Pee Wee’s Restaurant is Good for Your Soul

Written by: Meghan Cooley

There's a MUST-TRY eatery in Rock Island called Pee Wee's Restaurant. This family affair is run by Rock Island native, Will Clay, and named after his father. His mother greeted us while we were there and was a lovely woman.

Situated at the corners of 9th Street and 21st Avenue at 2035 Martin Luther King Drive, Pee Wee's has a unique menu with a mix of soul food and Cajun-Creole entrees. The sausage gumbo was by far the best I've ever had. We split the Italian Beef which was tasty, but after seeing another patron get the shrimp po'boy I realized we would have to come back - it all looked so good!

Our friend, and Rock Island County Board Member, Kai Swanson is also a fan of Pee Wee's. He posts, “My brother travels a great deal for his work and enjoys seeking out fine food but had to come back to his hometown of Rock Island to find 'the best greens I've ever had,'” after taking his brother, mom and wife to Pee Wee's for a bite.

Food, friends and family make Pee Wee's the perfect stop.

We've been bragging on Pee Wee's for weeks now. Finally, our best friends, the McCoys, gave it a try:

“Stopped with the whole family after church and everyone loved it. I had the shrimp po‘boy. Fried shrimp were big, juicy, and lightly breaded. Sauce was delicious. My wife had a bowl of chicken gumbo which she loved. One daughter said her Chicago Style hot dogs were 'better than Dr. Gyro,' (one of our favorite places) and they were nice enough to make a special order of grilled shrimp for my youngest who doesn’t like breading. We had to throw in a piece of sweet potato pie and chocolate cake. Both were amazing. Good value. GREAT food. A+ service. Overall one of the best dining experiences we’ve had in awhile. We may have found a new Sunday after-church tradition,” writes Reverend Robb McCoy of Two Rivers United Methodist Church in Rock Island.

The restaurant was clean and inviting. The staff and service were exceptional. Will himself stopped by our table and thanked us for coming. The ambiance was enhanced by the quiet soul music playing in the background; we enjoyed “It's All Right” from the Impressions Greatest Hits. Pee Wee's was way better than all right. It was darn right fantastic.

Pee Wee's Restaurant is open Tuesday thru Saturday 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. and Sunday 11:30 - 6 p.m. Stop by, you might see me there! My mouth hasn't stopped watering since I started writing this review.