I don’t really have a palette to judge good German food from bad German food. I went with a family who had a German foreign exchange student visiting. The atmosphere was great and lively and there were beers all around. The schnitzel was definitely a crowd fave. It’s a menu staple, so I would definitely order it again next time. Our waitress was a lot of fun and made the experience feel very authentic. The foreign exchange student said something along the lines of “as good as home” – I think.
Eating & Drinking
The best and probably only place to eat good Indian food in Peoria. I grew up coming here with friends because there weren’t many vegetarian options in town. We’d challenge each other to see how many plates we could finish off from the lunch buffet. God bless high school metabolism. Anyways, their palak paneer is creamy and amazing. Meat-eating friends also loved their chicken tikka masala. Definitely go during the buffet - you’ll want to have as much nan as possible to soak up the goodness.
Emo’s is an after-dinner and summer-time staple. My favorites are their authentic vanilla soft-serve and “Coney Dogs” – Coney Island-style hot dogs. When you order their soft serve you can also choose to add “crumbs” (little bits) of your favorite topping. I’m old school and prefer Oreo. My dad’s a hot dog connoisseur so he will actually eat his dinner here a lot. They have really good cheese fries too! Only open in the summer.
This is a pretty fancy step-up for Peoria. You might feel like you’ve been transported to Chicago once you feel the vibe going on here. This piano bar is located in an old train station that still maintains its antique charms. In the summer you can sit outside along the river on picnic tables. The ceilings are high, the mood’s intimate, and it’s just plain lush in there. I’ve never really experimented with Martini’s before this place, but now I definitely have some favorites.
