This was a pretty good place. It had a very good vibe. The food was good and drink selection was pretty good as well. My boyfriend got a German, sour beer which was very tasty. I tend to like sour beers, so it was to my liking. The ambiance was nice. It is right in the heart of downtown Downers Grove among other cute little restaurants and shops. The bar is nice and spacious and looks very clean. The day we went was very hot so we didn't sit outside, but it looked nice. The food was really tasty. I got the chicken sandwich on a pretzel bun and was not disappointed. It was juicy and the sweet potato fries were delicious. I thought the flavor was pretty tasty, but a little plain. It could have used a little something extra to make it unique. My boyfriend got the hamburger and I was able to try a bite. It was juicy and flavorful; a standard, good burger. The service was pretty good. Our waiter was attentive and very nice. He didn't go above and beyond for anything, but he was always there when needed. I will definitely be back the next time I am in downtown Downers Grove. read more

Very happy with the beer options and lunch soup and sandwich. Tasty food and OMG the stout brownie was fabulous. Do try iy!!

My BF and I went here on Friday night after trying to avoid a large crowd like that of Bally Doyle across the street. Emmett's was not at all busy, with plenty of empty tables to choose from. Score! Then again, the fun loving atmosphere was a little lacking because of the minimal people but the crowd was still a friendly one. We saw that they have a little brewery and got some of their house beers. Both were pretty good, mine a little more hoppy than I was expecting (made me crave rye bread) but it was still darn good. The staff was so very friendly and inviting, offering us a chance to taste any of the beers right off the bat. They had baseball on several tv's and one projection screen which my bf enjoyed (but would have enjoyed more had his team won). We checked out the appetizers and I was between the nachos and the homemade potato chips... I wish I would have gone with the nachos. I mean, the homemade chips were really good and came with a horseradish aioli but the nachos were only $1 more and looked sooo much better after we saw the other tables around us get them. Ah well. The homemade chips were also a bit pricey at $8- yikes! The nachos appeared to be worth all $9 though. Overall, we would go back again, get the nachos, enjoy the beer, and brings friends. read more

I am lucky that I have friends that live in DG and they both love to go to lunch here. It's a great place because you have space and good acoustics to really chat and catch up. They also have a wonderful patio here and summer is so short, it's a shame to waste it eating indoors! I've had great burgers, salads and sandwiches here plus you have the option of sweet potato fries, sweet! On my last visit I had a special sandwich, Chicken Bruschetta, that was delicious. Their iced tea is also perfect, brisk and fresh. Paired with anything it makes for a refreshing summer lunch. Meeting a gal pal for lunch? I'd head here immediately. In fact, I'll come with you! read more

After hearing so much about Emmett's (one of my coworkers is seriously obsessed), we decided to finally head out and meet up with friends there one Saturday night. I was pretty psyched, since A.) I love a good pub burger, and B.) my husband's name is Emmett, so I was hoping to score some Emmett swag. We arrived to the sound of live music and a pretty lively scene. Though there appeared to be quite a few parties going on in the private areas, we didn't have to wait too long for a table to become available (maybe 10 minutes or so). However, the live music was WAY too loud. I enjoy a band to liven up my dining experience as much as the next person, but it was so loud that we were not actually even able to talk to one another. We resorted to charades and miming in order to carry on our conversation, which was frustrating because we had met up with two friends that we hadn't seen in a while, and I had left my mime gear at home. We did complain to the waitress who seemed equally frustrated but unable to do anything about it. About 3/4 of the way through our experience we did get moved to another table and were finally able to chat, but by that point most of the evening was gone. I didn't love the food, which was probably the biggest let down for me. I honestly expected to freak out based upon the ravings of my Emmett-fanboy coworker. However, when I have only eaten at a place a few times I feel that it is entirely possible that I just haven't found "my" dish there yet, so I'm definitely willing to give it another try and update my review when I do. But so far, I'm sitting at about a 2 star experience - I've definitely had better, both for weekend-out ambiance and for pub burgers and brews. But on a positive note, I did get a pretty sweet Emmett tee-shirt! read more

I was here for a bridal shower and they did a wonderful job. Waitstaff was always coming by getting drink orders, and I tried 6 different beers while there and not a single one was bad. They actually make some pretty decent light beers I was impressed, normally I try to avoid them due to lack of flavors but these were really good. They had a small buffet set up and everything on it was pretty decent, I normally try to avoid buffets as the food is usually sub par but I think they did a really good job here. Emmetts has never been on my radar for a go to brewery but they did a very good job, I would eat and drink here again for sure. read more

