an acronym for Greatest of All Time.
Johnny Pamcakes
120 Buchanan St., Belvidere
Johnny Pamcakes opened its new second location — and first in Belvidere — in March.
The family-owned restaurant closed its shop at Kegel’s Harley Davidson in Cherry Valley and opened at 120 Buchanan Street in downtown Belvidere.
Johnny Pamcakes also continues to operate at 3700 E. State St. in Rockford, where it first opened in 2008.
Kung Fu Tea
6915 E. State St., Rockford
Kung Fu Tea, 6915 E. State St., opened its first franchise in the city on April 5.
The local franchise is a family-led operation owned by Thanh Nguyen and his younger brother, also named Thanh Nguyen, who both came to Rockford from Vietnam.
Sheila’s Daiquiri Lounge
308 W. State St., Rockford
Sheila’s Daiquiri Lounge, a Rockford nightspot specializing in the colorful boozy slushies made popular in New Orleans, opened April 19 in the former Kryptonite space at 308 W. State St. in downtown.
The daiquiri bar is owned by Sheila and Derek Black, who wanted to bring something they loved from Bourbon Street in New Orleans to their hometown.
Velvet Robot – Roscoe
10514 Main St., Roscoe
Velvet Robot Coffee Lab opened May 1 at its new location at 10514 Main St. in Roscoe.
Velvet Robot closed its downtown Rockford location, inside Rockford City Market at 116 N. Madison St., on Dec. 16 after more than three years in business there. It then remodeled the former Country Financial building for its new shop in Roscoe.
Whiskey Hotel Barbecue
5522 Elevator Road, Roscoe
Will Hendrickson opened Whiskey Hotel Barbecue, 5522 Elevator Road in Roscoe, on April 20 with a goal to create a premier Midwest barbecue joint.
Hendrickson opened the restaurant after a successful debut year with a food truck. The brick-and-mortar version of Whiskey Hotel Barbecue filled the former Sabor Bar & Grill.
Benny’s @ Nest
8790 N. Second St., Machesney Park
The team behind Benny’s Slots Wines Spirits in Roscoe opened a new location called Benny’s @ Nest next to Nestory Park Self Storage at 8790 N. Second St. at Machesney Town Center.
The bar, which has food trucks regularly parked in front of its space, opened in late April.
Carlito’s Munchie Station
5723 N. Second St., Loves Park
Carlos Rosario, the owner of Carlito’s Munchie Station, turned the empty plot of crushed gravel where CD Source once stood at 5723 N. Second St. into a food truck oasis, or food truck yard as they’re sometimes called.
Rosario started serving from his taco truck at the oasis in late April and added more food trucks in the months that followed.
The Music Box of Rockford
218 E. State St., Rockford
The Music Box of Rockford, a small music venue and cocktail bar at 218 E. State St., held its first soft opening events in mid-May before holding its inaugural show in June.
The venue is owned by Miles Nielsen, Kelly Steward, Drew Gibson and Trea Mihalovich.
Plume
1132 Auburn St., Rockford
Plume, the new restaurant filling the former Der Rathskeller space, opened June 19 at 1132 Auburn Street on Rockford’s North End.
The restaurant and bar is run by local hospitality-industry veterans Chase Williams and Lia Pennacchi.
Easy Tiger
411 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park
Easy Tiger, a new Hawaiian restaurant and bar designed to feel like a summer vacation in the heart of Loves Park, opened in early June.
The restaurant is at 411 E. Riverside Blvd. in Loves Park. The space was the former home of Jalapeno Taco Grill, Ojeda’s and before that Cafe 411 and Spring Garden.
5 Bines Brewery
515 S. State St., Belvidere
5 Bines Brewery, a microbrewery and taproom at 515 S. State St. in downtown Belvidere, opened in late June for Heritage Days.
Downtown Belvidere’s first brewery is run by Belvidere natives Cheryl and Ryan Morris, who had worked on the project for over a year before opening.
Marrufo’s Tacos
3222 S. Alpine Road, Rockford
Marrufo’s Tacos, 3222 S. Alpine Road, opened in mid-July, filling the former Ana’s Mexican Restaurant space next to the former Subway south of Sandy Hollow Road.
Owners Emily and Jesus Marrufo built a following over the past four years with Sabores Mobile Kitchen, a trailer and then food truck that twice won the title for best tacos at the annual Tamale Fest in Rockford.
