When in the area this is our place to go for lunch…read more We were able to sit on their patio on a beautiful October day overlooking the Rock River. I started with their Red Ale..Route 2 Red which was very good. We follow Hairy Cow on Instagram and saw the pizza for October was Butter Nut Squash which sounded interesting so my wife ordered it with a GF crust. She loved it! Squash, caramelized onions, prosciutto and arugula with a seasoned oil. I had a taste for wings so I ordered a 10 piece. I was surprised it was all legs and no flappers. I had their Sticky Sauce which was basically a Sweet Teriyaki and Mango Habanero. The Sticky Sauce was amazing. The other one was too much mango and not enough heat in my opinion. Service is good and parking is ok. A solid place to eat when in the Byron area.

I was going to give it a 3 but then I realized it is a pizza and wings joint. They do both well…read more The fig pizza was tasty as were the sticky boneless wings. I would have like to see a FEW more items like soup, burgers, chicken sandwiches etc but the limited menu was tasty. Nice atmosphere. Good service. Fair prices. Will have to try the beer selection next time. That looked good too

Best thing about this village of Princeton is this brewery. Coal Creek is one of the few places…read morearound here to get beers that aren't crap. It certainly is a welcome change from the corporate swill. Also just a nice place to hang. The prices are pretty good for being small and local. A long trip to out here deserves a cold one and this is where to go. It's one of the few places in town that isn't some dive bar or fast food chain it seems. They actually have a pretty good variety. Kind of unexpected with it being a small one. There's actually a good amount including some fruity sours. It's about $7 a pint. We had a few with the best of these being the More Than A Weekend. It's a summer melon lager. They also make cocktails if that's a preference. For sure it's the best place in town for beers. It's located in downtown in a historic building that's cool to check out. There's no food but you can bring in stuff.

A locally owned brewery located in the heart of downtown Princeton. This brewery is housed in an…read moreold historic building serving up a variety of beers. From Pale Ales,Stouts,Rye IPA,Wheat and Fruit beers,Coal Creek offers something for everyone. They offer flights as well as a full bar serving crafted cocktails. They didn't have any ciders but they did have a few seltzers for the non beer drinker. I tried a flight of 4 5 oz pours. Each tasting was 3.00. I really liked their Homestead Lager . 4.8 ABV. They do not serve food. They now offer cans and growlers to go. You can sit by the open windows in the front of the tap room ,at the bar or at one of the hi tops. There is a gaming area in the back of the taproom as well. Plenty of street parking available. Nice place to relax and enjoy a locally sourced beer in Princeton.

Very good service and the food was fantastic. The parking was street side. The restrooms were down…read moreabout 6 step which was a bit of a problem. One person at the table had a Reuben and tater tots and the other had Westcoast Cali and truffle fries. They were both outstanding.

I'm not sure how I totally missed this spot! I used to be in Clinton a lot for work and finally got…read morea chance to do a dinner here. It's BEAUTIFUL. Such a cool spot to walk around and explore. The waiters told us some really cool stories too. Service was great all night. They have a good cocktail menu (especially for Clinton) - this isn't mixology but they do make some pretty tasty options. They also have a really awesome beer menu with some fantastic sours. The food was great. We got a couple starters that were recommended and they were all fantastic. I got a salad for dinner and it was huge and had really great flavor. The housemade dressing was so delicious. Such a cool, unique spot!

After my race, I figured I'd finally get a drink, but wanted to try something new. I wouldn't mind…read morestaying here longer and trying more things, but alot of the parking spots say 2 hour limit and I saw a few patrols. To make the most of my time, I ordered a flight (Cider, Root Beer, Light and IPA). The Cider tasted just like the name suggested, IPA is my fave type of drink and Light helped prevent me from going to crazy. I had high expectations from the Rootbeer Float one, but didn't expect it to be one of those dark, tobacco tasting beers (didn't finish). For my meal, I got a burger with all the works and chips. It will do, the only note is the mustard packets must be very old because it was hardened and wouldn't squeeze out. Oh, for the flights, pay attention to your cups, one of them chipped away and could've easily been swallowed. Wasn't too chatty after the race, but the one guy working was cool!

The service was great. The beer was also great. Especially loved the pineapple habanero! Great vibe…read moreat this place. Low key and friendly.

Situated along the Rock River in a historic building,what is there not to like about this brewery?…read more Rich in history and a good selection of craft beers. I tried their Screw City Lager which was very good. My wife had their homemade Root Beer. We decided to split a few food items..Taquitos and Tacos. Both were outstanding. The Taquitos were made with a locally sourced pork barbacoa . The Shrimp Tacos were some of the best I ever had. Chili Garlic Tiger Shrimp with a sweet corn elote made the flavor pop. There was more than enough for us to share. Service was very good and there is plenty of parking available. I will definitely go back on a day when I can enjoy their outdoor dining area.

I can't believe we found the best taquitos and shrimp tacos we have ever tasted in this brewpub in…read moreRockford. The list of brews is impressive and they even make their own root beer which I enjoyed because it is not heavily carbonated. The historic building and industrial yet comfortable interior added to the experience. It is located on the Rock River and the Dockside Taproom faces it with great views. They also have a huge selection to host events. To top it off our server Efstathia was friendly and helpful. I recommend this stop in Rockford.

