Latest reviews from Rockford
| 76 /100 6551 E. RIVERSIDE BLVD. “Smaller taproom, with smaller patio. They do small batches, 7 of the 10 ales on tap had Gluten removed. Nice friendly bartender. The honey Brown was very tasty. Will visit again when in the area.“ |
| 74 /100 200 PRAIRIE ST “Love the building, a meat packing plant as well as a brewery for many years- located right on the river. Somebody put a lot of money into this place, it looks very modern and fancy. The beer was decent and the talent was solid. I only had some appetizers, but it made me think that the food could be pretty good“ |
| 72 /100 7140 HARRISON AVENUE, SUITE 108 “Not many new selections of beers besides their core beers. Similar to Rock Bottom Restaurants, the lunch was good and they seem pretty busy. Wish they brew one offs more often.“ |
| 82 /100 200 PRAIRIE ST “I have visited this place on many occasions. It is a cool limestone building right on the river in downtown Rockford, probably one of the nicest settings in all of Rockford. Beer selection is rather robust-lots of locals and about 10-12 of their own creations. Service is good but this place can be very loud on major event days and weekends. I would rather go during the week when the crowd is smaller.“ |
| 64 /100 610 N BELL SCHOOL RD “Visited for the first time in May, 2017. This is two places in one - "Alchemy", the room I visited, modern and full of metal and black, and "Giovanni’s" which has a more traditional look. Both have the same menu so don’t worry on that score. Service was fine and the food was really solid; I took a gamble and went for a lobster roll, never a smart move outside of it’s territory, but it was actually very good with a killer tarragon sauce. My brother’s turkey-bacon was also well above par. Beer? Well, I believe this has the largest number of taps in the stateline area, but I can’t say the list is as interesting as many others - half of the list is IPAs or lagers, with the former containing lots of familiar names (Goose Island, Lagunitas) and the latter being mostly macros. There’s some decent stuff here to be sure from lesser-known locals like Church Street and Generations, but overall this is not on the level of The Rock in Beloit or Oasis in Rockford. I will certainly be back at some point because it’s convenient to me, but I can’t recommend that out-of-towners make a special trip. I would also note that both beer and food is just *slightly* on the expensive side for the area.“ |
| 88 /100 215 EAST STATE STREET “(October 2016). A dozen plus visits over a dozen years, including four in the past few months have confirmed that this place is still on top of the Rockford beer scene, beer-wise. They still don’t have much of a food menu and it’s a small place that is pretty much just a bar, but the ambiance and service and the generally excellent beer make it worth regular visits. And the area of East State street that it inhabits has improved significantly over the past decade and offers a lot more choices of food and drink than it used to, so this is very much worth spending part of a longer visit to the area in.
Oct 05: Well, this latest visit brought the wonderful Delirium de Carlyle and the best-of-style California Common. It’s an odd place, across the street from the place my parents shopped for furniture when I was 7 and my brother and I got lost...oh just go already, this place is great. Nov 04: A nice place, and one that I really hope succeeds in the 20-year depressed old industrial city that is close to a "hometown" for me. Dark wood, old-timey midwest pub feel, but clean and well put together. Little in the way of food when I visited (July 04) but good to very good beer...the stout in particular was fine. Really friendly, warm service. I’ll be back at Christmas.“ |
| 70 /100 Schnuck’s - Rockford - State Street (Grocery Store) 6410 E. STATE ST. “Visited a couple of times in the mid-2000s when it was still Logli’s - the Logli’s chain, at least in this area, has been bought out by Schnuck’s - and then again today. There are many other Schnuck’s in the area - this is the only one I’ve visited that really deserves a listing here. Nice separate liquor department - as large as many dedicated area liquor stores - within the main store. The selection as of now is quite large, with at least 2/3 of it being craft - mostly Illinois, Midwestern and larger nationally-distributed micros. A couple dozen beer glasses for sale also; prices generally good though not usually as low as Woodman’s. Very close to Valli Produce’s store at State & Alipine so if you are in the general area checking both out makes sense as the selections are somewhat different. No singles that I could see and there wasn’t anyone working in the department while I was there.“ |
| 70 /100 Woodman’s Foods - Rockford (Grocery Store) 3155 MCFARLAND RD “(August 2016). Time for an update. I don’t get to this store as often as I do to a lot of other area places, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t a worthwhile stop, especially if one is looking for Illinois micros and Belgians. Probably the largest selection of Illinois beer I’ve seen at one location, I’d estimate over 200 different labels yesterday - including half a dozen from local brewpub Pig Minds, which doesn’t sell in that many places. Lots of Goose Island of course, but also more from Revolution, Pipeworks and many other Chicago brewers than I’ve seen anywhere else. Maybe 50 Belgians as well, which isn’t a huge number but is pretty good in this area. Total bottles and cans must exceed 500 at this point; I’ll try to do a more accurate count on a future visit. Roughly equal now to the Janesville location I think.