Which Wich
5542 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park
Which Wich, 5542 E. Riverside Blvd. in Loves Park, celebrated its grand opening July 18 for its first franchise in the Rockford area.
Kelley Williamson Co., a Rockford-based fuel company, is franchising the Which Wich location at its Applewood Mobile station.
The toasted sandwich shop had a soft opening in June before the grand opening in mid-July.
The Vault
3034 S. Pecatonica Road, Seward
The Vault, 3034 S. Pectaonica Road, is the only sit-down restaurant and lounge in the small community of Seward.
The bar, restaurant and gaming lounge was opened in July in the former German American State Bank in the unincorporated community of Seward, which is outside of Pecatonica in western Winnebago County.
Its simple menu features Italian beef and meatball sandwiches, barbecue chicken and brisket sandwiches, and a variety of flatbreads and pizzas.
Smoothie King
6274 E. State St., Rockford
A national chain that was the first smoothie franchise to operate in the country opened its first location in the Rockford region in July.
Smoothie King opened July 15 at 6274 E. State St., which is between H&R Block and AT&T in a commercial strip owned by First Midwest Group.
A second area Smoothie King opened in August at 1890 Crystal Pkwy Ste 100, Belvidere.
Disco Chicken
212 E. State St., Rockford
Disco Chicken, a downtown restaurant with electronic music vibes, late-night hours and rooftop views, opened in late July.
The restaurant, which specializes in creative chicken sandwiches served with a side of tater tots, is latest venture from chef and restaurateur Paul Sletten.
Sletten also owns Abreo and Social Charcuterie Bar & Cocktails in downtown as well as the Bad Humor ice cream truck and a Disco Chicken mobile cocktail bar.
Top Dog Pizza & Pub
8638 N. Second St., Machesney Park
Top Dog Pizza & Pub, 8638 N. Second St. in front of the former Machesney Park Mall, is a new locally owned bar and restaurant centered around pizza with a light and airy crust. It opened in late July.
The restaurant also serves bone-in chicken wings, soup, burgers with fries or tater tots and has kids’ meals with hot dogs and cheeseburgers.
It’s owned by Danny Dalip, Bader Badran and Scott Warner.
Crave
3801 N. Perryville Road, Rockford
Crave, a new restaurant from the mother-and-daughter duo of Angela and Ava Vitale, opened in late August.
The restaurant fills the former Camera Craft space at 3801 N. Perryville Road in Rockford.
The family-owned restaurant offers an upscale culinary experience inside a casual, high-energy atmosphere.
Hard Rock Cafe (and more)
7801 E. State St., Rockford
Hard Rock Casino Rockford and its Hard Rock Cafe opened over Labor Day weekend, bringing seven new restaurants to eastern gateway to Rockford.
The casino, 7801 E. State St., has restaurants ranging from pizza to street tacos, Asian cuisine and an upscale steakhouse.
The seven restaurant inside the casino are:
- Brick’d Italian Kitchen: A chef-led brick-oven pizzeria.
- Street Tacos: A Mexican restaurant focused on street food staples with a modern twist.
- Constant Grind: A casual sit down coffee shop and bistro.
- Council Oak Steaks & Seafood: An upscale American steakhouse that stems from its roots at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos in Florida.
- Hard Rock Cafe: The classic bar and restaurant synonymous with the Hard Rock brand.
- YouYu Noodle Bar: An Asian restaurant that offers a blend of freshly made noodles, broths and pot stickers.
- Plum Lounge: Hard Rock Casino Rockford’s VIP dining experience
Benny’s Bourbon Tequila Slots
7125 Harrison Ave., Cherry Valley
Benny’s Bourbon Tequila Slots opened over Labor Day weekend at 7125 Harrison Ave. in Cherry Valley, which was formerly Johnny Pamcakes.
Johnny Pamcakes left its location next to Kegel’s Harley Davidson in spring for a move to Buchanan Street in downtown Belvidere.
The new bar and restaurant from the owners of Benny’s @ Nest in Machesney Park and Benny’s Slots Wines Spirits in Roscoe features breakfast sandwiches, biscuits and gravy, a variety of chicken sandwiches and wraps, pizzas and salads, among other menu items.
The Sandwich Factory
Food truck, locations vary
The Sandwich Factory made its return this summer as a food truck serving the classic steak deluxe, house sub, rib tip boat and other sandwiches fans remember from the brick-and-mortar restaurant, which ran from 1975 to 2019.
