What a great find! Stumbled on this gem after visiting the tulip festival and enjoyed a fabulous brisket sandwich, delicious baked beans, and a creamy mac and cheese. The Vanilla Doom Red Ale was so good we had a buy a 4-pack to go! Highly recommend! read more

Had a really great experience at Obscurity! They had a decently wide selection of beers on tap and a whole list of speciality cocktails. They also serve BBQ as well which we weren't out for food but the smell was more than enough to convince us to come back for the food. They also have multiple pinball machines. Taylor, the bartender was one of the best bartenders we've had. She's so personable and kind! Definitely reccomend here and am so excited to try the food next time! read more

Obscurity Brewing - Wall Art/Pinballs - Breweries Near Me - Elburn, Illinois

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I'll start by saying I hate these restaurants and bars that don't have any paper menus. They're too cheap to print a few. I hate using those phones to see a menu, as it took me 20 minutes just to order a flight of beer. If you don't have a smart phone, you can't order anything. They don't even have a chalkboard with the beers listed. Then I ordered a brisket sandwich and specifically told the waitress I didn't want the lettuce and tomato on it, which was listed on the menu. When I got my sandwich there was lettuce and tomatoes on it. It ruined the sandwich. To make matters worse, you couldn't get anything fried, as they turned on the fryer too late and it wasn't heated up. I will not be going back here unless they offer a paper menu. read more

Good brewery with food in a small town! They serve BBQ food, and the beer was geared towards the sweeter beers, us 2 girls like them - and we don't even like beer, and the boys didn't much. The food was good, and I don't prefer BBQ food, the other 3 really enjoyed it. I liked trying the fried potato salad & the corn bread! It was a cold day & we couldn't find a place to sit in the place that was warm enough to take our coats off. read more

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Such incredible vibes at Obscurity. Large space plenty of stuff to do there. The beers are so different than your regular brewery beers that help show the name of the brewery being Obscurity. Their Orange Pop Golden Ale tastes just like an orange fanta pop and it was incredible! The only bad think to say about it is I went to buy some to bring back to Nebraska was I couldn't pull the trigger on buying 4 cans for $14.00. The burnt ends has a seasoning that was sweet but also salty that was so so good. I found myself scooping as much seasoning on each piece that I could. I wish it was closer. read more

Obscurity Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Elburn, Illinois

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Great food and atmosphere despite a rough start. We came on a Saturday evening and we must have just missed the rush. It wasn't too busy but it seemed like every table had dirty dishes on it. We originally wanted to sit on the patio outside but no one seemed to be cleaning the tables so we claimed one of the last clean ones inside. It then took a second for anyone to acknowledge us but once we flagged someone down it was smooth sailing. I tried the BBQ pork bowl which I loved. I tend to love "bowl" style meals. The bowl seemed small at first when it came to our table but it was deceiving and pretty filling. I love that this place has the classic BBQ offerings but also had some more unique apps. read more

Obscurity Brewing - BBQ Pork Bowl - Breweries Near Me - Elburn, Illinois

The food was absolutely delicious. Great barbecue. Great variety of options. Drinks were good. Service was fantastic. Definitely family friendly. My kiddos loved all the pinball machines read more

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A nice surprise in elburn. We are not really beer drinkers, but we gifted ourselves a "weekly date ideas" kit for Christmas and this week was "brewery tour". Luckily we had a few nearby to choose from and decided this won the coin toss. Admittedly we had hoped to partake in their cider/messers but hadn't seen in the website that that space is now a private events space only. So we ended up across the street (kind of) at the brewery. It's got a great vibe with quirky, industrial decor and a wall of pinball machines. Happily they had some Non-Alcoholic options including three malt beverage options so I could still partake in the "brewery" themed date night. Menu is extensive, if somewhat confusing. Many non-Obscurity options as well as a great selection of BBQ and other food. We tried the "pick three" BBQ plate with two sides. It came with all three BBQ sauces and enough food to fill us up and give leftovers for another day. It wasn't busy and service was speedy as would he expected. They do have live music some nights and an outdoor patio but neither were available the night we were there. read more

