Riverside Family Restaurant celebrates grand opening in Rockford’s Miracle Mile
By Kevin Haas
Rock River Current
Get our free newsletter
ROCKFORD — A family-owned restaurant offering homestyle meals ranging from breakfast skillets to beer-battered cod, fried chicken and homemade soups has opened in the city’s Miracle Mile.
Riverside Family Restaurant, 3415 E. State St., celebrated its ribbon-cutting on Tuesday with Miracle Mile Rockford. The restaurant gave a refreshed look to the space near Fairview Avenue and East State Street that was previously Imperial Palace and later Golden Bowl Asian Rockford.
“We are thrilled to open our doors on the Miracle Mile,” said Sandra Lopez, the restaurant’s manager and part of the family that owns the business. “Rockford has welcomed us with open arms, and we look forward to serving this community for many years to come.”
This is the eighth Riverside Family Restaurant location in Illinois and Iowa. The first opened about 24 years ago along the Des Moines River in Ottumwa, Iowa, Lopez said. Their most recent restaurant prior to the debut in Rockford opened at 1669 Willard Drive in Freeport.
“We’re really excited to be here and just to keep it going,” Lopez said. “We wanted a chance to grow out here. The town is beautiful. I love the culture. There’s so many beautiful areas. You come into Rockford, you see the beautiful art. The diversity of so many things. We just want to feel home here, too.”
The casual family dining restaurant is open seven days a week and has breakfast, lunch and dinner options. Its large selection includes a 10-ounce ribeye steak sandwich, Monte Cristo melt, Hawaiian salad, fresh-squeezed orange juice, and multiple other sandwich, seafood, stir-fry, pasta and breakfast options.
“What I really like most about Riverside Family Restaurant is that they are committed to the community,” said Amy Hoening, executive director of Miracle Mile Rockford. “They have discounts for veterans, they do different drives to collect (for charity). She’s all about working together and supporting our larger community.”
Miracle Mile Rockford is a nonprofit that works to support local businesses in the district along East State Street stretching roughly from UW Health SwedishAmerican Hospital to Rockford University.
Imperial Palace operated at 3415 E. State St. for 27 years before closing in 2019. The space was vacant until Golden Bowl opened in May 2023. Riverside Family Restaurant started with a soft opening a little more than a month ago.
Info | Riverside Family Restaurant
Where: 3415 E. State St., Rockford
Hours: 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday
Phone: 779-210-2910
Facebook: Go HERE
This article is by Kevin Haas. Email him at [email protected] or follow him on X at @KevinMHaas or Instagram @thekevinhaas and Threads @thekevinhaas
