One star rating is more than it deserves. Zero stars, would not recommend. My wife and I went there on 2/2/25 for the Words and Music festival. I was playing with one of the bands and we were really excited for this event. We planned on getting there early, posting up, having some drinks and food and listening to all the other music for the day. When we walked in there were at least 7 tables that had reserved signs on them, but there was nobody there. I inquired about them, the staff was rude at best. They said the folks were walking around and shopping, but nobody ever sat at one of those tables.
I had put my name on the waiting list, we had a large party coming, but I said we could use separate tables and it's no big deal. We sat down in the room with the bands at the large picnic table, which had a reserved sign on it but was empty and would easily seat 12 people. Nobody ever sat at that table who had it reserved, and also no server ever came to check on us. The folks who had the table reserved were at another table and said we could use it, no problem.
My wife tried to order an appetizer and was told she couldn't because we didn't have a table, so she had to sit at the bar to order, then when the food finally came out she brought it in the other room and sat. This was also met with rudeness from the staff.
A family of 4, two adults and two small children, joined us at the table. They were served and gone, yet we still could get no service at all.
At nearly 4:00, we had been there since 12:30 and had our names on the list by 1:00; I had 12 friends come to listen to the band. They sat at our table and I again went to talk to the staff to plead if we could finally get some kind of service. It was too late for me to eat, but at least my guests could maybe possibly get some service. They told me I couldn't be served because I "sat myself", mind you there are still empty tables all over the place, many with glasses and empty plates on them. They tried to throw me out, blackball me from performing with my band and also blacklist the band all together. The server reluctantly came to the table giving me glares and rolling her eyes at my wife and I. Mind you, empty tables everywhere and we had already spent over $100 on their drinks which are mid at best as well.
We performed, we left, and we had to actually go out to dinner somewhere else because the service was so horrendous. We were there for nearly 5 hours and never had anything to eat. Needless to say I will never be returning to Thornton Distillery, the absolute worst experience I've ever had at a gig. Remember, we were guests and paying customers. We were performing and received not only nothing for our efforts but the most rude service, if you can even call it service.
Zero stars, would highly recommend literally anything else.
EDIT to owners response: Nice deflection to attempt to make your poor business practices the customers fault. Of course I told your waitress we would go elsewhere to eat. It had been 5 hours with no service and a lousy overall experience at best. Why on earth would we choose to stay in that environment and continue to patron you? Also, if you don't want your kids to be exposed to the way people behave in a bar, don't take your kids to a bar. Finally, I don't need anyone to apologize for me on my behalf; I stand by my statements. Super don't care if I'm "welcome" back or not, as stated, I'd never return anyway. Thornton Distillery is the worst "outing" experience we have ever had.
Julie Sparks
Second try at the yearly festival. The service is horrendous. Never got seated at a table, so not able to order food, even though we put our name in a were there for almost 5 hours. Servers were rude and basically non-existent. We had to purpose to get the bartenders' attention, as they ignored us when we were standing there. Will not be returning.
Bianca Vande Werken
We ❤️ Thornton Distilling!! We come here regularly and I just realized I've never left a review encouraging others to check it out. The food and drinks are great (obsessed with the lavender lemonade they make in the summer), the bar itself is very cool and historic and their outdoor patio is dog friendly. My husband has done the distillery tour for his bachelor party and thought it was really fun. Highly recommend!
mario fernandez
The Margherita flatbread is an actual large pizza not a rectangle small flatbread pizza. It's really good but it definitely alot of pizza if you're thinking it's a regular flatbread pizza for 2
Christina K.
Always a great place to visit. Especially when there's vendors. I always enjoy walking the levels Good cocktails, good food. Stop in for a tour interesting history
Michael Salazar
Cool place with that old time vibe.
Christian Vazquez
Amazing staff, tour, food and spirits. I will definitely be back .
Brad Templin
This place is a must visit and should be on everyone’s to-do list.
We hosted our company Christmas party here and everyone single person had a wonderful time. Not only is the food fantastic, the staff makes incredible cocktails.
We will be back.
James Oord
We recently showed up to Thornton Distilling with a larger group of friends and family who were grieving the loss of a loved one. We called ahead to give some warning, and the owner (Andy) couldn't have been more helpful and accomadating. The servers and bartender were kind and did a great job keeping track of all our orders. Memorable vibes, top notch drinks, great service.
Jessica Beyer
We did a distillery tour. Kevin was amazing with all the knowledge of the building, local history, the spirits. This is a must see tour.
Fantastic experience. Sunday brunch menu small but enough. All 3 of us got different choices and were pleased.
The staff, particularly Robert & Robin, were welcoming.
Took the tour as last minute additions. Was very interesting. Tour guide Kevin brought the history to life.
