Great atmosphere, service, food and drinks. It gets busy on weekends so I would recommend a reservation. Pleasant jazzy music in the background. It was a fantastic dinner date experience We will definitely be dining at Hardware again soon. read more

Hardware - Octopus appetizer - Gastropubs Near Me - North Aurora, Illinois

A true gastropub with a large, unique menu. The charcuterie board was excellent and I was impressed with their housemade/cured meats.

Good service, great charcuterie, skirt steak was awful. Missing chimichuri sauce, no salt, grit in mushrooms, big pile of dry unseasoned undressed arugula. Been waiting to return here and was very disappointed. read more

Not a bad restaurant. This restaurant is known for unique food and likes to offer self sustainable food that it grows on the premise which leads to why I give it 3 stars. I have been here a few times and every time I eat here, I feel like I don't get enough food to eat based on the cost you pay for the food. Crazy, but I get the feeling that they limit the ounces of food based on how much food has been grown during the week? The cost of food does not match the portions you receive which leads me to 3 stars. If they turned this place into a french restaurant, it would be similar. Good food but wanting more :-). read more

Delicious food! I had the tacos (appetizer) because I wasn't very hungry, but next time I'll definitely try an entree ! I had the moonshine mojito, it was so refreshing! Also I was able to try the coffee beer, yum! I can't wait to go back! read more

Delicious, sustainable and locally grown. The building is super cool and made with refurbished materials. There is a hop garden plus greenhouses that grow fruits and veggies on site, and they make their own beer and sausages. This place had me at hello. All of our entrees were good/ standout was the bison burger and hanger steak. Charcuterie board was delicious. Only thing that could be improved on was dessert- had the poached pear cake and it was just meh. read more

Hardware - IPA beer flight - Gastropubs Near Me - North Aurora, Illinois

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On New Years Eve we stopped in to Hardware for dinner and drinks. Surprisingly, we were able to get seats at the bar area right away. We came in at the hype of the rush and the service was slower in the beginning than our past visits. We didn't mind at all as we could see that it was busy and we were in no rush. The rush did settle down within about 15 minutes of us being there and then we were met with the usual fast and friendly service. Both of the bartenders were equally assisting us it was overall a great visit. The whisky, bourbon, and scotch selection is crazy here. The regions of the bottles are categorized to help with selecting and it makes for a great place to have an option of endless variety. The cocktails are also good and the beer is brewed in house. The food is awesome and select menu items are staples and they so seem to have a few rotating items as well. We got the 4 meat charcuterie board, burrata with dates, and grilled toast. What's cool is that everything we ordered was made in house. You can see the greenhouse and the meat and cheese curing. We finished with the homemade Ho Hos and a scoop of eggnog ice cream. I wasn't a fan of the ice cream but I would eat a dozen Ho Hos if I could. Also, the pickled grapes on the charcuterie board were great. read more

First time here! OMG!!! Everything in the menu was delicious. They grow their own hops. Great drinks. I had the Figgin Awesome. For appetizer we had the Poutine. I had the pulled pork salad. My husband had the ravioli. My daughter the Grannie grilled cheese. Amazing!!! We sat outside and enjoyed a beautiful day on the outdoor patio. Can't wait to go back. read more

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One of our favorite places. Impeccable menu, service, and atmosphere. Their recently expanded patio is shaded and comfy even on hot days. Some recommendations: 1. Drinks: you cannot go wrong with the Barrel-aged Manhattan, the Figgin Awesome, or their other delicious cocktails. In the early days, their beers were just ok, but now, my husband rates them above 4 stars on Untapped every time. 2. Food: Hardware's charcuterie is absolutely perfect. We regularly visit for drinks and a medium board which includes 3 types of cheese and 3 house processed meats including sausages and their duck bacon. They also include house made crackers, jams, pickled veggies, and olives. We have never had a bad board! Other favorite items: Korean Pork Fried Rice, the Bison Burger (a friend of ours called it the best burger he's ever had), the Beets appetizer, Brussels Sprouts appetizer, and on the lunch menu, their grilled cheese sandwiches are creative and delicious. 3. Other: their whole model centers around sustainability. Look around the property to see the many greens and herbs they grow and include on the menu. Hardware is a little pricey, but you pay for homegrown goodness, an interesting menu, friendly service, and delicious drinks. Worth it for cocktail hour, lunch, or dinner. read more