**3.5 stars ** Cute and friendly brewery and bar in busy downtown Downers Grove. Seems like a fun place to hang with friends. Food is okay. It's always difficult to write a review for an average place, as there is a wide band of what's considered average, right? Average is not necessarily a bad thing. And that's how I feel about Emmett's - it's a good, solid place to meet friends, it's convenient and lively, but I don't think I would go there regularly. I had a maple glazed salmon over mashed sweet potatoes. Sounds fantastic, but the execution could have been so much more. The salmon was a bit overcooked and mushy, and the sweetness of the maple marinade coupled with the sweet potatoes would have been so much better if it had been cut with a different taste. Perhaps a bit of cumin to add another layer of spiciness; anyway, it was okay. Wine list is passable - not a great selection, but I guess it's a brewery. Our server was very friendly and helpful. All in all, a solid place to go but nothing earthshattering! read more

I was out in Aurora for work yesterday and on my way back into the city, I met up with a couple suburbanite friends at Emmett's Ale House in Downer's Grove. We sat at a table in the bar area and our server was very friendly and knowledgeable about the beer selection (which is really good and is brewed at the restaurant). I couldn't make up my mind which beer to try so our server was kind enough to bring over a few samples to try. Pints were only $3 dollars on Tuesdays! I had the 1 am ale, which was very smooth. I also had the Victory pale ale, which was more bitter but still good. I think it was too much to have with a meal. I also tried the Munich light, which to be honest, tasted like a fancy bud light to me. My friend had the beer paddle which is full size samples of each of their beer selections. She very much enjoyed being able to taste all of them. For our selection of nosh, we had the pretzel bread appetizer which was pretty darn tasty pretzel bread with cheese spread that has horseradish sauce in it. Gives it a good kick. As for dinner, I was in the mood for a wrap but unfortunately they only offer sandwiches so instead I had a Cobb Salad with buffalo sauce on the chicken and bleu cheese. The ingredients were fresh and the salad was very big. I did think the food was good but priced higher than I would have expected. The restaurant area is nice, bar area is huge, easily accessible by the BNSF Metra line and street parking is good on a weeknight. Overall, a relaxing place to get a beer and a meal. *side note - good place to come after seeing a movie at the Tivoli Theater or before a couple games of bowling at the Tivoli bowling alley. read more

Food is average, everyone likes beer. The staff was horrible. I'd like to share my experience this evening. I was having a pleasant dinner with my family. I have 3 children of varying ages. Toward the end of the meal I noticed a song playing loudly on the jukebox and I was stunned such a song would be playing in a restaurant -- I'm familiar with the song, but it's hardly an appropriate selection for a public venue. The song is called "F*** Her Gently" by Tenacious D. I like the song, I just don't want to listen to it with my kids at dinner. After it was obvious no employee was going to do anything about it, I looked around for someone. When I asked her if she could do something as I had children here, she mumbled something and literally ran away into the kitchen. I assumed she was getting a manager. Nope. After about 5 minutes, I asked to see the manager in charge. When I spoke to a Kersten the "manager," I was irate that no one cared or even acknowledged the inappropriateness of what happened, even though I had mentioned it to the wait staff. There were countless ways she could have placated me. She managed to make the situation worse. First with an insincere apology, a dismissive and aggressive tone, and excuses that she didn't hear it. She then blamed the waitress. When I told her that she was in charge and needed to take accountability, she became irate and started arguing with me. She told me that she "should call the police for harassment."In no way was I harassing her or doing anything else that merited a threat of calling the police. Completely absurd. I highly recommend to not bring kids. It would have been easy to appease me, but the manager took no responsibility, didn't hear me out, and made it clear she is in the wrong line of work. read more

