America's Brewpub

emerge077

Illinois

4/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

First time visiting this place, i've tried a couple of their bottled beers before, but had never been to the brewpub. We stopped in on a snowy Saturday afternoon (in March!?) with orbitalr0x.

The building itself is impressive, and houses multiple venues. A weekend absinthe bar for example, coffee bar, and an outdoor courtyard popular for weddings.

The brewpub bar was up a few stairs to the right of the hostess station. Lots of wood planks and dark colors gave it a northwoods lodge vibe. The rectangular bar was front and center, with table seating along the walls, and upstairs on a second level visible above the bar. Lighting was pretty dark, though it was an overcast day and there was zero natural light coming in. It felt cozy, and if we had more time to kill, probably would have been at the bar for hours.

Selection was ok, the crazy highlight being a "jury-rigged" randalizer on the bar. They were running a dry-hopped amber through 1/2 pound of Centennial hops... it was great! We had a sample of the regular amber next to it and the dry-hopped blew it away. Another specialty was a cherry version of the bourbon imperial stout, that was aged 547 days in oak. Other than that the selection was pretty typical, a stout, pilsner, etc.

Service was friendly and timely, one of the brewers stopped by and explained his randalizer, which was cool. We tried a queso fundido app that came with spicy chorizo, which was good. The crowd seemed to be fairly mixed, many just there for lunch, others drinking green st. pattys bottles of bud light :S
It's a BREWPUB for pete's sake!

There were still bottles to go in the coolers, though they seem to be dwindling in the market. We saw a couple palllets in the brewing area too, so they still appear to be bottling here.

03-21-2010 17:05:29 | More by emerge077

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$

As a rail fan, this place ranks high on my list for its combination of accessibility (via METRA) and reuse of a former train station. It is in one section of the former Burlington Northern & Santa Fe (BNSF) roundhouse, which has been converted to include a beautiful patio area with a central gazebo where the turntable would have been. The patio also features a stone fireplace, which must be pleasant in the fall.

The front door is accessed down a short flight of steps from the METRA station, under a big awning, supported by steel girders. Once I was inside, I transited a vestibule with the maitre d’ station (m. d. s.) straight ahead and the Roundhouse Coffee Company stand to the left. The smell of the coffee was mighty enticing, but I had a beer mission to accomplish. Behind the R. C. Co. was the grain mill, the brewhouse and the fermenters.

Turning right from the m. d. s., I ascended a short flight of steps, transited a wood floor, and arrived at the rectangular wooden bar. Flanking either side of the bar were high tables and chairs and up another short flight of stairs to the right, were a bunch of booth seats that extended all of the way to the end of the space. At the opposite end of the bar from the m.d.s. was a smaller-scale stone fireplace. To the right of the bar was a staircase that led to a second floor seating area that not only ringed the bar, but also continued aft on the right-hand side, culminating in a grand, sweeping staircase that led to the kitchen, all of the way aft on the first floor.

To the left of the m.d.s. and proceeding aft, there was a sea of restaurant seating. Speaking of proceeding aft, that is where the washrooms were located and it gave me a different view of the layout as I went to use the facilities. The serving tanks were visible in the overhead, above the entryway. For FroggyFrog: they made a Hemp Stoned beer using rocks. It can and has been done. Also back towards the washrooms were an impressive Walter Payton Hall-of-Fame museum and a cognac bar! Wow.

Beers: The Amber, Honey Wheat, and the Sweetness Stout all were decent, but not mid-blowing. I have to give them props, however, for making a sweet stout. Kudos! The Oompa Loompa Chocolate beer was interesting and unexpected, but not my bag. Their Hair of the Dog barleywine struck me as bit young. It was still awfully sharp with a lot of malt up front. Aged, I am sure that this will be a beauty. The Payton Pilsener was quite good and I would have stayed with it, were it not for their IPA.

Lunch consisted of fish tacos, and while they were not quite up to Rubio’s standards, it had been a long while since I had eaten fish tacos. The IPA made a wonderful accompaniment to the meal.
B.I’s Mom test: Oh, my, yes! The architecture, the food, and the fact that she could have coffee or pop as an option – she’s in. How about as a date destination? Hell, yeah! You wouldn’t have to drive and the place is friendly and non-intimidating.