Very cool venue space!
Ciara Murabito
I recently had my wedding at Thornton Distillery on 10/26/24. The food and drinks were phenomenal. The venue itself is stunning and has ample space for 125 guests with the full venue buyout. We had a separate ceremony space and cocktail hour from the reception hall. The coordinator had great communication leading up to the wedding and answered any questions I had. The rehearsal was handled perfectly by my separately hired officiant. The coordinator did not seem engaged during the rehearsal. On the day of the wedding, the coordinator was 10 minutes late to the venue and vendors and the bridal party were waiting outside. During the wedding day, the coordinator was absent for some important parts. As a caution to other brides, please make sure you have an attentive bridal party willing to help at any point. While getting ready, my bridesmaids plus groomsmen were setting out all decor items, name place cards, arches, florals, and ceremony space. This was a big disappointment as my bridal party should have been getting ready and celebrating with me. These details for the wedding day were previously discussed with the coordinator before one week out from the wedding as well as having all boxes labeled with what each item is intended for. The coordinator did not offer to assist with these tasks while getting ready was going on, which made the day more stressful for me. The coordinator was at the rehearsal but let my dad walk down the aisle with my mother during the ceremony processional and sit (which was not the plan at all). One of my bridesmaids had to tap my father on the shoulder and remind him he needed to walk me down the aisle. While entrances for the reception were going on, the coordinator was not present and the bride/groom had to coordinate the entrances for the DJ. Before writing this review, I called the venue and spoke with the general manager regarding these concerns and was told he would speak to the owners and get back to me the next day. I have not heard back from the venue after this phone call and an email sent to the GM. Overall, the food and drinks turned out great but the expectation of service was a disappointment. The standard the venue set prior to the event date fell short. For the price and reputation, we had hoped for so much more. We were initially excited about choosing Thornton Distillery for our wedding based on the perk of them offering a coordinator, the reputation, and the high standards they promote. However, we were disappointed with our experience and felt that the venue ultimately did not deliver on its promises.
Vic Kuligoski
Really wanted to like this place. Great atmosphere but our service was lacking. First they came to the table with the wrong drinks then the wrong food order. Plus our server seemed to be taking care of the other tables around us more. Then apologized because she was training someone on their first day. We had to get up to get the check and then pay. My sister’s burger was rubbery and just wanted to leave. Honestly, I don’t leave bad reviews but the one night my family decides to go out, we were super bummed. Not looking for comps or anything just want to put it out for management.
Lindsey
I stumbled upon Thornton on google back in August of 2023 while looking for a venue for our wedding on 11/9/24. Immediately we fell in love with the rich history that the distillery had to offer! We ended up going to dinner the same evening and when we walked in we knew this was the place we wanted to host our wedding celebration.
Luckily the next day Kim the event manager was available to discuss the various options the distillery had to offer. Kim was truly one of the most informative, timely, and friendly event planners I had the pleasure with working with. She will work with you to stay within budget and isn’t pushy by any means. Everything they offer from buffet, family style, and plated meals are straightforward.
With that said, We ended up opting for the full buyout to have the private and intimate wedding of our dreams. Thornton Distilling Company delivered that with flying colors! From the initial meeting with Kim, sitting down with her and the Chef to get feedback regarding our tasting, to day of. In fact all the staff I’ve come in contact with at the distillery are wonderful, accommodating, and top tier customer service. Special shout out to Trevor the restaurant manager and his exceptional fashion choices!
The food/drinks in both the restaurant and the catering division are what you’d expect in a high end gastropub in the city, the attention to detail and the outstanding combination of flavors will leave you and your guests stunned! I can confidently say I’ve never had better food/experience at a wedding and I’ve been to a lot of them.
Overall, the founders Andrew and Jake have saved this beautiful building from disrepair along with their wonderful staff to create an unforgettable event space. If you’re looking to have a wedding that’s more of an experience for everyone in attendance then look no further. My husband and I can look back on our wedding day and sincerely say it was perfect and Thornton played a huge role in that!
Chris Faye
TDC is an AMAZING experience all around! My wife and I recently hosted our wedding reception at Thornton Distilling Co. and it was PERFECT! Kim, Trevor, Michaela, Michelle, Megan, Thaddeus, Andrew, Ari, and the rest of team are THE BEST TEAM EVER!!!
We’d been to TDC a few times prior and even more leading up to our big day and the team became like family! They are so supportive and are always willing to do whatever it takes to make sure we had the best day ever. They went above and beyond at every turn!
It’s goes without saying that their spirits are some of the best there is, the food (both wedding and regular dining) has the wow factor, and the experience of visiting (and, if you’re lucky, touring) this amazingly restored historical site we’ll make you glad you stopped in… and eventually get married there :)
We can’t say enough about this BEST IN CLASS Team, Restaurant & Distilling!
