LTHForum.com

Two Brothers Brewing, in Warrenville, IL, recently expanded their brewery and opened a new brewpub on the premises last February. Some friends of mine and I took the 30 mile trip west to see how it compares to some of the other local brewpubs (and, you know, get free samples of beer).

The food is pretty standard pub grub, using organic/local ingredients when possible. We ordered a variety of dishes -- burgers, meatloaf, fish and chips, etc. All were decent. The breading for the fish was a little soggy -- I don't know if it wasn't fried at a high enough temperature, or the breading was just a bum recipe. But the flavour was good, and it didn't taste especially greasy. Fortunately, too, they didn't serve it on that fake newsprint I sometimes see.

I also tried their buffalo, ne Warrenville, wings. They claimed that they smoked then fried them. I guess I could taste some smokiness -- they were quite good regardless. Also, their sandwiches comes with normal french fries or sweet potato fries. Any place that offers sweet potato fries deserves instant kudos from me, and theirs were very good.

A friend ordered their Northwind Stout float (an Imperial stout) for dessert. It... was not so good. While I agree that some stouts could work with ice cream, this was not one of them.

Their menu is online, but is already out of date (they've since added a lot more food, including a bbq pork sandwich). I thought that the prices, on the whole, were very fair.

Service, though... was a little lacking. The pub is a good sized space, maybe 40 tables?, and there was only one server. And all of the tables were full. This was due, entirely, to the fact that we went on the one day of the month that they offered tours -- so everyone in the pub had just gone on the 12pm tour, or were about to go on the 2pm tour. According to their website, they have already remedied this, and will now offer tours every Saturday at 1pm, and have hired additional staff, too. I should say that though he was harried and the food/drinks were a little slow, our server was really friendly and nice.

Speaking of the tour, it was a lot of fun. Everything in the brewery was so bright and shiny and brand new! It lasted about 45 minutes and was free. It did veer a little on the technical side of things (ie. how many gallons of water could go through the system, how quickly beer could be chilled, etc) that wasn't as exciting for me, but I still enjoyed seeing where all of the beer is made. We were able to sample all of their year-round brews after the tour.

As far as their beer, there wasn't a lot available on draft that you can't find somewhere else, which I thought was a bit of a shame. They do have a tap for cask-conditioned ale, but otherwise, nothing special. My understanding is that they're looking to get into Jewel (and are already in Costco), so my guess is that they're focusing their efforts on meeting that demand, rather than trying one-offs and special edition beer (one of the reasons I still go to Goose Island and Three Floyd's). Hopefully this will change as they continue to settle into their new brewery.

All in all, it was a good trip. Considering the recent spike in prices at Goose Island, it was a relief to see an $8 plate of fish and chips that was perfectly good (if not spectacular). I think Three Floyd's has better food (and arguably better beer) -- and many other LTH'ers agree -- but you can't really go wrong with a trip to Two Brothers. And, again, it's a new space for them and hopefully they'll improve with time.

Two Brothers Tap House
30w315 Calumet Ave.
Warrenville, IL 60555
630-393-Beer

Thanks for the update.

I've been wanting to check this place out since it opened, but have erred on the side of caution and decided to wait until they worked out most of the kinks that every new restaurant has.

It sounds like it's a good option for food and beer.

I will beg to differ with you on the specialty beer front. 2 Bros usually brews a different artisan beer on a quarterly basis I believe. I think, right now, it's Cane and Ebel. A delicious red ale made with rye and thai palm sugar. Hoppy and sweet at the same time. I'm sure it would have been on tap at the tap house.

ETA: I just checked, and the current artisan beer is the White Ale

On another note, if you like this place, it sounds like you'd love Three Floyds in Munster. A little hard to find, but a definite hidden gem. The food and beer are awesome.

FWIW, CostCo in Niles was selling a 24 bottle variety pack of Two Brothers beers. I know Cain and Ebel and Bitter End were included, can't think of the other two at the moment. There was a card in the box good for a free pint glass if you visit their new brewpub before a certian date.

Thanks for the post! I already have a penciled in trip on April 5th with some friends, so I look forward to reporting back after that. Had been looking for a good excuse to hit the brewery and I think combining it with a trip to Ream's Elburn Market for sausage is a winning combo.

Chicago > Ream's > Two Brother's > My Grill = Perfect

It is a shame about the lack of "one off" beers though it is a sacrifice I am willing to accept if that keeps them in CostCo longer (the combo they have now is a killer selection), and in general ups their distribution.

