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    Thornton Distilling

    4.6 (105 reviews)
    Open 11:00 am - 11:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Services - Thornton Distilling

    Bartending services

    Catering services

    Venue rental

    1 More Service

    Venue valet services

    Thornton Distilling Photos

    THORNTON DISTILLING ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Thornton Distilling

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    Annette M.

    We have had this distillery in Thornton IL on our radar for quite a while and this first full day of spring was perfect for a drive out. The building oozes historic charm going back to 1847. Our server and hostess were friendly and helpful. There is only a few spots to park in the front but a big parking lot in the back marked with a sign. It was lunchtime so we ordered wings and beef barbacoa tacos and both were very flavorful. The server suggested the tacos as they can be made gluten free. Besides the cocktails my husband asked to taste their straight bourbon called Dead Drop. He enjoyed it and bought a bottle to take home. I could feel the ghosts of bootleggers of the past haunting the place. Worth the drive to experience it.

    Gold Rush cocktail
    Analyn T.

    We come here for drinks, food and history! Old Fashioned and cocktails are all good. They have the best chicken wings. Do their tours if you want to get a glimpse of the prohibition history and the underground tunnel (well it's now covered). All the staff here are always so nice... we've been coming here for years! Always a great time.

    Lorri P.

    Robin was ABSOLUTELY THE BEST!!!! Service was great!!! She was awesome! So knowledgeable about the brewery and gave us so much insight on the history. We so appreciated it because we love good historical stories! Our bartender Brandon was great too! Friendly and welcoming. They have a wedding space fyi and a nice patio as well to chill out in the summer! Looking forward to that! Next summer! We ordered the margherita pizza. It's a medium size and great to share! It is AMAZING! Filling and the tomato sauce is definitely homemade, best I've ever had! We had the cookie skillet too! OMG! Thee best!!!! It's nice, they have brunch on the weekends and they also do tours on the weekends! This is a 10/10! Highly recommended!

    Thank you to the amazing team of employees they made our experience most memerable. Cocktails were exceptional as were the starters and shared mains. A sincere "tip of the hat" to Andrew and Ari for one of the most historic, educational and gratuitous distillery tours...if you enjoyed a TN or KY bourbon trail adventure you will certainly be missing out if you don't visit Thorton Distilling. The Back Yard Bourbon Boys (BYBB) of Channahon IL say "Cheers"...see you all again soon!!!

    Katie N.

    Just ok for me. The vibe and history is what makes this place unique. As others have stated, the parking is kinda a drag. (Only a few spots out front and have to walk around the back to a lot.) I tried two of their cocktails, the planters punch and the lazy lemonade. The lazy lemonade was a frozen cocktail. Service was a little rude. Inside felt a little cramped.

    Ann-Marie H.

    Such a great experience! We had Kevin as our spirit guide, and he was absolutely amazing. Fun fact--he's also a SPED teacher and a bit of a historian, which made the tour even better. He gave us a lot of history, not just about the distillery but also about the town and Chicagoland in general. The food and drinks were great, and the tickets were only $15, which included a drink--such a perfect deal. After the tour, we stayed for lunch, and everything was decently priced. The food had that classic bar food taste, which, of course, means it was good! This is definitely a place I'd bring my parents or anyone interested in history, spirits, or beer-making. They have ample parking in the back, and from what I understand, it's also a great venue for parties and weddings. Our food came out quickly, and overall, it was an awesome experience. Highly recommend!

    Jamgul M.

    Thornton Distilling is a nice spot to have a quiet meal and relax or just hang out. I made it last hour of business but I still had a nice time. The drinks and food were cool. I especially liked the burger with bbq sauce and onion rings. Yesssssss!!! I'll definitely be back and next time and get the whole experience.

    Pecan Whiskey And Veggie Burger

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    1 month ago

    Amazing service and drinks! One of the oldest breweries in Illinois and the distillery tour is so much fun!

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    2 months ago

    Great food, comes out quickly! Delicious handcrafted drinks always a good time at TDC!

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    2 months ago

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    2 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    1 month ago

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    1 day ago

    I eat here all the time! I love the sesame chili cauliflower and the house-made chili! The staff is so nice and accommodating!

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    1 year ago

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    6 months ago

    The drinks are yummy, the atmosphere and service were amazing. We only got mild apps (fries, chips and salsa) but will def return.

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    5 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 months ago

    Came for a trivia night, lots of fun, great theme and great food and drinks, with super fun hosts!

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    3 months ago

    Great food, amazing drinks, and perfect ambience. Service is very friendly and accommodating.

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    2 years ago

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    5 months ago

    Fantastic tour! Kevin has a great grasp on not only the local history but the distilling process here at Thornton.

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    2 years ago

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    7 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    11 months ago

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    1 year ago

    Drinks were delicious and food was good. A relaxing place for a drink. My favorite appetizer is the pretzel bread!

