Stockholm's

Stockholm'sStockholm's
Stockholm'sStockholm's
Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

306 W. State Street
Geneva, Illinois, 60134-2103
United States

(630) 208-7070 | map
stockholmsbrewpub.com
BEER STATS
Average:
3.1
Beers:
19
Ratings:
65
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.27
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
32
pDev:
16.82%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by elginirishpunk:
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Reviewed by elginirishpunk from Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +20.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
This little gem was hidden in downtown Geneva. I loved how everything was made in house for both food and beer. Very large selection of food to choose from either Steak, Fish, Wraps, sandwichs and pasta. This by its self was impressive. But, the beer was pretty impressive for a homebrewer and much more satisfing then say, other micros in the area, ie Emmett's. For an appatizer, to sandwiches and 2 pints was $40. Not a bad price for a dinner, even more imoressive if you have been anywhere else in the area, that can run you 60+.
Oct 06, 2011
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.35 by REVZEB from Illinois

May 11, 2022
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Reviewed by TMoney2591 from Illinois

3.37/5  rDev +3.1%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5
A lovely Saturday in July, figured I'd take a trip down to Geneva to check out some breweries. Getting things started at Stockholm's, the longest-standing of the three (I believe). Right off of State Street, a couple blocks away from the river, it's a smaller place than I expected, sorta like a corner bar in The City, or even the bar area of Old Mickey Finn's, just with an outdoor patio in back of indeterminate size (I mean, it's probably determinable, but I just didn't venture out there to see it, I prefer air conditioning). It's all a Nordic theme, the flags of Finland, Sweden, and Norway flying, wood paneling, and some minor nautical bits. For example, a ticker like me goes for flights usually, but here they have "voyages". I partook in three of said voyages, sampling all but one beer (and that one, a blend, didn't appeal that much to me, so it was an easy castaway), including the alcoholic version of their house root beer (side anecdote: I overheard the bartender talking to the people to my right at one point, who were thrilled with this root beer, thinking it was better than Not Your Father's Root Beer, which, in their words, "just tasted like beer", which is just, well, wild to me). The beers range from decently solid to kinda bad, most of them carrying the same color (I honestly could not tell the difference between the porter, red, and pale ale placed in front of me, just saying). The bartenders were all amiable, and though I didn't have any questions about the beers (that I was willing to ask without coming off as an absolute dick), they did offer their knowledge if it was needed. Didn't have any food, but the Reuben that landed near me looked pretty good, if that means anything. Overall, it's not a bad spot if you're downtown, but it's not quite a destination brewpub, at least not until the quality of the beers increases a bit.
Jul 04, 2021
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Reviewed by GoBearsWalter34 from Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +20.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3 | service: 5 | selection: 4
Basic bar type setting. Super fast service. Known for their menu. The Dopplebock was Ok. I did not have the food. Nice and pleasant servers and older crowd.
Apr 04, 2018
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Reviewed by CO-Bloom from Colorado

2.88/5  rDev -11.9%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 1 | service: 4 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Great little Swedish pub but unfortunately they make some of the worst beer I've ever had including homebrew. Every style I had was cloudy, not like a hefe but like dirty water with very thin color kind of cloudy. Every one had major off flavors. It was a shame because a brewery would be perfect for the pub ambiance but they should seriously stop making beer or hire a new brewer. Don't try and sell beer that tastes like the first several batches of homebrew.
Oct 02, 2015
 
Rated: 2.73 by rossracing from Illinois

Mar 31, 2015
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Reviewed by Redrover from Wisconsin

3.18/5  rDev -2.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2.75 | service: 3.25 | selection: 3.25 | food: 3.25
I was in downtown Geneva close to the Christmas Holiday. It is an attractive, bustling and festive town.

Stockholms at first glance would appear to fit right in. It is located in an older building right on the main street.

As you walk in the bar is on your left and there are tables to the right and rear. They also have a patio out back. There is lots of dark wood, nice wainscoting, cool old photos of Geneva, etc. So far so good.

Service was friendly but a bit slow. Hey it’s the Holidays, I can put up with it.

They had about 8 of their own house beers including a seasonal weise. Unfortunately the beer are not that good. They were a bit on the thin side, with kind of washed out flavors. Not horrible, but not very memorable. The prices are nice with daily featured beers at $3.50 per pint.

The food selection was pretty large. The quality was average. Between our party, we had two soups and two sandwiches. No real negative reviews and no glowing ones either.

