Gill&#x27;s Diner

Stopped on a very busy Sunday morning. This place is packed!…read more Definitely a greasy spoon classic 50s style diner. The food is good. The portions are large and they use American cheese in everything. lol A 4% fee when paying with a credit card is absolutely ridiculous and this is something that will have us not coming back

Food is good, portions often too large for me, service is reliably good. waitresses always check…read moreback that food meets your expectations and refill coffee. These all sound like minimal standards for any restaurant but sadly are no longer commonplace. Thanks for keeping the tradition That made customers happy to return.

Diner dining room

Chef Salad with Ranch.

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Eggsclusive Cafe

4.2(386 reviews)

7.3 mi

My husband and I went to Eggsclusive Cafe on a Sunday morning for breakfast. The restaurant was…read morefairly full but we were able to get a seat right away. The restaurant was nice and bright with a lot of sunlight coming through the big windows. I had the French toast combo that came with biscuits and gravy. My husband got the corned beef hash skillet. The food was really good. I highly recommend Eggsclusive Cafe!

The food here is always great, I've eaten in as well as to go - food quality is on point. The…read moreservice is close to one of the best in Rockford, I have visited multiple times with a group of 8+ and they take care of us! The vibes are your typical cute diner, and I'll continue coming here!

Chicken Cabo Skillet

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Inside of restaurant

The Norwegian

4.6(238 reviews)

3.8 mi

We finally tried The Norwegian for brunch and really enjoyed our experience! There was a short wait…read morewhen we arrived, but it wasn't bad at all, and the service was good throughout our visit. We ordered a few different things so we could try a little bit of everything, including the breakfast sandwich, æbleskiver, an egg dish with potatoes, and some drinks. The æbleskiver were definitely fun to try and came with dipping sauces, and everything was beautifully presented. The breakfast sandwich was decent and filling, and the potatoes were really good too. We also tried a drink flight along with a Bloody Mary, which was a fun way to sample a few different flavors instead of committing to just one drink. Everything looked just as good as it tasted. The atmosphere is cute and cozy and definitely has more character than your typical brunch spot. I also liked that the menu has items you don't see everywhere else in Rockford. Overall, we had a great brunch experience. Good food, good service, and a unique menu. We would definitely come back to try more!

We drove to Rockford from Madison to eat here specifically and tagged on going to the Anderson…read moregardens. We were not disappointed! Fantastic food and service! The place is really adorable too. We just happened to swing by here once after a flight delay and they were booked, so we knew it must be good. If you're up for some excellent Scandinavian fusion cooking with some adorable ambiance you found your place! Just be sure to have a reservation on the weekend. This was absolutely worth the wait and the drive!

Cute items for sale - homemade soaps!

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Lydia's Cafe

4.5(117 reviews)

4.4 mi

Stopped here during our weekend trip in from Chicago with my husband and two boys (1 and 4) and…read morecouldn't have been more impressed! I've never been to a more kid friendly place - toys for the kids to play with, a treasure chest, stepstool in the bathroom, incredible service and the food was delicious! Highly recommend!

The food does not photograph well but it tastes so good!!! Best breakfast we had in Rockford by…read morefar. The burrito was so good, since I got it with no cheese I asked for verde salsa on the side which was the right move - highly recommend the mod. Lots of bees outside, recommend sitting inside -which is our only regret.

Pork and chorizo bowl with guac

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Rockford omelette

Johnny Pamcakes

4.1(201 reviews)

5.0 mi

What a surprisingly wonderful experience we had here. Besides excellent service, I believe these…read morewere the fluffiest and best tasting pancakes I ever had! The other entrees our table had were thoroughly enjoyed as well. We only wished that the coffee was stronger. However, adding flavored creamer helped and the refills kept coming without needing to be asked, which was much appreciated. We would definitely come again when in the area.

Johnny Pamcakes is a regular place for my wife and I. The service is always great and they have…read moreservers who have been there a while so you feel comfortable coming back know your service is consistent and always great. The are also on DoorDash now which makes ordering easier than before. The food is always great. We usually get breakfast but if you can come for brunch the have really good fried chicken. This place is always making great comfort food as well. The ambiance and the customer service is what makes this place so special.

Daily soup and specials board

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Potato Shak

3.9(72 reviews)

1.9 mi

Great local place! The owner is wonderful and always manages to put a smile on your face, even when…read morethings get really busy. You can tell they truly care about their customers and the community. Always a great experience and definitely a place worth supporting!

This place is officially, without a single doubt, my favorite place I've tried in YEARS…read more Is it "old"? Yes. Is it clean? YES. So I'd say it's NOSTALGIC. And, AMAZING SERVICE! Love the counter seating. Food was fabulous and fast! I CANNOT WAIT TO COME BACK! Cash only. ATM on site.