This is by far the best bourbon selection I have ever come across. Not the cheapest for a pour. But you will find everything you ever wanted to try for sure. Food is all made from scratch and mostly grown or made in house. Very good. Very unique and cool. Well worth a try and a return or two. read more

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No fries & that's a good thing! Interesting menu with some typical standbys that Hardware puts their unique twist on. A sustainable restaurant that's growing all their produce onsite along with hops for their beer. Beautiful trendy atmosphere and worth a drive west with easy on/off ramps from I-88. read more

We've going out to Hardware in droves for a long time. Great concept. Excellent outdoor seating among the hops. Good beer and excellent food. read more

Awesome place , so excited to be back , been coming here ,for a long time , same quality, service ,,my wife and I favorite place , say hi to Jackson ...! The absolute best read more

Gave them a second chance after being disappointed in the days they had just opened. We are tough to please customers but they did it!! Great food, great service, great atmosphere. Can't wait to go back. read more

Pricing: Extortionate. Portions: microscopic. Celiac: go F yourself. Vegan: shut up and have a glass of water. Hardware is foodie food for people who aren't actually foodies. Just because you can cook everything in duck fat or bacon grease doesn't mean you should. No balance. The flavor of individual ingredients disappear in overly complicated excess. read more

Love everything about this place! The short rib is to die for. Great beers and whiskeys and the greens are super tasty. read more

I heart Hardware! This is, without a doubt, the best place to go for a nice dinner with quality food and an inventive menu in the Aurora area. I really believe that, if Hardware were located in downtown Geneva or Naperville, the average rating on Yelp would be higher. It seems many people come to Hardware and are put off by the prices or the menu. Hardware is NOT just another run of the mill, bar-food type of place. The food is locally sourced, and the industrial chic decor is also locally sourced. There is no competition in the area. The food, drinks, atmosphere, and service are all fantastic. The "Figgin Awesome" cocktail is pretty frickin' awesome. With ingredients like rosemary, simple syrup, ginger ale and fig compote, who needs the booze? I believe the spirit in this one is gin, but I ordered it as a mocktail which the bartender made flawlessly. We started our meal with complimentary sprouted grain rolls, served with whipped honey butter topped with black salt. Are you drooling yet? Complimentary anything is worthy of applause, but I'd have gladly paid for this. We then shared the poutine, and I had the bison burger with truffle cheddar. Everything was delicious. Entrees are about $15+ which, for the area, is expensive. But when you compare it to Turf Room, their sister restaurant, or other upscale gastropubs in other suburbs or Chicago, the price is no big deal. And you get quality here. I'd rather have a $15 Hardware burger than a $9 chain restaurant burger. There is a lot of seating available, a private room, and a pretty patio area. It's a great spot for a date, celebration dinner, or if you just enjoy good food. This is not a place I would take a picky eater; the menu has a lot to offer but it isn't endless, which could pose a challenge for those who prefer things like buttered noodles. read more

Went here for the first time on a Sunday. Good service, laid back atmosphere. Liked the ambience inside and out. The food all sounded good and everything we tried was flavorful and fresh. The side salad was so simple but good, would definitely try a larger salad option next time. Also, loved that the are sustainable, from repurposed decor to growing there own produce and hops onsite. Tried the brisket hotdog (messy but good), a bite of the BLT (well balanced, house bacon is great) and the cauliflower soup (glad I tried it!). Also, enjoyed their porter. read more

Hardware - Cauliflower soup, house made rolls and crackers, and whipped butter with poppy seeds - Gastropubs Near Me - North Aurora, Illinois

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Went here for a family dinner with family from Michigan. The food was a little too different for the teenagers but they enjoyed the bison burgers. The adults loved each of their meals and I wish I could remember what we all got to be more specific but all I recall was the food was delicious. When we went, service was slow to check on tables so our drinks took time to refill and to get the check but staff was friendly. read more