(October 2005): The Woodmans in Rockford is weaker than most of the WI branches of the chain...but that may be mostly because the Illinois brewing scene just hasn’t caught up to its sister to the north. Two Brothers and Three Floyds commoner beers are here at the lowest prices you’ll see, same with K-Zoo/Bells...a great store to be sure but merely a shadow of Madison/Gammon Road.“ |
| 80 /100 Artale Wine Co. (Beer Store) 6876 SPRING CREEK ROAD / SUITE 128 “Two visits, early August 2016. Small, narrow shop, very classy, very cramped - has a "big city" feel to it, actually, in that it reminds me of some smaller upscale shops I’ve seen in the more congested parts of Chicago, Boston and New York. The first thing I noticed going in was the little cheese cooler stocked with expensive goodies like Cypress Grove. Haven’t really looked at wines or spirits yet but expect it’s mostly high-end (at least for this area). The beer selection is definitely not as big as what you’d find at several other places, but they have stuff that I haven’t seen elsewhere, such as the Zenne Valley geuze & kriek. More Belgians than most local places - and essentially no macro junk. At least one employee here really knows his stuff also, which isn’t something I see at a lot of local establishments. Definitely not an every week stop for me - but just as definitely one to keep an eye on, and they’re doing free Belgian beer tastings every week, I’ll have to try to get to one of those.“ |
| 78 /100 The Olympic Tavern (Restaurant) 2327 N MAIN ST “First visit, August 2016. Judging from the differences between older and newer reviews - here and on some other sites - this place must have been heavily remodeled - and re-thought, at least as far as the beer goes, in the early 2010s. And it looks like it inside - while attempts have been made to keep it looking somewhat old and charming (especially the cool bar), it basically seems like a total re-do from whatever kind of dive it used to be. Shame in a way because it’s one of the few restaurants in the area that dates as old (1945), and I love old bars - but I can’t complain too much when it now offers one of the better tap lists in the area, with half a dozen rotating out every week and 3/4 of the 28 taps being quality. I had a very fine zwickel from Metropolitan and a not-so-great hefe from Urban Chestnut. Some Belgians (two from Dupont) on tap as well as the predominantly midwestern micros. One thing I will mention is that both were served in standard 16 oz American shaker/pint glasses - but I saw the bartender pour something into a pils glass at one point. If they’ve got proper glassware, they should use it all the time! Anyway, not a big issue for me but worth mentioning. Heavy, typical pub food menu - good stuff actually (I had a reuben) but not exactly exciting; no complaints about the service. I will definitely be back but will note to anybody reading this now that 2/Main Street is under construction now and getting in/out of this place is kind of a hassle at the moment.“ |
| 78 /100 200 PRAIRIE ST “First visit, August 4th. I’ve lived in this area for three years and only now have gotten to visit this place - I’m sorry I waited so long. First off it’s only a few blocks directly north of Carlyle, so if you’re visiting that more renowned place you really ought to consider giving this one a shot. Basically this is a very old (1849), large brick industrial building - originally a brewery, actually, according to the history on the back of the menu - that has been turned into a HUGE brewpub with several different levels and at least half a dozen different rooms, each with a different character. There’s a big patio that you can sit on over the river, a couple of dining rooms, a lower-level bar with some games, and the main bar a few steps above street level, where I sat. And probably more - I didn’t wander around the whole place. Likely the largest brewpub I’ve ever visited. But this would count for nothing if the rest of the experience wasn’t good, and it was. I won’t say any of the beer was fabulous, but nothing was flawed and all of the four samples and 2 10-ounce glasses I had were solid and will rate in the 3-3.6 range or so. 9 regular taps. 1 nitro and 2 handpulls (a cream ale and a IIPA when I visited). Better-than-average brewpub menu; I had Korean tacos with house-made kimchee and there were some other interesting ethnic concepts in the food arena. Oh and the bartender was just about perfect, one of those guys who can give you info, seems to care about what you’re talking about, and neither forgets you nor acts too pushy. Overall, I guess I’d still pick Carlyle if I had to choose just one Rockford brewpub, but it’s not a huge gap - and Carlyle has only a minimal food menu and isn’t open for lunch. I will definitely return in less than 3 years and update this. Give this place a chance folks!“ |
