Heavy metal riffage in a ice cold glass. To round out a day of exploring the Quad Cities, Emily and I dropped into Wake Brewing to have a beer and a few rounds of Uno and a few other card games to relax before the drive. I didn't look into the place before we stopped here so I assumed it was either surfer-themed or was attached to a coffeehouse. Little did we know it was a heavy metal/groove metal nanobrewery. I thrive on heavy metal so perfect for me, not so much for Emily. There were about 10 beers on tap to pick from so I got the Midlife Crisis (fitting as I near 40) and Emily got the Green Mind. The place was filled with what felt like the regulars so we took a spot over in a corner to drink one last beer before the road and play some card games in my 'pub kit' as seen in the cover photo above. My pub kit is a simple plastic container I got from Walmart that is full of quick and easy games to play at breweries, coffeehouses, or wherever you are. It just happens to be plastered in stickers from my travels. Anywho, back to the topic at hand. I really liked Wake Brewing. I have been into IPAs lately and tried a West Coast one for the first time. It was tasty but since I've been drinking hazy or tropical ones, it didn't quite hit like I am used to but that's on me and not the beer itself. Emily really liked her gose beer. I was eyeing the other IPAs on the menu but with a 2 hour drive back, I didn't want to delay us getting home before too late. While we sat there, some really nice groove metal was playing. It reminded me of Tool but less technical and more foot tapping. Shazam said it was King Buffalo and I'll have to check them out once life settles down a bit. If the heavy metal scene scares you, don't be intimidated. Most metal heads are big nerds and are some of the chillest people around. We didn't stick around too long but I wish we had. I loved the entire vibe of this place and would've liked to try some of their other beers. They do have some merch for sell, so you know Emily and I got all their stickers for this trip. If luck finds us back here again, I will def get a shirt. Anything to support heavy metal (and beer). As a side note, do know that trying to park here had me miss the parking lot's few entrances quite a few times. So, if it's your first time, be vigilant of the weird layout and multiple entrances. Rock on! read more

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Fun place - best brewery I visited (out of 3) while I was in town for several days for a conference. The IPA I had was solid, and the barrel aged barleywine I bought to take home was outstanding. Staff are a little gruff, but no more so than some places. Not jerks, just folks tired of dealing with idiots, and they don't know yet if you are an idiot. The smashburger food truck screwed up my order so was only able to eat half the food I ordered, but not really Wake's fault. The vide was nice, I loved the industrial patio. If I were in town longer, I would have made another visit. Worth stopping by if you are a brewery person! read more

Came on a slow Saturday afternoon but loved the atmosphere and warm, welcoming vibes. The service was fast and very friendly. Thanks for being a cool new regular place of mine. Best craft lager I've ever had. read more

WAKE Brewing - Glasses empty, of course - Brewpubs Near Me - Rock Island, Illinois

Loved the beer, the vibe and the music. Super cool place to hang and have a couple of drinks. It was crowded but I was able to grab a seat and the bartender kept the line moving by serving the beers fast. Extra bonus credit for having a taco truck on premises the day I stopped in. read more

Not a fan, rude bartender, repetitive poor music last Thursday. Me and my significant other were just out of a city meeting and decided we'd stop into this location (near our home). Cool art and beer, why not? I truly just wanted some awesome rock with a beer... Instead I got repetitive screamO beats and bad attitudes. I don't drink at a place to have their bartender be rude to us. I suggest hiring bartenders who are kind and can communicate to patrons. Truly ruined our night. Rockers tend to be rad. Shrug Clean interior, cool art, good beer... sadly the environment ruined it for us. Great spot for cyclists to meet up... Perhaps next time it will be better. read more

Great music, beer, and service. They have specials through the week Debbie and Emily make my day every time I go. It's always welcoming read more

Very solid craft brewery in the Quad Cities. I went after a day of biking and was ready for a good brew. Brought in excellent Pad Thai from Lemongrass Cafe in Moline (see picture). ESB was very good and paired nicely with the Pad Thai. Maybe it's the Sichuan peppercorn. I wanted to try a few other offerings but was too tired after a day of cycling. When I asked for a beer menu the bartender, who was great, pointed to the chalkboard. Problem with chalkboard menus is that they don't include descriptions. Easy enough to pull up on a phone. But not that difficult to make available to serious beer drinkers, too. read more

WAKE Brewing - Wake ESB with Pad Thai from Lemongrass. - Brewpubs Near Me - Rock Island, Illinois

Fantastic brewery in Rock Island. We live in Kansas City and we're traveling to Michigan for vacation but made a 1.5 hour detour just to drink here. The beer is fantastic, the music is grinding, the decor is ill, and the people are super kind. Their can artwork is insanely cool. There are a lot of really cool breweries in Kansas City, but I'm going to say this place bests them all. Definitely stop by if you have the chance. Whether you like death metal music or not, this place is top tier. You've gotta gooooooo! read more

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Pleasantly surprised to find Wake Brewing open on Thanksgiving 2021. Bar staff were incredibly attentive and knew many of the visitors. They do a great job at both hazy IPAs and sours. If those aren't your thing, they had Ace Pear Cider, hard seltzer, and a few other options. They normally have taco vendors or food trucks as I understand, but they had a family-style carry-in dinner for the holiday. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Anytime I travel, I look for unique breweries in the area to try out. This brewery was fantastic and I'm happy we ended up here. The staff is friendly, welcoming, and fun. The 'death metal' theme is solid but don't let it intimidate you. It provides a nice backdrop, cool logo, and cute names for beers (Hand of Doom, Krampusblud, etc). The beer is where they really shine! Every single beer we had was fantastic. It is cold out so we leaned more towards the dark beers during this visit. We enjoyed the beers so much, we grabbed 4, 4-packs to go so we can take back home with us. If you are visiting or looking for a friendly place with great beer, check them out! read more

