We went out with a friend last night and wanted to try something new... Emmett's was right down the street from the game store that we love, so why not?! We started with the Emmett's Baked Pretzel Twists Horseradish Cheese Spread, Pale Ale Mustard for $8.99 and a couple cups of Cheddar Ale Soup w/ a Pretzel Twist for $3.50. On their own their both great and together they're even better! Very good starters! Our friend ordered the Brewer's Chicken Sandwich w/ Swiss, Bacon, Pale Ale Mustard on a Toasted Pretzel Roll & a side of Sweet Potato Fries for $9.99. She said it was a great tasting sammich and she schmeared on some of the mustard from the pretzels. She also enjoyed the fries! It was a pretty thick sammich which is a good deal for the price! The boy ordered the Brewhouse Angus Burger 8oz burger, Brioche Bun for $9.99. He asked for bacon on his burger and a side of their Truffle Fries. This was an additional $2.25; however, for the price of the burger I think it was worth it. The boy said that this was one of the better burgers he's had as it was well seasoned and very well cooked to his medium rare preference! I ordered the all you can eat Beer Battered Cod w/ French Fries & Emmett's Slaw $16.99. What a perfect Friday night special! It was a serious toss up between this and the Prime Rib, but for the extra order to take home I was all for the fish fry! It was a little on the oily side. However, the flavor was spot on and it was a good flavor! Our server, Dave, was great! He had a really good sense of humor and kept up with his tables even when the bar got bomb all at once! I would totally recommend that anyone hit this place up for a good night! read more

My husband and I both love a good beer so Emmett's seemed like an ideal spot for us to try. We have been to Emmett's twice in the past two months, once for appetizers and drinks and happy hour and once for dinner. Both experiences were enjoyable, but I'd have to say that happy hour experience was a little bit better than dinner. During happy hour the bartender was more than happy to offer samples and suggestions to help us decide on a beer selection. The staff was all friendly and the environment was warm and comfortable. When we came back for dinner we both enjoyed our food and drinks but the service wasn't QUITE as good. The restaurant was busier and things were a little rushed, but I guess that's expected at dinner time on Friday. The only really downfall...I am a dessert-a-holic and nothing on the Emmett's dessert menu tempted my palette :( We will be eating at Emmett's again (just going somewhere else for dessert!) read more

Their truffle fries are one of the tastiest sides I've ever had! Everything be tried off the menu has been good. And I hear they've got some pretty decent beer (I wouldn't know as I hate beer). This place is so close to my house and a block away from the downers grove main st metra stop. They even have outdoor seating. However after my friend and I paid we stayed a while talking and never got our drinks refilled once. It was like once we paid, we weren't looked at again :( read more

This is more of a review of the special events service of Emmett's vs. their retail operation. Emmett's sent out a staff member (Chris A. from the corporate HQ) to come to our not-for-profit event several days ago. They served their pale ale and honey blonde ale, both of which were very popular with the attendees. Chris, a former bartender for Emmett's, was very knowledgeable about the products, and interacted with everyone in a friendly, accessible way. When we have a similar event in the future, we will definitely consider Emmett's. Friendly staff and great brews - what more could you ask for? read more

I went here on a Saturday night around 9, to meet with friends for drinks. As I walked in, the hostess at the desk walked away... 'Soooo I'm thinking I should seat myself??' I thought. The place was starting to empty out. We chose a seat on the bar side- nice high top tables, a view of the brewing equipment, great music playing- and settled in. We waited. And waited. I started to doubt the fact that we were supposed to seat ourselves. New to the place, I didn't know anything about the beers, and after 10 minutes, noticed an abandoned drink menu to look at. Finally a waiter appeared and got us waters. 12 minutes later our friend arrived and the waiter appeared again and gave us helpful drink ideas. I had the 1am ale. It was decent, not super memorable though. It seemed like all of us had to work to finish our beers in the end. I was interested in trying one of their cocktails, but things ended up taking too long so we decided to take our business elsewhere. The beer prices were reasonable-- I think mine was 5.75 plus tax. I probably would try the place again, but it's not at the top of my list for the dg area. read more