| 80 /100 Cork Keg & Spirits (Beer Store) 1603 N ALPINE RD “As jmagnus said almost 4 years ago, a boutique store; this store certainly does not have the largest total selection in the Rockford area - that honor probably belongs to Woodmans - but the quality of selection is the best I’ve seen yet by a long shot (I haven’t been to Artale yet). Loads of Mikkeller, Bruery, Allagash (rare around here and I think not distributed across the border in Wisconsin), Goose Island’s sour fruit beers, etc. This was the last stop on a little afternoon check-out-beer-stores trip I made today, and I was getting too tired and poor to make a thorough inventory, and I’m sure I missed some great stuff. I’d visited here a couple of times previously and the selection was radically different - they do seem to try to keep on top of what’s new and hot (and available in Illinois of course). Classy-looking place, nice layout, employees can actually help you if you need it; great selection of bourbon also, I haven’t really checked out the wine, scotch, etc. Prices a little higher than other area stores but with this selection you can’t complain too much.“ |
| 70 /100 Valli Produce - Rockford (Grocery Store) 5880 E. STATE STREET “Valli Produce is a chain of six grocery stores that focus on international/ethnic food; four are located in the Chicago suburbs, with the other two being this location and one a few miles north in Loves Park, on Alpine Road. The Loves Park location doesn’t have half the beer selection this one does and is overall significantly smaller. I’d estimate about 250 American micros here - lots of Goose Island, Dark Horse, Founders, Avery, Tyranena and New Holland among others - perhaps 50-75 imports (mostly pretty common stuff) and the rest macros. Clean and well laid-out, with prices overall slightly lower than Royal Liquor Mart which is about 3 miles to the west. This is closer to I 39/90 and the hotels and restaurants near it on State, Bell School Road, etc. As I mentioned it’s an ethnically-focused store but if you’re wanting some conventional groceries to go with your beer don’t fear, they’re a regular full-service store with an excellent fresh fish and meat selection and probably the best produce selection I’ve seen in Winnebago or Rock counties.“ |
| 56 /100 Royal Liquor Mart (Beer Store) 3714 EAST STATE STREET “Afraid I can’t get as enthused as the previous rater. This is a divey old store that assaulted me on first entering with the smells of sweat, wet carpet and cigarettes. It’s rather disorganized, with lots of empty space, and lots of old-looking bottles. On the right wall going back are the imports - behind them were a few hundred bottles of wine just sitting on the floor - awaiting pricing? I dunno. But there are more imports all the way in the back of the store as well against the far wall, and some mostly-empty shelves just in front of them had a couple of Jolly Pumpkins and a few other things. In the coolers, basically the typical stuff you find in this area - Ballast Point, Stone, Alesmith and of course lots of Illinois/Wisconsin stuff. No 3 Floyds that I saw. Prices are a bit higher than Valli Produce on State or Woodmans. None of the area stores with large selections carry everything, so you might get lucky and find something here that isn’t anywhere else, but I can’t say this would be my first choice. It is probably the best store that’s located close to downtown though.“ |
| 72 /100 Luccha Cantina (Restaurant) 1641 N. ALPINE ROAD, SUITE 212 “Four visits over the last two years, most recently in May. I’ve added Luccha because - in this area at least - it’s nearly impossible to find a decent Mexican restaurant that has good beer. The tap list isn’t enormous and it isn’t full of crazy special stuff, but it does have lots of local and national micros - Goose Island, Avery, Stone, Dogfish Head, Destihl, Founders and New Holland among others - and they change their selections quite frequently; I’m not sure I’ve seen any of the same beers twice except for the ubiquitous Corona. First time I visited I started with a barleywine, not something I’m used to seeing on a Mexican restaurant menu. Maybe those in very large cities or in the southwest have their choice of such places, but not here.