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The Mac n cheese was very dry, I mean where was the cheese? We've had it in years past and it was amazing, but that is apparently changed . The brisket was tasty but the bowl is advertised as Mac n Cheese. Hardly any CHEESE....The ribs were not great. Sauces & flavor was good but the meat was not an enjoyable texture. A bit mealy is how I'd describe it. Also 1/2 slab 24$... I'd be fine with that if it was fantastic but it wasn't . The server never bothered to ask us how we were liking our food till the very end and then the question was how are you doing? At that point I did not feel like giving my honest answer . I'm giving that here. Very disappointing. we will not return. Check my reviews , you can see I don't like to leave negative reviews but this felt necessary. YMMV read more

When you mix beer and BBQ together,you can't go wrong! Located in downtown Elburn,this brewery offers some unique beers with mouthwatering BBQ. Plus they have a beer garden with live music ( Check website for schedule) Went on a Saturday for lunch and were seated immediately. The server Anna P was very helpful. We ordered a flight..5 oz pours of Orange Pop(Blonde Ale),Tow City(Wheat beer),Vanilla Doom (Red Ale) ,Moon Berry (Mead) ,Strawberry Rhubarb (Cider) . All were pretty solid. They also offer an extensive cocktail menu. For lunch we had the brisket with street corn and sweet heat BBQ sauce and Alabama white sauce. The brisket was juicy ..melt in your mouth and both sauces were fantastic. Also tried their Honey Grilled Bologna with spicey mustard. It was ok but a little on the salty side. Would have preferred a Hot Honey sauce instead. Great place to stop in just for drinks,music, appetizers or lunch/dinner ..will definitely be back! read more

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Great place to enjoy bbq and a cold one in Elburn. It's got a whimsical industrial feel with a variety of seating both inside and out including an outdoor area set up for entertainment. They have a large variety of beer, ciders, mead and cocktails to choose from. Service was excellent and very friendly. The brisket was melt in your mouth tender and portions are large. You can also purchase some of your favorite beers to go. read more

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They wouldn't sell us beer if we weren't sitting at a table. We were told that we could not stand and drink are beers. This is an over managed establishment. Beer ok. read more

One of my favorites! Great beer and service is always exceptional. Bar tenders are always friendly and have great recommendations!

Went here for an event and grabbed dinner while here. The outdoor beer garden is great space. Service is good out there as well. Ventured in for dinner. Beer was good but the barbecue is the star. Brisket is great. Cornbread is a must order. Mac and cheese out of this world. Elote is strong too. read more

Read a recent article about the brewery, so we decided to try it. A new cider maker recently joined from 2 Fools Cider when they closed. The brewery is large and has a restaurant area and bar area. They had several ciders to try and I tried a few. The Tart Cherry was just as it sounds, tart and cherry. My husband tried several beers. They had a soda pop theme, lemon-lime , black cherry, orange and ales. They were different and worth a try. They serve BBQ food and it was excellent. We shared a pick 3- shrimp, turkey and pork with 3 sides, beans, street corn and mashed potatoes. The meats were so tender, the turkey was amazing. The side portions were generous and very good. It offers a lot of options of beers, ciders, drinks and outstanding food. Worth the visit. read more

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Visited obscurity brewing with my daughter, son-in-law, adult son & wife for dinner on Thursday, April 25th. We were greeted promptly & warmly by the hostess as she sat us down and took our adult drink order. I ordered the Raspberry Bourbon Sour (Four Roses Bourbon, Chambord, sour mix, Raspberry Syrup, Bitters for $14.) loved this cocktail so much I went out and purchased all the ingredients to make it at home! My wife ordered a Rye Elderflower Old Fashioned ( Bulleit rye, St. Germain, Honey Simple Syrup, Bitters for $14.) She liked it but was a bit too strong for her taste. My daughter ordered a Spicy Pickle (Tito's, lime juice, house made jalapeño simple syrup & celery bitters; rimmed with Tajin & garnished with jalapeño & pickle.) if you love pickles you will be in heaven! My son & son-in-law both ordered the smoked Bloody Mary (house made fusion smoked garlic, sriracha, tomato juice, secret blend of spices, celery bitters, vodka, rimmed with Tajin & garnished with lime, lemon, olive, & pickle for $13.) This was such a hit they both ordered two rounds. For dinner we ordered the following: The men ordered: pick 3 (Brisket, shoulder & ribs) with the following sides ( backed beans, Midwest street corn, fried potato salad, & Mac & cheese) the meats were perfectly cooked, all were juicy and not dried out. The sides were also amazing (my favorite was the fried potato salads). My wife & daughter ordered Turkey Breast sandwich & beef brisket sandwich, both of which they both enjoyed. We all will definitely be returning both for the cocktails and food. read more

