Came here after the Frontline OCR race and the food was great, service was great and the view was awesome from the back balcony by the River. Blake did an awesome job with recommending drinks and pizzas for us. Gyro Pizza, Margaritas Pizza and Jalapeño Popper Pizza ! read more

See all

Checked out this craft brewery in Byron. Hairy Cow is the most interesting thing in this town other than the polluting nuclear power plant. It gets crowded because people around here know good beer it seems. Along with the beers is also a food menu. The prices are higher than the grubby bars in town, but for sure it matches the higher quality. Better get prepared for how hard it is to park here. It's got a parking lot but it's full often. This was crazy the last time we came here on a weekend. People around here know it's better beer than the crap they otherwise have. You may have to park on a street. Beers are pricier than average but they make smaller batches. It's about $8 a pint. Best of the ones we had was the Highland Hairy. This is a Belgian IPA. A pretty good amount of food. There's a ton of pizzas. Most food choices are meaty. There's also wings. A lot of big and messy items. It's about $7 for the Garden Salad. A pretty standard one with croutons. There's also salads covered in bacon, buffalo chicken, and other heavy stuff. Got to be one of the places to go if you're around here. It's really busy at times, and just park wherever if you can't get a spot. They're located on the east side of town, and closed Mondays and Tuesdays. read more

Hairy Cow Brewing Company - Highland Hairy And Garden Salad - Brewpubs Near Me - Byron, Illinois

First a round of applause to the bartenders and wait staff as they did a terrific job on a busy Friday night. There were 4 of us in our party looking for some drinks and pizzas for supper. We knew it would be a wait for a table but there were a couple seats at the bar. Drinks were ordered and three bartenders made sure we got our drinks quickly and accurately. We figured it would be awhile before a table was ready so we ordered some Cheese curds. They got to us in record time and were crazy delicious. Note to self I would come again just for drinks and cheese curds. Our table was ready far quicker than we expected. More drinks and pizzas were ordered. A favorite was the gyros and the sausage pizza. We were not a fan of the goat cheese pizza. It's a flavor that isn't for everyone. Enjoyed our table by the fireplace. Left with a souvenir beer glass. Love their logo. We will be back when we are in the area again. Give this place a try for sure. read more

See all

Update-3rd time back and still a great experience. So much flavor, freshness and creativity to their pizzas. The waitstaff really knows how to hustle but not rush the customers even on a packed Saturday afternoon. read more

See all

Located along the Rock River sporting a great looking covered patio. Seasonal beers and a top-notch selection of beers on tap. They also have brick oven pizzas and other delectables. The day I ethere it looked like they were staffed for a great lunch crowd. read more

So good!! Went there two nights in a row. Was in from out of town for a lacrosse tournament. Stayed at an air bnb nearby. Food was great!! read more

Been coming to this location since it opened. Really enjoy their pizzas- especially the seasonal ones! I live about 40 minutes away though, and I try to call to order ahead. Whenever I try to call, it just rings and rings. I've actually not gone for a while because of so. I messaged them on Facebook asking to place an order- they said they don't do them over the phone anymore on weekends. Funny, because they responded to the message 2 hours plus after I sent it- and after I did get ahold of someone on the phone. They did allow me to place an order, although when I got there the food was ready for 1:15 and I didn't get it until almost 1:30. I love the food, but I wish it was an easier process to order food without going in to eat. I usually bring my dogs and we go to the Blackhawk statue or the forest preserve nearby. Hoping that they will start online ordering if they're not going to answer the phone. Otherwise, I would have given a 5 star review.... read more

See all

Located in Ogle County,this brewpub serves good craft beers,wood fire pizza and more on the Rock River in Byron Illinois. Offering both inside and outdoor seating,we stopped for lunch on a warm Saturday. There was a wait to sit indoors so we elected to sit at the bar. They offer a flight of 4 beers which was priced very reasonably. My wife had a Bourbon slushie which she said was very refreshing on a hot summer day. Of the 4 beers I tried,I really liked their Route 2 Red named for the highway that runs thru Byron Illinois. Red Lager 5%ABV. We ordered 10 wings with their BBQ Honey sauce which was locally sauced. Meaty ,juicy and sticky! My wife is gluten free so she has a Buffalo Chicken personal wood fired pizza. There was a 4.00 upcharge for the gluten free dough but she said it was one of the best pizzas she has had. Their menu is limited but what they offer is all locally sourced and made fresh daily. We will definitely get back on a cooler day to enjoy their patio and try a few more of their crafted beers. Plenty of parking available. Service is top notch! read more