Emmett's as an after work place is great. Appetizers and salads are decent. The shoestring onions served with the sandwiches are good. The corn chowder has ham in it so beware all of you veggies out there! I really like the pretzel twist appetizers. Tuesday is pint night. Wednesday is wing night, also good. Thursday is potato skins and pitchers night. Microbrews on tab as well as other domestic/import bottled beer. You can also get "paddles" which are flights of beer samplers. Service is OK. Not heavily staffed in the bar area on weeknights. Within walking distance to the train station. read more

We had a great time tonight. So glad to see Wheaton coming back. Ashley was really fun. We had a really really great time thanks to her. What a great sense of humor! read more

I wanted to love Emmett's...... I've given this place numerous chances (I live in Downers Grove) and I always leave disappointed. Let me say it's a very nice location, with good service. The beer selection is "OK"....their brewed beer is alright, nothing spectacular. They don't have a very big selection of total beers though. My biggest complaint is their food....it's really bland and average at best. I've tried a lot of their dishes (pork sandwich, meatloaf, baked mac and cheese, burgers, pasta, cheddar soup, wiener schitzel) and all have been average at best. I don't think they use very good ingredients. I recently had their 3 tenderloin medallions with different sauces. The beef was just awful....really bland and almost cafeteria-like. Is this low-med grade Sysco food? I felt ripped off leaving there. For the record, I want to see successful dining in downtown Downers. We certainly have the Italian food market covered, and the brewpubs, although Ballydoyle does much better pub grub than Emmetts. I was hoping Emmetts would evolve into some classic American dining place, offering steaks, chops, etc....but it never happened. read more

Great place for large groups and parties. We held my Dad's memorial here yesterday and everything went smoothly. Met with Kirsten before the event to discuss details and throughout the process, she was organized, friendly and super helpful. We opted for the 2entree lunch buffet in their event room. The beef and pork entrees, vegetable primavera and roasted potatoes were delicious. They have a projector and microphone. Highly recommend. read more

This place is AWESOME! My brothers and friends go to Emmett's frequently. The beer is always cold and fresh. My favorite is Mccarthy's Red Ale, the best American amber beer I have ever tasted. The chicken wings are great. 3 different flavors - must try the Jamaican Jerk. The sweet potato fries are great, also. Good atmosphere and great staff. read more

FOOD - Meh. I have had much better food. Its slightly overpriced. If you read the menu it all sounds great. The only explanation I have is that they spent their money on a great writer instead of a great cook. most of what we had tasted like it was cooked in a microwave. Fries overcooked and dry. I will not be eating here again. Drinks - this is their savior. The fresh brewed beer is great, with some very traditional twists. HOWEVER, I am a part of their MUG CLUB and they recently decreased the sizes of their large mugs to probably save money. Atmosphere - overall has a great look. Lots of classic wood among the large brewing containers. OVERALL - Downers has some great bars now and this poor quality food will not cut it anymore. Go for drinks and thats it. read more

Won't go back. Had lunch with my family (4 people, 2 adults, 2 kids) on a Monday afternoon. Only 6 tables full, yet service was unbearably slow. More than an hour between getting seated and receiving our food. I ordered the fish taco, which was horribly under seasoned and raw in the center. When I complained, I was informed by the waitress that "Ahi is seared. It's supposed to be that way". The rest of the family's meals were mediocre as well. Head elsewhere! read more

I absolutely love Emmet's. A true pub with a great beer selection. This location is so great and the staff has always been friendly and attentive whenever I come. Very awesome diverse beer collection without a cookie cutter taste. If your're in downtown DG, make sure you stop into this place and enjoy your read more

We love Emmett's. We used to stop by all the time when we lived closer. Beer is good. Stick to beer. I made the mistake of getting a mixed drink here, it was awful. Sometimes service is slow/lacking. But it's a great place, good wings! Usually crowded so you may have to wait! Trust me, it's worth it! read more

