I've been here on multiple weekends to enjoy some live music by their lake and even attended a few of their events with family and friends. Their staff has always been attentive and very friendly. Highly recommend if you're looking for a night to relax with a wide variety wines! read more

The food is good, when it finally arrives. Sorry to say our wait for lunch was well over an hour. The atmosphere is very nice. Keep the wait in mind before you come here. read more

This place was supposed to be my brother and his wife's dream wedding place they made it seem great but it turned into a wedding from heck. This place did not do half of the things that they said they would do and the cabin's were awful. The food was overly dry yet the wine was good thank goodness because you would have to be drunk in order to have a decent time here. Don't get me wrong the wedding was amazing but it was no thanks to hidden lake winery. They had two weddings at the same time and during the first ten minutes of the ceremony the music from the other wedding was blasting over the whole ceremony. The cabins were seen in pictures as a nice cozy spot to stay for the night but they were not. One of the cabins we got ready in had mold on the ceiling and the jacuzzi was so dirty that when you turned it on you could see the filth come out of the jets. The cabin that I stayed in not much better the jacuzzi was not as bad and no mold but the fan didn't have a working switch and could not be turned off, the door lock barely let us input the code and the door barely shut the upper padlock did not work. It was clean enough to stay in but for $230 dollars go somewhere else. I would not recommend coming they are unprofessional and did not care to help or listen to what was asked of them when coming to set up the venue. If I could give 0 stars I would the only reason I am okay with leaving 1 star is because the wedding planner Lilly and bar crew were professional and seemed to actually kinda care about the reputation of this facility. read more

8 months ago we found out that the original venue for our daughter's wedding was no longer holding events and lost our deposit. We immediately began searching for another venue that was available on her date. From the moment I spoke to the owner Angela it was an incredible experience! The wedding was 6/18/2022 and was absolutely perfect! The wedding coordinator, Lily was amazing throughout the entire planning portion and even better the day of the wedding (if that's even possible)! She made sure everything was perfect and the couple things that needed to be addressed were minor and taken care of immediately. She checked on not only the bride and groom throughout the day/evening, but also the parents of both the bride and groom. While the cancellation of the original venue was extremely stressful, it ended up being a blessing because it led us to Hidden Lake Winery!! We couldn't have asked for a better day or experience!! We will forever be grateful for how perfectly the day went. read more

Hidden Lake Winery - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Aviston, Illinois

Great Sunday Brunch location and worth the drive! Food and service were excellent! Enjoyed the complementary Bloody Mary was included in the price and it tasted great! The fall colors really made the scenery around the winery pop! Will be back with my family and friends again! read more

Okay, it's been close to a year since I've been here, but a 2.5 star review average is just unfair. This is, however, a review of it as an event venue. I went to a wedding here and it was awesome. The venue was absolutely beautiful, inside and out. I loved the loft feel, with the second floor overlooking the ground floor. A big, stunning, open space. Great acoustics. Clean bathrooms. A nice dance floor. Sizeable bar. The catered food was actually really good. So much that I went back for seconds. Also enjoyed the coffee bar - it was nothing fancy, but it hit the spot. Outside was also beautiful. There was a big gazebo with an acoustic guitarist performing, and plenty of tables with people enjoying the ambience by the lake. The waterfall across from the lake was lovely to see. It's a really nice space. Four stars because there wasn't anything OMG above and beyond that stands out, but I definitely enjoyed myself and had no complaints. I would totally go back if I had the opportunity. read more

I have been to this winery a few times now. Each time is a unique experience. All GREAT! They have a wide selection of wines you can taste to find your choice when purchasing a bottle and sitting outside to enjoy it while overlooking a beautiful lake. They have a wide variety of seating arrangements outside. Under a pergola, down by the lake, or on their concrete patio. Most tables have umbrellas to protect you from the sun. They have a wonderful gift shop as well as a wonderful full sit down restaurant if you wanted to enjoy your wine indoors with a nice meal. They have great banquet facilities. The property is not just a winery. They also have a great waterfall area weddings and special events, Awesome cabins to stay in and get a way for a night or two and plenty of room to stroll around the property with your wine and just have a nice talk with a friend. This is a great place to go and spend a day and sit back, relax and enjoy life! read more