I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS PLACE. I LOVE WHAT THEY STAND FOR, I LOVE WHAT THEY DO, I LOVE THEIR FOOD, I LOVE THEIR BEER...Okay, okay...I don't love their prices (so expensive {but worth it}!) or the fact that there are a million tiny tables shoved next to each other (there is just not enough room for anything on those teeny tables and I can only imagine it gets crazy in there when it's busy) BUT I LOVE EVERYTHING ELSE! Sorry I was yelling at you but honestly, I could go on and on about this place but it would never do it justice. I could tell you all the ways that they are awesome, but you can visit their website to see how they are sustainable and not only local but almost completely house-made AND insanely inventive in the gastropub game. We got every beer they have on tap (ALL SO GOOD!), some choice cocktails (SO SNOBBY BUT SO DELISH), a ton of appetizers, AND two desserts, and we were not disappointed with any of them. Everything was fantastic. Our server, Jackson, was really awesome too. (Thanks for dealing with our particular level of crazy, Jackson!) We tried: Mussels-- made in a Thai curry broth which was amazing and a totally new way to enjoy mussels for me...I've got to figure out how to imitate this at home. Poutine-- not my style because I'd rather have it on fries or tots rather than potatoes but still really good...especially the nice squeaky cheese curds and addition of the giardiniera. Brisket Tacos-- The brisket chunks were SO GOOD and I loved all the toppings...came with 4 tacos so it was easily shareable. Minute Salmon Carpaccio-- Excellent mixed all together...would've liked more of that delicious grilled ciabatta with it instead of the crackers though. Octopus-- Never had it like this before and it was really great. Wish there was more! I even ate the vegetables without complaining like a child...thanks, miso egg yolk vinaigrette. Ho-Hos-- Are you kidding me? Adult homemade Ho-hos with whiskey cream filling? I could've eaten so many of these. Pork Belly-- Whiskey braised pork belly with ice cream on top sounded pretty gross but after one bite I took it all back. I'm sorry I doubted your creative genius. I won't do it again. I will DEFINITELY be in for more of this pure, unadulterated goodness, but I'll make sure it's in the Spring/Summer so I can see it in all of it's plant glory this time. I will always love you, Hardware. read more

The food, ambience and service were amazing and the place just smells GREAT! CANT WAIT TO RETURN

Amazing food. The drinks were amazing tooo, I would recommend the Moscow mule. The service is really good and very fast. They give you complimentary bread that is better than anywhere else! Overall it's a really cute please read more

Pretentious would be the best word for Hardware. The bartenders are, the wait staff has been as was the hostess. It's not like it's my first time there but it's definitely my last, there are other games in town. I'll share a couple of my recent visits and let you decide. A few months ago, before the restaurants shut down, while I was waiting for the little lady to get off work, I decided to go in and have an old fashioned and an extremely over priced app... it was basically jazzed up bacon... not worth the price. While I was there, the older couple next to me was enjoying themselves. When something that the bartender gave her happened to cut her on the hand. She made it known to him, her "man" and no one seemed to care. I said to the bartender, "I think she's bleeding" he shrugged his shoulders like a little smart ass and looked at me like I was supposed to be grateful he was actually there. I'm sorry your hipster novel didn't get published man. So I walk up to the hostess and say, "excuse me do you have a bandage for the lady at the table she's bleeding." She looked at me confused. The I said, " A lady is bleeding at your bar, so you have a band aid?" She said she would get one. As she was bringing a bandage, the bartender gives me a dirty look and says "she's in here all the time man." And I commented, "um that's blood" referring to a blood soaked napkin on the bar two stools over. But last night we tried to go have a seat outside, in the shade, the hostess couldn't have been more rude. 1/3 of the seats were taken as we asked to sit outside. She said they were all reserved and said you can sit over there on a high top. The "over there" was the other side of the building in the sun. It was 90 degrees outside. So no thanks. Then we asked to sit inside since having 2/3 of your seats outside weren't open enough for your "reserved." She goes inside, while we were asking. Now there's a line forming behind us. She comes back out walks right by us to the next people behind us and starts asking them what they want. Then she walks back inside again... usually, you ask, the you take them to a seat. Then you ask, then you seat... not that hard to figure out. Next she walks out, takes out temperature, puts the thermometer down and walks back inside. WTH. Comes out, walks by us again, and seats the two women behind us two couples back without taking a temp, without asking questions and without telling us or the people behind us wth is going on. So that's when I looked at the little lady and said by let's go to Bien Trucha. Which we should have just gone to in the first place. So, if you want to way overpay for a bad pretentious menu, served by pretentious wait staff, while your pretentious rude bartender acts likes you should be thankful that the earth had him on it.. this is your place. My fault for going more than once, unfortunately it's the closest thing to my house. read more

