7 restaurants celebrated as winners of Rockford Restaurant Week awards
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
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ROCKFORD — Seven restaurants were celebrated on Tuesday for their contributions to the region’s culinary scene with Rockford Restaurant Week awards.
GoRockford, which organizes the annual celebration of locally-owned restaurants, said this year’s 11-day run also served up a win for dozens of other restaurants that saw a spike in sales during a traditionally slow period of the year. This is the fifth year of Rockford Restaurant Week.
The organization’s survey of restaurants showed an average sales increase of roughly 20%, with several reporting an increase of more than 35%. One restaurant saw a 72% increase in its fixed-price menus with 477 sold compared to 277 a year ago.
“This year’s Restaurant Week was transformative,” said John Groh, president and CEO of GoRockford. “Our survey data shows that local restaurants experienced significant sales growth. This surge is a testament to the community’s enthusiasm for our culinary offerings, turning a traditionally slow period into a vibrant opportunity for our dining scene.”
2025 Rockford Restaurant Week winners
- Best Experience: Plume, 1132 Auburn St., Rockford
- Best Main Course: (Tie) 27 Aluna, 124 N. Main St., Rockford, and Lucha Cantina, 1641 N. Alpine Road, Rockford
- Best Dessert: Hidden Creek Estates, 13276 White School Road, Roscoe
- Best Deal: (Tie) Sticky Rice Bites, 298 N. Mulford Road, and 8th Ward Pub, 3905 Broadway, Rockford
- Best Cocktail or Brew: Abreo, 515 E. State St., Rockford
GoRockford held online voting with roughly 1,300 votes to determine the winners in five categories. There were seven total winners including two first-time ties.
The list of winners ranged from new restaurants — such as the 8-month-old Plume and 5-month-old Sticky Rice Bites — to staples such as Abreo, which has operated in downtown now for two decades.
The winners were announced in a press event at Lucha Cantina.
“It gives us a new challenge every year,” Josh Binning, owner of Lucha Cantina, said of Restaurant Week. “A way to come out with some dishes that we haven’t carried in the past, maybe bring an old favorite back, kind of give the kitchen a workout a little bit and have some fun.
“As well, it’s a very nice friendly competition amongst all of us to try to win some awards.”
Here’s a breakdown of this year’s winners:
Best Experience | Plume
About the award: This award recognizes the establishment providing an exceptional overall dining experience, including ambiance, food and customer service.
What the winner said:
“This award for Best Experience really does mean so much to us. It’s such an honor and a testament to how hard the entire Plume team works every day.” — Lia Pennacchi, co-owner and drink chef
“It’s a testament to our team’s commitment and passion to providing a memorable dining experience. It’s an honor to be recognized by our community and something we will always celebrate.” — Chase Williams, co-owner and executive chef
Best Main Course | 27 Aluna and Lucha Cantina
About the award: This award recognizes the eatery offering the most authentic and uniquely prepared main course.
What the winner said:
“One of the great things about Restaurant Week is the community that supports local restaurants comes out in force and when that community chooses a restaurant like mine as their favorite entree of the week, well that certainly means a lot to us.” — Josh Binning, owner of Lucha Cantina
“Rockford Restaurant Week this year was such a blast for us and the busiest one to date. Thank you to GoRockford for putting this event together and to the Rockford community for supporting such a great event. … It’s great to also share this with a friend of mine, Josh and the Lucha team. I could not pick a better person to win or tie this award with.” — Patrick Alberto, owner of 27 Aluna
Best Dessert | Hidden Creek Estates
What the winner said:
“Hidden Creek Estates is honored to be recognized with a Rockford Restaurant Week award for the second consecutive year. Our team has worked tirelessly to maintain our high standards of excellence, from innovative new beverage offerings to exceptional food and service. We’re thrilled to see our efforts celebrated and grateful for the continued support of our community.” — Jared Malavolti, director of operations at Hidden Creek Estates
Best Deal | Sticky Rice Bites and 8th Ward Pub
About the award: This award goes to the eatery offering the most creative and valuable deal.
What the winner said:
“We’re honored to be recognized for having the Best Deal. Thank you to all our amazing customers for your support. It’s very challenging to keep our costs down while we are faced with high costs for fresh ingredients and labor. When our customers appreciate our food and hard work and effort, it makes it all worth it.” — Sophia Chanthalangsy, a part of the family that owns Sticky Rice Bites.
“8th Ward is thrilled to be named ‘Best Deal’ during Rockford Region Restaurant Week. Many of us local restaurants put in such hard work year-round to stay on top of trends and serve up what our community loves. Your support means everything to us, and we’ll keep bringing the great food, great cocktails, and deals all year long.” — Alison Fuller, general manager of 8th Ward Pub
Best Cocktail or Brew | Abreo
What the winner said:
“We are incredibly honored that Abreo has been awarded ‘Best Cocktail’ for Restaurant Week. A huge thank you to our amazing Rockford community for your support and to GoRockford for organizing such a fantastic event that showcases the incredible talent in our local restaurant scene. This award is a testament to the hard work and creativity of our entire team, especially our hospitality manager, Elliott Earnst, whose dedication to our cocktail program continues to raise the bar. We also want to recognize all the incredible restaurants that participated—your passion and innovation make Rockford’s dining scene truly special. Here’s to another amazing year of great food, great drinks, and great company.” — Paul Sletten, owner of Abreo
Rockford Restaurant Week participation and reach
- – A record 65 participating businesses, three more than in 2024
- – Website traffic on GoRockford.com for Restaurant Week hit 89,815 views, up 362% from 19,440 in 2024
- – Social media engagement through GoRockford hit more than 1 million views
- – GoRockford’s marketing included billboards in the Chicago suburbs and Rockford, generating 1.5 million impressions
- – A photo challenge generated more than 200 photos from residents and visitors
Mark your calendars
Rockford Restaurant Week will return next year, running from Jan. 29 to Feb. 8, 2026.
To learn more, visit gorockford.com/restaurantweek.
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
