5 Best Craft Breweries near Lake Villa

“I recently worked a wedding at Harbor Brewing for an outside caterer and was very impressed with the staff (great bartenders!), facilities, and ambiance. The happy couple and their guests all seemed to have had a wonderful evening and throughly enjoyed the selection of drinks offered by the venue. In talking with the attendees (and from clearing their empty glasses) it was clear they found the quality of that selection far exceeded the run of the mill menu available elsewhere. Moreover, the bartenders did an great job keeping the lines short, the beverages fresh, and although I unfortunately wasn’t able to banter with them myself every guest walked away from their interactions with a smile on their face. The area in which the event took place was both spacious and beautifully decorated/styled. The brewery’s aesthetic is tasteful and the layout allowed for plenty of room for the crowd to dance and mingle. Personally I thought the wall of whiskey barrels was a brilliant addition - wether it was simply meant as storage or a design element chosen specifically for the look it really brought the room together. This may seem like a weird feature to bring up but having worked tons of weddings at dozens of venues over the years I always take note of the restroom accommodations in an event space because as a party progresses underperforming in this arena can create a ton of problems. Here the bathrooms not only fit the theme (extra points for the keg urinals!) but were kept clean and easily accommodated the parties needs. Finally, the venue is located in Lake Villa’s downtown area somewhat near the train station with plenty of parking for guests available on site as well as near by on Cedar street. Finding the building was no trouble at all and leaving when the event was over was hassle free. Altogether Harbor Brewing is a fantastic choice for anyone looking for a space to host an event; a beautiful venue with some wonderful staff pouring outstanding beer will make for a night you and your friends won’t soon forget.“

“Love Pips! My sister and I discovered this place a few months ago. Delicious hand crafted cocktails. Everything is house made from their infused liquors, all syrups and meads. Joy is a cocktail master! Matt is very personable and knowledgeable, he's the mead master, just don't ask him about pizza. lol. Joy has the low down on pizza delivery. I highly recommend this amazing Gurnee find. Only recommendation, turn down the bright lights.“

“Good selection of beers as well as some ciders and meads which gives everyone a chance to enjoy something. Food at the Round Lake Beach location is available at the Pizza place in the same plaza who will bring your food to you at the bar. Loved going on DJ Bingo nights, Jesse is the best!! She provides a great welcoming atmosphere and knows how to take care of you. All around great spot to go to.“

“We absolutely love coming here. Great place to have a couple beers (which are all amazing I’ve never had a beer here I didn’t like) or to come for a full on meal as their food is AMAZING. Our personal faves are the cheese curds, colossal pretzel, and the sweet potato fries.“

“This place has never missed the mark with service in my experience, and I frequent at least once a month. The drinks are always cold, fresh, and reasonablypriced. The food is delicious and fresh as well... my favorites are the smoked wings, cheese curds, beer nuggets, and chicken pesto sandwich. The staff is uber friendly and it felt great seeing many of them take the time to greet me (while I was on crutches) after a couple months hiatus (since I was injured). The Live Entertainment on weekends is always a huge plus as well! SIX SPEED TRANNY rocked the house yesterday“