I'd like preface: 1. Atmosphere is great. 2. Staff was very nice. 3. The food that we ate, tasted good. 4. Sat at the bar, drinks and bar staff were nice. 5. We DID ultimately receive a 50% discount on our plate, which I am acknowledging was gracious and I am thankful for. 6. I grew up eating fish, not only at home but in restaurants/bars. I am giving this restaurant a three star review however. We ordered the walleye fish. The two bites I was able to take, definitely tasted good. However, in both bites, I was picking out several bones. Upon inspecting, we found over another dozen bones in the walleye. Bones happen in fish sometimes, but this was an astronomical amount that made it impossible to enjoy the fish or even eat it comfortably. We quietly just told the bartender about the bones and just asked if we could have a portion of the fish discounted because we ate everything else. Which tasted great. We absolutely were willing to pay for everyone else, didn't want a discount on the entire bill. Just a little something for the fish. She talked to her manager and then the manager came out. Now IF the manager had just apologized and offered a discount, this would've been a 4.5/5 review. However, the manager proceeded to give us a lecture about walleye. She insinuated that we never ate walleye before; she said people who don't eat walleye, don't understand that there unfortunately are a lot of bones. And that there was nothing they could do about it. Keep in mind both the bartender as well as the manager acknowledged that the walleye gets several complaints because of the amount of bones. (that sounds like a supplier problem, and should probably be addressed). My family used to own a restaurant in a campground, we served a walleye, we did not have issues with bones. If there ever was an issue, we understood that fish could be unpredictable, and we would just offer a discount and remake the fish. (It happens) Again, I am grateful that she ultimately gave us a 50% discount on that plate. We were more than happy to pay full price for everything else. But having someone give a condescending lecture about walleye, assuming that I have never eaten walleye before was unnecessary. I didn't need the lecture. That alone made put a damper on the entire experience. The way management handles unfortunate situations can make or break it for customers. read more

Tried this place again & it was not nearly as good. Seafood fondue is very good but not nearly enough bread for dipping. Dinner salads are good & large with a nice amount of cucumber, croutons & tomato Seafood pomodoro was not tasty at all. Crab cake dinner was tasteless Lobster Mac was good Salmon was fine but small portion Fettuccine Alfredo was also very small portion, & waaaaayyy to expensive for a small bowl of pasta & sauce with no meat. Bill was $270 b4 tip for 6 dinners w/ 3 sodas & 3 alcoholic drinks. Most likely our last trip read more

Thunder Bay Grille - Crab stuffed salmon w/ couscous & broccoli - American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

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We ended up here because another place close by was too crowded. How fortuitous! I love the inside of this place, like a big mountain lodge. Fireplace was on, canoe up in a rafters, see photo. My wife was telling me they had an incredible BLT, but it's not on the menu for dinner, but they happily made one for me.... See photo, tons of great bacon on a thick wheat bread toast. Had the homemade potato chips, excellent. Started with a really good dinner salad, which was a fantastic deal. My wife had the meatloaf which she said was great ... see my photos of all of this. This is going into our permanent rotation .... read more

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Thunder Bay's staff took excellent care of us from start to finish. The booth seating was quite comfy, and the decor shoots for rustic charm. Our favorite dish of the night was the seafood fondue app, and it's a shame they don't give you a couple more pieces of crostini as we had lots of it left and nothing to dip in it. The cheesy broccoli soup was gloppy and I was sorry I ordered it. For entrees we had the bison smoked meatloaf and the edamame chicken salad, and the mushroom bordelaise sauce really overpowered the mashed potatoes and meatloaf, while the salad was enjoyable minus the tough and dry grilled chicken. All in all, the service is the reason to come back. The food, not so much. read more

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This place is gorgeous! Very elegant. While being very rustic. Pretty empty mid-afternoon and the service was awesome. They bring you bread with oil there are salt and cracked pepper on the table. I recommend putting that salt and pepper in the oil. Absolutely delicious with that bread. We split a fish sandwich. We got the coleslaw on the side and it was a very generous helping. Lots of fries. Fish was good. read more

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Overpriced bland food! Charged dinner prices at 2 in afternoon on Sunday. Crazy high prices

The steak salad is amazing. I would love to know what the dressing is!! Good service and a nice place for a luncheon.

