After my race, I figured I'd finally get a drink, but wanted to try something new. I wouldn't mind…read morestaying here longer and trying more things, but alot of the parking spots say 2 hour limit and I saw a few patrols. To make the most of my time, I ordered a flight (Cider, Root Beer, Light and IPA). The Cider tasted just like the name suggested, IPA is my fave type of drink and Light helped prevent me from going to crazy. I had high expectations from the Rootbeer Float one, but didn't expect it to be one of those dark, tobacco tasting beers (didn't finish). For my meal, I got a burger with all the works and chips. It will do, the only note is the mustard packets must be very old because it was hardened and wouldn't squeeze out. Oh, for the flights, pay attention to your cups, one of them chipped away and could've easily been swallowed. Wasn't too chatty after the race, but the one guy working was cool!

The service was great. The beer was also great. Especially loved the pineapple habanero! Great vibe…read moreat this place. Low key and friendly.

LOVE THIS place! Seriously cannot rave enough about the Cork and Tap!…read more Great drinks, great service. If you're looking for a cocktail; I highly recommend the lavender Moscow Mule! We booked the 3rd floor for our wedding reception and Carrie was phenomenal! She was so easy to work with, and made our special day flow perfectly.

Waited 15 minutes at the bar on a busy Friday night. 6 pm. This is not Chicago, it's Oregon…read moreIllinois. 10$ for a dirty martini.......never again.

Checked out this brewery in Freeport after coming across other places that had their beers…read more Generations is one of the main reasons to come here. It certainly has quite a few things on tap. A lot more in cans. They also have a few snacks. By the looks of the outside it wasn't anything special, just like a warehouse or something common. It's a lot more interesting inside. The taproom has enough room for the bar, and quite a few tables. Got a view into the back to see where the beers are made. There's a balcony where bands can play live music too. Beers are why people come of course. It's about $7 a pint. Best one we had of these was the Tawny Ale. This is an Irish Red of medium strength. It's about $12 for a soft pretzel. These are massive so they're great for sharing. One of the dips looked like peanut butter. This was actually fudge if you can believe it, and you can get cheese as well as mustard. For sure it's one of this city's main attractions. It's got lots of beers, and because it's in the Pretzel City, get one of those to munch on. They're closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

A very cool, relaxing, welcoming place to enjoy a beer, have great conversation with a bartender,…read moreand sit outside when the weather permits. A large bar with well designed beer garden. They have a variety of beers and one named after Freeport the Pretzel City! They have lagers, pilsners and ales. The environment is relaxing and the building stands out ! Since the main road is under construction , GPS did not help, but after we realized it kept rerouting us to the closed road. If in the area, stop in. Also their beer can be found in many locations in the Rockford area and some Binnys.

Excellent food and service. If I lived here this would be my hang out. Drinks and food are…read morereasonably priced. I split an order of sliders and fries with my sister as they come 4 to an order. They are the absolutely BEST burgers I've ever had. Charbroiled with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and onion. Excellent. The hotdog was huge, comes with fries and got a thumbs up from my BIL. My husband ordered the beefsteak sandwich with fries. It was very large and got rave reviews. The sliders were the star of the show. The runner up are the deep fried green beans. Large beans fried until crisp but still tender and juicy inside. Dipped in a side of ranch or ketchup makes a perfect appetizer.

Fantastic bartenders! Affordable prices and well made drinks. Green beans are fabulous.read more

Well, I was stunned (stunned I say) that I hadn't reviewed the Blackhawk Steak Pit. Mostly because…read moreI thought I already had. This is a traditional steak house - with some differences. A big case showcasing their steaks. A wonderful salad bar. Texas toast fresh off the griddle as you sit down with your water. Solid service. A decent wine list (but go look at the bottles to the left of the salad bar - there are some decent off-wine list bottles available there!) We dropped in after church on a Saturday night. The place was busy, but not crazy busy - no reservation, they could seat us. Beware of Homecoming Week or Autumn on Parade - those events will likely require you to get reservations or wait a while. We were promptly seated, and within a few moments, the Texas Toast arrived, fresh off the grille. How fresh? It was too hot to pick up initially. That came with our water. We went over the menu, and the waitress provided the specials, both Prime Rib with Lobster Tail or 2 Shrimp. My wife selcted the Prime Rib with 2 Shrimp, and I went with the 10 ounce Filet Mignon (biggest filet in the area) and a baked potato. Also, they are now offering cheese curds, so we ordered those for an appetizer (although their Saganaki is darn good and FLAMING!) Since we were both going with red meat, I ordered a bottle of Frei Brothers Merlot (which was not on the wine list, but I saw a bottle in the rack next to the salad bar, so I tried it. The price point was great, and we ordered it! With our order in, we took a run at the salad bar. First off, the lettuce isn't ICEBERG (which you find at some places.) This had several varieties of lettuce and spinach and arugula mixed well. You can add in all sorts of extras, I went with a few pepperocinis, some onions, green peppers, mushrooms and blue cheese dressing, along with a small plate of beets to help improve my red blood count. They also have potato salad and macroni salad. The salad was excellent - everything was fresh, and just perfect. About the time we finished our salads, the cheese curds came out. They were good, and were served with a small dish of Ranch dressing. Right after we finished those, the main course came out. My filet was cooked to order (and if you want, you can go watch them cook your steak on the grille,) at medium rare, and was seasoned just right. Some places you have to hit the steak with salt or pepper - not here. Just perfect seasoning. My wife had their 16 ounce Prime Rib medium rare, and it was quite good. It was served with Au Jus and Shrimp Sauce for the shrimp. It was so big she took a good amount home. I should mention the baked potato - it was cooked properly, and the butter and sour cream blended well with it. See the pictures. Not sure where others are coming from with their reviews. I eat here regularly, and this is one of the better steak houses in the area.