Took the family for a Sunday evening walk in downtown Downers, with the notion of picking a place to eat. Happily we picked Emmett's. Not many people in there, but it still took a little while to get a waiter's attention. But once we did, things moved along well. Drinks were prompt and good. Tried a couple of the specialty beers. Wife liked her fuzzy navel well enough and oldest liked her margarita. Wife liked her cod very much, oldest liked her ribs, youngest was pleased with the portabello sandwich. Only complaint with my scallops was that there were only five of t hem in a large dish of rice and asparagus. But service and food were good. Waiter kindly changed the channel on the TV near us to show the Hawks game. Atmosphere is nice. Will definitely go back. read more

We were disappointed. Service was very slow and seemed frustrated. The restaurant was very loud. The soup came out at the same time as the entree. The pretzel appetizer was very good. The menu seemed pretty limited. We asked the server's opinion about two menu options and though I appreciated his honesty, it seemed strange that he said straight out that he didn't like the Maui burger and said he thought there were better entrees than the pork tenderloin (but didn't say which ones or make any suggestion). I got a chicken sandwich on pretzel bread and it was very good (great mustard sauce) but the chicken only took up half the roll which was strange with so much bread leftover. The chips are great. Overall I don't think it's worth the money for the frustrating service and options. read more

Emmetts has been the de facto gathering place for Marquette alumni in Du Page county this season. they are consistently great with the service, the beers are delish, and the food is always great. I've been coming in here since I moved to Lisle almost 18 months ago. This place is a true microbrewery, and they have a rotating selection of craft beers on tap. The beers are unique and exemplify the style that they're meant to showcase. I'm a big fan of "big" beer- lots of hops, "high original gravity" in beer-geek speak type beers. They also have a nice selection of more traditional American ales. Whatever your taste, they'll have something for you. Food here is always good. I've probably had most of the dishes on the menu and they've never disappointed. Nothing in particular stands out, but I always ask my server what they recommend to pair with what I'm drinking. Service is really what sets this place apart though. No matter how crazy this place gets (during the NCAA basketball tourney there were hundreds of Marquette alumni in here) the servers are always available, never flustered, and execute their jobs with precision. Likewise, the kitchen turns out perfectly executed dishes quickly, no matter how busy the place is. I suppose my only knock on this place is that there's no lot to park in. I suppose walking a few blocks to my car isn't a bad penance to pay after consuming high calorie beer and food though :) read more

Great locally brewed beer. Nice selection of their own , as well as standard selections of ones you would find at many pubs. They also have some nice Irish food selections, and some standard pub food. They seem to have something for everyone! They also have outdoor dining in the summer, and they happen to have one of my favorite patios. Its on a quiet side of the business and they short of hide it with bushes and such so you feel like you have some privacy to enjoy your meal. read more

This is my go to place. They have nice ambiance and decor. I love their drinks. Staff is helping and down to earth. This place is very under appreciated. Overall the food here is very good. read more

Nice bar. That's about it. The food is average, uninteresting and over-priced. Service is so-so. I live in Downers Grove and have gone there at least 6 times since they opened, almost always because someone else chose it, and would rather have gone somewhere else. They should give up the restaurant and focus exclusively on the bar / entertainment aspects of their business. read more

We didn't plan anything for Valentines day & just took our daughter out to dinner with us. Reservations were made the same day without a problem. Parking in the area is a little tough & their lot in the back is a tight fit but we made it right on time. We arrived & were greeted and seated right away. That's always a plus, right? Right. I noticed that the music and noise level from the bar side is something you cannot ignore while sitting down for dinner.. eh, I'm not sure how I feel about this.. Moving on... I ordered a cucumber gimlet for a pre-dinner drink (it's pretty much a gin martini) which was good. Not too strong & pretty much right on point. Yes, I know I was at a brewery BUT I had my eye set on the prime rib & knew there was no room in my stomach for both! Soooo . . . I ordered the prime rib dinner special - cooked medium, baked potato & split pea soup of the day. The split pea had good flavor but the chunks of ham were not what you're use to getting in split pea. I am pretty sure it was deli ham, which made me a little sad. Oh & there were no croutons in the soup... Really?! What a let down! I ordered a glass of the Sycamore Lane Cabernet Sauvignon & I think that was the best decision I had made about the meal. When the prime rib came out, it was exceptionally pink & I mean near rare. I seriously tried to eat it but ended up sending it back .. I just couldn't do it. When it came back from the kitchen, it wasn't rare or medium or medium well for that matter, it was almost well done. Needless to say, I ate more towards them middle & set it to the side. This place is not terrible, but could use a little revamping... maybe I will give em another shot.. we'll see. read more

