The Ten Best Hole-in-the-Wall Restaurants in Rockford According to Yelp

I am a fan of eating well. I love a restaurant with a lovely ambiance, a killer menu, and excellent service.

That said, I don't need all three to happen for me to be satisfied.

I can eat at what some might call a "hole-in-the-wall," but what does that even mean?

At first, I would assume it would be a derogatory term used to describe a place's appearance, but nowadays, it seems certain restaurants are using it as a badge of honor.

Whether it be because the owners have barely enough left over to keep the doors open or because they'd instead invest their earnings elsewhere, there are "hole in the wall" restaurants that are some of my favorite places I have ever eaten at.

So, I decided to look at what Yelp thinks about the finest hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Rockford.

What I discovered was genuinely unexpected.

*A word of warning here: Some of these aren't even close to being considered hole-in-the-wall, but I left one on the list because, well, blame Yelp.

10. Prairie Street Brewing Company. 200 Prairie Street in Rockford.

This place is massive and not a hole in the wall.

9. Rookies Pub & Grill. 104 West Main Street in Rockton.

As for Rookies, I can't say if it truly fits the 'hole-in-the-wall' category as I've never had the chance to visit.

8. Aero Ale House. 6144 East Riverside Boulevard in Loves Park.

I've been to Aero. Indeed not a hole in the wall. What is Yelp doing?

7. Rock-Pho'd. 6551 East Riverside Boulevard in Rockford.

I ate at this restaurant, if memory serves, not a hole in the wall.

6. Stockyard Rock Burger Bar. 908 West Riverside Boulevard in Rockford.

It's been years since I've been to Stockyard. I'm pretty sure this doesn't count as a hole-in-the-wall, either.

5.Giuseppi's Pizzeria & Italian Restaurant. 950 Halsted Road in Rockford.

I've ordered from Giuseppi's many times. If I had to pick a hole-in-the-wall restaurant from this list that best resembles that term, I'd go with this place.

4. Salamone's Cherry Valley. 103 South Cherry Street in Cherry Valley.

Not a hole in the wall. Nothing to see here.

3. Vanakkam India. 1620 North Bell School Road.

I went inside Vanakkam. They didn't have a bar or liquor license, so we left. Also, it wasn't a hole-in-the-wall.

2. Banana Cherry Bakery. 1310 South Alpine Road in Rockford.

I'm unsure if this counts as a restaurant, much less a hole-in-the-wall. I was there when it was Fazoli's 1,000,000 years ago.

1. Rusty Nail. 1804 18th Avenue in Rockford.

This place may qualify as a hole-in-the-wall restaurant and bar better than any other Rockford area.

Did Yelp overlook any hidden gems? I'd love to hear your thoughts.