One of the best in Batavia. Great personal service and beer. Fun hangout. My hubs and I drop in for…read more1 or 3 depending on if we drove about once a month at least. And love bringing people here.

Checked out this newer brewery in Batavia. It has a lot of room inside, but even that isn't enough…read morefor the large groups, and parties. Sturdy Shelter has a pretty good variety. A good amount of choices, whether it's light or a strong one that will kick ass. They also have a food menu, with basics such as pretzels and snacks. For the most part it's good. It's located in an old building downtown that has a couple levels. The upstairs is often used for private events like parties. If it's not available then it's hard to get a seat anywhere. The seats at the bar fill up, and there's only a few tables. It's about $7 a pint. There's a few of the more stronger ones that cost more though. Best one we had the last time was the 3 Amigos Imperial Stout. Full bodied and thick as a brick too. There's notes of ancho chilis, cacao nibs, cinnamon, and vanilla. Also got something to eat. It's $8 for the Bavarian Pretzel. Helps to absorb the alcohol. They also have chips and salsa among the food options. Got to add it to the list of breweries that seem to be everywhere in this city. It's located on Shumway Avenue in a historic old building full of history. This is a popular place to have private events or whatever.

Stopped by on a Saturday when there was a hosted comedy show…read more I noticed there was multiple seating areas but the comedy show was hosted in their largest room. I was pleasantly surprised at how well the space was converted to accommodate a non- music event (including sofas upfront - which I enjoyed thoroughly). Our server was kind and attentive before, during and after the show and her presence didn't distract from the show either. I was easily able to enjoy my beer while laughing through the sets. My friends were able to enjoy some beers and canned cocktails as well. We all were impressed with the combination of sold out event and service. I would recommend coming by here on any night - especially one with live entertainment.

Came here and hit up this longtime local favorite of a brewery. It has expanded to other locations…read moreand its products can be found many other places but this is the best place to get it. Pollyanna is one of the top attractions in downtown St. Charles along the Fox River. Has the brewery as well as a patio that's nice when it's warm enough. They also have a distillery for those who are getting the hard stuff. Best thing about this place is of course the beer, but it also has a chill atmosphere. It's located in the middle of downtown in a plaza. There's a patio in front that will be packed in warm weather. For this particular trip we sat inside. The inside is actually pretty big, and has the bar area as well as an area with quite a few tables. It's about $7 a pint. There was a pretty good variety. I got the Sweater Paws. It's a blonde ale that's on the lighter side. This beer has notes of coffee and vanilla. As for the food, not much else besides $1 or so bags of chips but you can bring stuff in. Has Colleen's Breadsticks for $6 a bag which are local. There's several restaurants next to here that will deliver an order. Has a pretty fun atmosphere and most important has good beers to choose. It also has cans to go. The brewery also hosts some food trucks.

Great service. Went for restaurant week and for and extra $10 came with a beer pairing. Food and…read morebeer was pretty good and reasonably priced.

My experience with Hopvine Brewing was incredibly disappointing, and unfortunately it ended before…read morewe were ever able to order a single beer or meal. On July 26, 2026, my wife called the restaurant specifically to ask if their patio was dog friendly because we planned to bring our small dog. She was told that it was. Based on that information, we drove 31 minutes to the brewery looking forward to trying several of their beers. When we arrived, the employee informed us that only service animals were permitted on the patio. I explained that my wife had called ahead and spoken with a male employee who told us dogs were allowed. The employee admitted he was the person who answered the phone, but first claimed my wife never mentioned bringing a dog. I was present during the call and know that she specifically asked about bringing our dog. He then changed his explanation and said he "must not have understood." I found that explanation difficult to believe. I then informed him that our dog is a service dog. Instead of asking the questions permitted under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), he repeatedly asked to see the dog's credentials. Under ADA guidance, businesses generally may not require documentation or certification for a service animal. Even after I explained this, he continued asking for credentials. To make matters worse, this all occurred around dinner time when the restaurant and patio were completely empty--we were the only customers there. The entire experience left me feeling unwelcome and frustrated. Whether this was the result of poor employee training or company policy, the staff handled the situation in a way that reflected poorly on the business. I drove over half an hour to visit a brewery I was genuinely excited to experience, only to leave without ever being served. I'm an avid craft beer enthusiast who travels around the country reviewing breweries and sharing my experiences. It's unfortunate because Hopvine had several beers I was looking forward to trying and reviewing. Instead, my only takeaway from this visit was a very disappointing customer service experience. I hope Hopvine provides better training to its staff on both communicating accurate information to customers and understanding the ADA's requirements regarding service animals.If you're posting this publicly, you may also want to attach any evidence you have (such as a call log showing the timing of the call) and keep the review focused on your firsthand experience, as that tends to make reviews more credible. Until then I would avoid this brewery at all cost until they can update their pet policy and provide better customer service.

