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Dillon’s Bayou Restaurant at Lake Pleasant

Eating at Dillon’s Bayou Restaurant at Lake Pleasant is all about the atmosphere! Watch the boats come and go while eating lunch or dinner.

General, Peoria

April 28, 2022

Kim Gudykunst Ollerhead

Eating at Dillon’s Bayou Restaurant at Lake Pleasant is all about the atmosphere!

We were staying overnight at Lake Pleasant (you can read more about this here), but still had to pay $7/entry fee to Lake Pleasant. Then you wait for a shuttle to come to pick you up (optional, you can walk). Shuttles come every few minutes, so it wasn’t a long wait. Despite it being a bumpy ride, it was quite fun. The kids really enjoyed riding in the shuttle.

We got there a little later than planned and ended up waiting for over an hour. We requested an outdoor table because they said the wait would be the same in or out. Ultimately I was grateful to be sitting outside because the music was a little too loud for young kids.

The Food

The food was ok. The kids had grilled cheese, fries, and a large pretzel (we were here during a picky eating phase, so I was grateful they ate something). I had a mushroom cheeseburger that was barely warm; my husband said his fish tacos were good. I ordered a beer, and it took almost 10 minutes to arrive at the table. Again, this restaurant is about the atmosphere, not necessarily the food.

The Entertainment

There was a live band playing the night we were there. The kids enjoyed some dancing while waiting. They played pretty good covers of classic country favorites. The games for the kids were either not working or only tokens. We waited and tried to get tokens from someone who worked there and no one helped. The kids were very bummed because winning a stuffie is a big deal to them. We met a group of kids (who had tokens) who ended up giving each of my kids a stuffie, which was so sweet.

Of note, this restaurant is near Lake Pleasant Cruises, which offers 90-minute kid-friendly narrative cruises, plus sunset cruises. Learn more about the lake cruises here.