The Bar at BLACK BAND - Peoria, Illinois

Tara V.

If my budget allowed, I would eat/drink here every weekend. Batch cocktails are delicious. The food is fresh and flavorful. I had the deviled eggs and frog legs. They have the best frog legs in our area hands-down.

Emily S.

Amazing dinner experience. The drinks and food were some of the best we have had in recent memory. Service was attentive, the atmosphere was perfect. It was relaxed but the food and drinks were high-end and well worth the price. I've never had beef heart before - but I truly enjoyed it on the udon dish. The pork sliders were like an elevated banh mi, and the pork belly melted in your mouth. They utilize a lot of local farms for their products and it truly comes through in the flavor of the dishes - there is a depth of flavor you won't get from a big food supplier. Beautiful space, delicious food and drink. If you are looking for an elevated experience this is it.

Whitney M.

We had the best date night at Black Band Distillery! Their new small plate menu is phenomenal! The dumplings and bone marrow were some of the best dishes you will find in Peoria! My husband and I ordered 4 plates to share and a dessert and I couldn’t finish the desert! We also each had three cocktails and each one tasted just as unique and delicious as the one before! We were very impressed with the quality of the service as well. Our server described every ingredient in each plate and even knew where a lot of them were purchased from locally. This remains the most unique and impressive spot for our date night!

kelle W.

We came here when Sarah Mooberry was performing, on a beautiful Saturday, for a little happy hour day drinking! We walked in and it was A COMPLETE VIBE that was so addictive our 1 drink outing turned into a 4 drink outing. Sarah Mooberry was so fun, the drinks were AMAZING (Special shout-out to our bartender Erin, who never let our drinks stay empty, even though the brewery was short staffed). We will 100% be back on Saturdays for music and drinks!!

Frank C.

My wife and I had dinner here for our anniversary tonight. This is my 5th time here and the second time with my wife.

The food was disappointing. Service was great.

We ordered the Deviled Eggs, the Korean Oyster Mushrooms, the Brussels Sprouts, the Chevre Dumplings, and the Pork Sliders.

My biggest disappointment is that Black Band does not know how to season their food. Some dishes were extremely over seasoned, and others almost none.

The Brussels Sprouts were so overwhelmingly salty, we could not finish them. They were also also over cooked to the point of having no "green" color left. You don't need to cook it that long.

The oyster mushrooms did not seem like mushrooms. Just over fried and over salted batter. If there were mushrooms in the crispy batter, they were completely unrecognizable.

The pork sliders on the other hand had zero seasoning. There was absolutely no salt on the meat. The sliders were actually pretty good and could have been a great dish if there was just a little seasoning on the meat.

Both the deviled eggs and the Chevre Dumplings were excellent. We could have made an entire meal out of the dumplings.

As usual their drinks were great and the cocktail menu is always impressive.

Overall the food was very average for Peoria and sad because had the seasoning been better controlled, those dishes could have been good.

Hoping this was a fluke, and we can return again in the future.

nekocat17

I ordered a very lackluster cheese board back in summer 2023. I ordered a few drinks with it, then was suddenly told I hadn't ordered enough food to order another drink. Even though I was just sitting there, showing no sign of effect from the alcohol. The waitress didn't even know until the bartender told her - which I wasn't even in the same room, so that's interesting. This was the only time this had ever happened to me and I was mortified. I now wish I hadn't tipped because this literally ruined my entire night and I couldn't stop thinking about it the entire night. I will never come back to Peoria because I feel so traumatized every time I think of it. I honestly think it was because they wanted me to spend more money on the food. Which I would've if their entire menu didn't look like a complete bore. I thought they were a distillery where you could order drinks, but apparently they only want to show off their beyond boring food.

Anna S.

We had stopped by for a cocktail before, but this was our first time getting the full culinary menu. The food was incredible! The menu is along the lines of small plate / farm-to-table restaurants in bigger cities, something that Peoria really didn’t have just yet. They have a changing menu depending on what they can source locally, so we are so excited to go back and try more dishes. Cocktails were unique with lots of options. Marco was a great server and so friendly. He really made our experience great. Hope to have him again in the future. Definitely our new favorite spot!

Theresa M.

Very cool place. The tour was phenomenal and full of Peoria's distilling history. The story of the present day facility. The way they source everything they use locally and that there is little waste is tribute to their stewardship and commitment to the area and their desire for longevity. The spirits are pleasing to the palate and the location draws the eye. This business wants to be a gem in the local landscape and they deserve that distinction. I highly recommend the tour and tasting and a craft cocktail at the bar. We will be back soon to try the food too.