Finally, this was another great place for a Woody encounter. I was talking to a former Marine who was also a CHISox fan, plus his buddy, a dead ringer for Gary Monterosso, and their wives. Great people.

10-01-2006 16:43:48 | More by woodychandler

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.43/5  rDev -7.5%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5 | $$

(Visited 11/2010): ABC is located in the Walter Payton Roundhouse in Aurora off Broadway, not too far from I-88. They have a fairly large private lot. The brewpub is located inside on the right.

The space is open, with the bar located immediately inside the entrance, and there are brewing tanks right near the entryway. There is table seating throughout the rest of the room. The interior is dark with stone walls and there is a large stone fireplace. Interesting mural too.

ABC has around 7 house beers on tap, including standard offerings like a Pils and Scottish. More unique beers include a blonde chocolate ale and Cherry Imperial Stout. The beers are pretty average overall with the exception being the aforementioned Stout.

Service was decent on a weeknight at the bar. There were a lot of regulars there and I didn't have any issues getting service.

Food at America's Brewing is pretty good.

All in all I would visit this spot were I to find myself in Aurora again, but it isn't a place to which you would drive from Chicago or anything. Decent overall.

06-24-2011 18:28:57 | More by Dogbrick

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +5.9%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

America's Brewing Company offers a beautiful restaurant with nice chairs, tables, chandeliers, stone walls, etc., and comfortable spaces (not too crowded or too open, etc) for dining. The brewhouse is visible as well if you want to take a look. The service is the usual (it's a family style restaurant), and they serve pretty good food and a handful of decent beers. The menu is pretty varied as well, although vegetarian dishes are fairly limited (as is normally the case). I really enjoyed myself and I certainly think it's worth a trip if you're in the area.

02-24-2006 16:54:00 | More by NeroFiddled

Redrover

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5

This is a very cool old building and I'm glad to see it restored and put to use. When I was in college, I would occasionally go to the bar across the street (LTDs). At that time the roundhouse was just falling apart and was a home for vagrants. You should see it now!!

Great outdoor garden & plenty of parking. Be sure and check out the Walter Payton room that has a bunch of his football mementos in it. Very touching!

The beer is decent. I like their pilsner and their wheat beer. Their sweetness stout was also more than passable.

The food is good but not spectacular. good chicken and better than average burgers. Service can be very good or very slow, it seems to depend not so much on the crowd, but more on the server.

If your in the far western suburbs, give this place a try. You can also see some pretty good bands!

02-20-2003 19:35:18 | More by Redrover

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4 | food: 3 | $$$

Atmosphere- This is an amazing old train roundhouse that was turned into a pub, cognac bar, brewery, and museum. It has great old stonewalls with a wonderful courtyard for band and an outdoor bar. The woodwork is dark but a giant tapestry of dancing bears really breaks up all the stone. You actually walk past the brewery on your way to the bathroom and it is well labeled. You can see which beers are coming out next. Great atmosphere.

Quality- The beer is mostly geared toward the general public and not the BA. The beer menu had sayings “like this beer has all the alcohol of a stout with the caffeine of coffee” and “If you love Killian’s Red you will love this beer”. This is why they only bottle their Pilsner and Pilsner light for which they have one several awards. Many of the other brews do not sell as well. They did have a full bar and a big machine that mixed Appletini mix like the old juice machines at the convenient stores. That was a bit strange.

Service- The service was good but I went on a very slow day. Still very friendly and not much discussion about the beers.

Selection- They did have 4 year-round beers and 5 seasonals which was a nice variety. They also had a good diversity of glassware for most of the beers, which was a pleasant surprise.

Food- The pulled pork barbeque was very sweet and sticky but the menu offered some Italian German and Mexican inspired bar food. Not bad but a little pricey for bar food.

Value- The beers were reasonably priced but the food was a bit over-priced. But the atmosphere makes it all worth the stop.

09-16-2005 20:03:20 | More by rhoadsrage

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Stopped here with friends we were visiting in the area.
The restauarant area is inviting with a large three level dining area. The complex also includes a comedy club, martini lounge, and outdoor concert area. There is also a small Walter Payton museum that is worth a visit.
We ordered a beer sampler, and the waitress had no idea which beer was which when she served it. We had a good time matching the beers with their style. This was the first time I ever had to do that. The menu was typical brewpub fare, and though we did not eat, the selection seemed adequate.
I would suggest a bit of education be given to the bar staff as to the different types of beer.

