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It’s been one year since the RACVB team took our love for Beefaroo and created the Tour de Roo! That’s right. We mapped out all of the Beefaroo locations in the Rockford region and planned to visit all of them in one day. It’s crazy, I know…but we did it! In honor of its one-year anniversary, I’m going to give you the lowdown on what visiting all 7 Beefaroo locations in one day is like. (Spoiler alert: it’s epic.)
We start the day in Roscoe at…Beefaroo of course. The folks up there are chipper and friendly, and lucky for those of us who might take a little longer to be bright and cheery in the morning, Beefaroo has coffee on the menu. Your Beefaroo breakfast will consist of piping hot coffee and a delicious parfait, complete with mixed berries to stir in. Beefaroo opens at 9 a.m., so no need to wake up at the crack of dawn, but you definitely want to get there soon after it opens so you have enough time to hit all the Beefaroo locations in one day.
The next stop is the Beefaroo in Machesney Park. You could opt to have second breakfast, or you can do like we did and just go straight for snacks and order shakes and their famous cheddar fries. You know when you’re a kid and you eat pizza for breakfast and think it’s the greatest thing ever? This is the joy you feel when you have cheddar fries at 10 a.m.
Our next stop is at the Beefaroo on N. 2nd St. in Loves Park. At this point after the shakes and fries, we were dragging a little. That’s nothing a fresh salad can’t fix! Beefaroo’s Summer Berry Salad is the perfect lunch (or pre-lunch in our case) staple. The fresh fruit and raspberry vinaigrette make the salad feel light, yet still satisfying. All of the salads at Beefaroo are great, but this one is definitely my favorite.
Stop #4 means lunch time at Beefaroo on Auburn St. in Rockford! By now it’s about Noon, so the lunch rush is in full force. Never fear about ordering, though, because everything on the Beefaroo menu is delicious! I like to peruse the menu, but I know that I’m usually going to go with my typical order – the Avocado Turkey Jack Sandwich. Between the fresh avocado and the mound of delicious turkey, you can never go wrong with this order. On our Tour de Roo day one year ago, the whole RACVB team met up at this Beefaroo location to celebrate Tour de Roo and eat lunch together! (And now you’re more than halfway through the tour…only three locations to go!)
The next Beefaroo stop on the Tour de Roo is the location in Loves Park on Riverside Blvd. If you’re visiting all of the Beefaroo locations in one day like we did, this is the time where the food coma arrives in full force. But power through because there are several delicious items still to order! Order up a hot dog, or if you’re still full from lunch, just grab a cookie or little dessert bar!
By the time you hit the 6th stop, you’ll probably get a few recommendations on what to order. It’s fun to ask the workers or other customers what they usually order and then try that! That is how we ordered a pork tenderloin sandwich at the Beefaroo on Lexus Dr. The pork is overflowing on the bun, but the crispy sandwich is so delicious, it’s easy to gobble it all up!
And now when you visit the Beefaroo on S. Alpine Rd., you have reached your last stop on the Tour de Roo! To celebrate our day of nothing but Beefaroo, we ordered a classic burger, onion rings and a shake at this last location. Was I very full at the end of the day? Yes. Was it worth it? Very yes.
You can take the Tour de Roo challenge yourself! Visit gorockford.com/tourderoo to see the map of all the Beefaroo locations to help you out. If you visit all 7 Beefaroo locations and bring in your receipts to the RACVB office (102 N. Main St.) by June 1, 2018, you can win a prize! Don’t worry, you don’t have to visit all 7 locations in one day like we did. Feel free to take your time!
To find out more information about Beefaroo and other local restaurants in the region, visit gorockford.com/restaurants.