Went last night. Started off with the Goat Cheese and Roasted Vegetables. Nothing special. Cheese toasted bread with some cherry tomatoes. Had the Pork Belly Corndogs. 4 chunks dipped in a corn dog batter with 2 sauces. Meh. Also did the octopus with vegetables. The octopus was the best starter. The wives had the Ravioli. It was "ok" and small portioned. My friend and had the Smoked Lamb Shank that was $32. We were disappointed. They came out dry. Dry to the point of being crispy. These were over cooked. The outer crust was like a jerky that extended into the meat. Smoked meats should be moist and succulent throughout. I have a commercial smoker for my catering business. At some point in the process they could have used a wrap (Texas Crunch) to hold in the moisture. Maybe if they held them in a braising liquid before serving could have helped bring them back. These got away from the pitmaster. The dining room is so dark we needed our cell phone screens to read the menu. We were thinking it was us being a little older but we noticed tables around us doing the same thing. When millennials need a light it's too dark. Then they dimmed the lights even more! After that we spoke up and said we couldn't see the food. Service was not that good. We got our entrée and ordered some refills on the beer and ended up drinking water because the server forgot our drinks. He showed up when we were like 75% done and asked if we needed anything. We said our drinks and he got them with an apology. They came very fast so they were sitting at the bar waiting for a pickup. Dessert was non eventful. Wife had a chocolate pudding that had a large chocolate wafer over it. I had the smoked apple tart. That was a cooked tart shell filled with a few bits of uncooked apple and a creme anglaise with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. When you cut the tart it just ran all over the plate. No smoke flavor at all. Basically a cookie with melted ice cream and frozen ice cream with very few apple bits tossed in. They grow their own vegetables in a green house and have like over 400 whiskeys. They are trying this whole environmental self sustainable concept. I told the server I drink a lot of water so if he could bring more that would be great. His reply was "You know someday were going to be fighting wars over that!".......ok just get me some water please and don't make me fight you for it...you'll lose. The meal ended up being $275 with tip and the prediction of an impending "Water War" was free. You can have all the whiskey in the world and your own biosphere but if the food and service isn't on point with what you charge, you're going to have a long road ahead of you. I'm always willing to try a place a second time but at almost $300 for 4 it's not going to be soon. read more

Love love love this restaurant. If you want a unique dining experience in a beautiful atmosphere, this is the place for you. The patio space is gorgeous and welcoming, the servers are friendly and the menu is wonderful. I highly recommend starting your meal with one of the wonderful specialty cocktails and a meat and cheese board. A sign of a truly great restaurant is a highly visible owner. I have been to this restaurant 4 times and each and every time my party has interacted with the owner in some manner, greeting us, checking on our meal, thanking us when we leave etc. I would recommend this restaurant for a fun meal with friends and/or for a romantic dinner. You will not regret it! read more

I don't think I've ever written a review on this site but...I have a client event this weekend and haven't been to Hardware in a long time and wanted to try it out before deciding. Service was awesome. Food was interesting and good. BUT management made a choice during the end of service that will probably make it so I don't come back. I remember ownership from a long time ago (Buds days) and they would not have treated us the same. Just saying. Too bad. read more

This restaurant was a great find! I wanted to go somewhere unusual for my birthday and I started by searching for brewpubs in my area. I never would have known about this place otherwise. The beer selection alone sold me to trying it but once I reviewed the menu option I was intrigued by the unique variety and pairings of ingredients. We arrived for our reservation and was greeted by name at the door when we walked in. Apparently we were the only party of 3 that had a reservation at 7:30 that evening, but I was still impressed that they seemed to be waiting for us. I thoroughly enjoyed the beer selections as well as the food that I ordered. I had the goat cheese platter and brisket tacos for an appetizer and the pot pie for my entree. For by birthday, they gave me a free dessert and I chose the Ho-Ho's. Everything was fantastic and we will be returning again soon. read more

Yeah, not impressed overall. The place is decorated nicely and our waiter was a boss, but the food was bland and overpriced. I ordered the brisket and I got a lunch sized portion that was very fatty and devoid of flavor. The mashed potatoes were great, however, and a good portion. I'm not a fan of $6 upcharges when swapping potatoes for veggies, though. That seems a bit much. The bread was very good. So after reading this over before posting, I realize there were some positive aspects to this place, I added back a star. I guess it's just not my bag. read more

Delicious. Everything is wonderful but you need to do a board. I also love Misty's Cream ale

Amazing food and drinks. Everything was great!! Our waitress was awesome!! Go there and enjoy!!

Excellent food. Lots of menu options and great selection of beer. Outstanding service.