The food truck made its debut in late August. It temporarily closed at the end of Semptember, with the owners saying they’re looking for a brick-and-mortar location or a permanent home for the food truck.
Buona Beef and The Original Rainbow Cone
7350 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park
Buona Beef and The Original Rainbow Cone, two Chicagoland staples, held the grand opening of its new dual-restaurant on Sept. 17 at 7350 E. Riverside Blvd. in Loves Park.
The family-owned Italian beef restaurant and sliced ice cream shop have locations across the Chicago area, but this was its first in the Rockford region.
Sticky Rice Bites
298 N. Mulford Road, Rockford
Sticky Rice Bites, a new family-owned restaurant centered on Lao cuisine, opened in mid-September at 298 N. Mulford Road in Rockford.
The new restaurant, which has authentic Laotian food and Asian fusion fare, filled the former Pho 27 space.
Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken
6150 E. State St., Rockford
Hangry Joe’s Hot Chicken & Wings opened Sept. 21 at 6150 E. State St., suite 114, which is next to Crumbl cookies.
The 3-year-old restaurant chain, which specializes in Nashville hot chicken, was brought here by a group of Rockford restaurateurs who have spent years running Subway franchises.
The local franchise ownership team consists of Michael Lentini, Todd VanNispen, Brandon Wilhelm, Dave Clinton and Ellen Nelson.
Capri Restaurant
6480 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park
The reopening of Capri Restaurant, at a new location in Loves Park, was perhaps the most anticipated restaurant of 2024.
The family-owned pizza and Italian food place got 59,570 calls on its opening day Saturday, Sept. 28. Then it got an additional 22,039 calls the following day, according to metrics Capri shared with the Rock River Current from its phone provider IP Communications.
Capri will have another ribbon to cut in 2025, when it opens its dining room and banquet hall that’s under construction now on the same site as its carryout restaurant at 6480 E. Riverside Blvd., Loves Park.
La Croûte Bakery Cafe
116 W. Main St., Rockton
Anna Pipitone opened La Croûte Bakery Cafe, 116 W. Main St. in Rockton, on Oct. 17.
The from-scratch bakery has a variety of breads, scones, croissants, cinnamon rolls and other baked goods and hot drinks such as cappuccino and espresso.
Hibachi Days Sushi
1943 N. State St., Belvidere
Hibachi Days Sushi, 1943 N. State St. in Belvidere, opened in mid-November.
The restaurant features sushi and other Japanese cuisine. It’s open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.
The Parks: Cimino’s Kitchen
1001 West Lane Road, Machesney Park
The Parks: Cimino’s Kitchen opened at the start of November after nearly three months of remodeling the former Onyx bar at 1001 West Lane Road in Machesney Park.
The restaurant features Cimino’s Italian cuisine and a wide selection of bourbons and cocktails.
Sushi KO: Korean and Japanese Grill
6565 Lexus Drive, Rockford
Sushi KO: Korean and Japanese Grill, a new restaurant featuring a wide range of Korean and Japanese cuisine, opened Nov. 13.
The new restaurant fills the former Prime Steakhouse space. The steakhouse, which had been in business since 2022, closed in late October.
Country Club Tavern
6125 N. Second St., unit 1A, Loves Park
Country Club Tavern, which opened in mid-November, sets out to create a social club-like setting with a full kitchen, bar, deli and video gambling.
The tavern and deli is owned by Oleg Kabachenko, a Fox Lake resident who has worked in the hospitality industry for years, including running the nearly 80-year-old Chicagoland deli Koenemann’s in Volo.
Henry Dorrbaker’s
605 Third St., Beloit, Wisconsin
Henry Dorrbaker’s in Beloit is primarily an entertainment venue, with duckpin bowling, old-school arcade games and indoor mini-putting. But it also has a bar and restaurant with traditional pub fare such as brisket sliders, wings, Italian beef sliders, and nachos.
Henry Dorrbaker’s opened Nov. 18 at 605 Third St. at the Ironworks Campus in downtown Beloit, Wisconsin.
Oak & Embers Bistro
700 W. Riverside Blvd., Rockford
Oak & Embers Bistro, 700 W. Riverside Blvd., opened Nov. 27 in the small dining room at Riverview Inn & Suites, the former Cliffbreakers.
The restaurant features plant-based items for vegan diets and a menu for meat-eaters as well. It’s open Tuesdays through Saturdays for happy hour and dinner.
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at khaas@rockrivercurrent.com or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