I love their Victory Pale Ale. It is probably single handed the reason we keep going back so often. Overall its a slightly above average experience. Food is pretty good, however they recently scaled down their menu leaving off two my two favorite dishes. Beer is very good. As with these kinds of places I suggest starting off with the flight (sampler) of their beer. Victory and McCarthy are my favorites though. Staff is good and usually helpful and attentive. The atmosphere is my least favorite part. It often feels like a sports bar and gets too loud easily. Their Thursday specials are the best. Half price pitchers! EDIT as of June 2010: We've had this HORRIBLE server there the past few times we've been there. He's slow, forgetful, and RUDE. I don't know how this guy ever ended up as a server. He even made a mistake on our bill and tried to blame it on us, and then when we figured out his mistake HE was a jerk about it. We've brought large groups of friends both of those times and sadly it left a bad enough taste in their mouths that I don't think they'll be wanting to go again. Honestly at this point it really is a shame I may have wasted my money on that membership. Though once they get rid of this guy I shall return, till then I'll choose to go elsewhere or even stay in. read more

I went here for the first time last night (Tuesday) for dinner and drinks and am confused by the few negative reviews that I read! My boyfriend and I decided to sit at the bar instead of in the dining room so we could better see their different drink options. The bartender, Elvin, attended to us immediately and took the effort to ask us what we normally like to drink so that he could make recommendations. We were lucky to have stopped in on such a good night for specials...all of their draft beers were only $3! We tried their stout, red ale, and pale ale...all were delicious! I also ordered their classic cosmopolitan, which was arguably one of the best I've ever had. Although we weren't incredibly hungry, we did share a few dishes. First, we had the walleye bites appetizer. The batter on the fish was light, flaky, and perfectly seasoned. They came with a sriracha aioli, which was incredible. After that, we split the brewer's chicken sandwich with a side of their house-made blue cheese & bacon potato chips. The chicken was juicy and thinly sliced. It was topped with bacon, Swiss cheese, and a tasty pale ale mustard sauce and served on a pretzel bun (can't go wrong there). As much as I loved the sandwich, I think I loved the chips even more! They are served with a side of this magical creamy horseradish dip that I would literally put on every meal if I had access to a jar of it. To anyone debating about whether or not to try this place...go! I refuse to believe that the negative reviews are legitimate. If possible, go on a Tuesday evening when Elvin is bartending because he is the very best! read more

The food is fine and beer is pretty good, but the service is terrible. Hosts, servers, and managers are regularly flustered when seating tables (like a table of 6). They're also flat-out rude! Service is also incredibly slow: waited 45 min for an order of pretzels and kid's burger on a calm night; waited at least 15 min for water, which we asked for three times. We actually waited so long I had to just box my order and eat it at home. We wouldn't have stayed if we weren't pressed for time. This is an ongoing problem and I won't be back. read more

Emmett's is by far my favorite beer ... particularly the McCarthy Red. The food is always great too. It's not your typical bar food, and they offer a wide range of dishes and tasty appetizers. The servers are always friendly and prompt with our food/drink orders. And I love the cozy atmosphere of the bar area. I've never sat on the dining side, as it seems a bit more closed off. All in all, a great place to go have a beer or two. And by far the best tasting brew in the area. read more

Our group of seven was looking for somewhere with a fun atmosphere and good food last night. Emmett's was pleasing to the eye, but when I opened the menu the prices were not. However, I thought "What the heck. If it's good, it's worth it." Unfortunately, the food came and the portions were ridiculously small. $12.99 for mac & cheese in a teeny, tiny dish? My stepfather's french dip sandwich looked like a fourth of the size of any other french dip I've laid my eyes on. The same with my Mom's dish. What a disappointment! Don't waste your time and money here. read more

I drive past this place everyday, but I rarely eat here. That's partly because there are so many places like this in the area, and because the food isn't really anything special. I do like the dining room, bar area and outdoor patio, and every time I have been here it has been very clean, which is a huge plus. On our most recent visit, our party of five was seated quickly and all the staff, from the hostess to our waitress to the food runners, was extremely friendly. Our waitress aptly described the homemade beer selections and outline the drink specials of the day. I tried samples of a couple of the house beers; they were OK. A red ale had a bitter finish, but the pilsner I ended up ordering was better. I know they're trying to sell their own beer, but I'd like a larger selection of non-Emmett's beers on the menu just to balance things out. A member of our group ordered the garlic and white truffle fries appetizer, and they were awesome -- crisp and flavorful without the garlic being overwhelming. I would definitely order these in the future. My entree was the Firestarter Burger. Maybe it's because I've obliterated my taste buds with spicy food over the years, but I didn't find this spicy at all, despite the roasted jalapenos and Sriracha mayo. Roasting the peppers took some of the bite off, and they really skimped on the mayo. The burger itself was decent, but not the kind that would keep you coming back. That being said, I was in the mood for a smaller meal I could finish in one sitting; the chicken sausage pasta, fish and chips, and sherried chicken breast were other dishes I was considering before settling on a burger that I knew I could finish at this meal. Emmett's might be getting pressure from Ballydoyle and Another Round across the street, but their menu is a little more diverse. Ballydoyle is basically Irish pub food and Another Round is basically American Pub food (with amazing pizzas). Emmett's is a pub, but their menu is a bit more grown up, i.e. it's not all just dumped into a fryer and served to you a minute later. In that sense, Emmett's certainly has its niche and their service is better than the other two places put together. read more

