These Peoria steakhouses once touted 'world's finest meats' and 'bottomless' wine glasses

Ask Dean is a Journal Star column focusing on all things Peoria: its history, mysteries, quirks and culture. Send your questions to dmuellerleile@pjstar.com.

Question: What was the name of a steakhouse near the stockyards on Southwest Washington Street? We had a faculty party there in the 1970s. — Linda Hornton

Answer: Two different steakhouses operated in the 1970s at 2205 SW Washington St.

The Steer's Rear

The Steer's Rear presumably had a double meaning, referencing both some of the beef cuts the restaurant served and also its location behind the riverside stockyards.

The short-lived, ill-fated Steer's Rear steakhouse advertised fine dining. But the restaurant faced a contentious labor lawsuit, a series of burglaries and ultimately an arson fire.

An advertisement on Feb. 7, 1973, in the Journal Star announced the opening of the Steer's Rear, formerly the Esquire Club. The steakhouse soon advertised intriguing Friday and Saturday "Fun Nights." In March 1973, the restaurant boasted that it was serving the "World's Finest Meats!" and had facilities for more than 100 people for wedding receptions and other gatherings.

On May 14, however, a two-man picket line began outside the Steer's Rear, protesting non-union employees. Co-owner Chase Westcott told the Journal Star the picket "killed us."

"We only have six customers here now when the place would usually be full," he said.

He added he had no objection to employees' union participation and that he "now pays above the union scale."

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On May 31, the Journal Star reported a union certification vote by Steer's Rear employees had been rejected, 12-1. The story said the vote would be challenged by the Hotel, Motel, Cafeteria and Restaurant Employees Union, and picketing would continue. In June 1973, objections to the election were filed with the National Labor Relations Board, citing improprieties. The filing postponed certification of the vote by the NLRB.

A June 13 story said the restaurant's owners had filed their own objections with the NLRB, saying picketing had continued after a valid vote. An NLRB agent told the Journal Star the labor board would not seek an injunction against the picketing until the union had been informed of the election certification.

In October 1973, a legal notice in the Journal Star from the Internal Revenue Service said restaurant property had been seized for nonpayment of taxes and was to be sold at auction.

In January 1974, a classified ad listed the restaurant for sale for $132,000. "STEER'S REAR — for dining and wining," read the ad. "Seating over 300, 3 separate dining rooms," it continued. "Plush carpeting, fireplace, beautiful lighting for the utmost entertaining."

In October 1975, the former Steer's Rear was gutted in a fire. The Journal Star said the one-story, 75-by-45-foot concrete block and brick structure was currently vacant. The story said the club reportedly had been closed for many months. Fire officials later attributed the blaze to arson.

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Petrow's Pub and Steak House

By 1978, Petrow's Pub and Steak House was operating at 2205 SW Washington St.

It was a popular venue for group meetings and events. The steakhouse boasted a main dining room and a piano bar. Popular Peoria musician Svata Ciza often performed. One of Petrow's display ads in the Journal Star highlighted "38 luncheon entrees and 40 dinner items to choose from." Amusingly, one of the restaurant's many paid filler ads excitedly touted "BAKED POTATOES NOW."

Petrow's was "the home of the bottomless wine glass," another ad stated. Commenters on social media recall bread being served in flowerpots. A mural at the steakhouse depicted President Jimmy Carter, later updated to include Ronald Reagan.

A second location, Petrow's Cafe International, opened in 1981 "in the familiar castle on Brandywine Drive," the Journal Star reported. The original Petrow's closed later that year. The Cafe International closed in 1982.

Whether it's a person, place or product, send your "Whatever happened to ...?" and "Wasn't there a ...?" questions, comments and suggestions to dmuellerleile@pjstar.com. Please put ASK DEAN in the subject line.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Once upon a time, Peoria stockyards were prime locale for steakhouses