This place could be great as they are blessed with a good location and physical space. They need an upgrade and update in brewing and some better food.
Dec 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.51 by SeanLC from Illinois

Dec 01, 2014
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Reviewed by C_Y from Illinois

1.5/5  rDev -54.1%
I really wanted to like this place, great ambiance, cool older building, very clean, well lit and inviting. Gave it two stars because of the cheerful and attentive wait staff. All excellent and fast. Lets get the worst out of the way and talk about the beer. This is far and away the worst commercial beer I have ever tried to consume. Tried all the beers via 2 flights and they all tasted very similar, with a NASTY aftertaste. Based on the FG (thickness), I would guess these beers are either extract brews, or heavily diluted grain based offerings. A clue should have a look around the dining room and only one other draft poured out of 25 people.
Nov 04, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by WestHam973 from Illinois

Oct 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Crispy21 from Illinois

Oct 13, 2014
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Reviewed by stouts4me from Illinois

2.5/5  rDev -23.5%
Worst beer ever, slow service, no idea why anyone was there; it was like the owner only cared about the regulars who choke down the sub-par beer, and made sure he saw to there needs.Save your time, go elsewhere.Gross waste.
Aug 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by evan39

Jul 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by badmotorgrunge from Illinois

Jul 12, 2014
 
Rated: 2.75 by Halfbrother83 from Illinois

Jun 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by batfireman from Illinois

Apr 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Berg-the-Boiler from Illinois

Feb 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by ssimpson89 from Illinois

Dec 27, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by jaqo4 from Illinois

Dec 14, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by briiguy from Illinois

Oct 16, 2013
Photo of bears256
Reviewed by bears256

3.33/5  rDev +1.8%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 1 | food: 4.5
The food for this pub is second to none in this area for bar fair. They have outstanding food for a bar! There beer however is terrible. I can see how it works for the client's that seem to frequent the place. But the beer made in house is not very good and there other selections are very generic. Like Miller products, heineken, stella, carlsburg, guiness, and newcastle. Service is great and everyone that I have talked to that works there is amazing. Lots of spirits to pick from as well. It would be a good place to watch a sporting event.
Sep 05, 2012
Photo of movingglass
Reviewed by movingglass from Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +14.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 3 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5
I found Stockholm's a few years ago and have never been dissapointed.

Their burgers,salads,and appetizers are great.We have never had a bad meal.

I have no complaints about the beer, I have not had them all, but the ones I have had were all good. I personaly like the State Street Pilsner.

It does get busy at noon and dinner, if you show up at those two times you will have to wait. Seating is around 15 people at the bar and about 30 people at the tables. There is out door seating, but i have not sat out there.

The only issue I have about the place came about a month ago. When I asked the server what a beer tasted like, she said she didn't know because she doesn't like beer.I asked for a sample and she went and got me one.
Feb 29, 2012
Photo of t0rin0
Reviewed by t0rin0 from California

2.8/5  rDev -14.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 2 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 4
Stopped in for dinner 10/8/2010.
12 house taps

I need to write an email to the owners of this place because almost every single beer was infected. Most of the beers were in the 1.0-3.0 range. The exceptions being Older But Weiser, LoRazz Weiss, and Mike's Blend.

The place was only half full when we got there (maybe 6ish) but immediately filled up to an uncomfortable level when we sat down. The service was a bit neglectful but wasnt bad considering how many people were there.

The club sandwich was alright but the steak salad was awesome, with the exception of too much vinegar. Would eat the food again but not excited about it being here.
Nov 10, 2010
Photo of LairdChisholm
Reviewed by LairdChisholm from Illinois

3.3/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3 | food: 3.5
A - When stepping in there is dark wood that is the over all theme to the bar. It has a slight Scandinavian theme as it sports flags from Finland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. There are also pictures and a few models of Viking Longships. There are two Televisions that had football on. Not many people in there at the time but everyone that was there seemed to be enjoying themselves.

Q - I feel the quality of everything over all was good. There is always room for improvement but nothing really jumped out that bothered me.

Ser - I've had two mixed experiences. When I ate and had a beer there with my cousin the wait staff was very friendly and reasonably prompt. Though, when I called to ask about their Ale that I had so I could more accurately review it, the woman on the phone only snapped at me that it was an Ale and that it was "redish brown". When I asked her what type of Ale it was she just kept on telling me that it was an Ale and sounded very rude and annoyed.

Sel - Stockholm's has a decent amount of Ales. It looks like they always have a rotating seasonal beer or two. Although, they were out of two beers when I went. Either way there is something there that will suit everyone's basic tastes.

F - I had a Caesar Burger with fries. It was good but nothing special. I've had much better burgers. They did have a larger selection of food than I was expecting though.

V - $13 for A craft beer and a burger. I'll take that any day.
Nov 02, 2010
Photo of mmckee82
Reviewed by mmckee82 from Illinois

2.63/5  rDev -19.6%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 2 | service: 3.5 | selection: 2 | food: 3
Brewpub located downtown in Geneva, IL

Atmosphere: Smaller space so it can be hard to get a table/seat. During the weekend dinner rush it becomes nearly impossible. When the place is full, it can be quite noisy and hard to converse. Interior is well decorated and very relaxing.