Stopped in Rockford off the interstate, spotted this charming looking restaurant and decided to give it a try for dinner. Greeted at the door with professionalism and kindness, the atmosphere was great. Service was on top of it. I had the Top Sirloin topped with a side of mashed potatoes and a cup of chicken tortillas soup. Plus complimentary bread and oil. Everything was superb! The steak was elm in your mouth good! Such a gem with wonderful charm! read more

A bit old school vibe and menu. Loved it! Some of the tastiest fettuccine Alfredo I have ever eaten.

Crab cakes were very good as was the French Onion soup and focaccia bread with olive oil. The walleye, unfortunately, was overcooked and dry. Even the lobster sauce from the crab cakes that the server brought out for me could not salvage the poor fish! The carrot cake she comped me almost made up for the dry walleye. Very moist and flavorful with fresh whipped cream to spare! The server was very attentive and delivered a great sequence and timing of service except for the failure to refill my water. Atmosphere in the restaurant was pleasant with good rock music playing in the background with a fire flickering in the stone fireplace with canoes hanging from the pine beams. read more

Nicely appointed family restaurant with great food. Casual rustic decor was a nice backdrop to dine with friends. We tried the cedar planked teriyaki salmon, the chicken Alfredo, the jambalaya and the bison, meatball appetizer. Everyone loved their meals and said they would come back again to try something else. read more

My wife and I were staying in town for the evening and Thunder Bay Grille was conveniently across the street from our hotel. So we thought we'd give it a try. The north woods theme was fun. We were quickly shown to a booth. I was a little surprised that it wasn't busier for a 8pm on a Friday night. Our waitress was nice and we placed our drink order and looked through the menu. I ordered the jambalaya and my wife ordered a salad and some French onion soup. And then we waited, and waited, and waited some more. Eventually our waitress came by apologized and said the kitchen had lost our order. So she had resubmitted it. And then we waited. It took about 40 minutes from the time we had initially ordered to get our dinner. By then the dining room was pretty empty. My jambalaya was good. The shrimp were tender and it was a rather large serving. My wife's salad was fine but the French onion soup was pretty terrible. For some reason it was rather sweet (I tried it). My wife ended up not finishing it. I thought perhaps the waitress would offer us some free desert or something along those lines since dinner took so insanely long to arrive. Nope. She was nice, but nothing. I'm glad we were just passing through. Maybe we just caught them on an off night? read more

The restaurant has a nice lodge feel to it. It was clean and the ambiance was enjoyable. The staff were all courteous and my server was spot on. The Caesar salad was ok, the bread and dipping oil were additive. I had the Salmon Fresca and it was cooked perfect and I highly recommend it. The asparagus, red and green bell pepper, squash and zucchini were a little under cooked for my preference and needed a touch more balsamic sauce. read more

Thunder Bay Grille - Menu - American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

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Service was great, ambience was cozy, and food was delicious. My husband and I had the crab cakes for appetizers, which were good. My husband had the shrimp jambalaya which wasn't spicy, but still really tasty. I had the lobster mac and cheese, which was delicious. Also served complimentary bread with oil which was addictive. Large portions for the price. Our server was so sweet and attentive. Definitely recommend! read more

Thunder Bay Grille - Lobster mac and cheese - American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

I absolutely love dining at this restaurant! Went out for a birthday celebration and everything is so fresh! Service is amazing, atmosphere relaxing, and spotless inside. read more

Huge cozy grille, kind of a steakhouse vibe. I loved the soup and my server was very kind. Had lots of good local beers. read more

Thunder Bay Grille - French onion soup - American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

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We were in a time crunch to make our flight at RFD, but needed to get some food first. We informed the waiter and our drinks, bread, salads, and dinners were served promptly. The chicken jambalaya was very nice. Loved the cornbread. The fish and chips were also well done. Great job guys. We probably will make this a regular stop when we fly in and out of RFD. And yes, we made our flight read more

