Tuesday 30th of March 2010 07:51:40 PM

link
I was able to stop by twice during my latest visit trip to Peoria. The Granite is located in a newer development in East Peoria. It is located next to the river and the convention center.

As you enter, the bar is on your right and the dinning area is off to your left. The tanks are behind glass in the dinning area. They have a patio that overlooks the river and it would be a great spot to watch the barges and boats go by. The interior features lots of cultured fieldstone, wood, good light fixtures and has a nice color scheme of light orange and brown.

The music is programmed by their hq and is a strange mix of light metal, 70’s and 80's pop and bad covers.

They have a large menu with lots of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and dinner entrees. I thought the food was decent but not world beating.

The service is a mixed bag. When my party of three arrived there were empty tables everywhere but we still had to get a beeper and wait more than 10 minutes for a table. I think they were a bit understaffed. Our waitress was very nice but was way busy and had to many tables to handle. In fact, they had the brewer out delivering food. Perhaps some folks didn’t show-up or maybe they didn’t count on the crowds. However, when I sat at the bar, I had very good service from the three bartenders. They were outstanding!

They offer 5 regular beers and 2 seasonals/rotators. Note on Tuesdays they offer growler refills for $5.00. This is a great deal and there are lots of customers taking advantage. The bartenders are very free with samples, so if your not sure, just ask for a taste. The bar is big on mixing their beers and even have one called the “three headed monster which is 3 beer mixed together. The beers run from ok (the stout) to very good (the pale ale). They also have a very popular mug club.

Not a bad stop if your on the east side of town.