This is rating is for this place as a lunch spot. Probably not going back. Walked in said hello, waitress (hotess? idk, first time here) walks up, then instead of greeting us, goes to the cash register to our left. Busily says "hi" and nothing else, then waves over a couple to ring up. There's no one else around. We stand in place. And wait and wait and wait. She never says anything else to us and she's three feet to our left. Because she didn't say we could seat ourselves, we waited for her to finish ringing up the couple. Once she had, she almost annoyed told us to sit wherever we wanted. So, this waitress no bueno and she does her job like she hates it. I was glad she did not wait on us. Please have a greeter, or a sign or something. Be aware this is the rural midwest (I grew up here, I get to criticize). Everyone will stare at you as you walk in and find your seat if they don't know you. It's because the duality of the midwest commands that you say hi to them, but because they don't know you from church, they will not say hello back. Just ignore them. It's the only way to get a midwesterner to stop icily staring at you: say hello to them. If they don't know you from church, they'll move on. I know most locals will love this place, but I didn't enjoy it. It was nothing special and I was hoping for a nice, fun little lunch. No fun. Just lunch, and a very so-so lunch. Cavernous space, adjacent to an even larger event space. Service was fast, perfunctory. Small kitchen, they do soups and sandwiches for lunch. Soup was good, sandwich was meh. It's all the very standard lunch fare. Not a food destination. I'll also say it's not much of a wine destination. Each of ours tasted really green to me and I don't consider myself a wine snob. I've simply drunk lots and lots of wine. They removed the only non-sweet white wine from the menu, the one I wanted to try. Lovely view of the property out back. I remember when the front house was an abandoned property many years ago. I wish them well, but it's not for me. It's more an event space read more

It seems that just when I'm starting to finally get caught up on reviews and pictures, Yelp senses this and adds more on to my plate. But why tell me to write about something six months ago? Okay, here goes That was our second trip to Lavender Crest and it was nicer than the first. It's just off the I-80 and they have the most beautiful facility. My limited notes are from six years ago with Melanie as an outstanding server and our last encounter with a very pleasant, Christina. The service is excellent, the food is excellent. I look forward to the wine tasting, as well. Very knowledgeable attendants and not too stingy on the pours. Yes, we tip generously and usually walk out with a case or two. So who's zoomin' who? read more

It's the first time I've been to a tasting room where I can't select a varietal or 2. And just have a one and a 1/2 to 2 oz taste to assess the structure and uh, the overall quality of the wine relative. To the region and its vinification style yet, I was greeted with resistance. Assumptions without questions and I just decided I'm just gonna leave I wasted an hour's drive. read more

Where do we even begin?? Gloria, her family and the entire Lavender Crest team that run this facility are just amazing! We held our wedding and reception here a couple of weeks ago and there are no words to express how happy and grateful we are for this! From the very beginning, Gloria and Lavender Crest were super friendly, flexible, timely, informative, patient, and so easy to work with! They were willing to meet with us anytime we had questions or let us stop in anytime we needed to if we needed measurements or to check out anything. Very responsive when we would email questions or information for the wedding over. The venue itself is so gorgeous with the grape vines and the gazebo and the flower berm! We didn't even have to leave the venue to go take pictures. We did our ceremony out by the flower berm and the arch and the pictures that are coming back with all the flowers in bloom are stunning! The cocktail hour and reception were inside and just as nice! They have a cute cafe/bar area that guests could meander through and then the reception hall was right next to it and just so pretty! They pretty much let you decorate it with anything and everything you want to. If there was anything we weren't sure on they were willing to help with suggestions! The food was exceptional! We did the buffet style and we had so many people tell us how good the food was. If you can swing it we highly recommend the prime rib carving station! That was probably one of the best prime ribs I've had in a long time. I need someone I know to have a wedding there so I can have that prime rib again haha! And also, a surprise wildcard...the seafood lasagna rollups! They had this at the food tasting and we never would have given it a glance if it hadn't been there. It was so incredibly good! They also have different options for the bar. We just decided to do all items open bar and it was very reasonably priced! And so worth it...the wine is fantastic! I heard a couple people say they were going to pick up a couple bottles from the gift shop. But overall the pricing for everything is very reasonable! That being said I am sure there is something we left out but thank you Lavender Crest and Gloria so much for truly making this one of the happiest days of our lives and we can't wait to get back there for our anniversary or even just a weekend lunch and wine tasting! read more