Beautiful, beautiful location. Stopped in with my family on a saturday afternoon. There were at least 2 wedding parties there and the place was crowded. A beautiful location set up right along the lake for a wedding ceremony. Another wedding party was getting wedding pics taken by the pond and the walk behind waterfall. Great outdoor seating at the restaurant. A few rental cabins for a fun weekend away. They looked new and nice. Plenty of delicious wines to choose from. $3.50 for a glass and bottles start at $12.95. I can't wait to go back and maybe spend a night or two in a cabin and explore the trails they have on the property. Perfect for a cute fun date weekend getaway or a gals weekend! read more

This place is beautiful. The wines are so so. It can be a bit hard to find if you are not familiar with the area. Once you arrive, you know that is was worth the drive. A huge two story building sit on a lake with a fountain. I took a group that had never been to the winery, They were delighted. We sampled about seven wines and ended up with semi sweet white wine. We were hungry, and we made our way around the appetizer menu and ordered a pizza. We had the toasted ravioli, the dipping sauce tasted like ragu. We had the mushroom bruschetta, this was very tasty and crispy. We only got three slices which made it hard to share. We had the philly steak flatbreads, very tasty. Finally the pizza, it was thin crust with just so so toppings. Again, we were more about the atmosphere. read more

Went there with a group of ladies weekend of August 1. Nice place, tables outside were spread out and the cheese curds were great. Big issue with the fact that none of the wait staff or bartenders were wearing COVID masks. Not a single employee! Absolutely ridiculous considering we're in a pandemic. read more

I was very upset to see that servers and bar tenders were not wearing masks - inside -which is an Illinois mandate to prevent the spread of Covid 19. Not surprised to read in the paper that there was an outbreak. I always have enjoyed this winery but won't be coming back now. read more

Nothing special. Does sit on a lake which is a nice view but wine is not made here. When I saw a lobster dinner listed for our anniversary, $50 each person, I thought this would be a great way to celebrate. Food was good, but not worth price. Was stung by a bee as bees swarmed around us as we ate. We had to sit at one long table with strangers as the new owners discussed their plans for their new business. Not really worth driving out of your way. Prefer Copperdock Winery in Pocohantas IL. Better seating, prettier setting, more wine choices. read more

What a great, quaint place! The leaves are turning and the wine amd atmosphere are awesome. Very friendly staff and super relaxed location. I would highly recommend read more

Hidden Lake Winery - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Aviston, Illinois

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Great winery even though there is limited menu on Wednesday the owner and kitchen manager put together a meat and cheese platter for us that was phenomenal!! Blues Brothers was awesome!! Hazy Dazy a fantastic refreshing wine! Kudos!! read more

It's a great place to stop and relax with a glass of wine. It has a lot to offer, cabins, trails ,music events, food and more. read more

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Absolutely awful. Need 20 more waiters. Food cold. Wine not great and they lost my debit card at the bar and couldn't give a crap about. No action to look at the 5 foot by 3 foot bar. Need to care about patrons. read more

DO NOT HAVE YOUR WEDDING HERE the only reason for 1 Star is because the venue itself is beautiful. Other than that, I don't know where to begin. When I first met with them, they seemed very nice and accommodating. That was, however, the previous event coordinator that I had been speaking with. By the time my wedding came around, she had quit and my event was ran by the woman who owns the place. The day of the wedding, the reception hall was set up wrong, which wasn't that big of a deal. We ended up moving things around ourselves, but had to wait for another table to be brought out, which took 2 hours to get there. When she finally came to see what was going on, she was rude to my mother and didn't even talk to me directly or congratulate me and ask if there was anything she could do, and at one point she even made my mother cry. The bride from the night before was leaving the estate room that she stayed in and had told us that she also had problems with them. It had rained early in the day, but when it cleared up the ceremony chairs were wet, and my bridesmaids and mother, already in their gowns, went and wiped the chairs down themselves because none of the workers would and guests were arriving. If we asked any workers to help with something, she snapped at us and told us not to tell the workers what to do. Dinner was to be served at 6, but when the bridal party was dismissed at 6:10 to get their plates, we had to wait for the garlic bread and salad to get there. It's been weeks since the event and I just found out that as the event was going on, she made a Facebook post in which she called my mother "momzilla". Very unprofessional, which is why I'm never going back. Please, do not give these people your money. read more

Went on a rainy Sunday at the end of July. Wine was good. Did not try food. Very beautiful area, the lake is nice, it's got a waterfall and fountain. read more