But the beer list alone is not good enough to warrant a listing - thankfully the food seals the deal. This is the best Mexican, or perhaps pseudo-Mexican (lots of southwestern influences here) food I’ve had in the area, and I’ve tried quite a few places. Really good fish tacos, enchiladas of various kinds - I had a mushroom-spinach one that was outstanding - and 8 or so terrific homemade salsas of varying intensities, with the very smoky and rich chipotle my favorite. Very spacious place with a large semi-divided main room, big patio, and sizeable back bar area. Soft and muted color design; very much kid-friendly. Also it’s in the same strip mall as Cork Keg & Spirits, one of the better local liquor stores (though a rather expensive one).“ |
| 56 /100 7801 E STATE ST “No offense to the previous reviewer, but if this is "way better" than Hooters, then I’m sure glad I’ve never been to one of those. Oh, I’ll give it a good score for "ambiance", because hot tanned babes in skimpy tartan-design outfits IS the ambiance, and I don’t mind basking in it. But that’s about it. I’ve been here twice, in 2013 and 2015, because it’s right next to a bus station basically - and frankly I can think of no other reason to ever return; I mean, I can see babes just as cute on TV, on movies, on the Internet, at the Farmer’s Market I go to every Saturday, and in my dreams. As to the food - meh, wings & fries are what I’ve had and they’ve been unmemorable. Beer is your standard BMC crap alongside a few more famous & larger micros or Euro breweries - Avery, Stone (probably just the IPA), DFH 60-Minute I think, Goose Island, etc. Even in a somewhat culturally-devoid city like Rockford you can find dozens of better places to eat and a number of better places to drink.“ |
| 54 /100 7140 HARRISON AVENUE, SUITE 108 “Many visits over the last 8 years or so, most recently in early July. This chain has improved it’s beer overall in the past decade; well, this location, the one I’ve visited most, has, at least. It’s still not good enough to be worth a special visit, but as it’s the only restaurant/bar at the Cherryvale Mall apart from the typically execrable "Food Court", I end up eating and drinking here a bit more often than I otherwise would. I’ve liked their IIPA a few times, and on this occasion I got the Black IPA - a new style that so far I am not at all fond of; this one was as good as most I’ve had I suppose. Food is all right - portions are IMMENSE though - given the huge obesity problem in this area in particular, I wish they had something for normal people who just might (or might want to) weigh under 200 pounds. Service is always at least adequate but never exceptional; typical soulless (but spotless) corporate ambience. Certainly if you’re just in Rockford for a day you can do better, starting with Carlyle’s, but there are certainly worse brewpubs and chains (I’m looking at you Rock Bottom).“ |
| 100 /100 The Olympic Tavern (Restaurant) 2327 N MAIN ST “This place is a class act. Excellent beers- constantly rotating tap list... and they keep their lines CLEAN. Great service & great prices. Go there. Go often.“ |
| 72 /100 Artale Wine Co. (Beer Store) 6876 SPRING CREEK ROAD / SUITE 128 “Lower rating is only because its 80% (?) wine but a good supply of ales that are hard to find, not far from the Wi / Il border so I was able to get beer not available in Wisconsin. Looked like a real good supply of Mead and Ciders were also available.“ |
| 80 /100 610 N BELL SCHOOL RD “Plenty of good beers on tap. Food is excellent and service is great.“ |
| 100 /100 Artale Wine Co. (Beer Store) 6876 SPRING CREEK ROAD / SUITE 128 “best place to buy craft beer or spirits in rockford, no need to go anywhere else.“ |
| 94 /100 200 PRAIRIE ST “Cool place. Bartenders know their shit for the most part. Beers are a bit pricey for what they are. Regardless, I’ll frequent it.“ |
| 72 /100 7801 E STATE ST “UPDATE-This place is now CLOSED permanently
your typical Tilted Kilt, but pretty decent. Beer selection is just a step above average. As you may know with these places, its like a scottish version of hooters but way better. I go here sometimes when i visit my hometown.“ |
| 80 /100 The Olympic Tavern (Restaurant) 2327 N MAIN ST “A very good bar. has been the old local bar that all the neighboorhood i grew up in that everybody goes to. has become more than what it used to be. This was never a beer place before they remodeled. Solid tap list with lots of midwest regionals. Never have had food there, but i hear its great. Seems everytime i go to this place its a high school reunion. Decent place but i usually end up going to others in Rockford.“ |
| 64 /100 215 EAST STATE STREET “Great brewpub. They pretty much have something for every taste whenever I head in there. The bartenders absolutely know their beer but when it gets busy, they can tend to be forgetful about my empty glass in front of me. Food is great, but expensive. The pizzas are great and you have to try the jalapeno cream cheese stuffed pretzel. Pretty decent value considering the quality of beer. Overall, I really dig this place. Absolutely worth a stop while heading through Rockford.