The Cheddar Ale soup was very good. It comes with a pretzel breadstick. If you like pretzel and cheese, you will really like the Cheddar Ale soup. The potato crusted tilapia was also very tasty. The sauce was maybe a tomato based sauce it went well with the potato crusted tilapia. Even saying the meal name activates my salivary glands. read more

Like most Illinoisans, especially during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, I cheered the Hawks on! However, instead of going to a crazy, jam packed bar with douchy dudes (yeah, you know what I'm talking about), I went to Emmett's, a classier, full-spirited (both in liquor and atmosphere) watering hole! I enjoyed watching a few of the Playoffs games without feeling like I was in a sardine can. But hockey hysteria aside, Emmett's is a great bar and restaurant. They brew some good beer and their food is quite tasty. I can recommend their truffle fries, pretzels, quesadillas, and burgers. I wouldn't say its gastropub food nor dive bar food.... I would say, it sits pretty above the bell curve as upgraded bar food you wouldn't mind going back for. Overall, its a decent local bar if you're ever in the DG area! read more

I had come here several years ago for dinner and remember not being impressed with the food, but loving the beer. Now I am older and more particular and while I'm not much of a beer drinker, I'm so happy I came back to try the food one more time. I swung by here with my mom and hubs for lunch on Saturday and the place was nicely emptyish. I really liked that our server was still amazingly attentive even though we were one of maybe three tables he had. He was polite, courteous, paced our meal excellently, and didn't smother us. Hard to do, and done well! The menu seems to be completely revamped! My eyes gravitated immediately to the fantastic small plates menu - specifically the bleu cheese and bacon potato chips. The menu said they were served with a horseradish dip that we sadly didn't get, but the chips were still deeeeelish and I coulda eaten a whole bowl of them. I'm glad we shared amongst the table. Then I ordered a crock of the baked french onion soup, which was awesome, and my mom got their cheddar ale soup, which I sampled and also loved! It wasn't just cloyingly cheesy, but had well developed flavors and didn't feel insanely heavy. For lunch I really wanted to get a salad, but then I noted the pork belly tacos, and I'm a sucker for pork belly, so I ordered that. It wasn't my favorite - the other flavors on the taco were so strong I could barely tell there was pork belly on it - but it wasn't terrible. My husband got the sunrise burger and holy crrrrrrrap I wish I had gotten it - SO AMAZING and perfectly cooked and had BACON JAM on it. BACON JAM. What more do you need. After all that, my mom and I were stuffed but my husband pressed on and ordered the raspberry tiramisu, which looked completely beautiful and he adored. The inside of the restaurant is warm, classy, and cozy, and the aforementioned service was outstanding. We'll definitely be back. read more

Emmett's Brewing - Bacon blue cheese potato chips. Their small plate menu is impressive! - Breweries Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

As far as most of the other reviews go, I'm on board. The food is overpriced and, over all, pretty "meh". I ordered an ale sampler, a cider, and a pretzel bread appetizer, all of which were pretty good but should not have cost 25 dollars... The reason I've bumped up the rating to four stars, though, is the amazing service we got. Our waiter was attentive, got our food out to us quickly, kept our orders separated (we were a large group paying individually) and is the reason we all had such a pleasant experience there...I will be back; maybe not by choice, but if a friend asks me to go, I wouldn't say no! read more

Great home-brewed beer, mediocre food.

