Restaurants Near Starved Rock State Park

9th Street Pub is about 9.7 miles from Starved Rock State Park, roughly a 17 minute drive west on IL-71 and north on IL-351 into downtown La Salle. Starved Rock draws more than two million visitors a year, and every one of them eventually gets hungry. We are the neighborhood bar and grill they end up at.

We are not the closest kitchen to the trailhead, and we are not pretending to be. Utica sits right at the park gate. What we have is a kitchen that opens at 8:00am and a bar that runs until 2:00am, seven days a week, ten minutes further down the road, at La Salle prices instead of tourist prices.

That makes us useful at both ends of a park day: breakfast before the hike, and somewhere to land afterwards when you are muddy, sunburned and in no mood to wait for a table.

Breakfast before the trails

Doors open at 8:00am every day. The breakfast and brunch menu runs from eggs and skillets through to a Sunday brunch, and it is a real kitchen, not a coffee counter. Fill up in La Salle, drive the 17 minutes to Utica, and start your hike on something better than a gas station sandwich.

After the hike: food, drinks, and a seat

Starved Rock closes at dusk. Our kitchen keeps going to 8:00pm Monday through Thursday and 9:00pm Friday through Sunday, so a long day on the bluffs does not have to end at a drive-thru window. The bar stays open until 2:00am if you want to make a night of it.

Start with the deep fried cheeseburger people drive into La Salle for, or work through pub burgers, handhelds, chicken, ribs and pasta, and shareable starters. Come on a Friday and it is the walleye fish fry. There is a full beer and wine list behind the bar.

Stick around and there is video gaming, pool and a jukebox, and most weeks live music.

Getting here from Starved Rock State Park

From the Starved Rock visitor center, head west on IL-71, then north on IL-351 across the river into La Salle. It is 9.7 miles and about 17 minutes. We are at 253 9th Street, La Salle, IL 61301, with street and lot parking around the building.

Get driving directions, or call (815) 223-8960. Matthiessen State Park is a similar drive from us, so the same plan works whichever park you spent the day in.

Planning your day at Starved Rock

Starved Rock State Park sits just outside Utica at 2678 E 873rd Rd, on the south bank of the Illinois River, and it is the busiest state park in Illinois with more than two million visitors a year. Admission and parking are free.

The park covers roughly 2,630 acres and 18 sandstone canyons carved by glacial meltwater, joined by more than 13 miles of marked trail. Eight canyons carry seasonal waterfalls: French, Wildcat, LaSalle, Ottawa, Kaskaskia, Illinois, St. Louis and Aurora. They run hardest in spring and after heavy rain, and freeze into ice falls in winter.

Trails are open 7:00am to sunset and the visitor center runs 9:00am to 4:00pm daily. We open at 8:00am, so if you are chasing first light you will want to hike first and eat after. Park hours and trail closures change with the weather, so check the official IDNR park page before you set out.

A few things worth knowing: the canyon floors stay wet and the sandstone gets slick, so wear real shoes. Stay on the marked trails and off the bluff edges. Weekend parking at the main lots fills early on a nice day. And winter is quietly one of the best times to come, both for the ice falls and for the bald eagles that gather below the lock and dam.

Why the extra ten minutes is worth it

On a nice weekend the places at the park gate are full and the wait is real. Ten more minutes of driving gets you a table, a bar with room at it, local prices, and a kitchen that is still going after the park has emptied out. If you are staying overnight in La Salle or Peru, you are already here.

Frequently asked questions about eating near Starved Rock

How far is 9th Street Pub from Starved Rock State Park?

9th Street Pub is about 9.7 miles from Starved Rock State Park, roughly a 17 minute drive west on IL-71, then north on IL-351 into La Salle. We are at 253 9th Street, La Salle, IL 61301.

Where can I get breakfast before hiking Starved Rock?

9th Street Pub opens at 8:00am seven days a week and serves a full breakfast and brunch menu, so you can eat before you hit the trails instead of starting a long hike on a granola bar. We are about 17 minutes from the park.

Is there anywhere to eat near Starved Rock that is open late?

The kitchen at 9th Street Pub serves until 8:00pm Monday through Thursday and until 9:00pm Friday through Sunday, which covers dinner after a full day on the trails. The bar itself stays open until 2:00am every night, so you can keep the evening going long after the park has closed. We are about 17 minutes from Starved Rock.

What time does the kitchen close at 9th Street Pub?

The kitchen runs 8:00am to 3:00pm and then 4:00pm to 8:00pm Monday through Thursday, and 8:00am to 3:00pm and 4:00pm to 9:00pm Friday through Sunday. The bar is open 8:00am to 2:00am seven days a week. If you are driving over from Starved Rock, aim to be seated before the kitchen closes.

Is 9th Street Pub good for a group after hiking?

It is a neighborhood bar and grill, not a fine-dining room, which is exactly what a tired, muddy, hungry group of hikers wants. Burgers, sandwiches, dinners, a full bar, video gaming, pool and a jukebox. No reservation, no dress code.

What should I order after a day at Starved Rock?

The deep fried cheeseburger is what people drive into La Salle for. On Fridays the walleye fish fry is the move. There are also hand-built pub burgers, handhelds, chicken, ribs and pasta dinners, and a full beer and wine list.

Do you have parking?

Yes. Street and lot parking around 253 9th Street in downtown La Salle, with none of the trailhead parking scramble you get at the park on a nice weekend.

What time does Starved Rock State Park open?

Starved Rock trails are open from 7:00am until sunset, and the park visitor center runs 9:00am to 4:00pm daily (closed on some federal and state holidays in winter). Admission and parking are free. Check dnr.illinois.gov for current hours before you drive out.

How many canyons and trails does Starved Rock have?

Starved Rock State Park covers about 2,630 acres and holds 18 sandstone canyons cut by glacial meltwater, linked by more than 13 miles of color-marked hiking trails. Eight of the canyons carry seasonal waterfalls: French, Wildcat, LaSalle, Ottawa, Kaskaskia, Illinois, St. Louis and Aurora.

When are the Starved Rock waterfalls running?

The canyon waterfalls are seasonal. They run hardest during spring snowmelt and for a day or two after heavy rain, and they can slow to nothing in a dry summer stretch. Winter is when they freeze into ice falls, which is its own reason to go.

What else is nearby besides Starved Rock?

Matthiessen State Park is a similar drive from us, and the Illinois Waterway Visitor Center at Starved Rock Lock and Dam is right by the park. La Salle also sits on the old Illinois and Michigan Canal corridor, so the whole area is an easy day out.

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