Obscurity Brewing - 3 meat dinner with fried smoked salad - Breweries Near Me - Elburn, Illinois

Stop in for a quick lunch. She had the Portobello burger and really enjoyed it. Her extra choice was baked beans which sweet and semi spicy. We shared them and they were very good. I had the BBQ pork bowl which was tasty and had enough for two. My extra was a half order of Obscure fries. They were flavored nicely and there were more than enough for us. We will be back. read more

We use to really enjoy coming here. Our only complaint was the menu always felt like it was missing things for a BBQ joint. When we came today, we were super excited when we saw the new menu and all of the new dishes. Unfortunately we walked away incredibly disappointed. The brisket was tasteless whereas before it was full of flavor. My husbands brisket was greasy and mine was super dry, both lacked any flavor. I always get the smokehouse salad with brisket and was so disappointed in the entire flavor profile going away and it was just bland. My husband got the Philly brisket and his bun was soaking wet and the cheese was just clumped on the meat. We also tried the cornbread and it was awful. It was dry and tasted like a cinnamon roll - cornbread should not taste like that. I really hope they keep the new menu options but bring the flavor profiles back, the quality back, and figure out how to do the new items right. read more

love this place. foods good, beers great! no complaints. service is good and it's a nice family vibe with the pinball games. claw machines are hard tho, save your money from those and stick with the pinball. read more

Obscurity Brewing - irish pop - Breweries Near Me - Elburn, Illinois

Love this place, great beer and good food. Unfortunately it seems like every time I go here the price increases. The most recent time I went it was $39 before tip for just brisket and a side. No drink, nothing extra. won't be dining here again. Kinda sad, loved the food here. read more

Average food, out of many menu items at 6pm on a Saturday. The service was poor food took forever to get here many people in our party were done eating before other people even got their food. There was a band playing and it was so loud you couldn't even talk to the person next to you, way to much bass and not family friendly songs. read more

Cool people will probably say there's not much going on in Elburn. If so they probably don't know about this place. Obscurity is an appropriate name because it's not known like other breweries and the town itself is obscure as well. Lots of beers on tap as well as in cans. There's also food that's mostly barbecue but also has some other things. After hearing about this place and wanting to go we finally came here. It actually had a pretty good crowd inside. This feels more like a bar than a restaurant except that it does have a kitchen. Beers are the main thing here. It's about $7 a pint. There's lots of interesting flavors and varieties. Among the ones we got was the Grape Pop Cultured. It seriously tasted like grape pop. Pretty sweet figuratively and literally, but I still like beer tasting beer though. Among the food is less options especially for vegetarians because it's mostly barbecue. The Obscurity Fries are $7 and pretty good to snack on. These are seasoned with Old Bay Lemon Pepper Rub. Simple yet good. There's also salads but most have bacon on these, no surprise. For sure it's one of the better places around here. It certainly has the best variety of beers and there's liquor if you prefer that. The food is pretty limited if not getting meat but that's the only bad thing, and you can bring in whatever. read more

Obscurity Brewing - Grape Pop Cultured And Obscurity Fries - Breweries Near Me - Elburn, Illinois

Went here Saturday around lunch time. The service was good and the drinks were tasty. They had a wide variety of beers on tap as well as a pretty full menu. We ordered the Bbq Mac sandwich. It included half pint side which we got Mac and cheese. The sandwich was good and had decent flavor however it was a bit dry. It could have used some bbq sauce. The Mac and cheese had good flavor and definitely did not lack cheese. :) We were so hungry we devoured the food before I could get a picture. I wanted to purchase a tshirt, but unfortunately they only had size Small and xxl so that was disappointing as well. read more

Obscurity Brewing - Flight - 5 , 5 Oz pours - Breweries Near Me - Elburn, Illinois

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Great beer and good food. Would definitely recommend stopping by. You will always find a unique beer on tap here.

