Captain's Cove Grill At Starved Rock Marina

This place is strictly for locals. Not welcoming at all. As soon as they saw our group they immediately treat it us as if we were an inconvenience. It was a group of 10 of us. The waitress asked if we had made a reservation, even though their website doesn’t say anything about reservations, they don’t even have a link to make a reservation. She said let me ask my manager because we normally can’t take groups of 6 or more with out a reservation. She came back and said, the manager will only allow u to sit in a certain table. We asked to sit near the outdoor area and immediately said no. When we asked her why (there was only 1 table being occupied every other table was completely open) the waitress said, my manager doesn’t like that. I told her we don’t mind splitting up the group but she immediately refused and we just felt as though we were not welcomed. We didn’t complain or argued. Told her thank you and left. She looked relieved. Also, only one waitress for the whole restaurant. Again, this place is strictly for locals. We we left we took at the outdoor area closer to the river and I think the reason why they don’t like to have people sitting near the river area is because it looks like it’s falling apart. It’s probably not safe.

We've visited this restaurant numerous times, and it never disappoints! The food is always delicious, they serve the best frozen drinks, and the waitstaff is fantastic. I really hope someone takes over if they ever have to close; it would be such a shame to lose this gem.

A big thank you to Jake at the information booth in Matthiessen State Park for recommending this restaurant to us! The enclosed balcony seating offers incredible views of the river. We tried the Cousin grouper on rye sandwich and the Boom Boom shrimp, both of which were absolutely delicious. We're definitely planning to return. As for parking, the restaurant is located at the end of a long driveway by the river, and there’s ample parking available.

Absolutely amazing! The entrees are fresh and unique, setting them apart from the usual options. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening by the river at Captain's Cove!

Staff was wonderful it was a nice place to eat and enjoy the view of the water and greenary.