OK - I will start by saying this place normally has great food and great beer, and the atmosphere is quite enjoyable. My beef is with the Wednesday $.50 wing special. I have had the wings at this place countless times. Crispy, saucy - so delicious! So when I saw there was a wing special - umm...sign me up! I order the wings, half Jamaican Jerk and half Buffalo. The Buffalo style comes out - not very saucy, and loaded with breading, and I noticed the wing underneath, although large, seemed of lesser quality. Nothing like he wings I would get during any other day of the week. I eat them - then ask the bartender if next time I can get them with the breading off as these were not what I was expecting at all...and she said no - they come breaded. I feel I was given the ole bait and switch. Rather than the normal delicious wings they normally serve - I feel like these were frozen Off-brand / tyson wings. Very disappointed. read more

After cruisin' around the Friday night car show, my hubby and I decided to try this microbrewery restaurant. It's very cozy inside. It looked like they had a nice patio dining area but it was packed that night! I am not a huge beer girl but it was really good on this hot, summer night! Our waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable. He recommended the 7th Inning American Wheat, it was light and smooth with a great fruity undertone. I had 2 beers and I felt like I just had 2 Cosmo's!! Those micro-brews are always an aftershock! We shared the Wisconsin Cheese Curds, which were lightly breaded and deep fried and serving with a spicy ranch- YUM! My Cobb Salad was excellent! This was a nice surprise for "downtown" Downers Grove! read more

Fiance and I went here last night. Our food was amazing - really exceeded our expectations! I had the sirloin steak, which was $19.99. It was AWESOME! It comes topped with blue cheese crumbles and onion straws - I ate every bite and I am a really picky meat eater (won't eat the fat or any "weird" looking parts). He had a prime rib sandwich which he said was delicious. I can't wait to go back - but I will probably order the same thing because it was perfect. We have booked our rehearsal dinner here for next year - and after the meal we had last night I know we made the right choice! SO GOOD! read more

I have been to the other Emmett's locations, so I decided to give this one a try. The beer selection was the same as the other locations. I was only planning to have lunch and a quick beer, so I went with the one that I knew I liked. The McCarthy Red was good as usual. My wife tried the seasonal which was a Beligian Wit. It had a nice citrus hint and the flavor went well with food. I have found that the "high end" entrees at the other locations have been disappointing to me, so I decided to keep it on the simpler side. The salmon sandwich was pretty good. It had a nice grilled flavor and the fish was still moist. My wife had the spinach and strawberry salad, which she said was good. The atmosphere in this Emmett's was similar to the other locations with lots of dark wood. The number of TV's was less than obnoxious also. It was about noon on a Friday of the July 4th weekend, so the place was pretty dead. This made for a nice quiet dining experience for our visit, but I don't know what it would be like on a busy Saturday night. Overall this place is acceptable, but I am still underwhelmed by the beer selection. When considering the driving distance, I would have done better to go somewhere else. read more