One of my favorite microbreweries hands down! So many beers on tap that it's hard to choose a favorite. If you like a NE IPA try the Sock Puppet Party and Vanilla Doom is a great red ale. The food is incredible and where else can you get honey grilled baloney! Try the bao buns and brisket. Quite honestly, you can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Servers are all super friendly and the vibe is chill. You'll want to stick around and hang out for a while. In the summer there's a patio. Not a great view but still nice to sit outside. Bonus, nearby is a mead bar that they also own. read more

Obscurity Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Elburn, Illinois

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Obscurity Brewing has delicious barbecue that's cooked in house, daily!! The atmosphere is pretty cool there, too. My family loves to utilize the large picnic tables in the back, so we can all sit together. I highly recommend their pop culture beer, as well. It is super sweet, and tastes just like juice. I love this place! read more

My review does not include reference to brewing as I am not a beer drinker. Friends decided to try Obscurity as they've been hearing a lot of buzz about the place. I'm giving it a four star review for the following reasons: 1. Outstanding service - our server was the best (I wish I capture his name but he is a ginger) 2. Food was better than expected The fried potato salad was so delicious. I was skeptical at first - it wasn't overly coated in mayo, it had nice flavors with real bacon delish! We ordered the 3 meat sampler. Ribs were perfectly seasoned; not too salty which allowed you to actually taste the meat. Turkey was moist and the ranch sauce was a nice addition to add extra flavor. The brisket was melt in your mouth. 3. Atmosphere It's a little loud for my liking but we still were able to engage in conversation 4. Cleanliness The place was clean. Yes with kids there was some crumbs and some food on the floor but it's to be expected with kids I highly recommend giving this place a visit! Good food, great service, cool place! read more

Stopped at Obscurity while passing through. Great little brewery, even though I'm not a beer gal. I was happy they took into consideration those of us that may not be beer or seltzer drinkers. They have a pretty decent cocktail menu, I had the pomegranate margarita, smooth and tasty. Started our experience with the cauliflower in the sweet heat bbq, delicious. We shared the pick 3. We had the shoulder, brisket and shrimp plus Mac and cheese and mashed potatoes. All the protein was great, none of it was dry. We did try all three sauces, sweet heat was our favorite. It seems no matter what there is always something, good, bad or indifferent. My "always something" wasI felt the Mac and cheese was a little bland and that potatoes were ok, loaded mashed aren't one of my faves. The atmosphere is really cool. Everything was clean, always a plus. We went in the middle of the day during the week so they weren't busy but I'd love to go back and check out some of the live music they offer, seems like it'd be a really cool vibe. read more

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We stopped in here after apple picking nearby. Very friendly atmosphere. We had a group of 4 adults and 2 kids under 4 yrs old and everyone enjoyed themselves. They had high chairs and crayons with a coloring menu for the kids which was so nice. We enjoyed the beers we tasted too. Our server was great and helped us with suggestions. The meats were great; my husband and I were both surprised the Turkey was our favorite - really well done. The corn and baked beans were also good sides tho both had a kick to them. Really great spot and we will be back next time we are in the area. read more

