Food is fantastic, service is good and ambience is very rustic and fun. Looking forward to going back for drinks and wings. I had a salad and the ranch dressing is fantastic. read more

Stopped in prior to a show at the Hoogland for a meal with my favorite girl on date night. The staff is super friendly and accommodating. I notified them of the showtime and they made sure we served in plenty of time to make our show. I enjoyed a fresh hazy A&F IPA with my meal, but they also offered several custom specialty cocktails from their full bar. I had the Et Tu Brute? craft flatbread and my wife had the grilled chicken club with onion rings. Both meals were perfectly prepared, well seasoned and delicious! We've never had a bad meal here. Plus the atmosphere is cool and relaxed, with plenty of seating to oblige parties of most sizes. read more

Anvil & Forge Brewing and Distilling - Et Tu Brute - craft flatbread. Chicken and fish pesto base under the Caesar salad. - Breweries Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

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Quick and easy dining experience. Order your food and drinks at the counter. Take your drink with you and they'll bring your food to your table after it's freshly made. Everything was fresh and flavorful. We visited during the lunch rush and everything still went well. read more

Anvil & Forge Brewing and Distilling - The Classic Smash and side salad - Breweries Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

Great ambiance, beer, and service. They had a very nice selection of beers. I had the Columbia St Stout and loved it. Jn particular, the stout had a nice finish and I'm picky! We ate before we got there, but I'll say the pizza behind the counter looked very good. Next time I'm in Springfield I'm planning to try their food. read more

Anvil & Forge Brewing and Distilling - Stout - Breweries Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

We decided to sit outside on a beautiful day and were so glad we did. The tables were all clean and had plenty of space to accommodate our daughter's stroller. And the FOOD. Anvil & Forge consistently has our favorite food in town. The mozzarella sticks are mindblowingly massive, and sooooooo good. Always a great dining experience. read more

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First time in, visiting from Chicago and wow, I'm blown away! I stopped by for a quick beer, tried 6 different taster (4oz) brews....my favorite was the "A Palate Appeaser- Pale Ale. but the food and staff completely exceeded my expectations. I had The Classic Smash Burger (added bacon, of course!) absolutely amazing so juicy and flavorful. The side salad was fresh and so tasty, a perfect balance to the burger. I split both with a friend, and we were still stuffed! We couldn't resist trying a split slice of pepperoni pizza too... and I'm so glad we did. The house-made dough and sauce made it one of the best slices I've ever had in Illinois, seriously next level. Noah was awesome but looked dead to the world and definitely needed a day off (it was Halloween) Brett helped me with picking different beers and everyone was so hospitable including Dan the manager!! Will definitely be back when I'm down here again. read more

Food and beer forged in the depths of deliciousness. A mighty need for food had Emily and I end up at Anvil & Forge, based on the photos she saw online. I trusted her judgment and we headed out from Buzz Bomb Brewing and walked about 5 minutes over to Anvil & Forge. This place is a bit different in that while it seems like it would be a bit of a sit down restaurant upon entering, you actually place your order at the counter and they bring the food out to you. Once Emily and I figured out what we wanted, we took a seat outside. For food, she ordered the BBQ Pulled Pork and I got the Slim Thickens. As for beer, Em got the 'Violet, Your Turning Violet' and I got the Hefedoodle. It was a beautiful day out and sitting outside was the perfect choice. We slowed worked on our beers while we waited for our food. It took about 25 minutes to come out and once it did, WOW. I know I ordered the Slim Thickens but they really leaned in to the THICK side of the name. This sandwich was about 6 inches thick and was going to require me to unhinge my jaw. Emily's BBQ sandwich was damn near the same. I dipped into my fries to mentally prepare myself for the challenge I was about to embark and that was when I encountered my one and only disappointment with Anvil & Forge. While I had a million fries in front of me, they were room temperature at best. Non-hot french fries are always a disappointment to have, even if they are great tasting. Turning to my sandwich, I was able to mash it down to a somewhat manageable endeavor and started eating it and that's when I forgot all about the fries. This sandwich was exquisite. Everything tasted high quality, each ingredient meshed well with the others and the whole thing was incredible. This is, without a doubt, the best sandwich I've had all year... maybe in a few years. It really blew me out of the water on how good it was. I sampled Emily's BBQ and was taken back by how good Blackberry BBQ can taste. Emily was equally in love with her sandwich and took half home to finish another time. Speaking of good things, I much preferred the 'Hefedoodle' to the "Nanner, Nanner, Nanner'. Emily was enamored with her 'Violet, Your Turning Violet' that she went back for a second. I wanted another but since I was driving, I needed to respect that. Gosh, just typing up this blog, seeing the pictures and remembering the taste has me considering another trip to Springfield in the very near future. If you find yourself in Springfield and want to experience some fine drinking and some even finer dining, Anvil & Forge does not disappoint (except for those french fries). read more

