17 Best Restaurants Peoria Illinois | Where to Eat In Peoria

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With hundreds of authentic local dining choices in Peoria, from steakhouses to bars, there is something to satisfy everyone’s taste buds.

Check out these suggestions for all different kinds of dining experiences near Peoria!

Five Best Italian Restaurants Peoria IL

Who doesn’t love Italian food? Am I right? That’s why I’m giving you a list of my five favorite restaurants here in Peoria, Illinois!

Avanti Ristorante

4711 North Rockwood Road, Peoria, 309-688-6565

Avanti Ristorante is a local Italian restaurant serving pasta, pizza, and sandwiches in a relaxed ambiance. It is known as the most award-winning restaurant in Central Illinois and has over 50 years of experience in the Italian food industry.

Their large variety of delicious Italian food is made from family recipes. From soups to salads, tasty sandwiches to full dinners, Avanti’s will customize a menu for you.

• Special Diets: Vegetarian Friendly and Vegan Options
• Cuisines: Italian, Pizza

Connected

3218 N. Dries L., Peoria, 309-686-5925

This romantic, intimate locale serves select Italian and American entrees along with creative cocktails. Connected is a vegetarian-friendly restaurant where you can find various gluten-free options.

• Special Diets: Vegan Options, Vegetarian Options, and Gluten-Free Options
• Cuisines: Italian

Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse

101 Holiday St., East Peoria, 309-692-3887

At Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse, the juicy steaks take center stage and are complemented by a gourmet selection of Italian cuisine alongside an expertly curated wine menu. 

Whatever dish you choose from their menu, you’re sure to satisfy your cravings. Johnny’s Italian Steakhouse takes the Rat Pack era to the 21st century with new-fashioned luxuries and old-fashioned service and accommodation.

• Special Diets: Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Options
• Cuisines: Italian, American, Steakhouse

Rizzi’s

4613 N. Sheridan Rd., Peoria, 309-689-0025

Rizzi’s Italian Restaurant is a family-owned business operated by the Rizvani family that has been serving delicious and authentic Italian cuisine in Peoria since 1995.

• Special Diets: Vegetarian Friendly
• Cuisines: Italian, Pizza

Sugar Wood-Fired Bistro and Gourmet Treats

826 SW Adams Street, Peoria, 309-676-0848

This is also one of the best restaurants in Peoria for those who love pizza, pasta, and other tasty Italian dishes. All foods and ingredients are served fresh daily, so you can only expect the best when you visit this place.

• Special Diets: Vegetarian Options
• Cuisine: Italian, Pizza

4 Best Asian Restaurants Peoria IL

Whether you are in a mood for some Chinese or craving Japanese food – or maybe want to try Thai – I’ve got you covered!

Check out my four favorite Asian restaurants in Peoria.

Golden Kitchen Restaurant

3311 N. Sterling Ave. Sterling Bazaar, Peoria, 309-686-6888

Golden Kitchen Restaurant is a place that offers typical Chinese food, plus daily lunch specials and smoothies. It can be found in the Sterling Bazaar, Peoria, IL.

Golden Kitchen Restaurant is probably the best Chinese food in this area. The employees are always friendly and helpful. Their lunch specials are served in large portions – your choice of soup, egg roll, or crab rangoon.

• Special Diets: Vegetarian Options
• Cuisines: Chinese, Asian

Ming Shee

3510 N. University St., Peoria, 309-688-0418

Ming Shee is an excellent and quiet little place for tasty and satisfying Peoria IL Chinese food. The restaurant has been around for over 35 years and is continuing to serve the people of Peoria.

Chef’s specials include lemon chicken, coconut shrimp, Hong Kong steak, and the seafood delight with assorted seafood and vegetables.

Combination plates include classics such as sweet and sour chicken, beef with broccoli, orange chicken, and even a shrimp with lobster sauce!

These are just a few of the choices to be found on their extensive menu.

You can also find a lunch specials menu with 32 different options, each being served with a crab rangoon, egg roll, and pork fried rice. Lunch specials are from 10:30 – 3:30.

If you’re dining with your family or a group of friends be sure to check out the Family Dish menu, with options for up to five people.

• Special Diets: Vegetarian Friendly
• Cuisines: Chinese, Asian

Sushigawa

2600 West Lake Ave., Peoria, 309-679-9300

Sushigawa is a family-owned restaurant located in Peoria, Illinois. They are dedicated to providing exceptional service and fresh, flavorful food. 

This restaurant is known for its wide selection of fresh seafood, sashimi, and many traditional Asian dishes.

• Special Diets: Vegetarian and Gluten-Free Options
• Cuisines: Japanese, Sushi, Asian

Hokkaido

3311 N. University St., Peoria, 309-966-093

Whether you choose a Japanese, Thai, or Chinese menu, all of your favorite dishes are there. Additionally, more amazing creations are awaiting your discovery. 

Hokkaido is the place where you’ll enjoy the show, as one of their professional Hibachi chefs prepares your dish with the finest and most pristine meat, seafood, and vegetables of your preference. They proudly feature Angus beef, magnificent scallops, and various other fine delicacies.

• Special Diets: Vegetarian Friendly
• Cuisines: Japanese, Sushi, Asian, Thai, Chinese

5 Best Steakhouses Peoria IL

If you are a meat lover, then you are in the right place! These are the five best, must-try steakhouses in Peoria, Illinois.