Ok I'm doing this as a PSA because our experience was so bad. Hidden Lake Winery in Aviston is where the wedding was. Although everything ended up beautifully and the ceremony was amazing, it was definitely not with the help of the owner Angela. When we arrived that morning we had to find someone to let us in just to find that the ceremony site was not set up whatsoever and the reception site was not set up correctly per the email floor plan layout we had sent her the week before. And she assured us both sites would be ready by 10am. We had to countlessly call over to the winery or send someone over to the winery to get assistance and when the owner Angela came over the first time after we had waited for two hours for someone to come and fix the table situation she was very rude And snapped at myself and kalebs grandmother. we had to continue calling for people to come and take care of things that should have already been taken care of on their end. The bride and bridesmaids had to move tables for reception that should have already been ready. Adding to stress and pushing their time to get ready back. (The precious days bride said they did this to her as well) Fast forward to ceremony site. Still not ready. Had to call several times and walk over because the arbor they paid for wasnt there yet nor was the wine barrels or the table we were told we could use. Or the chairs. When I went into the winery to get someone to do their job one worker was very rude and smarted off to me. Not professional at all. Owner then comes and gets in a yelling argument with me (in front of customers she seated right beside the ceremony site, yeah she couldn't even close off the ceremony site for a wedding) over the things she said would be ready that wasn't and then said things will be ready before the ceremony, not to worry. Things were not ready! That's not how you run a business! We literally had GUESTS wiping off the chairs because the owner didn't send workers over to wipe the rain off of the chairs until 10 minutes til wedding time. AFTER guests had arrived 20 minutes prior. Then at reception the food wasn't ready when it was supposed to be. This morning the owner Angela send me a rude email also. NEVER once did she apologize for her or her workers behavior or for everything not being ready like she said it would. Nor did she ever once congratulate the couple on their wedding or ask if they needed anything. We will never be back to Hidden Lake Winery nor will the family or bridal party. And I suggest anyone who reads this doesn't go there either! Horrible horrible management! read more

I have been a faithful customer of hidden lake winery for many years now. Even through the decline in the past with prior ownership. Sunday brunch was my first time going since the new owners had taken over and I have to say, it was a breath of fresh air. Seeing all the improvement already being made, seeing happy staff. The brunch buffet was delicious and a great start to my morning before I sat on the patio with some wine. I watched the new owners socialize with their patrons and they are about as nice as they come. Give them time as I'm sure their list of improvements is long but these two have the drive to keep this winery successful. Looking forward to many more trips there. read more

Went to the Willy Wonka Murder Mystery show. Show was cute, too perverted and very low budget considering the cost. The food was DISGUSTING! read more

If I could give the catering and events department a 0 star review I would, however it made me select at least 1 star. My sister and her fiance went to check out Hidden Lake for their upcoming wedding. Upon their first appointment they were so excited about getting married there. The ceremony site and reception site were both perfect and even better they had their date available. They left the meeting with their contract and were told to look it over and bring it back the following Sunday during the Wedding Expo. Ashley, who was the events coordinator they worked with said that she would block the date for them. They arrived to the expo 30 minutes early to meet with Ashley and turn in their contract. When they got to the expo, Ashley greeted them and said, "I have to finish setting up my table but I will be right back". About 30 minutes went by and my sister and her fiance started getting a little worried because the expo was about to start. They decided to go over to Ashley's table. When they got to her table there was another couple in line. They waited patiently for the couple to finish their appointment. Once they did, my sister and her fiance approached the table to turn in their contract. When they handed the contract to Ashley, she looked at them and just said, "Oh, so sorry but that couple just turned in their contract before you for the same wedding date. This date is no longer available. My sister was in shock since Ashley greeted them when they got to the expo and said she would be right with them. She KNEW they were there to turn in their contract and yet she allowed for another couple to turn theirs in first. She also told them she blocked the date for them which was a lie. They would have signed up on Friday at their first appointment if they knew the date wasn't really blacked. They asked to speak with a manager and Ashley's reply was, "I am the manger on duty today". They left the expo heart broken, in shock, but mostly mortified for the way they were treated. Ashley truly treated them like second hand citizens. They tried calling Hidden Lakes to speak with Ashley's manager or with the owner, however, neither one bothered to call her back. I will never recommend Hidden Lake Winery to anyone. read more

I've had events here, attended events here and spent the night in their roach-infested cabins. It is the worst venue you could possibly choose. The muddy lake isn't nearly enough to make up for the horrendous food, rude service and ridiculous prices. Their wine is like syrup and the corks pop out for no reason other that the wine fermented from being improperly bottled. It's not worth the time, money or aggravation to come to this ridiculously overpriced and totally underwhelming "winery" Our room had a lovely dead cockroach as an "extra guest" I'm amazed we weren't charged for it. read more

