Came here after the Frontline OCR race and the food was great, service was great and the view was…read moreawesome from the back balcony by the River. Blake did an awesome job with recommending drinks and pizzas for us. Gyro Pizza, Margaritas Pizza and Jalapeño Popper Pizza !

Checked out this craft brewery in Byron. Hairy Cow is the most interesting thing in this town other…read morethan the polluting nuclear power plant. It gets crowded because people around here know good beer it seems. Along with the beers is also a food menu. The prices are higher than the grubby bars in town, but for sure it matches the higher quality. Better get prepared for how hard it is to park here. It's got a parking lot but it's full often. This was crazy the last time we came here on a weekend. People around here know it's better beer than the crap they otherwise have. You may have to park on a street. Beers are pricier than average but they make smaller batches. It's about $8 a pint. Best of the ones we had was the Highland Hairy. This is a Belgian IPA. A pretty good amount of food. There's a ton of pizzas. Most food choices are meaty. There's also wings. A lot of big and messy items. It's about $7 for the Garden Salad. A pretty standard one with croutons. There's also salads covered in bacon, buffalo chicken, and other heavy stuff. Got to be one of the places to go if you're around here. It's really busy at times, and just park wherever if you can't get a spot. They're located on the east side of town, and closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

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.

I hosted my daughter's baby shower at Prairie Street Brewing. Therese, who I was working with, was…read moreso prompt via emailing answering my questions (no matter how small). My servers the day of the shower so so very accommodating and incredible to work with and the food was incredible. I would absolutely have another event there. Thank you PSB for making my party perfect.

Amazing food, house-brewed beer, and outside seating on the river!…read more Let's start with their BEER. Some small breweries are just ok, but Prairie Street made excellent beer! I ordered a flight so I could sample many. The samples were large. The food was excellent. Menu options extend beyond typical pub fare. We started with the fried pickle chips which were actual chips and not pickle spears like some places offer. I ordered the POKE BOWL WITH KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN. It was super delicious. You can't beat the outdoor seating with river view, unless it was hot like when we visited. We opted for indoor seating in the cooled environment. Staff was excellent.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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

Great stopping point on the way to Galena! Delicious food and brews! Brisket Mac wrap was one for…read morethe books!