Save your money; go across the street to Ballydoyle for an Irish boxty. I rarely write bad reviews, because I prefer to promote good places, not be snippy about so-so ones, but this was an outstanding exception. Went to Downers Grove location for a special night out with my friend, and decided to try Emmett's because from the outside it looks a little fancier than Ballydoyle. The martini and potato were good. That is all. Horribly rude and oblivious wait staff. We had three waiters blatantly ignore us for a good 10 minutes, and we finally flagged a staff person down, it took them another 10 minutes to find "our" waitress instead of asking if he could start us with drinks and then track her down! Really?? Our waitress was unapologetic, rarely came to the table, and the smallish bar was only half full with a staff of FIVE! I tried not to be the "witchy" patron, used my pleases and thank yous, but even my friend was like, "It's like she's purposely ignoring us." My martini and water were empty, so I had nothing to drink with my meal and I didn't want my expensive dinner to go cold. I flagged her down to get water, since a different server brought us our food, and didn't ask us if we needed anything. I waited, and waited. I had to walk up to the Idle bartender (no one up there ordering drinks at that time) and immediately refilled my water. After serving two other tables water, she came by and said, "Oh, someone got your water?" By this point I got snippy and said, "I went up to the bar and got it myself." She said a flat toned sorry, shrugged her shoulders, and said, "Want a martini?" She ignored my friend, didn't ask us if there's anything else she could get us, just wanted me to buy another high priced martini after being treated like subhuman the whole dinner. I got a "queen" prime rib, thinking I'd treat myself. It tasted like tough rump roast from a crock pot. Prime rib is supposed to be cooked in seasoned juices, really tender, and this was gross and bland. It's the Friday and Saturday special, so maybe it was dried out leftovers? I only ate about 5 bites, and I felt sick later! When we waved the waitress down for our check, instead of noticing I pretty much left a $20 prime rib on the plate, she asked, disinterested, "want me to box that?". We even put our credit cards on the table at the end, to get out faster, and our waitress plopped the bill on the table and walked away, not even noticing our credit cards were sitting right beside the bill. Won't be back, ever, thanks. We should have eaten across the street at Ballydoyle where the food is reasonably priced, staff is friendly, and ambience is less pretentious. read more

We were one of the few parties dining in on a Tuesday, but the white fish was awesome!! The artichoke & spinach dip is good (it's served w/ pita bread not chips but I enjoyed them). Pints are $5 on Tuesdays. They have some eye-catching specials during the week. My S/O said the salmon was good, but the rice that is served with it was great. Pleasant experience all around. read more

Beer was fine, their seasonal trippel was actually pretty damn tasty. The grouper on the other hand...A it isn't grouper, whoever their supplier is, is lying to them, not the right texture or flavor and B whatever fish it was had turned and started to smell of ammonia. When I brought it to the servers attention it was removed from the bill. So yeah, go, drink beers, but don't order the grouper... read more

It has been a while since I have eaten at Emmett's, for no specific reasons, but after this visit it may a while before I visit again. With that said, my issues were more about the service then the food directly. As a vegetarian there are not a lot of options, but one option appeared to be the portobello mushroom steak. I confirmed with the waiter that it was indeed all vegetable based and thus was shocked to discover that that the mushroom was covered by what appeared to be a significant coating of bacon bits. Never got a chance to confirm what was on the mushroom as the waiter seemed to ignore us so much that I just scraped off the topping and made the best of it. The service was so bad that he never offered us another beer (the beer was very good), which is so counter to what anyone would want. When he finally showed up he dropped the bill off without even stopping to offer us coffee or dessert. Hope this was just a waiter having a tough day (it was not very busy) and not indicative of how things are at Emmett's these days. read more

As a beer lover this microbrewery does not disappoint. The Red Ale is my all time fave. Super yummy! I have been here for dinner several times and must say everything is always wonderfully delicous! The cheese soup is to die for.....and served with a freshly baked pretzel stick. I could seriously enjoy a cup of this soup daily! Although I'm sure my clothes would stop fitting if I allowed that to happen. Ha! The bar is cozy and a great place to watch a game. We had friends in town from Boston and we were able to come to Emmett's and watch the UCONN game. That was such fun seeing our friends root for their team all the way here in IL. I love to bring newbies here. I'm such a fan of a good microbrew and Emmett's is just so comfortable that I enjoy visiting often....especially when I can introduce a friend to this place. read more

The beer was good however the food not so much. We started with potato skins, the ends of the potatoes were hard. My boyfriend ordered the fish and chips $17, he got two very small pieces and the coleslaw tasted like it was old. The bartender gave us very little attention and didn't tell us anything about the beers (this was our first time there) I ordered the Brew-something chicken sandwich it was okay but I've had better. I was very disappointed I thought this would be our new spot. read more

Emmett's Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

Spiffy microbrewery in downtown Downers Grove. We picked a summer evening when the antique car show was going on and had a blast. Very nicely appointed, friendly staff, good menu options (even for vegetarians). A must try if you're in Downers Grove for Tivoli or other events. read more

