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    Thornton Distilling

    4.6 (112 reviews)
    Open • 4:00 pm - 11:00 PM

    Services - Thornton Distilling

    Bartending services

    Catering services

    Venue valet services

    Thornton Distilling Photos

    THORNTON DISTILLING ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Thornton Distilling

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    Touchtunes in an old fashioned like radio/ stereo setup
    Grant A.

    Came by on a weekday. First off it's not immediately clear how to get in from the parking lot and with the senior/ retirement center parking lot close by you're like did we park in the right place?? After that and getting in it's truly beautiful inside. Surrounded by history!! It used to be a brewery long time ago and they've preserved some fascinating memorabilia+ trinkets. Started off with a Gold Rush. Thought it was good but would have preferred it was made with more honey syrup. Girlfriend and I both ordered burgers. Came with cheddar, onion rings, BBQ sauce. She wanted cauliflower so I shared cauliflower with her. It was good tasting cauliflower because it was in some kind of buffalo or BBQ sauce like if you were getting wings. Also got an old fashioned that was pretty good.

    Bourbon Barrel Burger

    I had the Maison Mule cocktail which was amazing. When you go there order it. My cocktail was accompanied with a delicious Bourbon Barrel Burger and fries. The service was the great the wait time did not exist. I highly recommend Thornton Distilling. The place feels like family!

    John M.

    I have been wanting to try this distillery ever since I saw a segment on them on one of the local TV stations. We stopped in on a Saturday afternoon around lunch time. They have a few parking spaces in the front of the building with a larger lot in the rear. It was not too crowded and we were seated immediately. Our server Michaela was very friendly and suggested a few food items for my wife which were GF. I started with the House Old Fashion and my wife had the Bee's Knees. Both were very good and cost 10.00 each. For lunch I tried their Pecan Whiskey BBQ wings. 5 wings cost 10.00. They were good size and very tasty but I didn't taste any of the Pecan Whiskey flavor. My wife had the Barbacoa Tacos which were filled with braised beef. She could only eat 2 of them so I had the third taco. Flavorful but I would have preferred more salsa or a dipping sauce. I wanted to try their Drop Dead Bourbon separately so I had a small tasting. I loved it so much I bought a bottle to bring home. Cost was 60.00. The history of this distillery dates back to 1857 and is one of Illinois' oldest standing distillerys and was once Al Capones largest bootlegging facility during prohibition. I would love to go back and try a few more of their hand crafted cocktails and one of their signature burgers.

    Annette M.

    We have had this distillery in Thornton IL on our radar for quite a while and this first full day of spring was perfect for a drive out. The building oozes historic charm going back to 1847. Our server and hostess were friendly and helpful. There is only a few spots to park in the front but a big parking lot in the back marked with a sign. It was lunchtime so we ordered wings and beef barbacoa tacos and both were very flavorful. The server suggested the tacos as they can be made gluten free. Besides the cocktails my husband asked to taste their straight bourbon called Dead Drop. He enjoyed it and bought a bottle to take home. I could feel the ghosts of bootleggers of the past haunting the place. Worth the drive to experience it.

    Gold Rush cocktail
    Analyn T.

    We come here for drinks, food and history! Old Fashioned and cocktails are all good. They have the best chicken wings. Do their tours if you want to get a glimpse of the prohibition history and the underground tunnel (well it's now covered). All the staff here are always so nice... we've been coming here for years! Always a great time.

    Lorri P.

    Robin was ABSOLUTELY THE BEST!!!! Service was great!!! She was awesome! So knowledgeable about the brewery and gave us so much insight on the history. We so appreciated it because we love good historical stories! Our bartender Brandon was great too! Friendly and welcoming. They have a wedding space fyi and a nice patio as well to chill out in the summer! Looking forward to that! Next summer! We ordered the margherita pizza. It's a medium size and great to share! It is AMAZING! Filling and the tomato sauce is definitely homemade, best I've ever had! We had the cookie skillet too! OMG! Thee best!!!! It's nice, they have brunch on the weekends and they also do tours on the weekends! This is a 10/10! Highly recommended!

    Katie N.

    Just ok for me. The vibe and history is what makes this place unique. As others have stated, the parking is kinda a drag. (Only a few spots out front and have to walk around the back to a lot.) I tried two of their cocktails, the planters punch and the lazy lemonade. The lazy lemonade was a frozen cocktail. Service was a little rude. Inside felt a little cramped.

    Ann-Marie H.

    Such a great experience! We had Kevin as our spirit guide, and he was absolutely amazing. Fun fact--he's also a SPED teacher and a bit of a historian, which made the tour even better. He gave us a lot of history, not just about the distillery but also about the town and Chicagoland in general. The food and drinks were great, and the tickets were only $15, which included a drink--such a perfect deal. After the tour, we stayed for lunch, and everything was decently priced. The food had that classic bar food taste, which, of course, means it was good! This is definitely a place I'd bring my parents or anyone interested in history, spirits, or beer-making. They have ample parking in the back, and from what I understand, it's also a great venue for parties and weddings. Our food came out quickly, and overall, it was an awesome experience. Highly recommend!

    Menu

    Food was good, but don't count on there being brunch available. They posted on Thursday that they do brunch Saturday and Sunday, but they didn't have it on Sunday. Really was hoping for a good brunch spot in the area since there still isn't. Service was good. Ambiance was good.

    Jamgul M.

    Thornton Distilling is a nice spot to have a quiet meal and relax or just hang out. I made it last hour of business but I still had a nice time. The drinks and food were cool. I especially liked the burger with bbq sauce and onion rings. Yesssssss!!! I'll definitely be back and next time and get the whole experience.

    Pecan Whiskey And Veggie Burger

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    16 days ago

    Grand drinks. Grand food. Grand Brandon; Grandon, even. Come here for a good time AND a long time.

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    1 month ago

    Julie was the best! We had an awesome experience when we visited! Great place, couldn't have asked for a better time

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    11 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    5 months ago

    Amazing service and drinks! One of the oldest breweries in Illinois and the distillery tour is so much fun!

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    10 months ago

    The drinks are yummy, the atmosphere and service were amazing. We only got mild apps (fries, chips and salsa) but will def return.

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    3 years ago

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    6 months ago

    Great food, comes out quickly! Delicious handcrafted drinks always a good time at TDC!

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    7 months ago

    Came for a trivia night, lots of fun, great theme and great food and drinks, with super fun hosts!

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    7 months ago

    Great food, amazing drinks, and perfect ambience. Service is very friendly and accommodating.

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    3 years ago

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    9 months ago

    Fantastic tour! Kevin has a great grasp on not only the local history but the distilling process here at Thornton.

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    3 years ago

    Ambiance is amazing, drinks are second to none and the food is outstanding....HIGHLY RECOMMEND

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Drinks were delicious and food was good. A relaxing place for a drink. My favorite appetizer is the pretzel bread!

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Thornton Distilling

    Review Highlights - Thornton Distilling

    “We started chatting with John, the owner at the bar and he gave us a tour of the well which was super cool.”

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

    Read more highlights

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