Wowza - come here... Award winning bar menu... food was on-point. 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. read more

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I'm stingy with my 5 stars but Crave really deserves it. 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! read more

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We final tried Crave and loved it! Over the last few months, we had driven by the place and also said we need to try it and Saturday it happened. Because of of restaurant week the place was crowded but I take that as a good sign. It gave us a chance to meet with Angela and her daughter Eva who were both working hard. Eva was giving out free drink samples to those waiting for a table. We had reservations but did not mind waiting. I don't drink but my girlfriend tried the "El Sanch" cocktail and proclaimed it as her new local favorite. The appetizers and entrees where excellent. We had the: Truffle fries, Sourdough Focaccia, Wagyu burger, champagne risotto, Arugula salad, and the Death of Chocolate cake to end a great meal with great service. Our waitress, Kaitlyn was terrific. Both Angela and Eva were great hosts and made us feel welcome as new diners to Crave. We plan on going back regularly. Eric & Katrina read more

This place is a hidden GEM! A must try when you're in the Rockford area! From the first impression of being greeted to the beautiful ambience of the restaurant to the food. The drinks and the customer service were absolutely top-notch, five out of five I will be back and cannot wait to try the different varieties of drinks and cuisine! Alyssa was amazing and Ava the owner was so friendly and gracious! The homemade focaccia bread was the best I've ever had ... (I've had alot) The lobster rolls were so flavorful and the risotto was so flavorful ! read more

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Unpretentious fine dining with crazy good food and drinks. What's not to love? I'm not a local, just passing through, but this spot is so good I'm 100% coming back tomorrow. The best way to describe Crave is intentional. They are intentional in their choices, from ingredients to presentation. Got their Duck Breast with the truffle risotto. Just a perfect mixture of sweet, savory and a great balance of textures. Cocktail was solid as well. Ava deserves her accolades for sure. Fast service. Not stuffy ambience at all. Definitely a Rockford Gem read more

Crave - Duck Breast - New American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

What a great restaurant! The service was wonderful and the drinks were so delicious and the food was exquisite. We had a wonderful time. It was a very unpretentious restaurant. Great ambiance! read more

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Very good food, I had the Mediterranean Salmon and it was very tasty. Service was excellent and the food came out quick. Will return next time I am in the area. read more

Frankly, I didn't know what to expect. The emphasis on "women owned" doesn't impress me as I'm interested in a great dining experience and good food which is independent of the gender of the owners, preparers or servers. But, I *was* pleasantly impressed with delicious food (Waygu burger and tuna poke bowl) and a great tap beer. Plus, the waiter was careful, courteous and concerned that we enjoyed the food and the experience. The atmosphere is relaxing and upscale without feeling pretentious or forced. So, kudos to all involved in bringing a great dining experience to Rockford. read more

Crave - Dining room into the well-stocked, attractive bar. - New American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

One of the nicer places I've been to in Rockford. A very cool and modern vibe that's really great for date nights or dinner with friends. Service was amazing, the staff was very personable. The food was tasty - we had a group of 6 and we ordered a variety of apps: peach bruschetta, fried zucchini, and truffle fries. For entrees, we had the branzino, grilled shrimp, Thai coconut cod, poke bowl, and lobster pasta - all were delicious. Definitely recommend! read more

Crave - New American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

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First-rate food, libations, knowledgeable and friendly waitstaff, excellent ambiance.

This is really a gem! First time dining here......food was very nicely prepared & our waitress was helpful. Really liked the decor too. Honestly, everything on the menu sounded delicious! Will be back! read more

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The Staff at Crave provided Tom and I an amazing celebration, complete with champagne, our favorite song and Chocolate cake. Dinner was fabulous. Thank you Crave! 5 Star all the way. read more

Crave - Thank you Angela and Ava! - New American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

Really cool new restaurant. The pros: --Loved the ambiance. Very chic design for Rockford. --Their take on a gin old fashioned was familiar but with a delicious twist. We also loved the honey gin drink with the mint oil. --the beet salad was one of the better salads I think one can get in Rockford --the cacio e pepe pasta had a lovely amount of pepper and I loved the addition of the egg yolk and pork belly -- our server was very friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu --prices were very reasonable for what you got The misses: --the room was very cold, I ended up putting my winter coat back on. Perhaps investing in some insulation around the windows would help for the winter -- they were out of a few things on the menu (on a Friday night!), so that was disappointing because it affected what was ordered --the espresso martini was very light on the coffee flavor Overall a very pleasant meal and one I would eat again. I'd like to see them push their menu a little bit toward more composed plates-- that said, they said they will be changing the menu soon so I'm excited to see what they come up with! Tl;dr: worth a visit as a new more upscale restaurant in Rockford. read more

I have to say, current favorite spot in Rockford! Stopped in for a few drinks at the bar and an appetizer, and the bartenders were absolutely amazing. Had a few drinks and the truffle fries and the ladies had us try out their new holiday menu - so these drinks may not be available yet MUST TRY "NOT SO SILENT NIGHT" love it here! read more