Edit: pizza no longer available“ |
| 76 /100 7801 E STATE ST “Mostly Miller and Coors products disguised as craft beer, they do have Lagunitus, New Belgium and a few other tasty beers. Food was good, the workers looked lovely, 2 meals for $40 (inc. tip)“ |
| 100 /100 Kryptonite (Bar) 308 W STATE ST “Awesome bar in downtown rockfoed. Great selection including some limited and hard to find stuff. Had 18tha street chloe and mrs olearys here on draft even before i saw it in bottles. Bartenders know their stuff and will gladly help. Can get a little crowded on weekends but its worth the wait“ |
| 100 /100 Artale Wine Co. (Beer Store) 6876 SPRING CREEK ROAD / SUITE 128 “Best place, best service, and staff great products.“ |
| 80 /100 The Olympic Tavern (Restaurant) 2327 N MAIN ST “Huge restaurant that keeps going and going. Nice big old bar area with TVs. Plenty of pretty good taps. Decent enough bottle selection. Food is excellent, if a bit pricey. Went there specifically for some Alesmith, and was not disappointed. With Oasis and others, the craft beer scene in Rockford is really looking nice.“ |
| 84 /100 The Olympic Tavern (Restaurant) 2327 N MAIN ST “Visited here this past weekend. Place was huge, a lot bigger than I was expecting. Easy to find for sure. The bar area was nice, 28 beers on tap, some cool stuff but nothing mind blowing. They did have a decent bottle selection including some Cantillon and some limited Firestone Walker stuff. We ordered a pizza which was very good, the other menu items seemed a little pricey. The beer is pricey as well and isn’t a place we would stay at for more than just a few. Overall pretty cool place and we’ll probably be back at some point again.“ |
| 86 /100 Oasis Micro-Pub (Bar) 901 EAST STATE STREET “Pretty cool place. Looks like a dive bar outside, and kinda inside also, but it is quite cozy next to the fire with the lights down low. Bartenders really know their beers. Great selection of beer on tap and an awesome selection of togo beer (just got a Sierra 30th Anniversary this week), but you do have to wait a while for it. Food is great. It comes from the Greek place across the street, Uncle Nick’s....a Rockford original. Prices tend to be very cheap. Like, $2-3 cheaper than the competition. Overall, awesome. The only reason I don’t come here more often is because home is a 20-minute drive away.“ |
| 78 /100 Garrett’s (Restaurant) 1631 N BELL SCHOOL RD “Pretty nice place. Waitresses are very attentive and tend to know their beer. Decent selection for the taps they have. Better than most of the other bars of their size. Food is awesome. Pretty expensive for what you get but still very good. Overall, not bad. This is a place to go if your looking for great food, and want some good beer to go with it.“ |
| 100 /100 Kryptonite (Bar) 308 W STATE ST “This place has the most elite craft beer selection on tap. All 8 handles feature the best of the best for craft beers in this marketplace! And plus another 30+ crafts available in bottles as well.“ |
| 66 /100 215 EAST STATE STREET “My wife and I dropped by in December 2012 before heading off to see a show at the BMO Harris Center that is located just a block away. Located in the downtown older part of Rockford, this is a fairly decent sized place as there is kind of a hidden part to the building. On a Saturday night this place was hopping. We weren’t offered any kind of seating so we took it as a “seat yourself” kind of place. The food menu is pretty basic brewpub food, just something that pairs well with beer. Staff was nice and the beers were average to above average quality wise. A nice little place I would be interesting in visiting again. However their website could really use some help. No food menu and talk about weird hours opening at 3pm most days. Closed on Sundays? That wouldn’t fly in Wisconsin! More hours and a more appealing lunch/dinner menu would greatly help this place.“ |