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Stopped here for dinner on a recommendation from a local. Excellent beer/cider list on tap and high-caliber cocktails. Food was also very good. The fries were some of the best I've had in a long time. Service staff were helpful and patient. Nice washrooms. Good outdoor seating. This place is packed on trivia night, so arrive early. Highly recommend. read more

Very tasty Cubano sandwich and fries. Broccoli beer cheese soup was thick and hearty. Vodka lemonade was great. In our 3 days and 2 night stay in Springfield this was our top pick. read more

Anvil & Forge Brewing and Distilling - Breweries Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

This place was an amazing find. Looking for a new place for lunch, I found this place nearby, and wanted to check it out. First thing I noticed is that it's bigger than it looks from outside. I also liked the decor, and the chill vibe I felt walking in. Isat at the bar (aa usual), and met my bartender/server Noah. He was real cool, and had no problem explaining the different craft beers, menu items, and any other questions I had. I ordered a a flight of A&F crafts, which were amazing, and for my meal I ordered the cheeseburger, LTO, with bacon. Now Noah did warn me about the big portions, but when I started to see orders come out of the open kitchen () I saw that he wasn't kidding! My burger came out, and I had to ask for a box immediately for over half the fries, which were amazing with malt vinegar! OK, the burger: easily, the best burger I've had thus far in years! They season it so good! I smiled the entire time I ate it! Will I come back here? YES! And I will try everything I can off tge menu because everything looked awesome! Thanks to Noah, and the entire staff! And I hear Trivia night is pretty cool as well. read more

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Due to our car breaking down (boo!) we found ourselves in downtown Springfield for lunch (yay!). We made our way over to the local brewpub and were overjoyed with what we discovered at Anvil & Forge. From the moment we walked in we loved the open wood and metal ambiance with vibrantly colored local artwork. An inviting and cool vibe! The staff were also friendly and welcoming, explaining that we could checkout menus on the table, but would need to order at the bar. The menu is extensive with cocktails (they are also a distillery), beers, and nonalcoholic options. We're beer people, so we went that route. I got the Dunkel and it was perfectly dark and caramel without being too heavy. My husband got an IPA and thoroughly enjoyed it! We were torn between some of the sandwiches and the pizzas, so we asked what they are most known for. Apparently they originated as a pizza joint, so we went that route. We shared the Meatza with side dipping sauces of ranch and blackberry BBQ. It was so good!!! The pizza was full of flavor and they do NOT skimp on toppings. Each bite was a flavor journey of carnivore delight. And it was so big we had leftovers! Always a win. Prices are very reasonable given the high quality food and drink. The space is clean and has plenty of seating. If we lived in the area, we would definitely make it a local haunt! We look forward to returning in the future! read more

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Wife and I ordered food as we wanted to try it and heard good things. Wasn't very busy at all and after 53 minutes I received mine. At the 60 minute mark I went to the counter because my wife still hadn't received hers. I asked for a to go box for mine and saw hers sitting on counter and said if that was hers then to just box it to go. Not sure why it took so long but probably won't go back again. Very disappointed. read more

Really great beer and drink selections, but the food is a standout for sure! We only got a couple of appetizers but would love to go back for a full dinner or lunch. We had the nachos and jalapeño/artichoke dip. Huge portions and tasted amazing! Definitely not your average "bar food." The service was great - offered really helpful suggestions. Within walking distance of several downtown attractions - we went after visiting the Abraham Lincoln Museum. Would love to go back! read more

Nice interior, a little loud for conversation. You order from the counter so not a lot of service here. I had the Turkey bacon ranch with slaw. The slaw was homemade and fresh. My wife had the Mac and cheese with grilled chicken. The appetizer portion was plenty read more

Anvil & Forge Brewing and Distilling - Mac and cheese - Breweries Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

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Delicious pizza and tasty house brewed beer, what more could you ask for. What a great place in downtown Springfield to spend an evening! Special thanks and kudos to Betsy for being a wonderful host! read more

We were traveling through the area and decided to check the place out. My wife got the turkey club and I got the smash burger. Both were excellent. We also both ordered salads. They were very good but huge. We realized we should have gotten fries so we ordered fries as another side. The fries were fantastic. Pro tip, the salads and fries are ample. If there are two of you, each get one or the other. There will be plenty of both to split. I tried two of the beers: Let's Party Lager and the Gold Top. They were fresh, flavorful and just what you would expect for the style. No gimmicks, just solid beer. It was surprisingly busy for a Wednesday night. The staff were fun and attentive. Great place. We will be back. read more

