Two Brothers Brewing Company

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -6.9%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

I visited the brewery on my birthday, a few weeks ago, with my brother. What could be better?

The brewery itself could be marked with better signage. Really, any signage, as there are currently no signs indicating that, "Yes, you have reached your destination." We just saw several bicycles parked outside, and thought that this must be the place.

Inside, everyone was quite friendly and answered all our questions. We were able to sample a beer while we waited for the brewery tour to begin. The brewery guide knew we wanted to go on the tour and fetched us before he began. Brewery tour is fairly standard, but good amounts of history and reasoning behind the brewery's choices and quirks.

After the tour, you're given a choice to sample three different beers from glasses that hold about four ounces. It's free, so you can't complain.

Atmosphere inside the restaurant was typical of a slightly upscale cafeteria, nothing particularly special, eye-catching, or making me want to stay longer. Hopefully the new brewhouse they just bought will improve on this.

Food was of pretty high quality. I had the bacon-wrapped meatloaf and my brother the fish tacos. Both were very tasty and portion sizes were fairly huge (I took home half).

Selection of beers is: all of their year-round brews, a few seasonals, their root beers, and a few other local Chicagoland brewery offerings. Nothing super-special, but nothing to complain about.

09-08-2011 04:39:13 | More by falloutsnow

Bowers-Brew

Illinois

4.46/5  rDev +6.4%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4.75 | $$

Another regular for me and the wife. Can't go more than a few months without another visit. Both locations are fun and worth the trip.

Great food (try the fish tacos) and great beers on tap.

Brewers coop is very convenient for any home brewers out there. I've made some quality beers from their kits and purchased other supplies when needed.

Recently added coffee beans to the list of items for purchase - worth the try and a nice complement after a good meal and several good beers.

05-10-2013 22:34:49 | More by Bowers-Brew

FungusBrewer

Illinois

4.1/5  rDev -2.1%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I have yet to be disappointed upon visiting. The beer tours are educational, sarcastic, and involved. You can tell the staff is proud to work here. Most of their food options are organic, a lot being purchased from Chi-town markets. I've had the burgers, hummus platter, and Mac w/ artichoke hearts. All were super tasty and reasonably priced for the area. Two brothers beer is above average, a true gem blowing "Goose Island" away. Their Hefeweizen is an okay attempt at a Deutsch masterpiece. Try the oak foudre beers, and don't miss out on the French farmhouse Domain Dupage.

My only gripe is one of the brothers is an environmental architecture graduate from the University of Illinois. It doesn't show in the facility construction; given I understand the number value involved. This isn't worth a downgrade though.

02-20-2012 01:59:46 | More by FungusBrewer

beerenjoyer1

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4.5 | $$

I really enjoy Two Brothers Tap House and Brewery every time I visit. The food is really good, the beer is good also. The atmosphere is good with that of a brewery type environment, the service is really good, and the beer/food selection is really good also. The burgers are all organic and hand made, some with halapeno's if desired, the fish tacos are good, and their Cajun dishes are really good. The beer is always good and they give brewery tours on weekends with beer tastings. Two Brothers also hosts private party's but that is for you all to call about. Two Brother's also bought the Round House in Aurora and they are up and running, go for a visit there too!

12-07-2011 21:13:52 | More by beerenjoyer1

dexterk1

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

I have had many Two Brothers beers. All of them are very good and I have not had a bad one yet. The atmosphere is nice in the tasting room at the brewery. A little small, but they make the most of it. The food is very good and surprisingly inventive.
The quality of the beer is excellent! They take care in brewing and it shows in there final product. The long haul session ale is maybe my favorite. It is an excellent beer! They have other quality choices as well such as the bitter end pale ale, and resistance IPA. Selection could be more extensive, but what they do make is high quality so that makes up for some of that. Brewery tour is very cool as well!

11-24-2011 03:15:38 | More by dexterk1

flocculate

Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +6.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

I attempt to purchase at least half of my beer locally. Of all our Chicagoland breweries, Two Bros is my favorite. That's nothing against Half Acre, Metro, Emmett's, Fitch, Goose, Flossmoor, etc.. But Two Brothers', in my mind is the best, up and down the offering (regular and seasonal).

I'm a fan of the tap house as well. I've been a number or times and rotate between the burger and the pulled pork. Sweet potato fries are fantastic. While the atmosphere and decor of the taproom is average, I think the brewery tour is very good. They do a great job of explaining process and equipment and with humor.

Note: I live in the Loop and its a pain in the ass for me to get out to Warrenville. But I make the trip 3 or 4 times a year anyway. Check it out if you've never been.

10-30-2011 00:59:28 | More by flocculate

DoubleSimcoe

New York

3.18/5  rDev -24.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 2 | food: 4.5 | $$$

Came back to Two Bros. with my wife on a busy Friday night. Sat at the bar, service dropped and was hard to get a water refill. Girls are damn hot, though.

Had a pizza with goat cheese and bacon, incredibly delicious! Beer selection was even worse than last time- no Cain&Ebel. And of course no Hop Juice, no Heavier Handed, no Northwind. Boring.