| 80 /100 Cork Keg & Spirits (Beer Store) 1603 N ALPINE RD “Not a bad little place. Dominated by wine with a cooler section for beer and some liquor. This is absolutely a botique store. The guys working all tend to know what they are talking about. Selection is kinda small, but very good for what they have. I picked up a Sam Smith I needed to tick (chocolate stout) 6.99 and a Widmer Old Embalmer 13.99. I also got 1 bottle of the 2012 BCS for 9.99 and, though I didn’t buy it I saw they had a bunch of Madam Rose behind the counter. This place is a little pricey, as you can see, but it is also brand new. I’m hoping once they are around for a while, the prices may drop a bit. They also have a discount card for wine and liquor, but not beer. I could see this place having some hidden gems in the future. Overall, not bad. If youre coming through town, stop in and see if you can find a bargin.“ |
| 82 /100 Woodman’s Foods - Rockford (Grocery Store) 3155 MCFARLAND RD “helpful if you ask... very large independent Wisc grocery chain sneaking into N. IL. now Extensive selection but do your homework before you visit and you can find some very good deals. Picked up several Sprecher 4 packs cheaper than could find anywhere else“ |
| 72 /100 215 EAST STATE STREET “Very nice little local bar feel to this place. Mostly locals in here. 11 of their own beers on tap - all seem to be pretty good. Food is limited to sandwiches and pizza - waiting on my pizza now. Nice place if you are in the area.“ |
| 66 /100 7801 E STATE ST “Like hooters but better food and beer. The service is not so great. Seems to be the waitstaff relies on their looks rather than service to get tips. Last time I went though, the bartender knew her crafts. Some decent beers on tap. Warsteiner, Paulaner and a couple ciders on tap. The jalapeno burger kicked my mouth and my ass.“ |
| 100 /100 The Olympic Tavern (Restaurant) 2327 N MAIN ST “Great bar. Probably one of the best craft selections in town. Good crafts come and go on tap but the website is usually pretty updated as to what is there currently and what is coming in the future. As of this review, Stone, Founders, Lost Coast and a New Belgium LOF beer are all on tap.
EDIT: They now offer to-go beer as well.“ |
| 86 /100 Artale Wine Co. (Beer Store) 6876 SPRING CREEK ROAD / SUITE 128 “Wow, finally my town now has a great beer store-i found many beers that i have not been able to find in quite some time here. all seem to be in good condition and not old stock. staff is VERY helpful and knowledgeable. Huge props to this place! if you are in Rockford for any reason, check this place out!“ |
| 84 /100 Oasis Micro-Pub (Bar) 901 EAST STATE STREET “well well, a good beer bar in my home town. This place is really unique-like others say, driving past this place you would never know what is inside. looks like a dump bar along a long line of older buildings just outside downtown rockford. Inside, its small however never crowded. furnishings are 80’s style dinner tables and chairs with a basement-like bar in front of the taps. a very good selection of taps here-lots of great midewst and CA beers-bells, founders, ballast point ,green flash, pizza port-all good stuff here! I dig this place!“ |
| 86 /100 Oasis Micro-Pub (Bar) 901 EAST STATE STREET “This place is pretty dope. Looks like a dive from outside, but has a really cozy inside. TONS of micros on tap and in bottles, many of which I haven’t seen elsewhere in the state. Bartender was super friendly and offered to throw us free samples of stuff we were curious about. Will definitely be coming back. Hit up this place and Carlyle when in the area.“ |
| 100 /100 Artale Wine Co. (Beer Store) 6876 SPRING CREEK ROAD / SUITE 128 “Great little store. I came in here on a whim looking to find a case of GI BCS. No go, but ended up talking with a guy who I think was the owners son for about 2 hours. I left with a lot less than I wanted to because I had just tapped myself out at Binnys. I ended up grabbing a Rodenbach Grand Cru for a trade I was working on and a bottle of Clown Shoes Supa Hero that, at the time, was unadded to RB. Overall, great place. I can’t wait to come back.“ |
| 92 /100 Oasis Micro-Pub (Bar) 901 EAST STATE STREET “There really isn’t a better place to go for craft beer in the Rockford area. Ever since I discovered it back in August 2011, The Oasis has quickly become one of my favorite places and I try to make it there once a week. So this will be an extensive review based on several visits from someone local to the area.