I actually got my friends to go there. They owned a bar and restaurant in downtown Springfield for many years. They told us they were busy and it would be an hour for food. We only get to see each every few months so we were OK with the wait. When our food came out, not everyone got their food. There were 6 of us and the last sandwich cam out 20 minutes after the others were served. When we questioned it, the girl who seemed to be the manager said"Well we were busy and you ordered after the others", which was a lie, as my wife ordered mine when she placed our order. I told them to forget it and she said you have to pay since we just made it. My friends were very disappointed with the food. read more

We love the burgers and salad. Today we tried the chicken. It wasn't the best. Lots of breading not so much meat. The place is nice. Not too loud. Bathrooms are clean. The service is great. This was our second time and the food was just as great as the first time. LOVED the onion rings. read more

Anvil & Forge Brewing and Distilling - Chicken Caesar salad. - Breweries Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

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All the food was amazing, they even have vegan options which is a huge plus for being inclusive. We tried the smash burger and vegan flatbread pizza among some other stuff and everything was well worth the price. Huge portions so come hungry. All the staff were super friendly, the place itself is a pretty lively bar with loud music so I wouldn't go expecting a nice quiet, restaurant setting on a weekend. The only gripe we had was waiting almost an hour for our food to come out, it was busier but even so it felt a little long of a wait. It happens, the food was well worth it though and we will be going back! read more

The ambiance is great if you're looking to a hopping, local microbrewery. The food is incredible. The chicken wings are just perfect. My favorite food is the Caesar salad, I don't believe anyone has better chicken for the salad. Lastly, can't forget the pizza. read more

We LOVE this place. We always eat at the bar to get a chance to talk to the staff who are always nice. I have never had a chicken sandwich taste so good. We drive up 2 hours from St. Louis to eat here every once in a while. The vodka lemonade with fruit added is amazing and the macaroni and cheese is the greatest I have ever tasted! The vibe of the joint is also pretty cool. read more

I got into Springfield a little early this afternoon, and my hotel is walking distance from a couple of breweries so I get to hit a couple today! Anvil & Forge is brewery visit #298 for me. Surprisingly A&F was pretty darn empty when I walked in at just after 4. They have quite a few large tables which are perfect for sitting down and chatting with some friends you hadn't met before. I sat at the bar as is usual for me. No flights available but they do 4 oz tasters so I chose a couple. I started out with Double Bean Dream, which clearly refers to vanilla and chocolate. Very nice and smooth cream ale with a lot of great flavor to it. Next up was the Extra-Medium Mild. A tasty little English mild ale. Of course the description said notes of coffee, chocolate, and toffee but I mostly just got toffee. The coffee flavor might have been eclipsed by the coffee flavor in the Double Bean. As usual though I found one that SWPFTD would definitely enjoy. Last up was Strawsomeberry Haze NEIPA. This had a really nice strawberry aroma which worked well with the hops. And don't take this wrong as I really did like the flavor, but the aroma was even better. I only tried three beers at A&F, but all of them were quite good. Don't judge me for only trying three as I'm hitting at least one more brewery today and probably two. Regardless, A&F is a win. Stop in, drink the beer, enjoy the place! If anyone is a glutton for punishment, please, follow my brewery, and distillery, reviews from across the U.S. and beyond! https://www.yelp.com/collection/-8iscFkpiiCI563-FDfwGg and if anyone is wondering who SWPFTD is you will have to check out my review of Black Market Brewing Co in Temecula, CA to understand. Yes, you will need to read into it a little to get the joke but I have confidence in you! I hope my confidence is not misplaced. read more

A place where we can hang out, enjoy excellent beer, and our kids get to play Catan? That's a surefire win for us! Pizza - delicious! Curry Chicken Salad Sandwich - unique and fantastic! Burger - best burger we've had in a long time Salad - fresh and tasty! Party of three adults and three kids hung out, played the games they have on loan (no fee), ate food, and most importantly (adults only!) enjoyed beer SO dang good that we toted a couple packs all the way home to Arizona! read more

The food was awesome. Pizzas are homemade (crust, sauce and sausage). Burgers are huge. Great choice near the Lincoln Library. There are board games to play while you wait. Just a good vibe to sit chill and have a great meal. read more

Anvil & Forge Brewing and Distilling - Bar area - Breweries Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