Dear Emmett's, You used to be really amazing. So much so that I would beg the BF to come here all the time. Now you have moved to lame-ville. Why did you have to drop the roasted chicken dinner? The Maui chicken is a very sad replacement. Your mac and cheese also has no flavor. Your pretzel appetizer and Hefeweizen beer are both very good, but not worth the drive. In conclusion, Waaaa! Sincerely, Jeanette read more

Went here on a Wednesday, it was 1/2 price pitcher night... woot! Watch the website for specials. We sat in the bar with is a bit loud but we were still easily able to conversate... the restaurant side is quiet for more private dinning but you don't get the cool ambience of the brewery. The beer was great, we had the Victory Pale Ale and it had more flavor than any beer I have had in a year... Really, you hear about people who speak of beer as if it were fine wine... I could not stop smelling my glass and tasting it. I found myself rolling it around in my mouth to experience it. The spinach & artichoke dip was good, not an 'I have to have' type dish, I know next time to ask for regular pita bread, they fry it by default. I am certainly in need of going back and will sample more in the future. read more

This location of Emmetts, was just disappointing. The inside areas are large and inviting. Bar room might be a little bit dark. Who cares really? Outside is a small area with only a handful of tables. It was a warm evening, so we opted to sit outside! Service was adequate. We received our drinks in a timely manner. The food order, was another discussion. First of all, we both ordered off the gluten-free menu. My friend ordered a salad and expected the croutons. She was disappointed when there were no croutons. Our server told us that you don't have gluten-free croutons. So why were croutons listed on the menu? Okay, now let's discuss my Rehberger. Have you ever tasted the gluten-free buns you're using? They are terrible! Eating gluten-free, doesn't mean I'm desperate to eat anything! They were tasteless dry etc. etc. Now for the meat, if you're asked how you want your meat cooked. It would be nice if you got sort of close to the temperature you requested. I ordered my burger RAW, so that may be came medium rare. No such luck! It came well done. Very disappointing! I can't eat well done meat. So I sent it back! I thought that maybe I come back better?? Well this time it came back medium. ALL I can say is I was disappointed. I expected better from your restaurant read more

It was a bright Saturday hot afternoon, so I decided to have sip of beer over here. And here was an unexpected great experience waiting for me in Emmett. As I went in it was mostly empty with few people in dining and bar area. I was received nicely at reception and seated comfortably in dine-in area. Patrick was our the server on that day and he suggested to try German Kolsch as a cooler and refreshing beer for the hot afternoon. As this was my first experience in a brewery so I ordered a beer paddler which is a combination of 5 beers (Munich Light German Lager, 1 AM English Ale, Emmett's Pale Ale, Emmett's Red Ale, Porters and Stouts). I personally loved German Lager which was crisp and refreshing. For food I ordered Three Wings Sampler(one of each buffalo, Jamaican Jerk and red ale BBQ) and Emmett's Nachos with Emmett's Club Sandwich. Food was really good, but the service made it best experience. I have read many average as well as bad reviews of this place, but as far as my experience it was excellent and I would soon be there again to try out more items on menu. read more

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All around, good experience, just a few hiccups. Drink-wise: For the first time visit, the 5 beer paddle sampler @ $5.95 is the way to go. I now know that the Victory Pale ale is my fav, but I truly enjoyed the others as well. Food-wise: YUMMS. Wed. nite is 35 cent wings, they have 3 flavor options: buffalo (not too hot, nice vinegar tang), Jamaican jerk (not hot, rich allspice flavor) and chipotle bbq (not really chipotle flavor, more sweet, very saucy). They bread their wings, so theres a nice crunch on the exterior. Split the Boursin Burger w/ friend. grilled portabello mushroom, grilled medium w/ a slather of boursin deliciousness on the bun? Screw mayo, THIS is what I need for burger lubrication. Have your choice of fries, sweet potato fries, fruit or onion straws as side. Unfortunately we requested the onion straws, but were given the fries, however the server made up for it w/ splitting it for us. This comes to the hiccup portion of the review: SERVICE: Ok, I realize, its an ale house, wed. nite. Prolly understaffed. However, INEXCUSEABLE 20 min wait followed by the waitress only coming over only after we ordered drinks w/ the bartender. We were in the bar seating area! How did you not see us? Sorry, but if you're going to allow seat yourself, I need someone to come by if I'm going to tip you. All in all, I will be coming back, prolly only on deal nites tho. Mon.is half off apps, Tues. $3 pints and Wed. for the wings. Not a bad visit for both my friend and I only spending $16 each incl. tip. read more