We came here for the Thanksgiving holiday buffet. Didn't disappoint at all. Food was amazing. delicious and flavorful. Service was top notch. The ambiance is woodys cabin warm feel to it. Perfect for the holidays and a cold day. The pies melt in your mouth. From the side dishes to the main dishes every course was amazing. Thank you! read more

Thunder Bay Grille - American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

really enjoyed my first visit at thunder Bay grille. it's a really big resturant plenty of comfortable seating. the food was super hot and delicious. service was great waitress brought delicious foccacia bread to the table with olive oil. when I'm in the area again Def will stop by and try another item on the menu. read more

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My husband and I get together with a group once a month and we like to scout places ahead of time to see if they are worth taking the group to. Thunder Bay Grille (TBG) did not make the list. We are glad we didn't subject anyone to this place. I do not understand the glowing reviews for this place. I'm baffled, honestly. First off,  the atmosphere, this place needs an update.   Secondly, I will say the service was good. Our server (Sarah) was friendly, polite and attentive and I have no complaints about her. However, the food leaves much to be desired and the prices are really expensive. TBG loves to throw the word 'roasted' around on their menu but it seems the kitchen doesn't know what roasted means. We were there about 4pm on a Monday. I didn't see any other diners in the restaurant until we left. They appeared to be getting ready for a large group in their side room. People started to arrive slightly before 5pm for that. My husband got the $32 walleye. (I forgot to take photos of his) He had to pay a $2 upcharge to get a Caesar salad, which is nitpicky. It shouldn't have cost him extra with the price he was already paying. He said the salad was good. He got a decent sized piece of fish. The menu says it comes with roasted potatoes and roasted veggies. They looked steamed. They were even kinda moist and not in an oil roasted way, a streamed way. He said there was no seasoning or flavor on anything. There was also no presentation. All these white foods came out on a white plate. It just looked so boring and unappetizing. He got a soda and it was $3.79. Our server was good about getting him reills and he didn't have to ask for them but she probably should have asked to see if he wanted more. I am a plant based eater. They had a vegetarian menu and I needed to ask for it  but I was informed they were re-doing the menus and the prices could be different. The menu said $15, I was charged $14, so that was a pleasant surprise. On a side note, I understand that can happen but a restaurant should never charge more than what the printed menu states so I hope they aren't doing that. I got the Balsamic Portobello. This is what the menu said "grilled portobello mushrooms, pan roasted cherry tomatoes, roasted mushroom medley, couscous and balsamic reduction, served with garlic crostini" What they sent out was a bowl with lebanese couscous (which is the very large type, not what you most often see) and it was topped with chopped portobello (I highly doubt I got a whole portobello, it wasn't much food), mushroom medley (which just seemed like regular cremini mushrooms to me) and tomatoes. It looked terrible. They should have served a whole grilled portobello with the couscous as a side item topped with the mushroom medley and tomatoes. The tomatoes were grape, not cherry and they were just cooked down until overcooked, the mushroom medley was not roasted and the portobello was not grilled. I think the portobello, mushrooms and tomatoes were all chopped and tossed into a pan and pan cooked. The crostini didn't come out with my meal so the server had to go back for it (not her fault). It was slight, overcooked and seemed like it wasn't freshly made,. Again, on a Monday, nothing needs to be made ahead of time. I chose the side salad, it was a decent size but it was obviously pre-made and refrigerated. At 4pm on a Monday, they didn't need to be pre-making salads. The greens weren't very fresh and the Thousand Island salad dressing was obviously a low cost food service type dressing. At these prices, they should be making fresh dressings (especially Thousand Island, it's very easy to make) or at least use a higher quality product. It was something I'd expect from a cheap diner. They also put the tomatoes in the salad before placing it in the refrigerator and you shouldn't refrigerate tomatoes. It makes them inedible so I had to remove those from my salad. Our bill came to $56.84 and I left a $11 tip. This meal, at best, was maybe worth half that cost. We have no issue paying higher prices for good food, this place, was expensive with mediocre food. I was kinda bummed about it because we like dining at places that are not national chains.  (TBG has 3 locations). read more

