My wife and I celebrated our anniversary here last night after making reservations on OpenTable. We…read morewere warmly greeted by the host who acknowledged our event and seated us in the back overlooking the brew room, very nice. It was my first visit to your restaurant though my wife has been here before with friends. Chad was our server. He pleasantly explained the drink and dining menus and took good care of us all evening. My bride had her favorite drink, The French Martini, and you guys nailed it for her! I was very happy with the 2025 Pils. Dinner was amazing, Skirt steak for her, brisket for me with Yukon potatoes following salads for both of us. The quality and taste of the food was great and makes us want to come back and sample other dishes. We received great service and a nice complimentary glass of champagne (with Ho-Ho's) to finish our celebration. At the end of the evening we received a big surprise when Chad came over with news that we had no bill to pay as my wife's daughter and her husband had secretly called to pay the tab! So thoughtful of them to treat us and to top off a memorable meal and milestone in our lives.

Went to Hardware in North Aurora and came away with mixed feelings…read more The good: ambiance is great and the drinks were on point. Had the Marilyn saison and a solid dark beer. Bar program is strong. The short rib pot pie was a straight up winner. Rich, comforting, and not trying to be anything other than good food done right. The bone marrow lost me. Cooked well, but buried under too many microgreens and then oddly topped with tortilla chip strips. No smokiness either. It felt more confused than cohesive. Where it really started to miss was the overall approach. A lot of "the chef intends this..." type explanations. It ends up feeling like the food insists upon itself instead of just letting you enjoy it. That's the bigger issue. This place exists in a space where I don't think most people want to meet it. Not casual enough to relax, not refined enough to justify the performance. Bottom line: good drinks, great pot pie, but the experience tries a little too hard.

Visiting friends and we decided to go out brewery hopping in the Aurora & Batavia areas. So glad…read morethat brought us to Sturdy Shelter Brewing. There was a good size crowd there which added to the experience because everyone was enjoying their delicious beers and it was great meeting people. It felt like a community gathering place. It's a big place so it can handle a lot of people without it feeling overly crowded. There was live music on the upstairs level that everyone was enjoying. The beers were fantastic. It's a challenge to decide what beer you want because there is a lot of delicious options. I went with the ESB because it's a great style of beer you can't often find. Others in our group recommend their Hazy IPA. Easily a 5 star rating. Make sure to visit this amazing brewery in Batavia. Russ & Jan Livonia, MI

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.

Checked out this brewery in Yorkville and got some local beers. Fox Republic has been here awhile,…read moreand benefits from being the only such place around it. It pretty much only has beers, but it also has a distillery next to it where you can get that stuff too. Has more of these than expected. There's some pretty cool flavors. Breweries like this are known for their limited hours and selections, but here neither is the case. It's actually got quite a bit to choose from. There's a few pretty interesting and unique flavors, too. A lot of these rotate so it makes people come back. It's about $7 a pint. We had a few of these. Best we had was the Mist Walker, a hazy IPA. This is a pretty strong one. Has a window into Home Run Hot Dogs. It's got a few including veggie dogs that are made Chicago style. Also is known for their stuffed pretzels. They let you bring in stuff. Great place to get locally made beers. It's actually open daily if you can even believe it. They're open longer on weekends.

This place had been on my list to try for awhile and finally made it out to Yorkville. I saw their…read moresour weekend on Facebook so made the trek out. As they had many options I wanted try, I opted for flights. They offer 4 5oz pours for $10. My faves were foxy sour beer nerdz and the case eagle. The Carmel apple was a miss for me. They also offer tequila seltzers and sodas. Friendly service and plenty of seating.

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.

The food here is amazing. I've been a couple times and I cannot stop talking about the pear and…read moreGouda sandwich and the cowboy smashed burger. Everything was baked or fried to crispy perfection. Staff was very friendly and helpful.

Underwhelming. My…read morewife and I stopped today for lunch prior to seeing a play at the Paramount. First, the table we were given wobbled badly. So we moved to another table and it also wobbled. I propped a folded napkin to steady the table. Our server was friendly and respectful, but slow. We ordered a Fried Brussel Sprouts for an appetizer. They were nice and crispy, but lacked seasoning -- salt, for example -- none! My wife ordered the strip steak. It was loaded with gristle; she had no choice but to leave partly chewed beef on her plate; gross, but necessary. I ordered the fish tacos. There was so much salad on these tacos, it rendered the fish non-existent; literally, I couldn't taste, or even find the fish. We finished with a slice of Creme Brûlée Cheesecake that was amazing!! Delicious! While Two Brother's beer is generally exceptional, and the atmosphere at the Roundhouse is quite interesting, their food sucks. They need a new chef!!

New Years Eve Party Don't waste your money on this type of…read moreevent. The food was bearable, appetizers were sub part, seating was terrible and the open bar only offered Two Brothers liquor. I ordered a Bacardi and diet coke with a lime and was told that they only served TB rum. Their rum was terrible. Plus you had to pay for mixed drinks. I've been to Abbington's NYE, it was $50 more but you get a hell more. Never will I go to Two Brothers for any meal or event. If there was a minus star for this even they got it.

Loved the neighborhood pub vibe of Spartan Ale House. It is a gem of a gathering place and the…read moreowners and staff are super nice. It was my first visit on a chilly Thursday night, but clearly a lot of regular patrons in here. I was there for an after work social and the appetizers I tasted were all delicious. I loved that the chicken wings were plain for dipping and not heavily breaded. Exactly how I prefer mine. If you are a first timer, like I was, be cautious of the one way parking flow. I will be back after "Dry January!"

Drinks were great. Food was meh. Cost vs quality, go somewhere else. Service was good. Ambiance was…read morelike any other gastropub. Would go back to grab drinks and hang out.

We just got to go yesterday from this place. We ordered two chocolate lava cakes and buffalo…read morecauliflower wings. I mean the food was just okay - like the cake was more soufflé ish than cake and the cauliflower wings were partially undercooked and the buffalo sauce could be more. Thought when I went to pick up the food the ambiance seemed nice and fun so not sure if going in person we would eat other things would be nicer. But so far based on my experience - it's been pretty okay! Nothing wow!

Clean and open atmosphere. Service was quick and food was very tasty with a good selectionread more

Absolutely amazing place. This was our first stop on many of the day. We ended up buying a tin…read moretracker and a couple of stickers. Great place! The manager was our bartender and she crushed it.

Love the drinks and love the staff even more. Our bartender, Ryan, went above and beyond. He gave…read moreus a few tastes and asked what we liked and didn't like to find abeer we loved. (They also have spirits, wine and seltzers.) The atmosphere was great with upbeat music and a game on the screen. Definitely recommend giving them a try!

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.

I love Pollyanna. Besides having great indoor and outdoor spaces, their variety is great.read more

The absolute best old fashioned I've ever had. Great atmosphere. Friendly staff. Good beers and…read moreeven better bourbon.

They seem closed. I hope they open again soon, since the outdoor spaces looked great! Their…read morewebsite implies they are trying to reopen but everything is shuttered. I had a chance to go more than a year ago and liked their beers. Now I wish I had gone more often.