The food was better than average for the type of venue. Nice ambiance. Clean, friendly and inviting.read more

This might be the best and coolest overall place in the greater Rockford area. I think it's been…read morethere since the 1940s. I love old historical places like this. We sat at the bar for a drink while we waited for a table. I had a white Russian and my wife had a specialty cocktail, I don't remember what it was. We both enjoyed our drinks. We were seated in some elevated booths that had a view of the bar area, which was absolutely fantastic!! There is tons of regular restaurant seating in the back dining room rooms... We had the pig candy, cheese, curds, and the waitress recommended the fresh bread. The pig candy was very rich. One piece was enough for me. The cheese curds were very large bigger than tater tots. They tasted good, but I prefer smaller cheese curds. The waitress was right, the bread stole the show! One of the butters that it came with was cinnamon, which was fantastic! Dinner salad was very good. Tasted like homemade dressing. My wife had the pig sandwich and I had the gnocchi. Both were great, including the accoutrements like the french fries and garlic bread. The hostess came around, giving the ladies coronations, which was a nice touch. Great service and just genuinely nice people! We eat out every Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This is now on our list.

Have gone there several times within 2 months. Their Italian dishes are huge. We went there with…read moreanother couple on a Saturday and one person ordered an Italian dinner. The plate was huge. The one dish that is really healthy is the AHI Tuna appetizer. Actually, it is enough for a dinner and is reasonably priced. We tried the AHI Tuna appetizer apiece and added on order of the Bang Bang Shrimp and it was almost too much for two. The next time, we just ordered the AHI Tuna- one apiece. Not many places around here offer AHI Tuna - they should. A healthy alternative to a Prime Rib or Steak. Drinks are excellent. Half the bartenders in WI can't make a Manhattan right. This place makes them right - 2/3s bourbon, 1/3 sweet vermouth, NOT a "Dash" or a Drop of Vermouth - 1/3. A "dash" of bitters - yes. They also use the antique cherries in them. A quality bourbon (George Dickel 8 yr.old) Manhattan was $10 (very reasonable) Great ambiance. We get there before 5PM to avoid the crowds. Probably best to call to make reservations for four or more - especially if you're going after 5PM. Next time, I will try the Italian dishes. ALSO- desserts are top rate and $10.

The food is amazing and the service is great We have been…read morethere twice for dinner and definitely want to check out their Sunday brunch

Worth a visit, especially if you're looking for a fresh seafood. Friendly and attentive staff,…read morelarge portions of food well prepared.

Very good food. Ordered pulpo (octopus) but they gave me camarones lol…read more The dish was bad g with spanish rice, salad, the shrimp, small garlic bread, and fries. It even came with tostadas (the flat corn tortilla that's fried)

Went here last night w my bf for dinner pre-Jokoy show. Positive? GABBY OUR SERVER WAS AMAAAAAZING…read more Gorgeous layout. Negative: Reservations were for 08/07/26 5:30PM. Glad we made it that early. The food took a LONG TIME to come out. No apps. All ordered @once. Food came out over an hr later. Cooked great and to perfection. But a long wait

Dear Council Oak Management,…read more My husband and I dined at Council Oak last night to celebrate three very special occasions: my retirement, my birthday, and his birthday. This was our fifth or sixth visit, and we've always enjoyed dining with you, which makes this experience even more disappointing. Our evening started off very well. The hostess asked if we were celebrating anything special, and we shared our celebrations. When our server, Amy, introduced herself, she also acknowledged my retirement and our birthdays and engaged us in a friendly conversation about our plans. Because your staff initiated these conversations, we naturally assumed there might be a small celebratory gesture at the end of the meal, as is customary at many fine dining restaurants. We weren't looking for anything extravagant, just a simple acknowledgment such as a small dessert or cookie. Instead, nothing was offered. In hindsight, it felt unnecessary to ask about our special occasions if there was no intention of recognizing them. The service also became inconsistent throughout the evening. Amy disappeared for a significant portion of our meal, and another gentleman stepped in to assist us before Amy returned and apologized. While we appreciated the apology, the overall pace of the meal was extremely slow. We arrived at five o'clock, were among the first guests seated, and did not leave until approximately seven forty-five. There were only two of us, yet we waited about forty-five minutes for our entrées, making the dinner far longer than it should have been. We have always enjoyed Council Oak, which is why this visit was so disappointing. I wanted to share this feedback because I hope future guests celebrating important milestones have a better experience than we did. Thank you for taking the time to read my comments. Sincerely, Sue O