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One of my bottom 10 meals ever...the tortilla soup was decent. The service was good...now we go downhill. Got the Parmesan crusted NY Strip. Asked for it to be medium rare and not crusted. Waiter said no problem....i got medium well, crusted and it was one of the most grizzled steaks ny strips I've ever eaten....in fact actually ate less than half. Got the risotto....dry and gloppy....got the broccolini. Chef has to learn you have to blanch it first for at least 3 minutes, so then put it in an ice bath then sauté it....it was hard and barely cooked...lastly the crème brûlée....felt like a crème brûlée you'd get in a vending machine...will not return. read more

At the end of a stressful day, we had dinner at thunder Bay, sat in the quiet and calm bar area. Wonderful server, Maggie, made the experience enjoyable. Friday night fish was very good, very fresh salad and bread. Just what we were looking for. read more

Thunder Bay Grille - Maggie with happy customers - American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

Stopped for lunch, which was delicious. Had the crispy chicken sandwich and a burger, which we're both excellent and big portions. Nice to find a restaurant with some old school ambience and good food! read more

This place has amazing food. The service is outstanding service, very friendly and attentive. Ask to be seated with Maggie. Good ambiance, but may need a bigger TV. Not good for sports fans. read more

Thunder Bay Grille - Biason meatloaf has a more sensual than sweet taste. Very good. - American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

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First visit to celebrate a birthday. The interior was very nice and mimicked a traditional Wisconsin supper club. Service was prompt and attentive and we were seated almost immediately. We came on Sunday for brunch. Overall, the food was just OK. There was an ok selection including breakfast staples (scrambled eggs, bacon, omelette station and waffles) fried chicken, ribs , veggies and even prime rib. Despite the good selection, sadly the food was only OK. Most entrees were warm at best. The sad part was there were no options for younger guests. If you need things like fries, nuggets, pasta, you may want a different venue read more

Came here for Easter brunch, it was very delicious. I would recommend the brunch to everyone, they had a wide variety of different foods. There was only one thing that I did not care for and that was the short rib marsala it was a little tough and the vegetables were a little crunchy. A star of the show was the eggs Benedict it was the best I've ever had. The waffles, prime rib, omelette station, mashed potatoes also so good. The waitstaff were very attentive cleaning up and delivering very fast. I didn't care for the seating, they had us at a plastic picnic table, it was very uncomfortable and the three 6ft plus men we had in our party were very uncomfortable. Other than the 2 issues everything was great. read more

I used to come here quite often for work and I was always underwhelmed. However my husband has been telling me he wanted to try it again so we took my visiting parents here for a Wednesday lunch. We had the most delightful young sever, he gave excellent recommendations and was so darn cheerful he just made our day a little brighter. He recommended the seafood fondue (which I know will upset some foodies due to the clash of cheese and fish) but I have to be honest it was delicious! Our server took such good care of us, he even brought us a little extra bread because he said he prefers it on soft bread and he wanted us to try it. Both ways were fantastic! For mains he gave very honest feedback about his favorites (which I very much appreciated as it really seemed like he knew the menu!) and we tried the salmon BLTs for the parents, their salmon main for the hubs, and the goat cheese salad for me. All three were stellar; I particularly loved the goat cheese and the apples on my salad. My only wish was perhaps for some nuts on the salad. My hubs ate every bite of his salmon and my parents were very pleased with their sammies. The food was great, and the service was the cherry on top. I was so pleasantly surprised by that meal that the next time we ordered food for lunch at work I recommended them. I again got the salad because it was just so darn good(!) and my boss tried the bison meatballs. He was very impressed (which is saying something as he is a big foodie), and my coworkers loved their respective salads. I had hyped my own salad up so much they followed suit and were also really happy with their choices. Those two experiences have definitely won me over. We will certainly be back! read more

Good food and service. Server was very attentive. Great ambiance. Very homy. You feel comfortable right away.

