Latest reviews from Rock Island

“Off of 92 on the left of a one way. Plenty of seating outside, inside was relatively small but good for space. The apa I had was one of the best I’ve had. Pretty good place and brewery, had a mom and pop feel.“

wlajwl 1893 days ago

“The reviews from the last decade might as well be from the last century. Made a trip out to see Spectral Voice, Primitive Man, and Aseethe. Ribco is located in an "entertainment district" for lack of a better term. There are a few bars and clubs nearby with roving groups on the street howling drunken "wooos" at each other. They were definitely nowhere to be found at Ribco though, which was nice. There was a food truck around the corner after the show. The space inside consists of 2 rooms, the bar first, and a stage with live music in the other room. both are long and somewhat narrow, with music show posters dotting the walls. In the music venue side there was a row of booths along the wall and a long table with stools in the middle. The stage area is fairly small, but luckily it wasn't overly crowded that night. $6 Rev Cafe Deth and TG NugMo on a Saturday night. Holy crap. Can't find a better deal than that anywhere. Also multiple vintages of BCS on draft at affordable prices. KBS in the coolers, a good variety of TG beers, around 100 cans & bottles in all. Their list on Beermenus gets updated regularly. The guy that books shows and curates the beer selection here recently opened Wake Brewing nearby, which is a must-stop in the Quad Cities, especially for beer & metal fans alike.“

emerge077 1943 days ago

“ This was a nice laid-back place, more of a locals crowd. There were cool elaborate murals on the walls, and a separate game room in the back with pool and darts, lots of windows with natural light in the space. Corner bar was cozy with comfy bar stools. The brewhouse was visible through a window opposite from the bar. Taps were set into the wall, with bottle cap magnets decorating the door to the cold room behind the bar. They had 3 of their house beers on, a southern English brown, a grapefruit and lime blonde ale, and a dry oatmeal stout. All were good quality and the blonde and brown ales were surprisingly good, atypical for otherwise ho-hum styles. A 4th house beer had kicked the night before, an American black ale. Triptych Kellerbier was on tap, a relative rarity, and they had fresh cans of A Wizard Is Never Late. They also had Schlitz on tap and go through 2 kegs a week apparently. Service was great, the Saturday bartender was also the brewer I believe, so we chatted about beer with him, and got the lowdown on all the local spots. He really knew his stuff. Do yourself a favor and get some fried chicken from Mulkey's to-go, and bring it over to Radicle Effect for a beer or two. Overall we had a great experience here, and i'd happily return when in town again.“

emerge077 1943 days ago

“This was a highlight on a recent (April 2018) trip to the Quad Cities, one of the more promising new places to open here since my last visit a few years ago. Wake Brewing opened it's doors in late 2017, by two homebrewing brothers that also happen to be musicians. The corner building is mid-sized with plenty of parking, and a small outdoor patio in front. Located near Bent River's production brewery and taproom, but otherwise it's not really a bustling area. Brewery is visible through a side garage door around back. Inside the vibe was very cool, somewhat minimal with an L-shaped bar front and center, and tables off to the sides. Chill music on a Sunday afternoon. Lots of natural light coming in the front. The bar was comfortable with a nice flat rail and smooth wood bar top. Unique lighting that looked like mechanical tentacles, spindly black wire caged edison bulbs hung from cords snaking out from a central point high above the bar. Framed art behind the bar with pops of wild neon color by the artist Boss Dog, who also did a t-shirt for the brewery. Cool framed photos of live bands (Sleep) and speaker stacks were interesting as well. Maybe try a sports bar if you have to watch TV? Many brewery taprooms are tv free, and imho that's a good thing. We happened to meet the owner Jason at the bar, who was a very nice guy and full of great info. He also turned out to be beer & talent buyer at Ribco, and had singlehandedly put together the show we were in town to see: Spectral Voice, Primitive Man, & Aseethe. Hats off to this guy, doing great things for the local beer & music scenes. The house beers were very solid, and covered a range of styles. Pour sizes were versatile, you could get a taste, sample glass, half pour, or full pour. No "flights" in a traditional sense, but you can easily try all the beers in sampler form if so inclined. Highlights for me were the raspberry milk stout, porter, and hazy IIPA, there were about 10 total on tap. A few guest beers also available. For a new brewery that hasn't been open 6 months, they've cranked through almost 2 dozen beers already. Tom the bartender was super nice and really on top of things, providing samples and helpful beer info. This was a very unique place making some nice beers. I'll return whenever i'm back in the Quad Cities.“