05-03-2008 01:11:34 | More by tgbljb

Rayek

Colorado

4/5  rDev +7.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$$

First off, this place is huge. Located in the former CB&O roundhouse, America's is one of several establishments that are housed in this historic building. Because of the building's shape and its former purpose, the brewpub's interior is somewhat unique. There's a large landscaped gazebo that sits where the former turntable was. What used to be doors to the engine bays are now large windows. Although the brewing equipment is on the main floor, the fermentation tanks are on a second floor catwalk. As with many pubs housed in turn of the century buildings, there is a lot of exposed wood and brickwork.

I was there on a Friday night and there was a big crowd. Service suffered because of this, but my waitress was certainly nice. Food is of the standard pub fare. Burgers, sandwiches, pasta and pizza make up the majority of the menu. The food was good, but nothing special. The big crowd made the place quite noisy. There are several TV's showing sports, which makes sense given the Walter Payton connection.

There were seven of the brewery's beers on-tap, plus several bottled macros. It was disheartening to see so many people downing Bud Light and Michelob Ultra when the brewery's beers were so much better. The ones I tried ran from above average to very good. No mind blowers, however.

If I'm back in the area again, I'll probably stop by for a second visit.

07-20-2009 17:36:13 | More by Rayek

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

3.39/5  rDev -8.6%
vibe: 5 | quality: 3 | service: 4 | selection: 2.5 | $$

i've been here numerous times, but each time to see a show. as such the review may be skewed as it's always jam-packed when i go and i'm drinking a more limited selection of their beers outside or in an event room. have never sat down in the main restaurant or bar area. first off, the atmosphere is phenomenal. this place is built in the old train roundhouse, so it's a circular building with a large open center area. this large open-air center area is a great place to see shows in the summer, with bands playing in a large veranda in the middle of the courtyard. there are also a couple large bars outside. the only problem with this is that they only serve 3-4 of their beers out there and in plastic cups...when you're out there for a show, most people are drinking bud lites (for pretty much the same price as roundhouse brews...wtf?) out of plastic/metal bottles. so in this case it's more of a summer entertainment environment than a place to enjoy craft brews...that being said, it's the rare show i go to where craft beers are an option. the beers i've had there have been a bit underwhelming. if you're catching a show inside it's basically the same as above, except, well, it's inside. if you are inside, you can at least sneak off to another bar inside and get different beers. if you're a bears fan, you must check out the walter payton museum located here. overall, this place is huge and you can spend a while just walking around the complex and checking out the different shit. definitely worth going, and some day i may sit down and review some beers and try the food.

06-23-2007 18:24:08 | More by MrMcGibblets

beerinator

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +11.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

We dropped into the Roundhouse to spend our 50 dollar gift certificates that we purchased for 25 bucks through some radio show. It was a long day of drinking and eating starting around 3 and ending sometime after dark.

I think that the atmosphere here is pretty neat. The ceilings are really high and the building seems restored, but still raw. There is a cool beergarden with outdoor fireplaces outside in the middle part of the roundhouse. The brewery is open to the rest of the restaurant, and all the tanks are visible from the bar where we sat.

The bar is a circular one that sits directly under the second floor balconies. It started getting a little smoky after dark (which is to be expected).

The service at the bar was very good. Bartenders were quick and efficient.

There were about 8 beers available. Everything from lighter pilsners to an Imperial Stout. All of the beers were very good (there were a few of us who weren't really happy with the chocolate beer though - but that is more of a personal taste thing). I could sit and drink the Porter all day long. The Amber was surprisingly hoppy and fresh. But the Imperial Stout was easily my favorite of the day. They had a +10% Scotch Ale that was almost as strong as a mixed drink. I only had a taste, and it was a good beer.

All pints were $3.75 (even the Imperial Stout) and the big Scotch Ale was $4 because of the alcohol content.

I will be back to Walter Payton's, it was well worth the money spent and the ride out from the city! Walter Payton's is also very convenient to the Metra.

04-23-2006 19:30:46 | More by beerinator