While the location is beautiful, the winery itself leaves a lot to be desired. My husband and I recently went to the winery for lunch and to have some wine. Turns out all they had available was a brunch with a very limited selection of mediocre food. Neither of us ate much of anything as a result. Imagine our shock when we were charged $30 for that "meal". I'm not sure if the staff there is actually supposed to wait on you, as one girl brough us water when we arrived but we never had any other service besides that. We decided to head over to the wine-tasting room after paying for brunch. Come to find out, it was closed. We had no desire to huddle around the tiny bar in the restaurant and were already very annoyed, so we left. I emailed the winery to express my disappointment with our experience and received a response full of excuses. I guess attempting to defend the high price of their food is more important that making customers happy. We won't be returning to this winery. A shame since we live so close to it. read more

I guess anyone can call themselves a winery. The wine was undrinkable in my opinion. The hidden lake was more like a hidden swamp. The food was terrible and the servers, as others have noted, were rude. Oh and there were kids everywhere...at a winery??? Save your gas, time and money and go elsewhere. read more

I was with my daughter, her fiance, and her fiance's mother the morning of the Bridal Expo that Hidden Lake Winery was hosting. As my daughter was instructed, we arrived over 30 minutes early to meet with Ashley, the event coordinator, to turn in our contract for the wedding and reception. We checked in with the bartender and he went downstairs to get Ashley. She came upstairs and walked directly to our table, greeted us and told us she would be right back as soon as she finished setting up her table for the expo. The expo opened before she returned and we went in directly to her table. There was a woman standing at the table and when we walked up, she asked us what day we had chosen. My daughter said, "September 12" and she said, "I'm sorry, she just booked that date." The girl had not begun to fill out her contract, but Ashley was very rude and said there was nothing she could do about it. When we reminded her that we had been waiting, she replied rudely, "I didn't have any appointments this morning!" She had clearly lied to my daughter and her fiance when she told them Friday that they should come early to the expo so they could reserve the date they wanted before the expo opened. We went out to the bar area and asked to speak to the manager. The catering manager came out to speak to us and we were told that the owner was out of town and would call us upon his/her return. He took our information, apologized and we left. We were shocked at the blatant disrespectful and rude treatment we received there from Ashley. I would NEVER recommend the winery for an event to anyone because you cannot believe what she tells you! And, we did not get a return call from the owner, so when you do have a problem, they just don't care! read more

Beautiful location, but that's about it. We had reservations but they double booked so we didn't get the gazebo by the lake that we reserved. They have no smoking signs up but that is clearly not enforced. The wine was terrible. We tried every one hoping to find something that didn't make us shiver after drinking. I am not above buying cheap wine and frequently purchase mine from Costco, but seriously, the wine was just awful. Some of the worst I've ever tried. We ordered overpriced appetizers. The artichoke dip was literally an ice cream scoop of mayonnaise with a jar of artichoke hearts dumped in top. Paired with their vinegar wine I'm glad I opted for a beer. If you are in the St.Louis area, go to Augusta. Wine is much tastier and the food is actually pretty good. Scenery is beautiful as well. read more

Beautiful place! Great customer service. Some great wines. NOT good food. We placed our orders and went upstairs to sit. We waited a while and hear someone going upstairs so we thought we were getting our food... Nope! Someone came up to let us know that they were not able to give us what we ordered because they had ran out. The only thing they had were fries, some flatbreads/pizzas and some sort of sandwich.... Out of this party of 10, only one person got what they ordered. We were starving and the restaurant people were nice enough to just cook or reheat whatever they had and bring it to us. We ended up with plenty of food (most of it given to us for free) but it wasn't great tasting and it wasn't what we wanted so.... what can I say? At least they tried to make it right... read more

A beautiful setting for a wedding I attended. They do need however to do a better job picking up trash from an earlier wedding and cleaning the restrooms. Also seem to be under staffed. read more

Every visit of many visits over the years has been good one. Upscale in rural Illinois.