We have eaten at Emmett's several times over the years. It's a great location in a very nice building. The food and service is decent but seldom outstanding. It's not my first choice when we talk about going out for lunch or dinner. I really wish that they were better because it is such a nice looking and pleasing facility. Why can't management put some more focus on their overall quality? Oh well. Was there this past St. Patrick's day and was able to get a table in the bar area. This day the food was fabulous. You would hope that the corned beef would be top notch on St. Patty's and it was. Lean, thick sliced, tender and moist. Absolutely wonderful. In summary Emmett's is just good enough that we will return again. Just wish that they could step it up a notch so it is our first choice when we think of DG restaurants. read more

Beautiful decor. Beautiful furniture. The only thing was that the food sucks. I know I wasn't there for the food, but everything I tasted was terrible! Potato skins, portabello fries, chicken nachos, Southwest steak salad drenched in dressing... all ick. read more

I should preface this with my game group plays here every week. In the past I would have reviewed this as a 3 because the menu was just not overly interesting and their wait staff can be hit or miss. The new menu on the other hand is a great improvement. Small plates, which aren't trying to be tapas, but just smaller servings of their normal meals at a reduced price are great. I always felt the tendency to overeat there because I couldn't find what I wanted at the size I wanted. Now instead of ordering appetizer of giant pretzel sticks you can get one with a soup or to add to a salad. The small plate sandwiches are good too because they come with a small version of the fries too. The dessert menu has also been changed around. They still seem to be mostly huge desserts so if you don't want to leave feeling like you've eaten your weeks' worth of calories in one day, share it. :-) They are pretty accommodating and pretty forgiving about our game group if we have a bigger group than they expect and spread out a little further into the room due to the wall table being occupied. I can't touch on the beers but as far as ciders go there isn't too much of a selection. Just Strongbow in bottles all the time and an occassional one on tap. read more

I convinced my husband to give Emmett's another try. We sat at the bar when we first got there. The bartender was less than interested and seemed very bored. I'm not a big beer drinker, so ordered a glass of wine. Neither the Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio were all that great. We moved to a table when friends joined us. The waitress was friendly and fairly attentive. The Walleye appetizer was very good - however - we got 4 small pieces for $11.99. Way to pricey. The burger and turkey burger were both tasty, but again way over priced. Hard to believe there's a $.75 charge for grilled onions. I hate leaving a restaurant really feeling like we've wasted our money. Sadly, this was the case. I doubt we go back. Too many other alternatives in the area. read more

I would say that Emmett's Brewing has consistently great and big-sized burgers. It's well worth the money. Beer selection is great and there is plenty for everyone. We never had issues with getting a table, even during Downers Grove's Friday night Downtown car shows. It's never empty either. read more

We typically come here a few times during the summer, before we visit the DG Friday night car show. The food and service has been consistently good. I usually get the turkey burger which has a delicious bun and flavorful pesto. This time I opted for the sweet potato fries, which didn't disappoint. However, I often get the truffle fries which are delicious and a definite step up from plain-ole fries. I realize that they are a brewing company, so they promote their own brews. But, I'd like to see a listing of other brews offered. Finally, as a mom of two toddlers, I absolutely love their kids dinners. Not only do they offer a variety of meals, but they come with a little TOY!!! This is always a treat for the kids, is appreciated by me, and keeps them entertained during dinner. read more

Delicious food and good drink choices. Their Cheddar Beer soup is a go-to fave.

I went there last night for a late dinner, and was very happy. I got a dark beer, Poor Richards I believe, right up my alley, and a burger with pears on it. Surprisingly good. And their sweet potato fries were great too. The waitress was super friendly and the service fast. All in all, most satisfying. read more

Two words: FISH TACOS! The tuna steak used on the tacos is not only fresh, it's expertly prepared (cooked a bit more than seared, yet perfectly pink inside). This place is a Pescetarian's delight!! The only thing I would change is the white sauce on the tacos - I prefer a red, more salsa type. But hey, to each his own. Also getting high marks are the seafood appetizers (walleye bites & seafood platter) - both exceed expectations for a brew pub. The one item on the menu that disappoints, the Mac & Cheese entree - for a brew pub this should be much better. Oh well, stick to the seafood and you won't go wrong here. read more