I've always said restaurants that turn their lights down super low tend to be just okay. Blackhawk…read moreis conveniently located across the Paddle Wheel Inn and after 3 visits, I finally caved and tried the place. The steak was okay, couldn't see much, even when I opened the blinds a bit to get a better look. They did have a salad bar to hold you over while your order is being made, but smelled a little funky, so I only tried a bit. They did have ketchup and A1 sauce for the steak, but disappeared after I used it once. The slice of cake was very flavorful and had a lot going on, so I saved it for a midnight snack. Felt it was a bit expensive for something I couldn't see, but if I didn't want to get into my rental, may swing by again. If anything, I'd go for the bar and try their drinks!

When in the area this is our place to go for lunch…read more We were able to sit on their patio on a beautiful October day overlooking the Rock River. I started with their Red Ale..Route 2 Red which was very good. We follow Hairy Cow on Instagram and saw the pizza for October was Butter Nut Squash which sounded interesting so my wife ordered it with a GF crust. She loved it! Squash, caramelized onions, prosciutto and arugula with a seasoned oil. I had a taste for wings so I ordered a 10 piece. I was surprised it was all legs and no flappers. I had their Sticky Sauce which was basically a Sweet Teriyaki and Mango Habanero. The Sticky Sauce was amazing. The other one was too much mango and not enough heat in my opinion. Service is good and parking is ok. A solid place to eat when in the Byron area.

I was going to give it a 3 but then I realized it is a pizza and wings joint. They do both well…read more The fig pizza was tasty as were the sticky boneless wings. I would have like to see a FEW more items like soup, burgers, chicken sandwiches etc but the limited menu was tasty. Nice atmosphere. Good service. Fair prices. Will have to try the beer selection next time. That looked good too

Food is good and love the owners. The bar and service always make you feel like your part of the…read morefamily

The beer is cold, the bar is old but has charm, the bartender is friendly and helpful. So far so…read moregood.

Best thing about this village of Princeton is this brewery. Coal Creek is one of the few places…read morearound here to get beers that aren't crap. It certainly is a welcome change from the corporate swill. Also just a nice place to hang. The prices are pretty good for being small and local. A long trip to out here deserves a cold one and this is where to go. It's one of the few places in town that isn't some dive bar or fast food chain it seems. They actually have a pretty good variety. Kind of unexpected with it being a small one. There's actually a good amount including some fruity sours. It's about $7 a pint. We had a few with the best of these being the More Than A Weekend. It's a summer melon lager. They also make cocktails if that's a preference. For sure it's the best place in town for beers. It's located in downtown in a historic building that's cool to check out. There's no food but you can bring in stuff.

A locally owned brewery located in the heart of downtown Princeton. This brewery is housed in an…read moreold historic building serving up a variety of beers. From Pale Ales,Stouts,Rye IPA,Wheat and Fruit beers,Coal Creek offers something for everyone. They offer flights as well as a full bar serving crafted cocktails. They didn't have any ciders but they did have a few seltzers for the non beer drinker. I tried a flight of 4 5 oz pours. Each tasting was 3.00. I really liked their Homestead Lager . 4.8 ABV. They do not serve food. They now offer cans and growlers to go. You can sit by the open windows in the front of the tap room ,at the bar or at one of the hi tops. There is a gaming area in the back of the taproom as well. Plenty of street parking available. Nice place to relax and enjoy a locally sourced beer in Princeton.

Hands down the best place to get wings in the area. After trying places in Rockford and the…read moresurrounding areas, Chile Pepper takes the cake. Not only are the wings meaty and crispy, they have an abundance of tasty sauces. It's rare to find a place with incredible sauces that also pack a punch. Their hottest wings are some of the absolute hottest I've ever had. They have bar seating but also a sit down area near the bar that your entire family could fit in. Servers are always friendly and prompt. Chile Pepper is a must try for any hot-wing enthusiast. Don't forget to try the "Butt Blisters" and "Anal Assassins" sauces.

Always great service and the good food, the wings are especially good every time we had them…read more Would recommend to anyone

A great place to grab a beer, lots of good choices on draught. Friendly staff, good prices,…read morecomfortable place to sit. That's all you need!