See all

What a cute place!!! We found the Hairy Cow on a whim and decided to try it out on a Sunday. We had the tailgate pizza, swapped peppers for mushrooms and some buffalo wings. The tailgate Pizza ended up a bit, but it wasn't completely bad, the only thing wrong was the pizza just had way too many mushrooms. WAY TOO MANY. The wings were flavorful, and the sauces were great! My husband didn't care for the ranch, but on the other hand I did. My husband had the prairie grass and an IPA, he said they were solid. Good service and for the size of the room, the acoustics were great! read more

See all

First time here. Service was great Joslin. Pizza was delicious and the house rub wings are to die for. Had to ask for sides but it was worth it. Beautiful place and I wanted to give a 5 stars but they had no background music A big Beautiful place without a sound system. I like to go out and enjoy a great beer with with wings and not hear people. The wings I'm willing to come back for but we will see. Oh the mexican beer was very very good and the expresso martini too. Give me music and this place is a 10 star rating. read more

My wife and I have eaten here several times a year since it has opened and always really liked the food especially the pizza. Tonight it was difficult to enjoy our meals with the building being extremely cold inside. The menu is smaller nowadays than it was in the summer but we expected the same quality as in the past. We were extremely disappointed in the pizzas we were served. I have had better from store bought frozen pizza. The limited menu leaves few options for us to consider in the future. This combined with the extremely uncomfortable cold temperature of the room and poor acoustics move this from a "go to" to just another place we could easily pass on. The only upside was that the waitress was good. read more

Beers are average, nothing outstanding. Pizza was tasteless. Wings good - nice size and taste. Servers standing around, but yet they forgot one of our two pizzas. No apology, just... oh! My bad. If charging this much your business needs to ensure superior service... make sure customers feel appreciated. read more

Great specialty pizzas and apps. Best cheese curds in the area. Oh--and cheesecake. Service is top-notch. read more

Great local craft brewery next to the river. Great views and nice casual ambiance. This is a great spot for lunch or a group for the evening. The food is awesome. I really enjoyed the Bavarian pretzel was not expecting the size. Nice and crispy on the outside and soft and hot on the inside! The Margherita pizza was great. Thin crust personal size perfect for lunch or dinner!! read more

Interesting beers and surprisingly good pizza. Friendly service. Would definitely return when in the area.

Nice atmosphere. Usually busy but wait isn't too long. Beer is good. Pizzas are crisp and tasty.

Great service, great waitstaff, great beer. This time our table ordered three, pizzas wings, pretzels, cheese curds, chicken wrap and the Hot dog. The Pretzel with Cheese is the best!!! That cheese is fabulous! The wings are done just right. We get the traditional and boneless. The only thing I would have skipped is the Beer Battered hot dog.... It was NOT Good. Not puffy beer battered.. thin flour crusty greasy mess read more

Hairy Cow Brewing Company - The hot dog - Brewpubs Near Me - Byron, Illinois

See all

Our favorite spot! We love the Hairy Berry Mule and the Jalapeno Margarita. My favorite pizza is the Fig. Close behind is the pizza of the month they had with blackberries. We love the atmosphere and the staff! read more

See all

NOT dog friendly! They will accept service animals but ONLY because it is required by law. When you go their website and search Frequently Asked Questions and ask if they allow dogs it states: "We love dogs, we are dog people. Todd has raised and trained working dogs, was a police dog handler for eight years, and supervised the RPD canine unit for three years after that but, only certified service animals are allowed on HCB property" In order of to avoid the horror of having a dog anywhere near their property, they should begin the answer to the question on the very first line, then continue with their drivel about how much they love dogs after the question has been answered. Rude from the start, hostess blurted out "we do not take dogs anywhere on the property!" Before even being allowed to ask a follow up question she immediately darts off to get the manager who was even ruder. From everyone's reaction they obviously have people come in with dogs quite frequently. Yet another reason to adjust the answer to a very simple question on there FAQs page. The place looked nice, with a beautiful side yard and a spacious outdoor patio overlooking the river. Not sure what the food and beer are like as we were immediately shooed away. read more

Good pizza, good service, cool location on the river, and great beer. Plenty of seating inside. Definitely more of an industrial feel but still very welcoming. I've been here twice and the food and service was great both times. read more

A hidden gem. Wonderful food, great building and decor, excellent food, ROOT BEER CHEESECAKE! and great servers. If you are anywhere near Byron, IL. you need to check this out! read more