Jamie

Eric, I appreciate the heads up on Three Floyds -- rest assured, I've already been, and have found it worth the time to find it. I was nearly tempted to try and get on Check, Please! with it, but thought better of the idea (let's keep FFF for those of us in the know).

Also, I was told at the brewpub that Cane & Ebel has become a year-round draft offering for them, and has been added to their line-up of Prarie Path, Ebelweiss, Domaine DuPage and Bitter End. And yes, it was available on tap (it was even their cask-conditioned selection, which made it very good). I know that they've done a wider variety in the past (Victor's Memori-Ale, Philosopher's Stone, etc.), but I was a little dissapointed just the same to not see a wider variety of options on draft currently. On the other hand, most of their draft selections were available for $4 for an Imperial pint -- an excellent deal.

I forgot to mention, too, that there's an attached homebrew store. I don't homebrew myself (yet), but my friends said it was an impressive selection of malts, hops, kit, etc. at good prices. You can also take home bottles and growlers from the brewpub, but as I didn't ask about prices, I don't know if it's cheaper to buy their beer on-site.


dan

Made a trip to Costco last night.

The variety case (yes, 24) contains one 6 pack of Cane & Ebel, one six pack of Domaine Dupage, one six pack of Prarie Path, and one six pack of Bitter End.

All this for the very low price of $22.99. That's a steal considering the sixers cost around $9 each at Binny's.

Went to the Two Brothers Tap House last night with three friends. Overall, we were underwhelmed. Three Floyds is much closer to us and light years better, so we have no reason to return to Two Brothers.

The food highlight was the Nacho appetizer. Toppings were fresh and flavorful, though the chips didn't quite hold up to them.

Beyond that, only one of four orders was actually served as described on the menu or by the waiter. My Tap House burger, ordered medium, was delivered bloody, and lacking the julienned jalapenos it was said to come with. The Cuban, ordered without pickles, was said (by the waiter) not to have pickles on it, but just one the side. There were loads of pickles in that sandwich. Fish and chips, said to be served with their special vinegar sauce, were served up plain, with a bottle of Heinz malt vinegar. The Italian was reportedly "mediocre." Only half was eaten.

Sweet potato fries were WAY too salty.

Beers were fine, but nothing special. The Northwind Stout, Monarch White, and Domaine DuPage were highlights; Prairie Path Ale just didn't cut it. They have a nice list of guest bottles, though.

Service was spotty, but prices were spot-on.

True, they've only been open since Fat Tuesday (the manager came by to speak to us for a minute), but again, with Three Floyd's half the distance (for us), we're not really inclined to return.

I just went this weekend and had the exact same experience -- a friendly but overwhelmed staff of two servers. We ended up benefiting from this, as she mixed up our sample requests and brought us like four or five extras! We didn't try the food (held out for Kuma's Corner later!).

We had planned to go to Three Floyd's for a tour, but it was "Dark Lord Day"? I hope that I didn't miss something really cool by not going. We just really wanted to tour a brewery.

_________________
pizza fun

I have enjoyed the tour at FFF more, even if it costs $1 (but you get a 12oz. bottle), and they have a number of beers on tap that will never get bottled. I had read on Two Bros' website, though, that they had hired more servers, so I'm a little dissapointed to hear that this many months on, the service is still off.

As for missing out on Dark Lord Day... I should post something longer in the FFF thread, but suffice to say, I don't know if I would wish that kind of success/madness on any other brewpub. A friend of mine and I showed up at 10am (beer sales start at 11am in Indiana) and waited for... 4+ hours to get my chance to buy 6 bottles of the 2008 Dark Lord Stout. Fortunately, I was able to buy the beer (and get an awful sunburn for my troubles) -- people who showed up at 11am found themselves shut out. There was a big party atmosphere, though, which was fun -- most people (and I'm sure it numbered in the hundreds and hundreds) in line brought coolers full of beer and were willing to share/trade, and there were a number of bands playing, too.

But still... there were cars from all over the US. The Dark Lord Stout is good enough, but I don't know if I'd be willing to cross more than one state line to pick it up.

I suggest making the trip to FFF on another Saturday, though. I've always had a good time. FWIW, Flossmoor Station will offer up a tour if you call ahead, and Goose Island runs tours of the their Clybourn brewpub on Sundays -- these last two facilities aren't nearly as big as FFF or Two Bros, but a brewery is a brewery.

Yeah, mainly because I feel bad for the servers!

Thanks for the info. on the other breweries. I'm not familiar with Flossmoor, but am definitely interested in checking it, FFF & Goose Island out. For a nub, it's really exciting to see where and how this stuff is actually made!