If ZERO stars was an option they would have it... My FIRST negative Yelp.... As a 20 year veteran of the restaurant biz (14 as owner and 6 as a GM) I have never seen such a poorly managed staff or operated restaurant. Bus boys texting at tables while 4 are dirty around him...and taking 2 or 3 things at a time into the back... A server who did not have a clue as to the menu...and...put our order in 40 minutes after we sat down...apps were wrong as well... And a manager who when called to the table acted like we were the 20th table she had to deal with that day and was beyond caring... I have a new business down the block and was hoping this place would be great as we could come at least once a week....our average bill would be 50$ x 52 weeks....or about $2,500 a year at a minimum... So they just lost $2,500 this year at a minimum...and that's one year....do the math Emmitts...you keep this up you will be an EX restaurant.... And oh yea, it's Father's Day....thanks for making my day special!!!! Hahahahah.... read more

Yet another restaurant that I can't explain why we didn't visit sooner. We'd been to the Emmett's in West Dundee. We liked it. So I'm not sure why we took so long to come here. Emmett's is sleek, a classy brewpub even in the bar area where we sat. Although they brew their own beer, I had to go for the Lapinette, a local cider I'd wanted to try. It was delicious. We started with nachos, which were very good with crispy chips, cheddar beer sauce and pico plus a solid lime-y guac. My compadres ordered a burger and a chicken sandwich and I had fish tacos. I liked that I was able to get one with fried cod and one with grilled ahi. I was offered my choice of side and had house-made potato chips. My tacos were delicious and messy. The ahi was a little dry on its own but the toppings saved it. The cod was nice and crispy. The chips were good, solid though not exceptional. Service was very good, prompt with refills and plenty of checking in, but not overbearing. This seems like a great place for a beer and a burger or a classy night out with a date or the fam. Glad to add it to the list of options. read more

One of your best options in Downer's Grove. Microbrews, obviously, but also fun stuff like shoestring onions and fried portobello mushrooms with some fairly innovative dipping sauces. Plenty of options for vegetarians. read more

So I've eaten here twice. The first time was horrible service and horrible food. This time, we decided to try again. I ordered the Mediterranean Red Snapper. It was overcooked to the point you couldn't cut it. The cobb salad my wife ordered had a lovely mixture of iceburg lettuce and rotten greens. She spent most of the time picking through it to get decent food. This place is in a great location of downtown Downers. It's a shame that the main dining room food is so bad. It's such an easy thing to cook fish well and make a salad out of decent ingredients. read more

I have dined here before which, is why when my friends wanted a recommendation for dinner, I suggested Emmett's. I told the host that we had a dog and he said that we could sit on the patio. Shortly after reviewing the menus we were asked to leave because dogs were not allowed on the patio. Now, this dog is the most well behaved, quiet dog you would ever meet. Certainly did not cause any problems. Many of the people sitting around us loved the dog. We walked down the street to another bar and our dog was welcomed with a bowl of water and treats. I have lived in Downers Grove my whole life and anyone who has been there would agree, this is a family oriented, smaller town with a very warm welcoming culture. Dogs are family and to be asked to leave because of him is very disappointing. Shame on management for this antiquated rule in a family oriented culture. read more

Cool bar. I have ben to Emmetts three times. The food is awsome. I had sea bass, and that was a very good preperation. The beer is good but nothing stands out. Their styles are the same as you would find at any brew pub. Pale Ale, Amber Ale, Stout, Pils....all kind of ho hum. Don't get me wrong, the styles are represented well, but I wish they would make something al little crazy. More hops would be cool. Our service at the bar was good the first few times, but the third time was bad. This is sad because I tend to remember the bad ones over the good. The bartender was never there! Ya it was a Monday, but at least look like ya care! Over all I would recomend this joint to my friends, but not on a Monday night. read more

Emmett's Brewing - Breweries Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

Simple food done well, something I always admire in a restaurant. The burgers are top-notch, and I always enjoy the grilled tuna. The appetizers, especially the garlic fries, are very good. While I'm not too much of a beer drinker, there is a micro brewery on site, along with a full bar. The noise level varies depending on the evening, but it's always possible to have a conversation. They have a back room that is popular with large groups. Definitely one of my favorite restaurants to have a simple but tasty dinner in the Western suburbs. read more

