Mickey Finn's Brewery

BeerLover99

New Jersey

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

This little gem in the North suburbs of Chicago (Lake County) offers a wide selection of beers. They have standards available throughout the year, as well as, seasonal offerings. You can purchase growlers.

Small, quaint pub, restaurant feel with a separate bar section, along with live music area upstairs.

The pub fair is very good and after visiting this place many times, have tried many different things on the menu. Mickey Finn's has something for everyone concerning beer (weaker to heavier) and also food.

This is a must for IL and WI residents. Support local beer.

12-10-2010 18:44:45 | More by BeerLover99

kjc51478

Germany

3.4/5  rDev -9.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Mickey Finn’s is a pretty standard brew pub restaurant in downtown Libertyville. The atmosphere is nice except on weekends when it can get pretty loud. Food and beer can be hit or miss. I"ve had some good beers and some not-so-good beers here. Food selection can also be an adventure - but the burgers here are usually a safe bet. In an area that doesn’t boast many brew pub options, this is certainly worth a visit. But, it in no way can stack up to the kind of pubs you’d find in Chicago proper.

05-20-2011 03:17:12 | More by kjc51478

crossovert

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev -1.3%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4.5 | $$

I went here while getting my car serviced in Libertyville after having a pint at the Firkin.

It is a two part place, a bar/pub area, and a restaurant. I sat at the bar. It has a loud sports bar feel with tons of basketball on the tv.

I tried a sample of 7 beers, with one of them being the nitro version o the other. The beers ran the gamut of horrible (847 Suburban Wheat) to pretty good (Czech Pils).

The food I got was the sausage plate and it was pretty good and hearty.

The bartender was nice.

Overall it is a nice little brewpub not too far from home.

02-01-2011 04:21:57 | More by crossovert

t0rin0

California

3.94/5  rDev +5.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | $$

Visited 10/11/2010 on Columbus Day. 9 house taps including both versions (nitro/CO2) of Big Head APA and a couple of casks (Q-Dog and left over Summer Ale).

This place is in another nice looking quiet country side town. The bar is across the street from a park so parking was easy. The restaurant is kind of stretched out into an L shape. It was sort of dark inside and a bit warm but over all nice. Not many people inside at 11 am on a holiday.

I tried the sampler, although I'm still not sure if they normally offer this. The sampler included the regular beers but when I asked to include the nitro Big Head, the seasonal (Oktoberfest), and the 2 casks the bartender happily obliged. After leaving me with my drinks he went to hang out with one of the waitresses. Fine with me as I was only making a quick stop on the way back to Chicago and I was paying cash so I didnt need him around.

The beer wasn't bad with the standout being the 847 APWA and the variations of the Big Head Pale (nitro, CO2, and Q-Dog which is cask Big Head with some extra dry hops).

Not even sure if they offer food but at a friendly neighborhood bar like this I wouldn't mind hanging out a bit.

12-22-2010 19:53:09 | More by t0rin0

vlad1456

Illinois

4.95/5  rDev +32%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5 | food: 4.5 | $

Mickey Finn's is a great place to get a few beers and have a nice meal. They usually have many different varieties on tap, including, amber, hefeweizen, and oatmeal stout. The beers are top notch and the service is every bit as good. There is also a reasonably priced menu, mostly comfort food. This is the place to go to in Libertyville. It is a great place to go with a large group or to take a date to. My personal favorite is the oatmeal stout. I also like the hefeweizen, especially in the summer, great banana and clove flavor.

11-02-2010 22:06:40 | More by vlad1456

RMC

Illinois

4.38/5  rDev +16.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Had some friends in town from the Northeast, and we headed over to Finns to sample their beers. These guys know A LOT more about beer than I do, and all 6 of them praised the beers as VERY good. One of them told me how difficult it is to get a decent Kolsch in his area, and that I was lucky to have Finns so close with such a variety of VERY good beers. (The six of them took the train from downtown and exclaimed it was well worth the trip.)The service and selections are great, and the atmosphere is exactly what you'd like for a friendly neighborhood pub. I recommend it highly!

11-02-2010 14:35:19 | More by RMC

Czap

Illinois

2.81/5  rDev -25.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3 | $$

I would not recommend this place at all. I have been there a few times, never by choice, always because a friend is having a party there. The beer is just lazy or boring or sometimes just plain offensive. I don't like to complain, but there is no excuse for some of the swill that is being brewed in this place. The service is good and Libertyville is always a fun little town to check out. But please, I urge you, go across the street the The Firkin or The Tavern, spend a few extra bucks, get some great brews and hang out in a more inviting atmosphere.

10-13-2010 23:21:39 | More by Czap

Vdubb86

Illinois

3.83/5  rDev +2.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

This is a good place to go for a local brew. Not many places brew there own beer in the northern burbs of Chicago. There's usually at least one beer style to suit everyone in your party. The seasonals are usually some of the best, but I don't know anyone who doesn't like their 847 suburban wheat ale (clone of goose islands 312). My personal favorite was their Märzen Madness which was seasonally available in March. For those who don't understand that you are supposed to get good beer while you're there they have that macrobrews as well. The food is typical bar food, there's a good selection of German style foods, but that is far from the only style available. Reasonably priced on all aspects. Fairly decent atmosphere. Band room upstairs for decent live local music. The staff is knowledgeable about the craft beers they make. Open fairly late on weekends when the restaurant turns to a decent bar scene. I enjoy and frequent this establishment. Greatly recommended.

08-25-2010 23:41:27 | More by Vdubb86

KTCamm

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +6.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $

An overall good find in Libertville, IL. Good atmosphere, including an outdoor beer garden. Long picnic bench tables with outddor heaters for when the weather is too cold for some.

The sampler included 8 or 9 tasting sized samples, more than enough to keep me happy. The waiter knew waht each of beers was and was able to answer some questions on it.

Had a good variey of lunch items, including sandwiches, pizzas, and good appetizers.

Worth a trip, a good find, some quality brews and good food.

Prices were quite reasonable, for both the food and the beer.

05-31-2010 19:19:40 | More by KTCamm

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev +0.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3 | $$

A quaint little microbrewery in Libertyville. I've been here both in the restaurant portion and in the bar portion, so both will be dealt with in turn. In terms of the restaurant, it is comprised of a small interior space in front of the fermenters and a smaller outdoor bistro (or, rather, beer garden). The food is decent, but I don't think it would stand up on its own without the beer. As for the beer, these guys know what they're doing, with a number of styles available on a seasonally rotating schedule and a constantly changing lineup with new and fun styles. One of my personal favorites is their smoked porter, which complements the barbecued meats nicely. As for the bar area, it's somewhat cramped, taking up a long room in the corner of the restaurant (it's especially cramped on weekend nights). The taps have the usual macros alongside the homemade brews, but the number of taps isn't very high. The music is generic and played rather loudly (now I sound all curmudgeonly). And, if you are so inclined, there is an area upstairs where they have a dancefloor and stage that hosts a number of local bands.
All in all, an enjoyable place with good-enough food and tasty brews.

02-02-2010 23:06:12 | More by TMoney2591