emerge077 1943 days ago

“One of the newer breweries in town, have visited a few times over holidays and since moving back to the Midwest. Probably one of the better breweries in the QC at this point, but that's not really saying much to be frank. Okay to average beers, nothing to phone home about. Small-medium place, cement and wood, some metal, as breweries tend to be these days. Bartenders have been friendly and knowledgeable on my visits. Not a destination brewery, but they're an okay stop for ticks/rates and definitely better than other breweries in town.“

drowland 1961 days ago

“Typical Hy-Vee Wine & Spirits with an okay beer selection; definitely not one of the best in the QC. Definitely not a destination beer stop, but if you happen to be around, it's fine to stop in and find some random stuff you probably haven't had including lots of local and IL/IA brews. Clean, well lit, friendly service, etc.“

drowland 1961 days ago

“Stopped in for a couple growlers. Bar with 7-10 taps and a patio. Draft was on par with their bottled beer. Good bar, will probably stop in for a pint some time.“

wlajwl 3194 days ago

“From the outside impressive but an odd mess of rooms inside. The bar is nice and staff fantastic. Brewers are hanging out and everyone is up to talk beer. Prices are good but beer is just average. Go to hang out and have fun.“

Ferris 3534 days ago

“A room of the grocery store, this has different hours, so be aware. A surprising amount of singles and craft beer. Prices are good. I didn’t get much help, but it is well organized and compact so that was ok. Great for a grocery and worth it if in the area.“

Ferris 3534 days ago

“A good sized basic bar with a few rooms that are dark or very light. Service is awesome, with knowledgable and friendly staff. Funny thing, it is very hard to get their beer, smallest system I have seen, but they have a good tap list of others and lots of bottles. Prices are very good, especially if you hit a daily special. I was a traitor and had a famous Bloody Mary, absolutely killer. Oddest place, no brewed beer and awesome cocktails. Still a winner though.“

Ferris 3534 days ago

“Bent River has become a bit of a staple for me and relatives when I’m in town visiting. I’ve been to the Moline brewpub the last two years and enjoyed it a lot. Last year first saw this particular location while driving down 24th street but didn’t get a chance to stop by.

Place is pretty large, with a big outdoor area as well. Brewing equipment is outside. Place still looks brand new, which is very nice. Mix of people, but mostly college aged people (probably all from Augustana). One bartender was working the bar the night I went (a Tuesday). Decent selection. I didn’t ask, but noted afterward that I probably could have gotten 4oz sized tasters of one or two beers I hadn’t had yet but didn’t want a full pour of. No size pricing was listed anywhere in bar (not a huge problem, just noting it here). It looked like you could get 6-packs to go.“

radagast83 3651 days ago

“I have visited the "new" distro Bent River a few times now. It’s a nice, clean, new place that has a few taps and a small taproom. Probably the coolest aspect is that you can get growlers and go across the street to the famous Jim’s Ribs, which happens to be BYOB. <P> I like the new BR just fine. The problem is that ever since their past brewers left and they opened the new place, everything seems watered down and the recipes are being changed a bit, it seems. Uncommon used to be one of my favorite beers, and now it seems to be coffee water. I used to look forward to Jingle Java every year and the bottling that came out for Christmas 2013 has a bunch of added garbage in it like hazelnut, rum, pecans, cinnamon, blah blah blah that just wasn’t needed. So anyway, the place is nice, but I wish the beers would go back to how they were in the good old days.“

drowland 3801 days ago

“Like other mention, I guess, this is not a brewpub, but it’s still a great stop in the QC. Every time I have visited they have had a stellar selection for the area, both draft and bottle. Nice bar atmosphere, friendly bartenders, etc. The only "issue" is that it’s in "The District." Check RIBCO’s website before you head out. Sometimes they have live music, a cover, DJs, or other things going on. Sadly, they have to have business and make money in a part of the QC that caters to that type of activity. However, if you go on the right night, this is a definite great stop in the QC.“