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    Ambiance is amazing, drinks are second to none and the food is outstanding....HIGHLY RECOMMEND

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Good service and good food. Small menu but everything is delicious. Very friendly service. Saturday evenings are lovely there.

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    1 year ago

    Food and drinks were delicious and staff was great! Friendly, warm, and relaxed restaurant. Will definitely be back!

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    4 years ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Delicious space for brunch on a Sunday! Beautifully crafted drinks and mouth watering food!!

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    Andrew H.

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    6 years ago

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    Page 1 of 3

    Ask the Community - Thornton Distilling

    Review Highlights - Thornton Distilling

    We started chatting with John, the owner at the bar and he gave us a tour of the well which was super cool.

    Mentioned in 9 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Homewood Brewing Company  - Arugula Harmony Salad, Smoked Wings & Beer Battered Cod Bites

    Homewood Brewing Company

    3.8(114 reviews)
    3.0 mi
    $$

    Food was 10/10 -portobello mushroom sandwich and bread pudding…read more Amazing ambiance Delicious brews Highly recommend

    The Good... THE…read moreEXTERIOR & INTERIOR is thoughtfully designed for a brewery-style restaurant. THE WINGS were hot, flavorful, and well-seasoned. * While $18 for eight wings is definitely on the expensive side, I was celebrating a birthday and genuinely enjoyed them. STREET TACOS are truly street-size--very small--but the flavor was excellent. SHRIMP PO' BOY deserves special mention: it's huge, generously packed with shrimp, and fried perfectly. The Bad... THE MEATLOAF entrée, served with mashed potatoes and collard greens, was a major disappointment. * The mashed potatoes were cold, and the greens were only lukewarm. * When we notified the server, she offered to have the entire meal replaced. However, what came back to the table was the same plate my wife tasted and found cold. The plate was simply reheated under a warmer. * Hot food should be refired, not reheated, for both quality and safety reasons and for the price! MANAGER RESOLUTION: Afterward, the manager explained that we "have to pay" for food that was incorrectly served by them! He was pleasant and worked to address the issue without incident, stating that the server was unaware of a recent policy updates. He acknowledged that the server misinformed us of what could be offered for the cold entree items According to the manager, their policy is to either: * Reheat the food under a warmer, or * Allow you to order a new entrée--but still require payment for the original dish that was sent back. The manager referenced a policy printed at the bottom of the menu, which reads: "Refunds are provided for preparation errors, preferences." * If hot food is not served hot, isn't that a preparation error? *If the server does not know the policy but offers me something, whose fault is that on managing my expectations? NOTE: If the kitchen messes up your food, you still have to pay for it at this place! Read the other negative reviews. This was NOT an isolated incident. My wife was understandably disappointed and simply wanted to order a different entrée. The manager initially said the policy did not allow that, though he eventually agreed to refire the entire entrée rather than reheating it a second time. He emphasized that the policy was above his level of authority. Once the issue was escalated to management, our server did not return to the table again until we specifically asked the manager about her absence. Considering this was my daughter's birthday lunch, the experience was frustrating and disappointing, especially given how strong the food started out. Welp...I won't be back here. I really tried to support one of our businesses.

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    Homewood Brewing Company
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    Bixby Sports Bar & Grill

    Bixby Sports Bar & Grill

    4.0(3 reviews)
    7.7 mi

    We stopped by on a Saturday night after another event, since it popped up as one of the only places…read moreclose to our location that was open and serving food since it was after 10pm. The parking lot was actually full so we had to park on the side. They had security at the door to search you before entering. It's actually a pretty large open space, with seating, slot machines, a pool table, and a dance floor. The DJ was high energy and played to the crowd. There were actually quite a few menu options and we went with the fried cauliflower bites and chicken wings and shrimp. The food was ok. It looked good - but wasn't seasoned. Overall, not a bad spot to try if you're in the area.

    We were looking for a bar atmosphere to sit and just hang. Bartender was friendly and gave us the…read morelow down on food and specials and they also have frozen drinks. The bar stools we were told were recently changed-the old ones were worse- and they can use another improvement. They are still too short for the bar if you eat there. Your elbows are up to your shoulders when eating, do yourself a favor and go to a table. Other than that, the inside was nice and the music was good. The sign is off to the side so keep going past the Subway and you will find it. There was also the dreaded liquor meter. Some nights I think there is a cover. We ordered the catfish and chicken wing basket that came with fries. The fries were good and crispy. The chicken was good and was seasoned. I was not a fan of the coating but it was okay. The fish I did not get into much as the coating was not for me. They did offer sauces on the side or on the food and that was good. My friend had the garlic parmesan which he liked, i had the buffalo hot sauce.

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    Bixby Sports Bar & Grill - Interior

    Interior

    Bixby Sports Bar & Grill - Wings are delish

    Wings are delish

    Bixby Sports Bar & Grill - Interior

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    Interior

    Thornton Distilling - distilleries - Updated May 2026

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