Alexander’s Steakhouse

100 Alexander Ave., Peoria, 309-688-0404

At Alexander’s Steakhouse, each visitor has the chance to choose their steak from the locker and prepare it their unique way over a live charcoal grill. Guests can choose from twelve different steak cuts, such as ribeye, t-Bone, filet, or what this restaurant calls their own “Santa Maria” top sirloin. 

All steaks are hand-cut daily by in-house butchers from aged USDA choice midwestern beef.

Beef is not all that you can find at Alexander’s Steakhouse. They also offer Teriyaki Chicken Breasts, Atlantic Salmon, Swordfish, Pork Chops, and Lobster Tails.

• Special Diets: Vegetarian and Gluten-Free Options
• Cuisines: American, Steakhouse

LongHorn Steakhouse

7401 N. Grand Prairie Dr., Peoria, 309-693-5750

At LongHorn Steakhouse, you can choose from traditional favorites like their none-In Outlaw Ribeye or try their tender, center-cut Flo’s Filet. And if you love a good steak, wait until you see what grill masters at this place can do with other favorites like the Parmesan Crusted Chicken, hand-cut LongHorn Salmon, or their slow-cooked Baby Back Ribs. 

Were you looking for a larger, more sizable lunch? Try one of the full-sized Steakhouse Lunch Plates, such as the Half-Pound Steakhouse Cheeseburger or the Maverick Ribeye Sandwich made with six juicy ounces of ribeye steak. 

Don’t forget to save room for Chocolate Stampede!

• Special Diets: Gluten-Free Options
• Cuisines: American, Steakhouse

Lariat Steakhouse

2232 W. Glen Ave., Peoria, 309-691-4731

The Lariat Steakhouse has been serving up tasty meals and catering to the needs of its consumers for many years. Although this place is recognized for its sizzling prime steaks, the menu of Lariat Steakhouse offers guests a complete lunch and dinner menu ranging from the traditional to the innovative. 

High-quality food paired with an exceptional ambiance makes this restaurant different from other ones.

• Special Diets: Gluten-Free Options
• Cuisines: American, Steakhouse

Jim’s Steakhouse

110 SW Jefferson Ave., Peoria, 309-673-5300

More than half a century ago, Jim’s Steak House started making the best steaks in Peoria. But first, they built their reputation with the finest quality, dry-aged beef available, which is a time-consuming and expensive process, carried out by just a few of the finest restaurants nationwide.

Steak and rib roasts are then cooked with expert care and subtle seasoning to produce a meal of substantial proportions to meet the most demanding critics and gourmets. Through these practices, Jim’s Steak House developed its unrivaled reputation as one of the finest steaks and prime rib anywhere.

• Special Diets: Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Options
• Cuisines: American, Steakhouse

Jim’s Bistro

4612 N. Prospect Rd., Peoria Heights, 309-682-9219

For more than 50 years, the Comfort family tradition of exceptional, dry-aged steaks, cut in-house, has lived on. At Jim’s Bistro, you can enjoy a wonderful dining experience and taste excellent food.

• Special Diets: Gluten-Free and Vegetarian Options
• Cuisines: American, Steakhouse

3 Best Seafood Restaurants Peoria IL

Finding the best seafood restaurant is not always an easy task. That’s why I created this article so that you can get all the help you need to choose the right place for you to visit!

The Fish House

4919 N. University St., Peoria, 309-691-9358

Opened in the 1970s, the Fish House has been serving the greater Peoria area the most pristine seafood for over 45 years. The restaurant specializes in fresh seafood recipes with a diverse mix of steak, chicken, and pasta dishes to please all appetites.

• Special Diets: Gluten-Free Options
• Cuisines: American, Seafood

Jonah’s Seafood House

2601 N. Main St., East Peoria, 309-694-0946

Jonah’s Seafood House was established in East Peoria, Illinois, in 1986. The owners, Terry and Pattie Waldschmidt, had a concept of a dining experience, unlike any other present at the time. 

They wanted a menu highlighting their favorite qualities from Tampa, San Francisco, Boston, and New Orleans. They further wanted to showcase some of their unique specialties. His Clam Chowder and her Sweet Au Gratins are still cooked and served every day!

The fish in this place is thoroughly checked and caught fresh each day, inspected for quality, and then cut and weighed by hand. Then, twice daily, the menu is printed to offer a variety of eight or more different fish and seafood to choose from, as well as a vast array of cooking styles, original sauces, toppings, and sides that guests may pair with the fish of their choice.

• Special Diets: Gluten-Free Options
• Cuisines: Seafood

BIG JJ Fish & Chicken

3126 N. University St., Peoria, 309-688-2222

JJ Fish & Chicken offers some of the best-tasting meals you have ever tried, including fried chicken wings, tasty chicken tenders, delicious catfish and fried fish, mouthwatering sandwiches, including chicken and fish fillets, jumbo shrimps, fresh salads, and desserts. 

This menu comprises a complete variety of sides, including slaw, spaghetti, French fries, cheese sticks, hush puppies, crab salad, potato salad, onion rings, okra, and much more.

This restaurant concept appeals to virtually everyone because of its excellent food, generous portions, and reputation for value.

• Special Diets: Gluten-Free Options
• Cuisines: Fast Food, Seafood, American

Conclusion

You now know all the great restaurants and have lots of places to choose from. Which one is your favorite? Don’t forget to tell me in the comments section below!

Visiting other destinations in Illinois? Check out our other delicious guides:

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