drowland 3801 days ago

“I want to edit and update my review(4/13/13), since my last one was a year and a half ago. First thing - people are pointing out something obvious: RIBCO does not brew their own beer. Before, and during, Prohibition, the building was owned by gangster John Looney. His establishment was called The Rock Island Brewing Company. The name is a nod to this history of the building, and the area. Over the past six to eight months, RIBCO has made HUGE strides forward, making them the premier beer bar in the Quad Cities. They have 13 taps, and they are all craft. There is no more Bud Light on tap, at least not in the past half a year or so. They constantly have two Nitro taps(Guinness and rotating), and they are the only bar in the QC where one can get a beer, other than Guinness, on nitro. They were also the first bar in the area to get a Randall(and are currently the only bar to have a properly used and maintained Randall). They have also rolled out some great weekly specials. Mondays are half priced drafts and $4 cheeseburger baskets, and Wednesdays are 50% off all 12oz bottles in the cooler, and 4 bucks off all bombers. Not to mention $10 all you can eat wings on Wednesdays. Constant special release nights and beer themed events, a great staff, and very good musical acts on a regular basis. Simply put, the only beer bar at which one needs to stop while in the Quad Cities. I don’t work there, but you can find me there at least twice a week. Original review - 8/30/11 I just recently started going back to RIBCO, after not having been there for years. They constantly have at least 5 great beers on tap, and 8 or 9 craft taps total(I think Bud Light was the other). They also have in the neighborhood of 50 bottles. The bartenders are very knowledgeable and ready to offer a suggestion if one is to ask. They have, by far, the best craft tap selection in the Quad Cities. The only food I’ve had is the wings, and they were mighty tasty. Pretty reasonably priced, as well.“

GraniteSkunk 4060 days ago

“Visited in late December, 2012. I wish they had been brewing!

I visited pretty late at night, which was fine. It wasn’t too busy. Dim lighting, some pool tables, and generally the place was clean, fresh, and new. No complaints, really.

We sat at a table, but when we went up to the bar our bartender was friendly, talkative, and able to speak intelligently about what was on tap. No complains there either! The selection was good, especially for the area... on par or above others in town. They don’t have a ton of taps, but they definitely had some interesting ones and a few I hadn’t had, which is always a bonus.

I’m rating this quite late, so I don’t remember the prices specifically, but I don’t remember being appalled.

Overall, make this a stop if you’re in the QC. You’ll probably find a few interesting beers, especially once they start brewing. Back when he was a brewer at Bent, he was doing a great job!“

drowland 4121 days ago

“"Ale House" NOT a brewery!! This companies keep serving beers and calling themselves breweries when they are Ale House’s only. Huge selection and good taps!“

BeerWife 4146 days ago

“Picked up some brews while visiting Illinois. Some good local beers, and beers I couldn’t find near my hometown. Pretty decent selection of single bottles.“

radagast83 4301 days ago

“Similar in set up to other Hy Vee W&S’s. Selection was pretty good and there weren’t many out-of-stocks. Great service and a good place for hard to finds in the area.“

wlajwl 4471 days ago

“This is the place that I will make my beer runs to when venturing over to IL. They tend to have a few more brews than the Moline store and there is usually at least one staff member on hand that knows their beer. Beer is reasonalby priced as well.“

KAF 4490 days ago

“This place is pretty lame. They have an okay collection of beers on tap, but DO NOT brew their own, despite the name. I had a Bells Oberon the day I visited. Food was standard pub fare. I wasn’t impressed.“

GeneralGao 6480 days ago

“a cool bar/pub that doen'st make their own brews, but has a very extensive list of bottles(bells, three floyds and many other midwest brews) Visited in april 2002 with my college buddies. good place.“

Terminus 7347 days ago

“I don’t know why this place is called a brewing company, because they don’t brew their own beer (Maybe they used to?). But they do have a rather large beer list. Dark inside and smoky -- typical bar scene. Worth a short stop if you are in the area, at least to check out their beer list. They also have a restaurant, though I’ve never eaten there.“

JMerritt 7379 days ago