Pancakes

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Fresco at The Gardens

4.0(185 reviews)

3.4 mi

My husband and I met my cousin and his wife here on a beautiful sunny day which made the gardens…read morelook fantastic. Two of us had the Fresco burgers. The buns were toasted which made mine dry. The sandwich itself was dry throughout. It had some kind of sauce sparingly on both sides of the burger. It wasn't served with ketchup, which is fine, if there is something to make it moist enough. Maybe if the sandwich had had more than one tomato. I asked for fruit instead of the fries and the fruit was wonderful - strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, pineapple. Another person had a lovely salad, which I didn't catch the name of, but I'm sure the unique part of it was that it had beets on top. The final person had the Nashville Fried Chicken Sandwich. He felt the sandwich was left in the fryer a little too long. Jamie H was our waiter and he was very attentive. He came and filled our drinks before they were even empty. Made sure we were happy with everything. Big problem!!! All they had left for dessert, at lunchtime, was 3 different sorbets. Very disappointing!!!

When visiting the Andersen Japanese Garden we started our visit with lunch at Fresco at the…read moreGardens. The dining room is stunning with a full wall of windows that make the inside feel like you're in the garden. They also have two outdoor seating areas and we sat in one. The patio is structured so you feel like you are seating in the trees. The menu was average. I couldn't find anything on the lunch menu that interested me so I ordered the breakfast sandwich. The bagel was huge and it came with a nice portion of scrambled eggs and sausage that seemed made in house. It was served with a bowl of fruit which was topped with delicious granola. The waiter was friendly and attentive. If we return to the garden we definitely get lunch there again.

A view out the north side of the restaurant. And what a view!

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Strawberry Orange Juice

Pour House

4.4(5 reviews)

3.9 mi

Such a hidden gem. Out looking for biscuits and gravy??? This a great brunch spot! Service was…read moreamazing, food was great! This is a spot I'm sure is busy at night because it's so cool! I would recommend checking it out!

Had brunch with the family at Pour House on Mother's Day. The food was good, the service was good,…read moreit wasn't super crowded so we didn't have to wait for a table, and our food came out in a timely manner and hot. If you haven't been there, check it out. Freddie S

Brisket sandwich

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Jerry's Cafe

4.3(71 reviews)

4.0 mi

5 stars for Jerry's Cafe in Rockford…read more This is a nice breakfast & lunch cafe in Rockford with some classic breakfast and lunch dishes with some Mexican dishes as well. I tried the Corned Beef Hash Skillet and the Shrimp & Grits - both were very good and big portion sizes that will definitely fill you up. The service was good, the place inside has plenty of seating but just know that it can get very busy on weekend days. Overall, a nice place to stop for a meal for breakfast or lunch.

Good food and lots of options. Friendly service. Prices were good…read more The Spanish Benedict was really good and a unique menu item.

A view towards the Kitchen

1/2 Chicken Pecan Salad, 1/2 chicken Tuscan (shared with sis)

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GreenFire Restaurant Bar & Bakery

3.9(884 reviews)

3.8 mi

It was our first time dining there. The service was wonderful. We made reservations and we were…read moreseating on time. The food was great. So many choices for dessert. The waitress was very attentive but not too much. Definitely would recommend and we will be going back.

Enjoyed a business dinner here. Upscale but not overly fancy. Food was on point!…read more I enjoyed their OLD FASHIONED cocktail. I had asked for a smoked old fashioned, which they thought they could do, but apparently no longer had their smoker accessible. I ordered a STEAK with side of mashed potatoes and sauteed onions. I had a brown gravy to pour on steak whichade the dish phenominal, exploding in umami flavors. We were a large party and service was great.

Things to do in Machesney Park

Cowboy bone in rib eye

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Wood fire pizzas!

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8 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

James D.

0

1

0

7 years ago

I was a former regular. I order one of two things each time I visit, which ranges from $10-$13. My last bill was $27 and change. I called every single day since the day I came in and got that bill, only to be told the manager wasn't in, and to call back later. Six days after playing phone tag, I come in with a copy of my bank statement, showing the date the charge was made, and for how much. The woman behind the counter (Jen) became very hostile, practically shouting "I don't have to put up with your attitude. Just leave" and walking off in a huff. All I did was bring up the fact that "I've been calling all week, with no answer, so here I am hoping to talk with someone to get this resolved." Do not go here unless you intend on paying with cash. do NOT use your debit or credit card. They wouldn't even offer me a simple apology at least, or a comped meal at best. Until now, I stopped by at least once a week. Future tip: Don't have someone as rude as Jen in charge of customer service. One of the many other fine employees/waitresses would have done a much better job at handling what should have been a minor issue. A random McDonald's employee handles similar issues with more tact. Enjoy the extra $13 you managed to get from me for now. I'll simply call my financial institution and cancel the entire charge. read more

Mike M.