_________________
pizza fun

There's an old thread on Flossmoor Station here. In 2006, it was award Best Small Brewpub at GABF. I've only been there once -- after Dark Lord Day this weekend -- but was very impressed. It's located in the old Illinois Central (wait for it... ) Flossmoor Station (now the Metra Flossmoor Station), so it's very easy to get down there (especially on a weekend -- just get the $5 Metra weekend pass, drink all you want, and don't worry about having to drive back straight away). They update their blog with the current seasonals/specials regularly, too, so you know what to look forward to. As far as tours, according to their website:
FREE BREWERY TOUR
By appointment only with our Brewmaster
Call 708-957-2739 to schedule your private tour

The last time I called, they didn't care how big the group was -- it could be 5 or 15 -- they just need to know when you're coming.

If only because their in-house line-up is more varied than Two Bros, I'll be more likely to return to Flossmoor before making another trip to Warrenville (the ease of using Metra doesn't hurt, either).

FFF is on top my list of places to go(we just never have a reason to go ti Indiana), Two Brothers not as much.

But Flossmoor Station is one of my favorite places. We have made the drive a few times, and have always enjoyed the beer, and the food is surprisingly decent as well.

_________________
I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

Just an FYI but it's fairly easy to get to FFF from Flossmoor. That is, as long as you have a car and didn't take Metra to Flossmoor.

It's about 10 miles or so but they're back-roads so takes about 20-30 minutes each way.

At least for me, given the distance to Flossmoor from home, the extra bit to FFF isn't that bad.

I have been to the Warrenville location a couple times for beers and found it fun, and their beer tasty.

Tonight I am heading to their 2nd location in Aurora @ the Roundhouse. Anyone been yet? Same menu as Warrenville?

_________________
I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

I haven't been to the Roundhouse, but from talking to the bartender at Warrenville here's what I've gathered.

I believe there are some menu items that came over from Warrenville, but most of the menu is different.

Beer-wise, there are 2 Roundhouse beers that aren't at Warrenville. A robust porter and an imperial pilsner. All other beers are the standard Two Bros lineup.

thanks, good info.

_________________
I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

Thanks for your patient response about DLD -- I laughed to revisit this post of mine, as I have since become a beer fanatic and, though I still haven't made it to DLD, have toured FFF and read every detail of every article and blog post on that crazy event! So much can change in a couple of years!

_________________
pizza fun

Roundhouse last night was much like previous visits in the past. Impressive/historical setting, good beer, bad food.

Weiss beer was good last night as well as a glass of their Hop Juice. Pretzel appetizer was also good. 1/2 chicken dinner was ok(moist chicken/rubbery skin), served with an odd augratin potato. Pork chop dinner was ok, apricot glaze was overpowering. Smoked ribs, way over smoked, Folks have got to learn white smoke = bad. Sad to have Duroc pork ruined like that.

These folks are using quality ingredients, everything is Duroc this, dietzler farms that. Too bad the folks on the line didn't make it work.

_________________
I got a real good mind.

Before Cotton was King: http://www.grubseeker.blogspot.com

Sorry to hear about the food. I was a regular at the old Roundhouse 10 or so years ago when they had excellent food. I know the past two years they had really gone down hill due to poor management. Would love to see them succeed, the whole renovation/revitalization of the Roundhouse and train station was such a very cool visionary project in the beginning.

Last night I had mussels in a a Weiss beer broth that were delicious. The sauce was buttery, garlicy, everything you want in a broth with mussels. Some good charred bread for dipping and succulent mussels that weren't too big, just the way I like them. There were over a dozen. Not bad at all for 8 bucks.

I have been to Two Brothers several times this summer splitting visits between Warrenville and Aurora.

First, please remember the Warrenville location does not open till 3 Monday thru Thursday.. At this location we have ordered very successfully off the children's menu after some days at the fantastic near by parks. The pricing on the childrens menu is more than fair. I believe the meals were at or near five bucks including the very solid sides of vegetables or fries. Fried pickles were ok to good and the hoppy beers IMHO are very good.

The Aurora location looks a little better than when they first opened with small improvements to the building and a sense that the space, especially the courtyard, is better utilized. Same beer.

The pretzels are worth while and the small plates were good. The small plate tacos and the fish tacos are winners. The burgers and sandwiches are good and I am ready to state their fries yesterday were as good as Hot Doug's earlier in the week.

All in all two bros has pub food better than average and much better ambiance. They are now strongly in my rotation due to customer demands.

_________________
“Statistics show that of those who contract the habit of eating, very few survive.”
George Bernard Shaw, Irish playwright (1856-1950)