Best beer in the quad cities. If you don't like heavy metal, get some cans to go. You know why it costs that much? Because it's worth it. Shut up and drink. read more

" New Brewing Company With Nice Building " I visited the Wake Brewing facility a few weeks ago. Wake has only been open a few months and are building their popularity. Wake has brewed up several very different types of beers.The interior of the building is very clean, simple, functional, modest. They have a very nice outside patio area also.Their IPA beers were good. The Shook One's was very good. Wake also has different Punk and Individual music bands and performers from the 70's & 80's, which play there. Definitely Wake Brewing is for a younger crowd. read more

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I don't often go five stars. What makes WAKE so great? They keep it simple. They're extremely passionate about making beer, and have been at it for several years. Their place, the beers, and the environment is an honest reflection of themselves, (the brothers Parris. The proprietors.) I scheduled my meet up for my bachelor party there, and had an amazing time, had great beers, and listened to some killer music. Since before the COVID debacle, and after the restrictions have let up a little. They have made available a large beer garden, and usually have made concessions with an upper-echelon QC food truck to offer their wares. Definitely should be at the top of your list if you're looking for a different environment from the normal microbrew tap house. read more

Really good brewery! Would definitely go again. Love the vibe. Tried a few beers and they were all solid options! Nice outdoor patio!

As the trend in brewery/gastro-pub continues to attract the big boys/girls with DEEP pockets, Wake offers a nice low key option although I wouldn't call it an option. This IS IN FACT the brewery producing the very best product in the greater QC area. One of the proprietors of this fantastic place was kind enough to answer a few questions and discuss how they prefer to do things. It didn't take long to realize without him mentioning; this is their passion and I could taste it in every sip or guzzle of the PHENOMENAL "WEEDEATER", a smooth IPA with a perfect equation of flavors coming out in the most solvent way. Look, folks are producing good, even great beer in a few places throughout Eastern Iowa and the Illinois side. THIS IS AMONG THE BEST ANYWHERE. Period. If you aren't into the doom metal growling and sinister decor, the beer will more than compensate. CHEERS and HERE, HERE to WAKE! -Q.C. Foodie. read more

Beer here is absolutely amazing! We had 2 different beers, the staff was friendly and the brewer was present! Worth stopping in!

This brewery just opened in the last two months. Excellent beer and awesome building. I ordered the beer called Shook ones and it was amazing. Will be nice in the summer as they have an outdoor patio. read more

After trying out Wake for the first time earlier this month, I've been back three times! 1. Beer. Very good, especially the "Shook Ones" IPA--very complex for this variety, possibly the best IPA in the quad cities . Some of the beers were not to my liking but the Hand of Doom stout was solid and the Saison refreshing. 2. Ambience. Unique. Unpretentious, stripped down interior with terrific variety of music (punk, indie). Overall, legitimate competition for Bent River and Great River breweries (my other two favorites). I prefer the atmosphere at Wake. read more

Large outdoor patio with plenty of picnic tables. Note that kids under 21 are NOT allowed. Great hoppy IPA; however, there were not any hazy IPA or sour beers on the menu. read more

Fortunate to stop by and say hello during my recent visit to Moline. Oh I do love the beer here and ensure I visit each time in the QCA. Sadly nothing to go this visit, all sold out given the COVID situation. Some very interesting beers, and I definitely gravitate to their IPAs. Look forward to coming back in December, and I'll bring a warm coat and gloves in case it is "outdoor" only. read more

Ok, beer is quite good. We had a hazy ipa and a kolsch and they were both quite delicious. Venue: if you don't have green hair or tattoos on your face you may not feel comfortable here. I'm not judging, just saying that this is a very edgy place. The smell of weed outside was so strong we sat inside. The bartender couldn't have been nicer. I'd come back. read more

WAKE Brewing has some of, if not the most, flavorful and interesting beers I've ever tasted. If you're in the Quad Cities, don't miss this gem. read more

Well after the rude service I had at the brewery down the street (bent river) I discovered this place! Wow! It seemed somewhat modeled after 3 Floyd's brewing with the hardcore metal playing and the artwork. I had the hand of doom stout and it was delicious. Then I tried a coffee lager, can't remember the name but it was fantastic. Then finished with the hazy IPA, again can't remember the name but it was also really good. The bartender was very friendly and the place was pretty busy. I would certainly seek this place out next time I'm back in this area. Of all of the breweries in the Quad City area, I would easily rank this number one. read more

We were just tourists looking for good beer. The heavy metal decor and music was a bit intimidating but glad I came because the bartender made me feel super welcome and has knowledge and pride in their beer. Sells beer by the half or full pint. Indoor & outdoor seating, dog friendly. (But no food.) I tried the kristal casket and shivers. Both really good (kristal was light enough to be drinkable on hot summer days but with depth of flavor that you'd continue drinking it in the fall). We tried three breweries in the quad cities. Wake had the least frills but I think is my favorite! read more

Tasty beer and cool old school heavy metal ambience. I would recommend it as a good place to chill.