The Queen Of Squash — Restaurant in Peoria

My lady can’t have gluten, we always struggle finding places that have options for her. We were meeting an old friend of hers in Peoria, when she saw that The Queen of Squash was 100% gluten free. She was very excited. Now before I go much further, I am a hardcore Carnivore. I eat all the meat and Glutens. So, I was a little skeptical about a restaurant that seemed to cater to gluten free and Vegan. Over the years I’ve become accustomed to Gluten Free items, but they always seemed to have issues. I was pleasantly surprised by the food here.

We started off with the Cheese bites. Which is much like Brazilian cheese bread, we couldn’t decide between the zucchini chimichurri or the pineapple salsa as a dipping sauce, so we paid for both. These were fantastic. It had a great taste, and honestly both dipping sauces were good, but it was agreed the zucchini chimichurri is absolutely the best. If you like cheesy bread stuffs, get this. You will regret it if you don’t. For the main course I opted for the P-Drizzle on a cauliflower flatbread. As copied from their menu: “a base of ranch and cheddar, topped with chicken, turkey bacon & turkey pepperoni and drizzled with tangy mustard BBQ sauce and our secret burger sauce.” Now, I was hesitant because Turkey Bacon, Turkey Pepperoni? To my bacon and pepperoni loving self, this seemed so wrong… The only thing wrong about it was me. This flat bread was beyond delicious. Honestly, the bacon and pepperoni didn’t taste exactly the same as traditional style, but that’s okay. It was still good and on this flatbread the flavors mixed with everything else to make it a tastebud sensation. Most surprisingly was the crust.

If you’ve ever eaten Gluten Free items, they usually have a weird texture, it’s too dense/crumbly, or has a strange flavor. This did not. Over the last five years I’ve eaten a lot of Gluten Free items and tested them vs the traditional versions. I can say that this flat bread was so good, that I had to double check with the staff to make sure it was gluten free before I let my lady taste it.

If you are gluten free, or if you are with someone that is gluten free. Go out of your way to the Queen of Squash. You will not regret it. My only issue is that it’s so far away from...

The Queen of Squash in Peoria, Illinois, is not just a restaurant; it’s a vibrant ode to self-improvement through healthy, delicious cuisine. At the heart of this remarkable eatery is a stunning neon sign that reads, "Be obsessed with improving yourself," perfectly capturing the essence of what makes this place so special.

The menu at The Queen of Squash is a celebration of fresh, healthy, and flavorful dishes made with local, organic ingredients. It's more than just a meal – it’s a gourmet experience designed to nourish both body and soul. With an array of gluten-free, plant-based, and dairy-free options, every dish here is crafted to support a healthy lifestyle.

My personal favorite is the Sicilian Summer Squash & Zucchini Noodles Bowl. This dish is a revelation, offering a way to enjoy all the flavors of a traditional pizza without the carbs and calories. The special marinara sauce, combined with mozzarella, parmesan, kalamata olives, turkey meatballs, turkey bacon, and turkey pepperoni, creates a symphony of flavors that is simply irresistible.

The service at The Queen of Squash is impeccable. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and genuinely passionate about the food they serve. What truly sets this restaurant apart, though, is the personal touch of the owner, Heather Wolbeck. Heather personally stopped by our table to welcome us, asked about our dietary needs and goals, recommended dishes that met our needs and cravings, and shared the history of the restaurant. I can't remember the last time an owner took the time to welcome me to their restaurant. You can tell she deeply cares about her mission of establishing delicious and healthy food as Peoria's new "it" restaurant.

Dining at The Queen of Squash feels like a step towards a healthier, better version of yourself. The ambiance, the food, and the philosophy all work in harmony to inspire and uplift. If you’re in Peoria and looking to indulge in a meal that’s as good for your body as it is for your taste buds, The Queen of Squash is a must-visit. I can’t wait to return and continue my journey of self-improvement, one delicious dish at a time. Highly...

The food and decor is wonderful, but the service was incredibly slow and honestly, just clumsy. This kind of ruined the experience for me. The staff was nice—don’t get me wrong—but not well-trained, it seemed. We had a reservation for a large party (my birthday dinner) and the restaurant was otherwise pretty empty with just a few other guests. It took 15-25 minutes to get five cocktails, all of which arrived at different times. Then the server kept forgetting how the checks were divided and repeatedly came over to ask. She didn’t know what was or wasn’t available, twice showed up without her “handheld” and had to go retrieve it, and all but disappeared after our food was delivered, even though we had planned to order more drinks and wanted some additional items. A different server (or maybe the bartender?) sort of took over and, again he was very nice, but rarely around and seemingly new or inexperienced at waiting tables. Only one person in our party was able to get a second cocktail (a bottled cider) and the kids at the table didn’t have everything they needed for their food so they sat there for 20 minutes before eating. Getting boxes and our checks was similarly slow with a lot of waiting around. Checks were auctioned off (who had the flatbread and cider? etc.) since the servers had no idea who ordered what, even after asking us three different times. There was no acknowledgement it was my birthday (though it was on the reservation) and we weren’t offered dessert. I wasn’t expecting free dessert, to be clear, but there was just no acknowledgement of us really after the food was delivered. And it was slow. Like 2-3 other tables. All of us were annoyed by the end. For a pricy restaurant, I expected more. I did love the food and all the vegetarian options! But maybe get takeout rather than...