See all

Cheese curds- amazing The ranch and chicken tender sauces were really good. The Sticky one was my fav! Plenty of beer choices- my husband enjoyed the beer with turtle in the name. He can't remember. lol. Service- really sweet waitress- Cute place- fast service. The pizzas were a little burnt- but all in all a good experience. read more

This was a complete stumble upon and definitely well worth it. Coming back from a day trip we thought we would take a scenic route home. My husband and I decided to stop here to try a flight of craft beers and have a quick bite to eat. There were so many to choose from that it was hard to narrow it down to only 4 choices. We each started with our flights. My favorite is a kolsch and although it wasn't perfect to me, it was still good. My husband liked the marzen of the 4 he had. Overall, the beer was good but for me not great, hence the 4 stars. Next (i know beer needs a savory food but...) we opted for the cinnamon roll cheesecake cake which was incredible! I'm not a cheesecake eater but this left me wanting to try a different flavor. Fluffy and light with just the right amount of sweetness. We stopped at one though but need to get to Mac Brothers in MacChesney Park (they supply this delicious cheesecake) to try other flavors). Bonus, we also had the sugared bacon that tasted like perfect maple bacon jerky and just the right amount of spice. It tasted awesome and now I need to go back for more. The place was so great inside with a woodfire oven for pizzas. There were so many people in there ordering pizza that it made us know we need to come back. The staff was friendly too which was a bonus. Overall, the cozy atmosphere, great space, food and decent beer made us want to return. Oh, snd if you're looking for a day trip, Route 2 along the Rock River is beautiful. read more

See all

Excellent beer and quality food. I loved sitting out on the patio with a view of the river.

Decided to stop by while driving through the area. They were pretty busy so decided to sit at the bar. They had 2 bartenders working as well as a barback behind the bar. Even then, it seemed like they could have used some additional help. All staff that we encountered were friendly. Pizza was decent. Beer was pretty good. read more

We've been wanting to hit the big brewpub out in Byron. Finally made it to Hairy Cow last night. Great beer selection, full bar, woodfire pizza and more. The wait to sit outside on the deck along the Rock River was maybe twenty minutes. We had the giant German Pretzel and a couple of pizzas. We'll definitely be back. read more

See all

Decided to try a new place this weekend and so glad we did. The atmosphere is very cute and inviting. It's decorated from top to bottom, not overdone but super cute. It's located on the Rock River, and has a great outdoor deck with great views. We came for lunch and we're seated right away. The menu has so many pizzas cooked in a wood fire oven. You can see them throwing the dough from you seat. My husband and I decided to get the taco pizza. Our son had his girlfriend got the weekly special pizza - bbq bacon Mac and cheese pizza. We also ordered drinks - I got the sliced pineapple mule - it was delicious. My husband and son had the pumpkin spice beer and they loved it. Highly recommended!! read more

See all

My best friend has been talking about this place for months, so when I visited this weekend it was the perfect excuse for her to check it out. We arrived at mid afternoon and had a bit of a wait but service was pretty well-paced once we were sitting. We started with drinks and apps - they were out of pretzels so we doubled up on cheese curds with no regrets. I'm going for it to say they were the best fried cheese curds I've ever had. The spring cocktails were calling us, resulting in two blushing whiskey sours while her husband opted for a flight of beers. All very tasty though I don't recall the favorites of the flight. Now, when it comes to pizza I can be a total snob. It's a double whammy of being from Chicago and having worked at a Neapolitan wood fired pizza place that really fueled this obsession that's become so trendy. Hairy Cow really nailed the pizza though. I was blown away. I usually try new places by sampling a Margherita (my gold standard), but I had our server break a tie for me and ended up with the fig pizza. Phenomenal! I anticipated more sweetness from the figs, but it was really balanced and not overly decadent at all. My friend got the jalapeño popper and her husband got the tailgate. Both were very happy with their choices as well. We topped it all off by sharing a slice of the espresso cheesecake because we were so full. They offer a monthly special pizza as well as a variety of rotating dessert options off the main menu. We also took advantage of the take-home brewery options and got crowlers (growler cans) of their favorite beers. If you're really into the brewing side, they offer tours of the facility. Really cute space and looks like a great patio overlooking the river. It does get pretty loud and crowded, if you need to plan for that. Keep an eye out for the chefs frisbee tossing the dough around! And grab you some of that adorable merch. The logo is too cute and the food is too good not to rep out in the world! read more

Hairy Cow Brewing Company - Blushing Whiskey Sour and cheese curds in the back - Brewpubs Near Me - Byron, Illinois