Emmett's Brewing - Rye Manhattan! - Breweries Near Me - Downers Grove, Illinois

We decided to stop there on a Friday night, since it was car show night and having a drink outside sounded like a fun idea. The menu was kind of lame and predictable. Not that I was expecting more than yummy greasy delectable bar food, but this was really high priced for the atmosphere and the clientele. We ordered 2 appetizers--the pretzel bread and the seafood triology. The pretzel bread with cheese spread was pretty tasty, but it was like $9. The seafood, well, the tuna was well done instead of being a seared rare center and it was decent, but nothing to talk about, especially at $11. We ordered the beer sampler paddle, which I suggest you try if you aren't sure what beer you'd like, which was around $5. All in all, we had 2 appetizers, the beer paddle, one beer, and a fruity drink and it was $50. Yikes, for a casual "let's have a quick drink and chill moment." I don't mind paying money for food, but I've had way better food with way better atmosphere for the price. And the drinks were just ok. blah read more

I don't spend much time in Downers Grove. Actually, I don't spend any time there, this was my first time. Hubs had a business lunch at Emmett's and left his corporate card behind (oops!) so I went with him to pick it up. After what felt like a day-long road trip, we stayed for dinner. It's a nice place, although I was surprised to find the bar virtually empty at almost 7:00 pm. Do Downers Grovers not eat out on Wednesdays? The dining room was even more of a ghost town. They have a nice beer selection, a few in-house brews as well as guest breweries. I had their 1 AM Ale; hoppy and a little sweet, and quite good. We split the blue crab stuffed mushrooms, which were really good. I hadn't expected to like them, because mushroom apps always seem to be overwhelmingly mushroom-y. These were not, and all of the flavors were distinctive. I had the Kobe burger, and hubs had the fish & chips, both with the homemade chips. My burger was perfectly cooked, very tasty, and the homemade chips were really good. Our waiter has a hoot, the service was great, and they even had the White Sox game on. Only 3 stars, you say? If I lived closer it would be a great place to hang, but, I don't imagine I'll be hauling out to DG with any regularity. I hope they get more action on weekends. read more

The shrimp po boy isn't a traditional po boy. The romaulade is mustard based not mayo. The shrimp was okay but I didn't like the sauce at all. read more

A couple of years ago, this may have been a better review, but the food and service as of right now, no. The menu has changed at least three times since I've visited the esablishment, sure a place has the right to change their menu, but for the better. I am not an entirely picky person, but they took away ALL of my "go-to's," and everything that I've gotten in their place has not been good. Burgers and chicken sandwiches with ice cold buns, under and over-seasoned food - it's just not good. Chicken salad that tastes like onions... Yes, I like onions in my chicken salad, but for that to be the predomindant flavor??? The waitstaff is extremely SLOW, seriously. Not just for dinner, I just went there yesterday to get my growler refilled and there was no bartender in sight. Someone had to go look for her and she was on the other side of the restaurant, not even in the bar area. ??? When asked a simple question about their beer, she had an answer that was not even correct (my husband is a homebrewer). I was anxiously awaiting their Hefeweizen, when in season, I went there, well into season, and it wasn't ready. I went again, and it was out. They should be more prepared for this... After trying several times to give this place a chance, we will not be going there anymore... read more

great stout! just great! the other beers are good- but the stout is worth stopping by. the burgers are real good and the specials are great. half price pitchers on thurs, cheap wings on wed, half price potato skins. pleasent outdoor seating. read more

Went here for an office holiday lunch. I think the biggest problem is the parking situation, but it is in downtown Downers Grove, so it's probably an issue at any nearby business. They did let us park in the church though and street parking seemed ample (4 hr limit). The food was good. I believe they brew their own beer, which is always a cool thing. They had a nice selection of fish chicken and beef. Their sides were also delicious. I would definitely go here for a meal sometime based on this. read more

My riding crew was distressed to find that Two Brothers was closed for the day - after we had ridden all the way there. Thinking quickly, I remembered there was a brewpub in my parents' town. While still suburban in look and feel (too big, too shiny), Emmett's offered a delicious stout that rivaled Guinness, a refreshing IPA and other tasty beers. Food options are limited for vegans. I got the truffle fries; they said the aioli was on the side but forgot to mention there was flakes of cheese on top. Thankfully it wasn't melted in so I picked it out and gave it to my non-vegan friend. Unfortunately I think a lot of the truffle oil went with the cheese, but there were still several addicting bites. Good thing we had stopped here - it started pouring rain soon after we sat down, then let up before we left. Perfect timing! read more