Bars, Clubs and Live Entertainment in Peoria, Illinois

Although Peoria may not be as big and exciting as Chicago, it is the third-largest city in Illinois. And with that title comes an interesting and diverting nightlife. Downtown Peoria provides a number of bars, clubs and restaurants to pique anyone’s interest, and other destinations throughout the city and surrounding areas house their own ample entertainment as well.

One of the biggest draws to Peoria is Big Al’s, the self-proclaimed “world famous” strip club. The speakeasy features food, drinks and female exotic dancers. The downtown fixture is located on Main Street, and those interested in visiting must be at least 21 years old.

Neighboring Big Al’s are Club Rain, ZBar and Tomcat’s Back Alley, which are standard bars and nightclubs. One common link between these establishments is that on certain days a minimal cover fee lets visitors into all four clubs. The crowd is mostly college kids and mid-20s folks.

Other downtown bars include Sully’s Pub & CafÃ?©, SOPs, Sullivan’s and Richard’s. Sully’s and Sullivan’s are both Irish-style pubs that serve up cold drinks and delicious food. The main stage at SOPs features a number of musical acts throughout the weeks, and Richard’s requires no cover charge and dishes out steaks and burgers until 4 am.

Several Peoria bars, still downtown, are stationed alongside the Illinois River. Martini’s is Peoria’s original martini bar and features live entertainment five nights a week. The bar also serves over 100 different martinis to try. Old Chicago is another river front bar that has over 100 beers and microbrews from around the world. The Old Chicago World Beer Tour is a popular attraction of this establishment.

Near Bradley University’s campus are One World Eats & Drinks and Gorman’s Pub. Gorman’s serves up food and drinks and features a Friday “happy hour” special: $3.25 for 12 wings and $6 for a large cheese pizza, plus drink specials. One World features a variety of delicious dishes and alcoholic drinks and boasts live entertainment and art displays.

Moving farther west one will bump into a number of bars on Farmington Road. Crusen’s has daily food and drink specials and on weekends houses live entertainment. The Lucky Lady is 19-and-over, 21 to drink. Jimmy’s is an Irish-style bar with a roofed outside section.

Peoria offers entertainment choices besides bars. The Peoria Civic Center invites spectators to see the Rivermen, Peoria’s hockey team, play throughout the winter months. A number of plays and concerts are also performed at the Civic Center during the year.