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Spent night in their parking lot. Found on Harvest Host. The winery is beautiful and the wine's delicious. 3 other couples in parking lot and we all met on the patio after hours for drinks and a cool storm and lightning show. Wine prices are very affordable. Would highly recommended. read more

Yes this was a good spot enjoyed the wine and the service. They have a food offering of wines you can chose from as well as how the have them flighted. We had a great time and will visit again. We did have some small bites and enjoyed that as well. Overall recommend and will visit again. read more

Lavender Crest Winery - Front - Wineries Near Me - Colona, Illinois

This place hit on all cylinders for me. Our attendant was polite, courteous, and friendly. Service was prompt, and the food was very good. I ordered their roast beef panini. This consisted of thinly sliced roast beef, provolone cheese, caramelized onions on a ciabatta roll with a small dish of horsey sauce for dipping. It was very good. We tried a wine flight - choose any five wines for $6.00. We tried the following five wines: Michi Sepi: Cabernet & Norton Colona Red: Merlot Blend Red Velvet: Marquette & Frontenac Chocolate Love: Frontenac Foxy: Concord These were dry to sweet wines (in descending order). I lean more towards drier wines so found the first three to my liking - not so much the other two (too sweet IMO). This place sells a nice variety of wines and gifts. They have a huge back room suitable for weddings and/or receptions. They're open 11am to 4pm so plan accordingly and check them out. read more

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I visited Lavender Crest for the first time today. The ambience and service was a 5/5! As a vegetarian, I merely had a few delicious options so would've appreciated more. I'm certainly returning. read more

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We saw a billboard, and decided to stop. Glad we did. Excellent Brie plate, and muffuletta sandwich. Bought 2 wines to go. They have wine tasting, but we had a long journey so we didn't do it. read more

I've called multiple times attempting to inquire a bit of information. I've been hung up on 3 times after a woman answered and greeted, and then sent to voicemail immediately after. Fiancé and I WANTED to eat here, that changed things for us quick. read more

I've never had a bad meal here. The service is always on point. Their wine seems reasonably priced. On my last visit I had the French dip. The quality of the meat was fantastic. It was so tender and had tons of flavor. I've also been here for different events and they provide excellent food and service for events also. Definitely worth the trip if you want to try something different for lunch. read more

Lavender Crest Winery - French Dip - Wineries Near Me - Colona, Illinois

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When I'm in the Quad Cities visiting family, I always try to stop at Lavender Crest for Lunch and of course wine. . My most recent visit was on a beautiful sunny Friday afternoon. We dined on their outdoor patio. I love eating outside when I can and the patio offers a nice view of part of their Vineyard. I sampled 1 of the newest wines, Stone Grown. It's a white sweet wine of Apple and Cinnamon. We loved it so much we had a bottle with our lunch. A nice bonus if you buy 6 bottles you receive 10% off. For lunch I had a cup of the Tomato Bisque Soup and Ron's Roast Beef. The soup was nice and hot and very flavorful. I also enjoyed the sandwich, but next time I'd ask them to toast or grill the bread. It is a very hearty appetizing sandwich. Our server was excellent and very attentive. She easily handled a number of tables during a busy lunch time. I've been here several times throughout the years and have never been disappointed. read more

Lavender Crest Winery - Southwestern Wrap - Wineries Near Me - Colona, Illinois

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For a random place in cornfield IL, it's really good. Enjoyed a basic garden salad with balsamic vinaigrette. Salad was crisp. Had the special which was prime rib sandwich with dip sauce. Bread was warm and soft and prime rib delicious along with the sauce. Better than menu described. Better food than expected from the area. Bought bottle of red velvet wine. Very cute items to buy. And bottles have eclectic labels. Wine is priced very reasonable. Paid $13.99. No complaints read more

Lavender Crest Winery - Wineries Near Me - Colona, Illinois

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I will start with the positives to this large facility. They have a small shop with a variety of items from jam, chocolates, wine novelty items and of course wine. The ladies working were friendly and sat us right away. The food for me was a bit limited. They only have sandwiches and wraps which was ok but I was hoping for something else. I had the corkscrew, dad had the ultimate grilled cheese and mom the palette with the beef soup. All sandwiches were pretty good but nothing incredible. I did not care for the bread on the Corkscrew and the turkey was a bit dry for my taste. I would have liked more cheese and to taste the bacon more. Dad liked the apple slices in the grilled cheese. The chips were disappointing because they were not homemade. Mom thought the soup was good but barely any beef in the scoop that she received. We also tried the sweet temptation wine which was very good - almost like a Moscato but the label needs to be re-done. It is not very appealing. read more

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Terrible service... waited for a long time for our food .. a simple salad .. the waitress was rude about it as well..