I think we have found our new lunch spot for our Iowa trips. I regret that we have not stopped here…read morebefore. The pork Bahn Mi sandwich - what a winner! Obviously assembled by someone who appreciates food. The cucumber slices were just the right thickness - and an ample amount. The slaw, the pork, the cilantro, the sauce, the bun - it all came together for a delicious experience. And the onion rings were lightly battered with thick onions - superb. I didn't take a pic - but Rick enjoyed his brisket. Other customers were raving about the ribs the day we were there. We each had a Mud Run beer and pleasant conversation with the staff. I am seriously planning an extra trip to visit Mom just so I can stop to have a Mud Run lunch on the way.

The food is hands down phenomenal! We expect decent food, but we were just blown away after the…read morefirst bite. It's a good thing we don't live here because we'd hear daily. The food came out piping hot and every bite was heavenly.

Very great service from this mom and pop brewery! The atmosphere was welcoming for sitting outside…read moreand ordering food with kids. Keep this place on the map and give them a visit.

Found out about this out of the way brewery close to Lena. It certainly is worth getting to…read more Wishful Acres Farm was growing fruits and vegetables. After a while they chose to also brew beers. They use hops from the crops, it rhymes. Coming here the first time it was kind of confusing. It's a long way from anything else. The entrance to the farm looks like you're going to someone's house. A parking area is in front. This is basically just an open area on grass. A little walk to the structure that kind of looks like a white barn. Inside it's a lot bigger than it looks. Has a few rooms including a patio in the back. In front there's a few tables. A limited but great variety of beers. It's about $6 a pint. Best one we had of these was the Overcast. This is a Hefeweizen, which has banana and clove flavors and is classic stuff. It's about $1 for potato chips. There's also popcorn. Great place for hyper local beers. It's limited space making it not a place for a big group or parties, and there's a few snacks like popcorn. They're open Fridays, and weekends.

Checked out this charming small brewery in Elizabeth. Highway 20 is one of the few cool places…read morearound here. It happens to be located inside an old church repurposed for something more useful. Friendly and knowledgeable. There's a surprisingly large variety of choices on tap. Bad thing is the limited hours. It's small so there's not tons to choose from but they still have quite a lot. That means everything is expertly crafted and whatever you get is great stuff. A choice of flights if wanting to try a few. It's about $6 a pint. Best one we had was the Oh Danny Boy. This is an Irish Red ale with caramel and toasted malt notes. Also great IPAs and other classics. There's often something coming out each season. For sure if coming this way get some beers. It's got a few snacks but you can bring stuff in. They're closed from Mondays to Wednesdays.

I stopped in on the way to Galena for a quick cocktail. The owner was nice enough to open early for…read moreus and he was kind and attentive. This is a very quaint place, but they also have a cute little area. There is a variety of beer to choose from and if you're like me that doesn't drink beer, they also have a small wine selection. The Cabernet was very good. I will definitely be back next time on route to Galena.

Checked out this brewery in Freeport after coming across other places that had their beers…read more Generations is one of the main reasons to come here. It certainly has quite a few things on tap. A lot more in cans. They also have a few snacks. By the looks of the outside it wasn't anything special, just like a warehouse or something common. It's a lot more interesting inside. The taproom has enough room for the bar, and quite a few tables. Got a view into the back to see where the beers are made. There's a balcony where bands can play live music too. Beers are why people come of course. It's about $7 a pint. Best one we had of these was the Tawny Ale. This is an Irish Red of medium strength. It's about $12 for a soft pretzel. These are massive so they're great for sharing. One of the dips looked like peanut butter. This was actually fudge if you can believe it, and you can get cheese as well as mustard. For sure it's one of this city's main attractions. It's got lots of beers, and because it's in the Pretzel City, get one of those to munch on. They're closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

A very cool, relaxing, welcoming place to enjoy a beer, have great conversation with a bartender,…read moreand sit outside when the weather permits. A large bar with well designed beer garden. They have a variety of beers and one named after Freeport the Pretzel City! They have lagers, pilsners and ales. The environment is relaxing and the building stands out ! Since the main road is under construction , GPS did not help, but after we realized it kept rerouting us to the closed road. If in the area, stop in. Also their beer can be found in many locations in the Rockford area and some Binnys.

Beer is great! Lots of choices. Food was great, Friday fish fry was delicious. And the whole new…read morebuilding is really nice. And the staff was very friendly

Checked out this local brewery in Lena of course. It certainly is one of the highlights around…read morehere. Lena Brewing Company has beers but also food to fatten people up. A pretty busy place with locals and people from other areas. There's about what's expected on the menu it seems. Before even coming in there's a smell of barbecue. It's got a pretty full menu. There's a bar in the middle surrounded by plenty of tables. Beers are the main thing of course. It's about $7 a pint. Best one we had of these was the Coldstream Lager. This is a full bodied Bavarian style. A lot of the food is meaty. Brisket and that kind of stuff. Among the appetizers is the Cowboy Caviar. One of the few vegetarian options. This is a mixture of beans, cilantro, corn, jalapeños, red onions, and tomatoes. It's about $16 for the Tex-Mex Bowl. This has avocado, cilantro rice, Cowboy Caviar, marinated cucumbers, pico de gallo, and Thai sauce. Of course an option is to get it with meats added. There's plenty more things including burgers and pork belly tacos among the livestock based foods. For around here it's one of the better places for big crowds. It's got beers and barbecue along with some healthier options. They're closed Mondays and Tuesdays.