One star rating is more than it deserves. Zero stars, would not recommend. My wife and I went there on 2/2/25 for the Words and Music festival. I was playing with one of the bands and we were really excited for this event. We planned on getting there early, posting up, having some drinks and food and listening to all the other music for the day. When we walked in there were at least 7 tables that had reserved signs on them, but there was nobody there. I inquired about them, the staff was rude at best. They said the folks were walking around and shopping, but nobody ever sat at one of those tables.
I had put my name on the waiting list, we had a large party coming, but I said we could use separate tables and it's no big deal. We sat down in the room with the bands at the large picnic table, which had a reserved sign on it but was empty and would easily seat 12 people. Nobody ever sat at that table who had it reserved, and also no server ever came to check on us. The folks who had the table reserved were at another table and said we could use it, no problem.
My wife tried to order an appetizer and was told she couldn't because we didn't have a table, so she had to sit at the bar to order, then when the food finally came out she brought it in the other room and sat. This was also met with rudeness from the staff.
A family of 4, two adults and two small children, joined us at the table. They were served and gone, yet we still could get no service at all.
At nearly 4:00, we had been there since 12:30 and had our names on the list by 1:00; I had 12 friends come to listen to the band. They sat at our table and I again went to talk to the staff to plead if we could finally get some kind of service. It was too late for me to eat, but at least my guests could maybe possibly get some service. They told me I couldn't be served because I "sat myself", mind you there are still empty tables all over the place, many with glasses and empty plates on them. They tried to throw me out, blackball me from performing with my band and also blacklist the band all together. The server reluctantly came to the table giving me glares and rolling her eyes at my wife and I. Mind you, empty tables everywhere and we had already spent over $100 on their drinks which are mid at best as well.
We performed, we left, and we had to actually go out to dinner somewhere else because the service was so horrendous. We were there for nearly 5 hours and never had anything to eat. Needless to say I will never be returning to Thornton Distillery, the absolute worst experience I've ever had at a gig. Remember, we were guests and paying customers. We were performing and received not only nothing for our efforts but the most rude service, if you can even call it service.
Zero stars, would highly recommend literally anything else.
EDIT to owners response: Nice deflection to attempt to make your poor business practices the customers fault. Of course I told your waitress we would go elsewhere to eat. It had been 5 hours with no service and a lousy overall experience at best.
Why on earth would we choose to stay in that environment and continue to patron you? Also, if you don't want your kids to be exposed to the way people behave in a bar, don't take your kids to a bar. Finally, I don't need anyone to apologize for me on my behalf; I stand by my statements. Super don't care if I'm "welcome" back or not, as stated, I'd never return anyway. Thornton Distillery is the worst "outing" experience we have ever had.
Second try at the yearly festival. The service is horrendous. Never got seated at a table, so not able to order food, even though we put our name in a were there for almost 5 hours. Servers were rude and basically non-existent. We had to purpose to get the bartenders' attention, as they ignored us when we were standing there. Will not be returning.
We ❤️ Thornton Distilling!! We come here regularly and I just realized I've never left a review encouraging others to check it out. The food and drinks are great (obsessed with the lavender lemonade they make in the summer), the bar itself is very cool and historic and their outdoor patio is dog friendly. My husband has done the distillery tour for his bachelor party and thought it was really fun. Highly recommend!
The Margherita flatbread is an actual large pizza not a rectangle small flatbread pizza. It's really good but it definitely alot of pizza if you're thinking it's a regular flatbread pizza for 2
Always a great place to visit. Especially when there's vendors. I always enjoy walking the levels
Good cocktails, good food. Stop in for a tour interesting history
Cool place with that old time vibe.
Amazing staff, tour, food and spirits. I will definitely be back .
This place is a must visit and should be on everyone’s to-do list.
We hosted our company Christmas party here and everyone single person had a wonderful time. Not only is the food fantastic, the staff makes incredible cocktails.
We will be back.
We recently showed up to Thornton Distilling with a larger group of friends and family who were grieving the loss of a loved one. We called ahead to give some warning, and the owner (Andy) couldn't have been more helpful and accomadating. The servers and bartender were kind and did a great job keeping track of all our orders. Memorable vibes, top notch drinks, great service.
We did a distillery tour. Kevin was amazing with all the knowledge of the building, local history, the spirits. This is a must see tour.
Restaurantji Recommends
Fantastic experience. Sunday brunch menu small but enough. All 3 of us got different choices and were pleased.
The staff, particularly Robert & Robin, were welcoming.
Took the tour as last minute additions. Was very interesting. Tour guide Kevin brought the history to life.
Very cool venue space!