Let me first start by saying that I have never once posted a bad review. Ever. I worked for 6 years in the food industry where I served customers almost every day of the week. I am the first to admit that I have made mistakes as a server and have had bad days with my job. However, I am choosing to write this review because I do not ever want another bride to experience what my friend had to experience this past weekend with her wedding. This venue is stunning. The views, the food, the cabins. Every bit of this venue is ideal except for the owner, Angela. And it's such a shame. Rude is an understatement. Unprofessional doesn't cut it. The owner had the bride in tears multiple times throughout the day. If there was a problem, the owner came directly at the bride in a disrespectful manner even after the owner was told that in order to keep our bride's day as stress free as possible, we had a "go to" person on site, next to the bride at all times. At one point in the night, the owner put her hands on a guest, pulled her behind the bar by her arm, cussed at her, and slammed the door once the guest exited the building. As I stated before, the venue is beautiful. And the other staff were great! But the views and food is NOT WORTH THE OWNER AND HER DISRESPECT. You cannot escape her rudeness. Please, please, please, reconsider choosing this winery or their Maryville location for your wedding. You won't regret it. read more

75$ for two adults an three children for Easter brunch. Reservation for 1030. Breakfast food only. Good food but no lunch items available. Told they would be put out at 1130. It hasn't happened yet. It was a lot better managed in years past. I will update. --- At about 1140 they brought out a tray of baked chicken,steamed vegetables, and steak pieces. I asked The young man working the buffet if anything else was coming out. He said they had some potatoes coming out later. They never did materialize when we were there. No dinner rolls or breads,no salad dressing. In all not a very well-managed buffet. My basis for comparison was going there in years past. The food was always excellent before. I don't eat buffets very often, and I'm not some fat guy wanting to be stuffed on everything. This was my third time eating at their Easter buffet. At the winery you sit in one large banquet room where I find the tables a little to close together for my taste. You sort of have to weave in and out of other diners to get to the things. They have an excellent guitarist entertaining during the buffet. The food line is in a separate room that you have to go down a narrow hallway to get to. The bathrooms are in that narrow hallway. Moving through this hallway with plates of food is a little cumbersome when you have people going both ways. If the line is long and you were standing in the hallway you get a very clear view of people standing at the urinal in the men's room when the door opens. Not a biggie to me but not well designed. They really should have the buffet in the banquet room with the diners. The grounds of the winery are beautiful lake is very stunning views. I will go back for the Easter buffet once I hear that they have things straightened out. I was just left that we didn't get our money's worth. We ate our breakfast and sat around the table for 30 minutes before they put out any different food. read more

I have been here several times and it is always fun and a night to remember. The wine is good, there is something for everyone. And the food for Sunday brunch is outstanding. read more

We Had our Wedding reception in their Estate Room and it was amazing! The food was delicious and all our guest kept complementing the atmosphere and wine! We had a bit of a rocky start to our planning process, but the owners were as kind as could be! They jumped right in to make sure our day was the best it could be! read more

Start to finish...one big mess.Had to take coffee to the counter to get a refill. Then again to ask for sugar. Was handed one packet. Lol! Had to listen to two staff members complaining about having to work while the one waitress ran her head off between our table, a table upstairs and a table waaaay out by the lake. Our food could have been tasty if it hadn't been served cold. Never received water we ordered. Pass on this one, folks! read more

Great place with a lot of potential, but definitely needs some TLC. The cabins need some refreshing, the blinds were broken, sink in bathroom looked like it had been pulled from the wall, the futon sofa was well worn, the lampposts along the cabin drive are all broken and do not work. The pathway along the lake had trash (glass bottles/beer cans) along the path. The winery was very pleasant-enjoyed wine tasting and cheese tray. Hoping the new owners can give it the care it needs. Not sure if the price is worth the value of staying there. read more

Attended a class reunion here and have to say the food, wind and music were all enjoyable. Beautiful linen covered tables with flowers. I was concerned about the cold weather but pleasantly surprised how efficient their heaters and fire pits were. The salad was delicious with feta cheese and cranberries. The chocolate dessert was exceptional. read more

We attended a banquet in April. The food was pretty standard, dry season less banquet food. We arrived in time to taste one dry red wine. It was decent so we stuck with it for the evening. I wouldn't make the trip back for the food and while the dry wine was good it wasn't outstanding. read more

We had a birthday party for my wife with approx 50 people. Here is the general consensus. The Winery and the setting is very pleasant and enjoyable, the wine and pricing is reasonable, the food is over priced and not very good. The cabins are awful with heavy mildew smell, pillows and bedding very old and uncomfortable, and the cabins are very, very expensive for a bad experience. Visit for the winery atmosphere, don't waste ur money on over priced, lousy cabin atmosphere. read more

I will say that the grounds are beautiful and a wonderful setting during nice weather. If possible, I would rate the winery itself 3 or 4 stars but the banquet and catering 0 - 2 stars. The banquet food for a wedding was average at best and if you spend the night in a cabin, be sure to go there in advance to turn the heat up. It was very cold upon arrival. It was also dirty with bugs (both alive and dead.) read more