Few pictures... When Chefs dine we rather enjoy tasting great cuisine. Great flavor portion and presentation. We know where to eat. We had amazing entrées especially your stuff mushrooms, and seared salmon dishes... Thank You Senen, gave an amazing demonstration of professional service. My family delighted tonight in our large party perfect reservation. Thank you The laughter levels demonstrated the happiness of this relaxed atmosphere here. Good vibes and warm, cozy feelings... Thank you Upnorth, backwoods feeling and professional city service. A combination of both worlds No wonder my family likes to come here often... Thank you Senen graciously helped the grandma in the door as she entered in with gift flopped right out of her hand on the floor. The kindness he showed to the "out of towner"... Thank you Thunder Bay Grill Miss Mae read more

Thunder Bay Grille - Happy birthday courtesy of the house... - American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

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I went to the thunderbay with my family and the experience was amazing the crab cakes were so good and we had the sweetest server ever her name was Koi and she gave us such great service. It was also super clean in there. read more

We ordered 26 oz beers and were given 13 oz. When I questioned the waiter that they were not 16 oz, he told me I was incorrect. We have the same glasses at home. I measured. They rip you off and lie. I don't care much for liers. I will not go again. read more

Quick dinner with Angel. Our server was attentive and made great suggestions. Great communication with explanations and knowledge. Seafood fondue was tasty, creamy and cheesy. Order it. Cesar salad has great flavor and served on a chilled plate, order it. Ribeye steak was flavorful and tender, order it. Even the bread basket was good. Bouncy bread and homemade just no crunch but well seasoned. read more

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Overall it was a very nice dining experience, an early RSVP New Year's Eve. Server Senene (sp?) was exactly what a server should be for the environment, professional, well groomed, knowledgeable with just the right amount of customer interaction. Our appetizer of mushroom caps was delicious, and dinners were ample portions. Wife orders a sirloin and loved it I ordered bison meatloaf and it was ok. It was more of 2 large burgers that were dense vs a less dense loaf. I smoke meatloaf at home and this wasn't a loaf. Pretty good flavor very smoky. Garlic mashed potatoes were typical fare for a restaurant. My potato soup didn't come out with the appetizers and when I asked after entree was served about it to just get it 'to go' server was very apologetic and comped the soup add-on. All in all I'd go again! read more

Thunder Bay Grille - Bison - American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

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A wedding I was in a few weeks back had their rehearsal dinner at Thunder Bay Grille and we had a great time. The space is massive, we were seated in the back room which is very nice. The waitstaff is very friendly and managed to get our drinks & food out quickly, even with our big group. I had the Parmesan chicken and it was delicious. The side of veggies was great too. I will definitely be back to Thunder Bay when in Rockford! read more

The restaurant has really good service and the staff was friendly but that's about it. Not bad on prices. But was not so pleased with the food when it comes to flavor. Flavoring was bland. The salmon barely had any flavor to it. The vegetarian pasta, was alright, it was different. That's the best I can describe it. Good portion, but was not pleased with the flavor. Mixed with vegetables which seemed out of place for the pasta. Got a baked potato as one of the sides but, It was barley warm. It didn't even melt the butter. Was too hard as If it wasn't completely done yet. read more

Although I'm giving this place a 3 stars out of 5 mainly for food as it was pretty average I would say this place has a great staff. Overall food was nothing special, kind of bland seasoning, the staff was extremely nice. Meat Medallions were absolutely caked with butter, fat, and was thicker than the actual meat! Our waiter Gage* (sorry if misspelled) was helpful, good sense of humor. The place is definitely a convenience if you're staying for a wedding/event at the courtyard Marriott. read more

Thunder Bay Grille - Cedar Planked Salmon - American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois

I'm eating here for the second time in a week. What I don't understand is why this place is not packed. The food is top notch. The service is amazing. The decor is rustic classic. The bar tender knows everything about everything on the menu. You cannot go wrong with this place. I'm traveling for business I'm sure next time in town I'll eat here. read more

We went to the Thanksgiving Buffet and it was delicious! The food was kept hot and always plentiful and good variety. No waiting. There were 2 buffets of the same foods so no lines. I highly recommend! We are going to Easter Sunday Brunch soon. Looking forward to it! read more

We had 25 people total from our soccer club for a late dinner and staff was so polite and patient with us .... Food was outstanding

Excellent excellent excellent!! The scenery and the food were amazing. Meat came off the bone like butter. read more

Thunder Bay Grille - Asparagus - American Near Me - Rockford, Illinois