Crave - Not so Silent Night - New American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

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Amazing service and amazing food! Definitely will be returning to try more of their menu. read more

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Crave caught our attention while traveling through Rockford. Glad we decided to stop by. Great atmosphere inside with some outdoor seating too. Highly recommend the truffle fries and risotto. They were delicious! Our server recommended them and I absolutely agree they were worth it. read more

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It was a beautiful restaurant and wonderful service, but that's about it. Note, we gave them two tries in case the first one was a fluke. Nope. The food was lacking in seasoning even when the descriptions made it sound amazing. Example: mushroom risotto was mostly scallions and maybe 4 slices of mushrooms. The lobster gnocchi had maybe 3 or 4 pieces of lobster. Death by chocolate cake was dry which is why it came with ice cream. The highlights were the cocktails, the focaccia, and the service. I hate to give a bad review, but there are much better restaurants in town. read more

Crave - The wagyu burger was delicious, but tried too hard with too much stuff making it a hot mess to eat. Sometimes less is more. - New American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

Just amazing! Very upscale and classy!!! The food is fantastic and the lobster roll is PERFECT!!! The service and drinks are amazing!!! Leave room for dessert! Unfortunately, I didn't. :o( -Paul read more

From the go, the greeting was not it. We were asked if we had a reservation and when we said no, we were led to the bar area. I asked if there was anything that wasn't a high top, and was told, 'not without a reservation.' I try to avoid high top tables due to balance issues from an injury. Take note if you can't do high top tables. Hostess was not kind about it, didn't even offer to let us wait. We watched several tables sit empty during our time there. I ordered the truffle fries and sourdough focaccia with whipped ricotta. My husband ordered the crave burger and smoked old fashioned. The truffle fries were decent. The aoili was nothing special, the fries mostly stood well on their own flavor wise, unless they were larger/thicker then they were very greasy feeling/tasting. I was actually very excited to come here and chose it for date night, because I love whipped ricotta and it was extremely disappointing. Very bland and flavorless. The honeycomb added a hint of sweet, but there clearly was nothing else to the ricotta. The bread had clearly been toasted at some point but not well, or else had sat and we both agreed it was just gummy and chewy. My husband said his burger and old fashioned were acceptable, but no more special than anywhere else. As mentioned we were sat in the bar area, very close to it, and the closer you are to it, the louder it gets. Conversation with your table mate is nearly impossible. Extremely crowded. Other patrons stood in the aisle talking at tables and made it hard for servers to get around to deliver food. Not a well planned out or thoughtful space. Restaurant is both too bright and too dark depending where you're sitting. Tyler G was our server and he was delightful and attentive. I can't give this restaurant zero stars, so my one star goes only to our server. Go somewhere else where the food costs about the same, probably is better quality, you'll be treated better by all the staff, and hopefully it's not so chaotic, loud, and crowded. read more

Crave - Truffle fries, Angela's house made sourdough focaccia. - New American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

Just had an incredible experience at CRAVE. Every course was delicious. Crystal, our bartender, was talented, personable and knowledgeable. The cocktail menu was well thought out. The Spring Manhattan is a must. My martini (a Vesper) was dangerously smooth. Co-owner, Ava, is an award bartender who has put a nice touch on all the cocktails. Now, the food! The Crispy Rice appetizer is killer! We also had the shaved Brussels salad and Truffle Champagne Rissotto we both delicious. Ava took the time to share stories with us and it was a pleasure all around. read more

Their cocktails are amazing and the Risotto mouthwatering! Friendly, engaging servers and close proximity to my residence! read more

Service was solid however the "speech" our table of 10 received at the beginning was overkill. Our server pretty much regurgitated what was written on the menu and we could have just asked questions if anyone had any. The atmosphere was very nice, with an ambiance of professionalism which was perfect when entertaining our customer. Appetizers were all well done and quickly arrived at our table after ordering. Because our table was so large we ordered one of each, all were solid choices. The majority of us ordered steaks and as much as I hate to say it I've had better as was the consensus of the table. The steaks were done as ordered and arrived at the table warm but the tenderness of the cuts was just not there. With all of us at the table we had just about all of the main choices with the exception of the $375 steak. To end our meal we ordered several different deserts and shared around the table. Desert was pretty much the best part of the meal. All in all the experience was okay, but at the price point we were expecting better than just okay... read more

We took a detour from I 90 for a quick evening meal. Crave was the perfect experience! A creative and unique menu. Perfectly prepared and served . Darling fresh decor...plenty of flowers. Excellent cocktails and wine. It is Really worth your time to stop here. I would love this restaurant in my hometown read more