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This is my 3rd time and very last , I should have know last month when we waited 30 min for service on the patio , tried walking out bc we never had anyone come over and then finally someone said oh I'll take care of you don't leave . The beer here is fantastic , but the service is nothing short of awful !! I get being short staffed but then don't seat so many tables at once . After trying it again today , we decided to share one of the specials a brisket Philly sandwich , when it was brought to us is seemed that there was no cheese , after asking the person that brought it to us he brought it back to mind you an open kitchen and watching 2 different people lift it up and look into it we were very turned off !! Whoever the manager or owner was in the kitchen touched our sandwich and roll her eyes at us we just took it back . The lack of any sort of cheese whether it was under the obnoxiously salted brisket or anywhere we gave up . I make brisket quite frequently and understand it can be a fattier type of meat , if you're going to put it on a sandwich you would think they'd trim some of it . We had to pick off most of it and put it to the side , no one came back to check on us once . We had to flag someone else down to get the beer I ordered which we could see sitting at the bar for a long time . I love supporting local and would love to have been able to give this another try but 3x your done. A little effort would go a long way . The manager or owner or whoever she was could clearly see we didn't have a great time and yet just kept rolling her eyes at us .After $150 including tip for a grilled cheese , a fatty sandwich and another sandwich you would think it would be amazing . I'll spend my hard earned money somewhere else . It's a shame read more

Had lunch here the other day. I really like the beers I had and my wife enjoyed her drink. Service was really slow. It took 45 minutes for two appetizers and it was not busy. Food was not very good either. Had the pork buns and smoked bologna. Buns were cold. Smoked bologna was just ok. There are better places to get BBQ in the area. read more

Obscurity Brewing - Pork Buns and Smoked Bologna - Breweries Near Me - Elburn, Illinois

I have been here multiple times. Obscurity definitely has a cool vibe, and if you are in the area and like smoked meats, it's a must! I typically stick to the apps, and I love their side salad. I know, sounds boring, but not for me and not at Obscurity. They use actual greens and plenty of veggies, and I really like the spicy ranch. The Mexican Street Corn is very yummy, so are the tots and the hummus platter. I don't eat much meat, but this place is always packed so their smoked meats must be good. As for the beers, they brew them on site, adding to the cool vibe. They will do tasters, and most of the services are really willing to talk you through your pallet compared to what they have. Lasterday is one in my favorite drafts, but definitely tell your server what you like to find your favorite. My only drawback at Obscurity is the smell. Make sure you are ready shower after going there because the smoker is huge, indoor and your will definitely carry that scent in your hair when you leave. read more

The setting is cool, a big rustic barn and the brewery with the tanks are visible. From the reviews I was expecting great bbq, but unfortunately it was disappointing. Pulled pork was dried out and the small portion of mediocre ribs doesn't justify the price. The potato salad was strange . I had an Amber beer which was good , but the service is slooww. Maybe I caught them on a bad day. read more

Food is good, drinks are great- this is one of my favorite places.... But.... The patio is not far from an open outdoor area with a band (and this happens often), so we can hear the loud band music, plus the canned bar music from the speakers on the patio! The competition is fierce and unpleasant.... I have asked several times if they can turn off the patio music, and have been denied every time. This is the one reason I hesitate to return. read more

Obscurity Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Elburn, Illinois

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Service was helpful & patient. The Food was very good. The atmosphere has an interesting feel and enjoyable. read more

Used to be thriving but ownership has gotten over confident, cut costs, can't retain staff and under poor leadership. Service suffers and food quality as well. What happens when you acquire too many businesses instead of focusing on the strong performer. read more

Went with a party of 7 on a nice summer night. Last call at 8.30 and the staff locked the door at 9 before we left and a table full of dishes! They seemed in a rush to close, not provide service. Very disappointing read more

Drinks took over 20 minutes while bartender stood around. Food was good and came before drink

First time out to this brewery/BBQ place. I'm giving it a solid 4 stars. We both loved the Good Kiss IPA (west coast style). My husband, the real beer connoisseur, said it was the best IPA in the area. My husband had the pork shoulder grinder. It comes on a long bun with tomato and lettuce and a side of BBQ sauce. He said it was pretty good. I had the smoked brisket and a side of fries. It was super tender but I didn't taste a lot of smoke. The fries were outstanding. The space inside is huge and I would have been okay in there as it was not crowded on a Wednesday night. Outside they have a covered patio with about a dozen tables. It is west-facing and was pretty warm in the sun. They also have a large beer garden that more shade than the patio. We enjoyed our dinner and will be back, maybe on a cooler evening. read more

Obscurity Brewing - Patio - Breweries Near Me - Elburn, Illinois

The smoked wings were very good also the variety of beer was also good. Service could have been a little better but the food made up for it. read more