See all

The food was absolutely amazing. The service was pretty good for it being packed. Our waitress was amazing. The whole place has such a great feeling. There is so much to see inside. My daughter and I bought T-shirts and coffee mugs. We really enjoyed this place. read more

See all

The view in the back of the brewery was gorgeous! I stopped by briefly for a beer and then pizza to go. The beer had coconut in it's name and I could taste a hint of it, surprisingly good! As for my bacon ranch pizza, it did the job for getting me my meats and food to hold me over for my race. The pizza looked a little burnt on one side since there was more traces of charcoal there, but nothing major. They also have various cute art of cows throughout the restaurant. read more

Love the food and atmosphere here, can't wait to visit during the warm weather to sit outside read more

Hairy Cow Brewing Company - Mushroom Pizza - Brewpubs Near Me - Byron, Illinois

When in the area, I like going here. I haven't been to many pizza places there but Hairy Cow has great pizza. Oh, and some of the best beer in a 50 mile radius! It's a must for us when around the area. Always great stout and porters. My wife likes the hoppy beers also. Great time and very scenic area by the river. read more

My favorite place for wings and pizza! The drinks are fun, the atmosphere is inviting and staff is super knowledgeable!

Excellent service! Great wings and pizza!! Definitely coming here again!! Had a coconut stout( not usually my first choice, but had two! And my husband had a few ipas that he enjoyed! read more

Extremely delicious Neapolitan style handmade pizzas. I loved the traditional Margherita and the Artichoke pizza. Thin and perfectly crispy dough that is made with their own beer!Has a lot of sourdoughness to it! Love it! Margherita actually has plenty of FRESH basil(not the dried flavorless boring basil-like dust)and FRESH mozzarella! My 3 y o daughter loved it too! Beer flight was a nice way to try their variety!Coconut Porter and Hazy are my favorites Gorgeous river view. Perfect place for a low-key family gathering and a fancy romantic date) read more

See all

Off on an adventure for a stop at a Brewey. Hairy Cow!! This is a great place. I loved the location, and the brewey was so spacious inside. We were seated right away. The waitress got our drink order right away. She was very knowledgeable on the different beers. My husband had a beer, and I had to try the Bloody Mary, which I am so glad I did. Great garnishments were added to the sweet flavor, which were perfect. We decided on the taco pizza for lunch. It was so cool watching the cook throwing the pizza dough in the air. Great food - Great drinks - Great service. I can't believe we didn't find this place sooner. We will be back for sure, and if its warm out, they have tables outside. If you like breweries, this is a great one to put on your list. Hairy Cow Brewery read more

See all

The beer was for the most part good (not the best, but fairly tasty - the only real complaint I had is that the cream ale tasted *nothing* like cream ale). The pizza was good and fresh but small and not filling, especially for the price. The reason for the 2 stars is because we felt very uncomfortable being there. They are hard-core Trumpers who sell "Do Not Comply" and "Let's Go Brandon" tshirts. I don't care if they are conservative or Republican... I'm an independent and not really a fan of Biden personally... but only a certain type of personality is behind those movements, and it's not the type that is typically welcoming of people like us. Lots of performative patriotism splashed around, as well. We opted out of a second round and dessert and left as soon as we could. We were originally going to go to Ogle County Brewing but thought this place sounded fun; I'm really regretting our choice and wish we'd just gone to Ogle County where we probably would've felt more welcome. read more

Our waitress Emma was wonderful! Very good service! Would highly recommend! Great pizza. Great drinks. read more

Hairy Cow Brewing Company - Draft beer - Brewpubs Near Me - Byron, Illinois

We stopped here after visiting Lowden state park. It's right along the river and has a nice outside patio (which we did not try as it was 90* that day!). The interior is also bustling, full of happy energy. Prices were reasonable for sure. Service was friendly and well paced. My hubby and I enjoyed a beer each, pizzas and bought a brewery mug to take home ($5). Everything was fresh and tasty. I would've been down to stay longer but we had a bit of a drive ahead of us. I would definitely come back again if in the area! read more

Hairy Cow Brewing Company - Margherita pizza - Brewpubs Near Me - Byron, Illinois

See all

I've been to hairy cow brewery a couple of times now and it has never disappointed me. The brick oven pizzas are to die for after a couple of beers. Beers are great especially if you're into Hefeweizens and kolsch. Also the cheese curds are bomb there for an appetizer. Very cool views if you want to sit outside it's right after the river too. Would recommend this place to anyone. read more

See all