In town for the holidays and we wanted to try something new. My family normally have a go to spot…read morefor Mexican, but decided to check out this place. I remember when this was a fast food joint, but the interior now is totally different. We were impressed with the change. We were able to be seated quickly. For a Sunday it was pretty busy. They've several TVs around the restaurant so you can watch while eating. The menu is pretty extensive and has something for everyone. Lucky us, they had 5 dollar jumbo lime margaritas and 10 dollar fajitas for their specials that night. We were like sold! The husband saw queso and chips on the menu... needless to say we ordered it ASAP. The queso was pretty damn good. Not bland nor was it watery. Very addicting!! The jumbo frozen margaritas were strong and hit the spot. If I weren't driving, I would've had at least 1 or 2 more. Next time tho!! The chicken fajitas were massive. We honestly expected small portions considering it was the special. It was huge! The fajitas were outstanding. Lots of flavors and super tender. My mom and husband finished theirs. I only had room for half of it. Gotta save room for dessert!! The churro dessert we ordered was to die for. The dessert came in a huge cup with ice cream topped with caramel along with 4 churros. We all inhaled that dessert!! We left full and happy. Great spot overall! Great service and food. Definitely coming back next time I am in town.

For Rockford this place is a 4 star establishment!! Pretty solid. (I won't tell you what it would…read morebe in my native Southern California) Got my standard: shredded beef taco, cheese enchilada, and rice. All were pretty tasty for this area. The chips and salsa were pretty good too. Great service! Nice booths! I rank this place above Cantina Taco. One of the very few Mexican Food places that I would frequent again.

As far as Chinese buffets in this area go, this restaurant was highly recommended by our friends…read more We were pleasantly surprised by how huge the restaurant is. Lots of seating and tables. When you walk in, the host brings you to a table and asks for your drink order. Then, you're free to go to peruse and choose your food. There are three rows of food, plus the raw oysters, hibachi fixings & STEAK!!! On the far wall are more desserts - cake, mousse, cookies & ice cream. My husband loved choosing his own steak and how to cook it on the grill. For me, the food was tasty, but it was the vast variety that won me over. Good experience. $17.99/pax for dinner.

It was surprisingly good and a lot of options to choose from. The staff were kind, and the place…read morewas clean

I love the food here. I had the Steak Fajitas and it was delicious. The Pina Colada was and so…read moregood! I will definitely be back! The service was good and I live the ambiance.

Love the atmosphere and the decor. Even the chairs are painted with ethnic designs! There are…read morebooths on the side and tables that can be arranged to accommodate larger parties. Our server was great! He was so attentive and friendly, regularly checking if we needed anything and filling our waters. The food was good but not super exciting. The taco salad needed a little more kick for my tastebuds. The carnitas were okay. The burrito grande was big!

Best restaurant in town. . Wait, they are the only restaurant in town. Good food, good service,…read moregood value. I would go there again -IF- I happen to be in the area. There are better places out there, but these guys are good. The margarita was OK also.

For one thing, choices are limited in Poplar Grove. It literally has like one restaurant. Arturo's…read moreis that one, located in what they call downtown. Has a pretty basic menu of Mexican American favorites. The margaritas are better than the food it seems. Anyone can figure out this isn't going to be authentic. It may be just what you expect from a Mexican restaurant in this kind of town. The drinks may be the best things as far as value. It's about $6.50 for a pretty big margarita. These may not be strong, but they're pretty good tasting. As for the food, it's food. There's the usual like burritos and tacos. Protein choices are all meaty. There's not a whole lot for vegetarians. It's $6.50 for Chips And Guacamole. The chips tasted pretty old and stale. Basic. The guacamole was pretty plain to be honest. Come here and don't expect much to be good. It may be good for the locals. Those who know more about Mexican food won't like the food as much though.