I recently had my wedding at Thornton Distillery on 10/26/24. The food and drinks were phenomenal. The venue itself is stunning and has ample space for 125 guests with the full venue buyout. We had a separate ceremony space and cocktail hour from the reception hall. The coordinator had great communication leading up to the wedding and answered any questions I had. The rehearsal was handled perfectly by my separately hired officiant. The coordinator did not seem engaged during the rehearsal. On the day of the wedding, the coordinator was 10 minutes late to the venue and vendors and the bridal party were waiting outside. During the wedding day, the coordinator was absent for some important parts. As a caution to other brides, please make sure you have an attentive bridal party willing to help at any point. While getting ready, my bridesmaids plus groomsmen were setting out all decor items, name place cards, arches, florals, and ceremony space. This was a big disappointment as my bridal party should have been getting ready and celebrating with me. These details for the wedding day were previously discussed with the coordinator before one week out from the wedding as well as having all boxes labeled with what each item is intended for. The coordinator did not offer to assist with these tasks while getting ready was going on, which made the day more stressful for me. The coordinator was at the rehearsal but let my dad walk down the aisle with my mother during the ceremony processional and sit (which was not the plan at all). One of my bridesmaids had to tap my father on the shoulder and remind him he needed to walk me down the aisle. While entrances for the reception were going on, the coordinator was not present and the bride/groom had to coordinate the entrances for the DJ. Before writing this review, I called the venue and spoke with the general manager regarding these concerns and was told he would speak to the owners and get back to me the next day. I have not heard back from the venue after this phone call and an email sent to the GM. Overall, the food and drinks turned out great but the expectation of service was a disappointment. The standard the venue set prior to the event date fell short. For the price and reputation, we had hoped for so much more. We were initially excited about choosing Thornton Distillery for our wedding based on the perk of them offering a coordinator, the reputation, and the high standards they promote. However, we were disappointed with our experience and felt that the venue ultimately did not deliver on its promises.
Really wanted to like this place. Great atmosphere but our service was lacking. First they came to the table with the wrong drinks then the wrong food order. Plus our server seemed to be taking care of the other tables around us more. Then apologized because she was training someone on their first day. We had to get up to get the check and then pay. My sister’s burger was rubbery and just wanted to leave. Honestly, I don’t leave bad reviews but the one night my family decides to go out, we were super bummed. Not looking for comps or anything just want to put it out for management.
I stumbled upon Thornton on google back in August of 2023 while looking for a venue for our wedding on 11/9/24. Immediately we fell in love with the rich history that the distillery had to offer! We ended up going to dinner the same evening and when we walked in we knew this was the place we wanted to host our wedding celebration.
Luckily the next day Kim the event manager was available to discuss the various options the distillery had to offer. Kim was truly one of the most informative, timely, and friendly event planners I had the pleasure with working with. She will work with you to stay within budget and isn’t pushy by any means. Everything they offer from buffet, family style, and plated meals are straightforward.
With that said, We ended up opting for the full buyout to have the private and intimate wedding of our dreams. Thornton Distilling Company delivered that with flying colors! From the initial meeting with Kim, sitting down with her and the Chef to get feedback regarding our tasting, to day of. In fact all the staff I’ve come in contact with at the distillery are wonderful, accommodating, and top tier customer service. Special shout out to Trevor the restaurant manager and his exceptional fashion choices!
The food/drinks in both the restaurant and the catering division are what you’d expect in a high end gastropub in the city, the attention to detail and the outstanding combination of flavors will leave you and your guests stunned! I can confidently say I’ve never had better food/experience at a wedding and I’ve been to a lot of them.
Overall, the founders Andrew and Jake have saved this beautiful building from disrepair along with their wonderful staff to create an unforgettable event space. If you’re looking to have a wedding that’s more of an experience for everyone in attendance then look no further. My husband and I can look back on our wedding day and sincerely say it was perfect and Thornton played a huge role in that!
TDC is an AMAZING experience all around! My wife and I recently hosted our wedding reception at Thornton Distilling Co. and it was PERFECT! Kim, Trevor, Michaela, Michelle, Megan, Thaddeus, Andrew, Ari, and the rest of team are THE BEST TEAM EVER!!!
We’d been to TDC a few times prior and even more leading up to our big day and the team became like family! They are so supportive and are always willing to do whatever it takes to make sure we had the best day ever. They went above and beyond at every turn!
It’s goes without saying that their spirits are some of the best there is, the food (both wedding and regular dining) has the wow factor, and the experience of visiting (and, if you’re lucky, touring) this amazingly restored historical site we’ll make you glad you stopped in…
and eventually get married there :)
We can’t say enough about this BEST IN CLASS Team, Restaurant & Distilling!
Cheers & Thank You, TDC! ❤️??
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