Our first time at Hardware was for lunch today. It was fantastic! From the service to the food and the beer, everything was great!8 The service could not have been better. As far as food, I had the Bison Burger and my wife had the Rachel. Both were excellent! My burger was washed down with a "Butch's Badass Porter". Unfortunately, given the current pandemic, a review would not be complete without mention of how a restaurant is handling things. Hardware is doing a great job, from taking your temperature when you enter, requiring masks, having plastic barriers between the high top tables, and keeping the tables distanced. We will, without a doubt, be back!!! read more

Met, a special someone here for a great first date. A little busy, expected in a new place like this. Made a reservation. Drove past the Hops growing just outside of the restaurant. Cozy outdoors fireside seating area. Once inside, all the eclectic refurbished and reclaimed woods, and the dedication to details made me as a hands-on type of guy really respect what they have accomplished in this place. It seems like everywhere you turned there was something new that was interesting. The Bar, and the wall of Whiskey, and the flights of newly crafted beers, wow! This is in where, North Aurora, huh would have figured Oakbrook, or near Woodfield, however I know there are different satellite locations, but damn this is a great place with a little higher priced items, however we had the Burnt ends, which I am also an amateur smoker, and this gave me a new flavor profile which I might have to attempt when I get home. We sat at a high top, facing the bar, and the waitress was on POINT, even down to when I forgot my glasses case she chased me down to save me an expensive trip to the eye doctor. Great upscale resturaunt for taking the misses out, or first dates. read more

Our new favorite!!! Absolutely delicious, unique, well presented dishes! Flavor explosions. Love the atmosphere and staff. Just wonderful! read more

Hardware - Goat Cheese Appetizer - Gastropubs Near Me - North Aurora, Illinois

I had the goat cheese tart salad and pork tongue. Both were a standout, I'll definitely be back. read more

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This place SCREAMS cool and hip from the minute you walk in. There is so much to see. From a ceiling full of pennies to a bar rail made from railroad track. The hardware sign over the bar is from an old Ace Hardware store. The light fixtures are made from barrel staves. And you're going to miss all these details because your eyes will be drawn immediately to the bar and the wall of bourbons! They have everything! Even Pappy Van Winkle 23 year!! (You won't find a bottle of that stuff for less than $2000.) Oh yeah, they grow hopps for the beers they brew in house. Grow greens for their salads in their green house, and have an amazing outdoor dining area! Ok...food! Everything here is fresh and maybe a bit out of your comfort zone...maybe. Meat and cheese boards with interesting house made spreads. Goat cheese spread with toasts. A roasted beet salad that was not what I expected but was delicious! Grilled shrimp over a crazy good corn relish. We skipped soups and salads and went straight to the entrees. The pot pie was hearty and made with duck and chicken! The house smoked brisket was brushed with a nice tomato based bbq sauce and served with amazing mashed potatoes. My friend had a house smoked pulled pork with diced roasted potatoes. The sandwich had pickles that were made in-house! They make everything from scratch here! They have interesting ice creams and a really good adult Ho-Ho that's made with bourbon. I can't even remember everything on the dessert menu. The service was spot on with plenty of help picking the food as well as a flight of beer. I highly recommend checking this place out! Especially if you're a foodie! read more

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Wow! What a difference 18 months makes! So much has been improved and I would highly recommend this place now. Everything we tried was delicious. While staying true to the concept, the food choices were delicious. Definitely give it a try! read more

This is the best place you've never heard of. Came here for my daughters birthday and let me just say in addition to the amazing sustainable, farm to table concept, the food and service was off the charts good. They craft their own beer with house grown hops, even have a hop farm onsite and the IPAs were the best I've had. Whiskey?!? No problem! Over 400 different whiskies, no matter what your preference. Amazing ambiance and a great outdoor space with a wood burning fireplace. Can even smell the wood burning throughout the place which just adds to the very rustic decor. I highly recommend and will absolutely be back! read more

I'm from the city so I've been struggling out here in the burbs. This place is phenomenal!!!!!

Today was the first time I was there, and let me just say it was ALL AMAZING!! Friends and I had a variety of drinks, I had the figgin awesome and it was absolutely spot on delicious. Shared plates like the bone marrow and the 4 cheese and meat spread was so good! I also ordered the BLT sandwich and my friend ordered the brisket sandwich and both again amazing. They had the ho ho dessert and I tried the coconut rice pudding. Everything we all had and tried was just wonderful! I love the look of this place and the outdoor seating was great for the weather we had today. Staff was wonderful and our server Becca was fantastic! So knowledgeable of the menu and gave great recommendations! I will definitely be back for sure!! read more