Soul food the way Pee Wee taught us.
Family-run soul food since 2017. Fried chicken, catfish, shrimp po'boys, gumbo and Sunday dinners worth driving for — at the corner of 9th & 21st in Rock Island, a few minutes from Davenport, IA.
A Lot to Love.
Special of the day
Tuesday, September 8
Buy 6 party wings, get 6 half off.
We're closed right now — Call ahead — we'll tell you straight.
The plates people drive in for
Smothered Chicken
Fried, then drowned in onion gravy. The plate people drive in for.
Friday special — includes 2 sides + cornbread.
Wings
Party wings, sauced how you want 'em. Or go jerk. 6, 12, 20, or 50.
Sides
Collard greens, mac & cheese, candied yams, cornbread — every dinner comes with two.
Every dinner comes with cornbread and two sides. Pick smart.
All entrées include sides — no surprise charges.
Named for the man who taught us how.
In 2015, we lost our dad — Wayland 'Pee Wee' Clay Sr. — to liver cancer. Two years later, his son Will took over the corner of 9th and 21st, gutted it himself, and opened the kitchen Pee Wee always talked about.
Today you'll find Will at the stove, his mother Wilhelmenia greeting guests, his brother Wayland Jr. running produce up from Chicago, and his two sons learning the line. Will spent years cooking down in Louisiana — that's where the gumbo and po'boys come from. The smothered chicken came from home.
We're not a chain. We're not trying to be. When you walk out, you'll be a friend — not just a customer.
We may have found a new Sunday after-church tradition.
— Rev. Robb McCoy, Two Rivers United Methodist
Find us at the corner of 9th & 21st.
Hours
- MondayClosed
- Tuesday11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Wednesday11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Thursday11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Friday11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
- Sunday11:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Call Us
(309) 283-7930Visiting the Quad Cities?
One of the best-loved restaurants near Rock Island Arsenal and Augustana College — and the soul food the Quad Cities keeps coming back to.
5 min from Rock Island Arsenal & Museum
8 min from Augustana College
10 min from Bally's Quad Cities Casino
Right on the Great River Road — a short drive from Davenport, IA, Moline and Bettendorf.
"You don't see this kind of unanimity just anywhere."
— Quad-City Times
"Most authentic soul food I have tasted since my Mother's cooking."
TripAdvisor
"It tasted just like my mom's smothered chicken. RIP MOM."
TripAdvisor
"By far the best gumbo I've ever had."
Visit Quad Cities
"The Owner came to greet us at our table — Southern hospitality."
TripAdvisor
"Better Chicago dog than Dr. Gyros."
Rev. Robb McCoy
"When you walk out, you'll be a friend, not just a customer."
TripAdvisor
As featured in
Good questions
Before you drive over
Looking for soul food near me in Rock Island?+
You found it. Pee Wee's Soul Food is at 2035 Martin Luther King Drive — the corner of 9th & 21st in Rock Island, IL, in the West End near the MLK Jr. Community Center. We're a short drive from Moline, East Moline, Bettendorf and Davenport, IA.
What time does Pee Wee's open for lunch?+
Tuesday through Saturday we open at 11:00 AM, and Sundays at 11:30 AM. If you're searching 'lunch near me,' we've got plates ready from 11 on — wings, po'boys, catfish, and the daily special.
Do you serve fried chicken?+
We do. Party wings, whole fried chicken, fried catfish, and chicken baskets — all fried to order. On weekends the smothered chicken sells out fast, so call ahead.
Where can I find seafood near me in the Quad Cities?+
Right here. We fry whole catfish and red snapper, build shrimp and catfish po'boys, and simmer a slow-roux seafood gumbo. The Pee Wee Platter puts it all on one plate.
Are you close to Davenport, IA?+
Yes — about 10 minutes from downtown Davenport, IA across the bridge to Rock Island. One of the easiest places to eat near me if you're coming from the Iowa side of the Quad Cities.
Do you do catering or feed big groups?+
We do — church Sundays, family reunions, and game-day crowds. Call (309) 283-7930 and we'll sort it out.
Skip the 20-minute wait.
Everything's cooked to order. If you're in a hurry — or if you want to make sure tonight's smothered chicken doesn't sell out before you arrive — call ahead or order online.
Get a text when smothered chicken's on.
We'll send a quick heads-up Friday afternoon so you don't drive up to a sold-out kitchen. No spam — we're cooks, not marketers.