As a Rockfordian, I am always excited to try new restaurants in town. I heard Crave was a hip new spot, and it fills the void of a restaurant desert. Parking was very easy--it shares a lot with other businesses. We were seated immediately, and my only complaint about the atmosphere was the lighting. I was decently blinded by the sun shining through the window, but as it set, it got better. I ordered a dirty martini to start. The martini wasn't as dirty as I would've liked, but the wine my friend ordered was delicious. We shared a brussel sprout salad that was plentiful and yummy. The shaved parm and almonds were nice touches. I ordered the steak frites, and my friends had the burger and beef bolognese. The pasta, glorified spaghetti, was shockingly tasty and the portion was large. My steak frites were outstanding. No notes. The burger was ordered medium rare but came out medium well with a stale bun. All in all, I would come back, eager to try more menu items. read more

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Maine lobster roll was a major disappointment. No chunks of lobster meat. Bun wasn't split Only partially. Service and ambiance was good. But selection was limited. read more

Truly the most incredible restaurant I've visited in the Rockford area. Cannot wait to come back and try more amazing cocktails and menu items. From the top notch service to the beautiful decor I cannot recommend this gorgeous spot enough! The Ribeye cap steak and cacio e pepe ravioli are must tries! Lastly the bourbon selection was outstanding! read more

Crave - Ribeye Cap Steak with Cacio e Pepe ravioli - New American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

The setting is so amazing and totally out of character for Rockford! I loved this place! The service was excellent and the food was so good! Very healthy portions! Don't eat lunch of going for dinner lol. Can't wait to go back! read more

Had another great experience at Crave tonight! I was drawn in by their National Rose Day wine offering and stayed for dinner. All the food was delicious. I love their quality, fresh ingredients, plus Smith was a great waiter, offering helpful input about the menu. Owner, Ava, stopped by to check on everything and let me know about future special menu items. Outstanding. Will be back! read more

We had dinner at CRAVE after a while. We first dined around the time it opened. Food was good, the mocktails had so flavor and were watery and sour. Servers were wonderful but the service was SLOW! It wasn't even that busy. From the time someone came to our table to ordering the appetizers, then ordering entrees and then the final check. Too too slow. We had somewhere else to go and had to cancel because of this hindrance. read more

In my opinion the place was nicely decorated. A good place to have drinks with friends/family but that's about it. The food was just okay. A bit too expensive for what it was. Hard time choosing what to get. We ended up getting the pastrami sandwich which was nothing special. I had the chicken cutlet, which was dry and greasy, both came with fries which were not great. The waiters were nice but didn't look happy to be there. We went because we had a gift card. Would not go back. Would not recommend. read more

We've been wanting to dine at Crave. The atmosphere is interesting. The food is at best average. Our drinks were OK. My risotto was room temperature and the grilled shrimp added to the risotto was overcooked and too salty. The cheesecake was dry. Doubt we'll go back any time soon. read more

We thought we'd give this a try but it was disappointing. First my gin drink was awful but they did give me a new one. I ordered the Casio yPepe which had way too much pepe(pepper) and the sauce was "broken" which means it was watery. My dining partner had the risotto which was excellent and was a huge dish. The waitstaff needs training so that they don't rush you to order a drink or a meal before you can read the menu. I have to say the decor is distracting with five or six different styles of lighting. The noise level was high even with only about 6 tables when we arrived and far worse by the time we finished! We won't be back! There are too many fabulous restaurants in Rockford to give this another try! read more

This restaurant is the absolute best in all of Rockford! Great food! Beautiful ambience! Decor is so New York! I have been there twice already and plan to go back many times! And the cocktails are so creative and delicious. Do not miss this restaurant! read more

food was absolutely delicious and our waiter was excellent! We will definitely be back.

I believe they were overpriced for the amount of food we got. Also both things we ordered that had truffle in the name (truffle salted fries and truffle sauce for ribeye) lacked any taste of truffle. I will give them another shot but unfortunately a little let down this first trip. read more

Delicious cocktails, great service and yummy food. I had the salmon which was cooked to perfection and the accompanying flavors were outstanding. Service was very friendly and attentive. read more

So excited to have a great new restaurant in Rockford. We have been three times and l have loved it each time even more! To start, the sourdough bread with ricotta and honeycomb was amazing! The wedge salad, best in Rockford! My favorite thing on the menu is the truffle champagne risotto, if you love mushrooms, do not hesitate to get this, it's out of this world! My husband had the grilled pork chop, it was cooked perfectly and had this amazing crispy goodness that comes with, amazing flavors throughout the dish. We have also had the ribeye steak, tuna poke bowl and the wagyu burger. Each item was cooked perfectly and exceeded expectations! The burger yum!!! Lastly the last time, I had the pear and gorgonzola Pinsa, (flatbread). I am not a flat bread person, but this was out of this world, I would love to have that everyday from here on out! Lol job well done to this new restaurant! Excited to go back, and so reasonably priced for the effort that is put into every dish! Thank you!! We will for sure be back! read more

It was okay, certainly not what I expected for the prices. Duck confit eggrolls were filled with a pasty mush- nothing identifiable as duck. The prawns were dry - not sure if they were old or over-cooked? The sourdough focaccia was good - but it was more like a bruschetta; enjoyed the honey ricotta spread. Friend liked her kohlrabi pear salad, but felt it was light on the pears. Overall, disappointing. read more