0

3

0

12 years ago

UNBELIEVABLE!!!!!!! I bought a hamburger for $12 and paid with my debit card. the next day I noticed that they charged my card for the $12 and change and then a 2nd time for $77 and change. When I called the owner, he said I would have to bring them some sort of proof. I did, I brought them a printed copy of my bank statement which clearly showed that they charged me twice, almost $90.00 for a hamburger and fries. He said he would have to look into it. After waiting almost 2 months, I sent a letter to find out why I hadn't heard from them and was told they would send me a check. He then stated that I should have kept reminding them of their mistake to resolve this quicker and that maybe it would be a good idea if I didn't come back. WOW!!!!! Never mind an apology.... Where has common decency gone to???? read more

lisa l.

0

1

0

15 years ago

went in with a mystatelinerewards.com offer for 50% off and they would not honor it! reported them to mystatelinerewards!. Will never go back!!! read more

Adrian M.

50

9

1

6 years ago

Such a great diner for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Always hot. Always served with a smile. Highly recommend this place.

Gills D.

79

4

5

6 years ago

Delicious and hot food. Service is outstanding and they take a pride in their job. Serving the community sense 1962

Brandon S.

15

5

0

8 years ago

All I can say is that they have some amazing fried chicken! I don't mind waiting the half hour for it.

Emma S.

0

22

8

4 years ago

servers talk about the customers. they called my boyfriend hot... super unprofessional and weird.

Robert H.

4

35

0

12 years ago

Price is good!. foods are alright except salads sometimes not fresh !.

Gill's Diner - italian - Updated October 2026

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As cold inside as outside, good was basically raw (bloody undercooked,I saw blood when I cut into…read moreit). Fries were the only thing good. I ordered one And 1/2 slab. Got two 1/2 slabs(they were the same size). Asked the waitress about it... got a joke but no answer. Basically save yourself the sickness and irritation. I GAVE THEM $50 FOR GARBAGE. Wish I could give less stars.

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Everything is amazing here! From the food to the service to the atmosphere. I would've taken a…read morepicture of my food, but I was too excited to eat it. I loved biscuits and gravy and the steak skillet is really yummy too.

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(4 reviews)

So my husband and I went there for the first time and after we got home and I looked at the receipt…read moreI sent her a message telling her I was really confused on her menu. I ordered a burger and the menu said I had a choice of chips & dips, fries or pasta salad that were supposed to come with it. So I ordered fries and asked for a side cup of cheese. My husband ordered a burger and his was supposed to be the same side with just a cup of cheese however you charged us $7 per cheese fry as if we were ordering it as a separate side. I didn't get additional orders of cheese fries. so I was just curious why we were charged so much on our bill? I ordered a slice of pie. He ordered a rice crispy treat which were $7 each and because she overcharged us for the french fries our bill jumped up to $$57.27 plus she added a $3 tip. I told her I thought she needed to redo her menu and make it very clear to people because it really was not fair to us when her menu says it comes with fries and then she was turning around and charging $7 each because we asked for a cup of cheese! A Cheese cup is not worth $7 each it wasn't that good of a cheese cup to justify that price. We did not get any extra french fries or even a basket of fries to justify the additional $14 charge for 2 meals. Had I known she was gonna charge us an additional $7 on top of a $16.95 burger that says it's supposed to come with french fries, I would not have ordered the french fries. What's really Sad is I sent her a message on Facebook messenger which she did not reply until I called her out on it on her Facebook page. Only then did she reply to me telling me her father was in the hospital and she would get back to me. She then proceeded to block me on Facebook so now I can't send her any more messages or even see her Facebook page. This is not a good way to run a business. She literally just had to apologize and admit, she overcharged me and maybe offer a free piece of pie. Good grief, now I will make sure to tell everybody how awful her customer service skills are and that she rips people off intentionally since this is how she decided to handle the situation.

Pleasantly surprised by everything! I chose the chx salad sandwich w/ fries; it hit the spot. My…read morefriend ordered the Greek tacos & raved about the fresh pita bread & flavors. My dad had tomato soup & house salad w/ chx. The food was freshly prepared! The service was pleasant. The owner was personable. She sources with local farmers & butchers. The atmosphere is like sitting in your best friend's mom's kitchen; comfort & cozy. If I am ever out this was again.....I will be trying her carrot cake. May GOD continue to bless her business .

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