Three beers and a pizza set us back $32 plus tip. Not so cheap.

---

So I found out that my relative lives a ten-minute from Two Brothers. Not only that but she went there herself the other night with a date she had! Would you take a date to a semi-obscure brewery in an industrial park in the suburbs?

Yes, it is hard to find. Even with directions and stuff, it is just out in Nowhere, USA (despite being close to an interstate highway). Plus there was a lot of construction around the industrial park where the brewery is. But once you're there it's all good, a spacious tap room that feels more like a chain restaurant with a rather large seating area and a nice bar with some high-top tables.

A little sterile and bland, plus the AC was down, but alright. Then comes the beer selection. Meh... 7 taps + 2 guests (Metropolitan Brewing and Finch's). Nothing exciting. This is the stuff you can get at any other bar around the US: Cain&Ebel, Domaine DuPage... you name it, you know it. I got their Resistance IPA (which I had never tried) and it was solid OK.

Too bad they don't do half-pints or tastings or stuff like that. What's a good taproom without your classic beer paddle? Then my relative said she got a five-beer tasting when she was there. WTF?

I enjoyed the food, a house-ground bratwurst with onions and mustard that was sooo delicious and filling (although the bun was a little stale). Great salty fries too.

Service was fast and efficient, sweet girl. Funny how the place went from packed-for-lunch to almost-empty in a matter of minutes.

Would I go back? Sure, when I'm staying nearby at my relative's house. Otherwise, I think I'll pass.

09-10-2011 05:12:08 | More by DoubleSimcoe

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev -16.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4 | $$

This place was not easy to spot, no sign in front, just a white warehouse. On closer inspection there IS a small sign on a door, 11x7 inch, saying only "tap room". I figured it must be a new location but on the tour I heard they've been here 4 years. Not sure why no sign, but the place got crowded while we were there so I guess they don't need to care.

Seating for 80+ in tables & booths, maybe another 12 along the bar. It's a converted gymnastics warehouse, and it has that feel to it in the taproom. It's not a bad layout at all, it just feels like this building is having a second life is all. The food selection was good, we had pizza and burgers. Everything was pretty good.

The draft selection was the standard line-up of Two Brothers beers, those that are easily found in 4-packs and 6-packs. Apparently they sometimes have seasonals and one-offs but unfortunately not while I was there. Tours on Saturdays, but they're not really worthwhile (except for 3 free drink tickets at the end). You basically stand in one place while they describe the brewing process, then you go see the bottling line.

I'm a fan of several Two Brothers beers so this was a worthwhile stop. But I probably wouldn't go too far out of my way, given that the Chicago metropolitan area has other great beer stops.

08-07-2011 22:16:03 | More by TurdFurgison

Northsider

Illinois

4.13/5  rDev -1.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

I had a family function out in Bolingbrook so I figured as I was sort of in the area I'd check this place out finally.

The location is god awful...nestled in an industrial park with no signage whatsoever to mark the building. It's a giant white industrial/warehouse building that I almost missed had it not been for the group of people walking in the doors.

As soon as you enter you are in the 'gift shop' area and hostess/register area. You can buy tshirts, 6packs, a variety of malts, glassware, and all kinds of homebrew equipment. I picked up a weizen glass for 5.99, awesome!

As we waited (45min) for our table, we went to the bar area and had a few drinks. The dining area was much smaller than I had expected, especially since the outside building looks massive. The bar staff was great and let do a few tasters before settling on a Can and Ebel and Imperial Stout.

We all were seated finally and I ordered the fish taco which was awesome! Everyone in my group generally enjoyed the food very much. You can also get cinnamon root beer and almond cream soda for those that don't drink. The guest bottle list is decent, although why bother when you got house taps right there...

Overall, I can't say I'd make the 30 mile trek out to the boondocks again, but it was a fun experience to finally see this place.

07-24-2011 13:43:55 | More by Northsider

Dogbrick

Ohio

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

(Visited 11/2010): Visited Two Brothers after thinking I was lost, which is evidently a common experience for visitors. I actually visited two nights in a row because there was a private event being held at the brewery the evening of my first attempt. The brewery is located on the northwest side of Warrenville on Talbot in a seemingly residential area. There is a private lot as well as street parking.

The interior is softly lit, with the bar on the left side and table seating throughout. The bar area boasts TVs and a view of brewing equipment.

Two Brothers has about 10 of their beers on draught, including most of their flagship brews plus a couple less common offerings like Heavier Handed IPA, Long Haul Session and Resistance IPA. They also offer a 5 beer sampler. There are about 30 bottles on the menu too.

Service in the restaurant area on a weeknight was solid. Our server was familiar with the beers and efficient.

Food at Two Brothers is good. My colleague and I both enjoyed our dishes.

Overall this place is worth the difficulties finding it. Recommended for any visitor to the area, and may even be worthwhile visiting from the Chicago area.

06-29-2011 03:33:02 | More by Dogbrick