For the 2025 Bread & Butter dining guide, Little Village food reviewers Lacey Skorepa and Liv Carrow visited and reviewed eight restaurants in the Quad Cities. You can find more local restaurant coverage here.
Me & Billy
200 W 3rd St, Davenport, 563-323-1195
Me & Billy blends comfort and craft in a way that feels wholly Quad Cities: easygoing, inviting and just elevated enough. The housemade ranch and impossibly light cheese curds are legendary, and the Salmon Naan is a standout — sushi-grade salmon cooked to preference over warm naan with herbed ricotta and tomato confit. Burgers are a menu mainstay, with both signature options and a build-your-own lineup, featuring everything from bison to portobello. Seasonal cocktails keep things playful year-round, while the classic favorites hold their ground. During the holidays, it’s an especially cozy spot to soak in the holiday spirit, thanks to their all-out seasonal décor. Family-owned and stylish-but-comfortable, it’s the kind of spot that feels local in the best way. —Lacey Skorepa
Antonella’s II Sicilian Pizzeria
421 W River Dr, Davenport, 563-324-9512
Tucked inside the Freight House near the riverfront, Antonella’s II is part pizzeria, part summertime experience. Order a creamy garlic pizza (trust me), grab a drink from Front Street’s taproom next door and settle in on the patio while the hum of downtown — live music, farmers market chatter, maybe even a River Bandits game — fills the air. Pizzas range from classics to indulgent, with toppings like roasted garlic, chicken and cream sauce, but it’s really the energy of the place that makes it stand out. It’s casual, family friendly and just steps from a playground. Finish with a cannoli or some gelato and call it a perfect Quad Cities evening. —Lacey Skorepa
Plus Saporis Mediterranean Latin Cuisine
4808 Forest Grove Dr, Bettendorf, 563-900-5077
Plus Saporis offers a fusion of Mediterranean and Latin flavors with the precision and warmth of true hospitality. It’s refined without pretension, featuring moody lighting, a polished dining room and a fire-lit patio that draws both professionals and families. The baba ghanoush is bright and elemental, while the chicken tajin lands earthy and rich, all beautifully plated. Dishes like saganaki (Greek fried cheese) and crab ceviche bring flair without overwhelming the plate. Fans of Hemispheres Bistro will recognize the thoughtful approach to global cuisine. And in a region where these flavors are rare, Plus Saporis stands out as a welcome addition to the dining scene. —Lacey Skorepa
Bayside Bistro
2704 18th Ave, Rock Island, 309-468-8028
Come here for meals that are hearty with the right amount of healthy, colorful and unique. Every meal at Bayside has a special homemade-fresh flair, and they carefully cater to dietary needs; it’s one of few restaurants in the Q.C. that can be enjoyed equally by burger lovers and raw vegans. Proudly Black- and veteran-owned and -operated, the Rock Island location, which opened in 2022, offers a concise, diverse menu and a bright, joyful and neighborly atmosphere, with great service and both indoor and outdoor seating. Don’t snooze on the soups and po’ boys, and the delightful weekend brunch. They also offer a wonderful takeaway meal planning/subscription services. —Liv Carrow
Old Mexico Restaurant
610 45th St, Rock Island, 309-788-7251
Ask any longtime Q.C. resident where they prefer their Mexican food, and you’ll get as many answers as there are neighborhoods. In Florciente, between Rock Island and Moline, Old Mexico has been a visible staple that serves reliably decent Mexican breakfast, lunch and dinner. Somewhere between traditional Mexican and Midwest-fied, this is a good place to get a solid meal in a short time for a modest cost. The menu expanded slightly since being purchased by the D’Lua restaurant group — they now offer ceviche, for instance — but they still make delightful pozole, menudo, fideo and gigantic burritos the way they always have. —Liv Carrow
Al’s Burgers
4128 14th Ave, Rock Island, 309-283-7973
This wee hole in the wall was formerly a breakfast joint and a short-lived pizzeria, but locals hope Al’s is here to stay. If you would like a burger that makes you say “DAYUM,” make a stop at Al’s before a night on the town or after a busy morning of estate sale picking in the surrounding neighborhoods. A bare-bones, unabashed burger joint, they give Culver’s and Five Guys a run for their money with a lot more personality and charm. In addition to really good burgers, Al’s serves shakes, chicken sandwiches and fried delights. —Liv Carrow
Restaurante Sabor Catracho
2006 16th St, Moline, 309-517-3817
A gem in uptown Moline, Sabor Catracho serves Honduran cuisine in a brightly lit taqueria atmosphere. Start with pupusas, a Central American specialty street food of cheese, beans and/or meat-filled masa cakes served with a generous side of spicy cabbage curtido. Plantain lovers rejoice — they appear on the menu in several forms. They also offer a respectable assortment of fresh jugos and agua frescas, outrageous guacamole, a kids’ and breakfast menu, and more familiar fare such as fajitas, tacos and plated meals with rice and beans. Make a stop in the neighborhood, or look for them at Mercado on Fifth, the outdoor Hispanic street market that takes place every week in Moline throughout the summer. —Liv Carrow
The Palace Tavern
701 15th Ave, East Moline, 309-865-2100
This unassuming stop for drinks and pub food in a beautifully restored downtown East Moline barroom has been operating continuously since the 1950s, while the delightful tile floor has been trodden by thirsty East Moliners since 1906. After the Old Palace Tavern became a casualty of COVID shutdowns, the new Palace offers a slightly elevated, polished pub and pizzeria vibe with old-time Q.C. drinking hole charm and the right amount of fussiness. Live music, a separate dining room and generous patio seating leave plenty of ways to enjoy this unassuming historical establishment. Hot tip: “Palace Bread,” a cross between white Quad Cities-style pizza and garlic bread dipped in marinara, is a lot more exciting than it sounds. —Liv Carrow
Lacey Skorepa is a Q.C.-based writer, exploring food, place and everyday meaning.
Liv Carrow, a musician and social worker, has lived in the Quad Cities long enough to lose her New Jersey accent. She has contributed writing and reviews to LV for 10 years.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s August 2025 issue.