Ambiance: The Oasis is a pretty small place in general but that’s not entirely a bad thing. What it lacks in space it makes up for in coziness. There some pretty cool art on the walls as well as a small fireplace. The only real issue is how crowded it can seem on busier night.
Service: The servers are great. They are super friendly, easy to have a chat with, and they know their beer. Their personalities are a good fit for the atmosphere of the bar. Most importantly, they are always ready to pour you another drink.
Selection: Not only are there around 20 taps but they seem to change their offerings multiple times a week. As often as I go there, I don’t think there has ever been a time where I’ve had all the beers on the menu. If that isn’t good enough, they also have a huge selection of take home bottles at a very reasonable price.
Food: While they don’t actually prepare any food in house, you can get food delivered there from Uncle Nick’s across the street. Nothing fancy, but for what it is, it’s damn tasty. Always hits the spot after a few beers.
Value: Awesome. The prices usually range from $3 to $7. But the only beers you will usually see for $6 and $7 are Tripels and Quads, which is to be expected. As I said before, their take home bottles are also reasonably priced. Food is also pretty cheap, but I think it’s a little cheaper to walk across the street and order yourself.
Overall: I love this place. Not much more I could say besides that if you like good beer and live or travel to Rockford you have to check it out.“ |
| 68 /100 7140 HARRISON AVENUE, SUITE 108 “Seemed like a nice little cozy bar when me and the lady went in late on a Thursday night. Our bartender was great. She knew everything about every beer they had. Selection is OK. Even though the beers are not that good, they have something for everyone. From a stout or IPA to a light or wheat beer. Pretty good value for what you get. About 4 bucks for a 25oz "micro"? I challenge you to find a deal that good somewhere else. Plus, if I remember right, the sampler was close to $3, which is the best deal in the place. Overall, not bad. I’ll have to try the food next time for sure. I’d say this is a good place if you want to catch a decent buzz for cheap.“ |
| 76 /100 Old Chicago - Rockford (Bar) 6280 EAST STATE STREET “Not much to be said here but it is a nice place,with a nice line up of crafts,just nothing over the top.I go here with the family and at least I can have a decent brew,the best thing was when Goose Island. Released. BCS Vanilla they hosted an event with reps from the brewery and had some one offs on tap the good is decent which anybody who’s ever been to one can attest to“ |
| 72 /100 The Olympic Tavern (Restaurant) 2327 N MAIN ST “Went there on the day of Darkness the brews on tap.were 010 BCS,EXPY,Stones RIS,OLD Raspy nitrogen,Dragon’s Milk and fade to black, pretty impressive line up.The food is world class being that it is a Resturant Steaks,Seafood,chops, with some of the recipes using beer,Zac the beer buyer is a big as beer geek as any of us. It’s nice to see that Rockford is moving forward in the craft beer movement!!!“ |
| 80 /100 Oasis Micro-Pub (Bar) 901 EAST STATE STREET “A freind if mine frequents this place on a weekly basis,From the outside it looks like a dive but to my amazement it was rather warm and cozie,on the day we went the bartender was a hot for teacher beauty,some of the beers were Stone Escondidian,11-11-11,,Breakfast Stout,Rouge Double chocolate SA Double Pumpkin for the Rockfird area,you won’t find a better tap list, and the do sell bombers and 6 packs to go With Nicks place for food since, he owns this place also and from what my buddy has told me Buck is TheGuy“ |
| 82 /100 Royal Liquor Mart (Beer Store) 3714 EAST STATE STREET “Looks like a big box store. Giant area with lots of fake florescent lighting. Most employees seem to know what they are talking about when it comes to craft. If nothing else, they can tell you what sells the best. Decent selection. Picked up some Wychwood King Goblin, Redhook Treblehook (early 2009 vintage) and Clown Shoes Tramp Stamp. Decent prices overall. I like this store and will definitely be back next time I head to Rockford.“ |
| 100 /100 Artale Wine Co. (Beer Store) 6876 SPRING CREEK ROAD / SUITE 128 “I will keep this short and simple. Best beer/wine shop in Rockford. Best in the area. The Artales are great, if you don’t know what you want walking in, they will point you in the right direction.“ |