Mostly positives, one negative. Let's start with the only negative ... no bar service. If you want one of their amazing beers, you're stuck in a long line of people ordering food. This cut my orders of beer from a probable 4 to just 2. This isn't good because places like this need to survive. The beer was amazing as was the food. I ordered the pulled pork (pictured - which was perfection), but the burgers and pizzas that went by looked equally amazing. read more

Anvil & Forge Brewing and Distilling - Pulled pork, side salad with goat cheese vinaigrette, and Secret Shopper (Gose style beer). - Breweries Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

I just popped in after a day of work. The place is very clean and the service was very friendly. You can taste that the pizza was made from fresh ingredients. The beer and rum were built made in house and both tasty. This was a pleasant surprise! read more

Anvil & Forge Brewing and Distilling - Pepperoni Pizza and Double Bean Dream beer. - Breweries Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

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Wow, great place for food, beer and whiskey! They also have open mic nights and outdoor seating. read more

Anvil & Forge Brewing and Distilling - Welcome - Breweries Near Me - Springfield, Illinois

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Hip, tasty and... beer beyond your wildest dreams. Open Sundays for lunch is a plus! They specialize in pizza and this incredible artichoke dip and Mac and cheese but I ordered the salad. Got the lunch portion. This salad HITS. Tossed in a goat cheese vinaigrette and loaded with Parmesan and bacon, I basically grazed at full speed like a cow on cocaine until it was done. BEER! I got a Hefeweizen called the Heffedoodles and it was the BEST BEER IVE HAD IN MONTHS! I'm telling ya!!! Just an easily drinkable flavorful beer. The decor is a little steam punk or industrial with a side of classic rock ala hard rock. They have live music too. Do yourself a favor and get to Anvil and Forge!!! read more

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Was looking forward to trying this out. Bartender was more interested in her phone than serving us. Ended up leaving and going elsewhere. Would give zero if I could read more

Passing through town and was looking for a quick bite to eat. We stopped in during their lunch rush, so busy, but we ordered quick and had our food within 20-ish minutes. All of their food looked amazing. Ended up sharing chicken tenders and fries which were delicious, juicy, and fresh. We each had a beer too and loved those too. Highly recommend! read more

The guy at the register was disgustingly rude. They were working with a simple menu, which is fine, what they failed to mention was there was no customizations on anything and when we asked he acted like we asked for him find a vegan cow. Couldn't do something as simple as not add cheese and sauce to a burger. Didn't ask if we already had a tab and then got an attitude when we told him we had one after we went to order. April was extremely nice and helpful. The place is cute and has a lot of potential but unfortunately will not be back as long as he is behind the bar. read more

Food was good it just took an hour to get, meanwhile everyone at my table got there food and three other tables prior to me getting my food. Bartender was a very mean person to customers read more

We were immediately welcomed by the staff and thoroughly enjoyed sitting at the bar visiting with the locals! Outstanding Hazy IPA and perfectly balanced Hefeweizen accompanied the BEST salad we've ever eaten at a restaurant! The "goat cheese vinaigrette" was superb. Flatbread built with veggies was also top notch. Everything was fresh and delicious! We will definitely return. read more

The food was awesome and the portions are huge. The potato salad was great! I definitely needed a box for leftovers, though! read more

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We loved this place! I sent my hubby there while I got a haircut down the street. In the meantime, a massive rain storm moved in. When I was done slogging through the flood waters and torrential downpour to get to the bar, I was SOAKED and dripping. The bartender, Max greeted me at the door with many clean, DRY bar towels and a warm smile. He won my heart right there The beer was very good, the pizza was great too, and they even distill a good vodka there. My hubby can attest to their very special Moscow Mule. Give them a try when you're in town! read more

Excellent service, food is especially good and creative pub grub, microbrew offerings, and atmosphere. My favorite place in Springfield. My wife and I often have our weekly dates there, especially Sunday mornings when we play board games together there. read more

A friend from Springfield said they had great pizza, and he was right! Piping hot, freshly made, great toppings, cool vibe, and a friendly bartender. Glad I stopped, and I'll be back. read more

Nice, open area. Calm atmosphere. The bartenders were nice and attentive. I did not have any food but had a few beers. The Harvest Moon was a nice stout that wasn't too heavy which I enjoyed. read more

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Great to see the downtown being brought back to life old buildings given life. This place is filled with wood and metal for an industrial feel. They have a stage to host live music the sound must be amazing with the open feel. We would recommend building your own pizza it comes out quick and hot from the wood burning stove it's a 10 out of 10 read more

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I'm very frustrated with the service. I ended up falling and nobody came to help to check on me. My boyfriend came to pick me up and nobody came to see if I was okay. She gave attitude when asked to put up a sign. read more