Gloria and Ron are terrific hosts. The wine selections are not only very good but also very good value for cost. Highly recommend it. Great views on back patio of vineyards. read more

We had an amazing experience there Saturday afternoon. We were doing a post bachelorette party and they were able to accommodate 10 of us safely outside. Thank you for a great experience! read more

Rating would be higher if not for the slow service. In all fairness, we had 1 waitress for 20 tables which included a patio outside & 1 waitress for the banquet room. The 'wine' guy seemed to do nothing & took his time doing that. They were very pleasant & comped our wine (which was surprising pleasant) without us asking. We both had a hot sandwich & they were very good. If you're headed down I80 & have the time exit 9 read more

Lavender Crest Winery - Wineries Near Me - Colona, Illinois

Beautiful showroom. Nice selection of wine and chocolate and gifts. Delicious lunch. Nice place for wedding reception or banquet. Staff is always friendly. Nice scenery to sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine. read more

I was extremely disappointed with the service at Lavender. I went in there to buy different bottles of wine. I went to the counter to pay and waited and waited. I then went to the bar area to see if I could get anyone's attention and waited. There were 5 women in the food area standing around talking and no one bothered to come over and help. read more

Drove all over Missouri and Michigan, little did I know there are great wineries in my home state. I really enjoyed the tasting area and the server was very helpful and knowledgeable. Did not eat there but the wines were awesome. Wines from semi-dry to sweet, and prices were fair. Will definitely return. read more

I hosted my parent's 50th wedding anniversary party for 50 guests last night at Lavender Crest. Let me tell you, the venue is beautiful, especially the outdoor patio and wide expanse of lawn and vineyard to the back. The staff is warm, helpful, hardworking and professional. They provided a very lovely experience for all the our guests and I recommend Lavender Crest to anyone wishing to have their event there!!! read more

This winery located on Rte 6 just off of 80 has quite a selection a good wines. The facility offers a generous area for large parties or receptions, an area for dining and a bar for tastings. The food is very good and you can eat out on the patio if you choose. I'm not a wine expert by any means and lean towards the sweeter variety but I think they have something for every taste. One of my favorites is called Odds and Ends. read more

Great lunch spot. Quiet easy to chat with friends,and enjoy lunch. Everyone was very friendly, helpful, and made us feel welcome. There is also a very nice selection from their wine list if you like a glass of wine with lunch. I have also been to a Friday night Live music and Prime Rib nights. Excellent food and great music. read more

Love going to eat lunch at Lavender Crest! Always have great food and service. The bartender, Larry, can recommend a wine to go with any meal and offers tastes of any wine you'd like to try. Service has always been great when I go... At least once a month for lunch. There's a good selection of sandwiches, salads and usually a soup of the day. I love and recommend the turkey razz!! read more

Ugh! Let me begin... Made 6pm reservations on Friday night all you can eat prime rib. My group arrived.... Were not acknowledged, stood by the seating sign for 15 min before acknowledged. The place was crazy busy with just one waitress. She took our drink orders, came back 15 min later took our food order (still no drinks). We got our salad bar, which was average and not bad. Ate our salads... Finally got our ice waters after eating salad... But no wine. I had to go to the bar and remind them we ordered a bottle of wine (wine was good! Best part). Brought our food, we ordered our prime rib medium and every piece was draining blood! Not to mention some ordered petite cut while some orders the larger cut and all were to same size!! Drastically over seasoned and overall not good! Sat again for 30 minutes at least after eating before waving waitress down for our ticket. Not once did we get offers for dessert or even refills on the water... Horrible experience. Wine was good-- don't eat here just grab a bottle of wine and go home! read more

This was my second time visiting this winery. My husband and I tried different dishes and wines from last time. Each time we were not disappointed by the food nor the wine. The staff couldn't be any more pleasant and helpful. We even stepped up to the wine tasting bar at the end of our meal to try a few of the newer wines. Lavender's wines are so flavorful and worth the stop. read more

Great food and great wine. Service was good, food is reasonable. The wine bar is awesome. The first 3 tastes are free and the next 3 are only $1.00. I never leave without buying "Chocolate Love" wine. It's worth the trip! read more