The food was delicious for everyone but our grandson he ordered Mac and cheese off the kids menu…read more He took one bite and said it was spicy. We all found that hard to believe, so both his grand father and father said it was spicy. Why make kids Mac and cheese spicy for kids.

So me and my wife recently visited the brewery since it looks like the Mead Hall is separate from…read morethe brewery. Since the Mead Hall was closed, I figured that they would have some of their products over in the brewery. Unfortunately, this is not the case because the brewery is full of random other local beers instead of Obsecurity Brewing drinks. The staff was friendly but I did think that the food was very overpriced. The bar wasn't too busy either on a Sunday but I do love the theme of this place and it has an outdoor section. It seems very reminiscent to sound Growler Brewing in Tinley Park. Overall, I love the brewery feeling a bit disappointed

Mike is awesome. Very cool place. Will be buying my kegs as long as I'm in st Charles. Thanks!read more

My husband and I love this brew shop! I was able to get him all of the equipment he needed to brew…read morehis first batch as a lovely Christmas present. The guys who own the place/work here are so friendly and knowledgeable. They give you any and all of the advice that you could ever need regarding brewing beer, cider or meade! I'm so glad they now make cider, as I loved trying a flight of all three flavors. My husband was impressed by their variety of craft beers, especially ones that aren't super common. It is a fun place to hang out and relax and talk to new people. They offer bar snacks and small cheese flights, plus beer to go. They also offer beer classes, which I hope they advertise more to the public. This is such a great spot to be able to host events and teach people all sorts of new brewing information or whatever else. We can't wait to come back. We couldn't have done our first batch of home brewing without this place!

I can't believe I'm the first to review Brother Chimp - this is such a great local spot…read more We actually came here because of the IL brewery summer passport. Trying to branch out instead of going to the same places we know we love. Brother Chimp shares a parking lot with another business, but the signage is very clear on where to go. The inside is relatively small but I have to give 1000 stars for the barstools. THANK YOU for not having those poor excuse for a chair metal stools. These are actual seats so we obviously already wanted to stay longer. We tried different styles of beer and the Hefeweizen was by far one of my favorites. The people working were so nice & gave us good recommendations on what to try next. It looks like they have tons of different events during the week including food trucks on the weekend.

Not happy going to the brewery with no food trucks when they said they were going to be there not…read morehappy since 45 hours of beer no food not coming back

Quick update in response to MaryBeth's review from July 17, since I was at the brewery at the time…read moreand saw the whole thing. Two young girls were repeatedly running in and out of the restrooms, slamming the doors, yelling, and disturbing other customers nearby. A staff member asked that the behavior stop. Instead of acknowledging the issue and correcting them herself, MaryBeth took exception to the correction and doubled down. I stayed long enough to see how it played out. Despite what she implies, no one was cited or charged with anything. The police responded, made it clear they were uninterested in the situation, and everyone went on with their day. People can certainly have different opinions about how the situation should have been handled, but this review does not accurately reflect what I witnessed. Most parents either wouldn't allow their children to behave that way in the first place or would simply correct them and move on. Writing a review that misrepresents what happened is another matter entirely.

A small brewery in a haunted place that is giving me a total home vibe you so know I'm all for it!…read more Right here was where it was at from the start as this was a was a kinda spontaneous adventure here and I must say I'm happy we came as they have one of the best sours I've had in their BOUJIE FRÜT as it was rich in berry taste as well as a bit tart definitely a really good beer along with the others in our flight we just enjoyed them on their very mellow patio! A good brewery will always have yummy food too and right here I must say they totally are doing that with their burgers if then we went with the bacon and guacamole burger and it was just what it should be cooker perfect and full of flavor with each bite of our burger goodness. The bartenders here were friendly and fast to serve everyone on a busy night which I can tell this place gets busy on the weekends as we were here early on a Friday and it was already getting packed. Overall this is a great local brewery with good food and beers it's the type of place I would frequent if I lived in the area!

Great service from this store. Very small but has a selection of beer and wine that is incomparable…read moreto other stores in the area. Not only is the store clean and comfortable but they have beer tastings and events that are great.

Huge variety of beer and liquor and the proprietor, BJ, knows his business. This isn't your…read moretypical, low-end, neighborhood booze shop. Most of the products here are high-end or of the craft variety and are very reasonably priced. BJ frequently has beer, wine, and liquor tastings and great specials on new products, many of which are hard to find anywhere else. My favorite is the build-your-own-six-pack from his wall of beers and ciders. Delish.