Quality: The brewpubs beer is very disappointing. After having tried all of their year-round staples and being disappointed, I made an effort to regularly stop in to try new brews, and still have yet to find something I find, better then mediocre. I once had a brew I found to be quite interesting, but later found out it was actually a blend of 3 different of their home drafts that a patron had created. The blend was leaps and bounds better then any standalone brew.

Service: The wait staff was always very attentive and friendly. When ordering at the bar (but not seated there), I've previously found it difficult to get the bartender's attention, even when the place wasn't terribly crowded.

Selection: As I previously stated, I've never been impressed with their home brewed drafts, and unfortunately they don't carry much more than that. In what appears to be an effort to push their homebrew, only very select bottles are offered. Mostly MGD-like mass market beers and even those are overpriced.

Food: Stockholm's traditionally is know as an excellent place to eat in Geneva. I have previously been very impressed and I have also been very disappointed. But when it's good, it's very high quality.
Apr 18, 2010
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Reviewed by TheSSG from Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +16.2%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 3 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4.5
I had stopped by here a Saturday evening after work with some buddies. We initially drove right by, but then we looped around and parked.

It was about 9:30-10PM, and it was a nice, calm atmosphere. Mostly just quite conversations at tables.

After a few minutes, the bartender made it round to our table, and I ordered my first voyage (sample of 5 biers, they have 2 voyages total) and some french fries.
Of the two voyages, this one is by far the better choice.

As stated before, the bier has a unique flavor; you love it or hate it. My favorite bier of all time is Berliner Weisse, so I have a STRONG affinity for tart biers. Any/all of the lighter biers (wheat, ales, etc) are great, assuming you like the tartness.
The Porter was....not for me. It reminded me of many Baltic Porters I have had, as well as a few English ones...
This is one of the styles I think the tartness does not belong with.

I'm still not 100% sure if that tartness is from the wrong yeast (perhaps a Belgian strain) or now I wonder if it is a sourness from a dirty tap line...?
The former being not a big deal, the latter being quite unappealing...

One of the things I DO like alot about this place is the blends they make. The Lorazz Weiss is pretty good, and the Downtown Honey Brown is AMAZING. Mixed as the "Blend of silk," and you have a tasty bier.
the Aegir's Ale and the State St. Pilsner were surprisingly good. The rest are mediocre. But the Downtown Honey Brown is REALLY where it's at.
They also have a nice root bier. This is important for me, as my regular DD usually has 1 bier or a sample and finished the night with Root Biers. Keeping the DD in good spirits is a plus.

Overall, including blends, there were about 10 brews to try, and for a small brew-pub, I was impressed with that selection.

The french fries were beyond fantastic, for any of you Pommes Frites connoisseurs. I really think the food was great, as a vegetarian. Tried the Spinach chip and dip thing, too. Very nice.

The value was one of the best parts. I had both voyages, and some fries, left a nice tip, and still made it out well under $20. That's a win in my book.

Overall, I like this place. It's a quite, pleasant place to have a few good biers, a basket of fries, and a conversation.

Word of Warning: if you do NOT like tart biers, you will not like this place. If you are like me, and you LOVE tart biers, then check out the Downtown Honey Brown of the Blend of Silk, you will not be disappointed.
Sep 09, 2009
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Reviewed by TubaManJack from District of Columbia

2.38/5  rDev -27.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 1.5 | service: 2.5 | selection: 3
Okay I quite shocked to see a brewpub in Geneva.

Went in this past Tuesday night with a few friends in a progression through the town. The clientele was pretty standard for the area, as in a mix of ages. It was moderately noisy. No one was drinking any of the house brews rather choosing instead general swill, that should have been my first sign.

The bartender kept disappearing and rather pointed. So the service was lacking. The only beer pouring was the house brews- which all had a strong resemblance to a sour cider. The other beers were common place ones. Sadly the bartender wasn't there to fix it and the beer wasn't undrinkable- but far from recommended. I hope it is come thing they can fix before I'll try them again.
Sep 01, 2009
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Reviewed by dickroop from Maryland

3.3/5  rDev +0.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 2.5 | food: 4
On a Monday evening in June, the place was almost packed, quite a testimony to the good food and service. As noted by others the beers are nothing to rave over. Even *one* excellent beer could make this place easier to recommend highly.

I had the Aegirs Ale, supposedly an "English Pale Ale", and it was disappointing. I could finish it, but I sure didn't want another. Lacking in hops was only half it's problem. *Sour* was the big problem. I don't know where this comes from. I think it's sour by design, not by accident or contaminated lines. Perhaps somebody is using a Belgian/Flemmish yeast strain. Certainly somebody has *no idea* what an English PA should taste like. Based on the reviews, I didn't want to try any of the other offerings either.

My food was OK, a fresh, tasty salad and a spinach pasta. Seems like this place knows how to use the right words, but not how to deliver the premium product. Spinach pasta was described as having basil. Yep, there probably was some in there, but not enough to make an impact. While not great, this entree was acceptable.

Service was good, and overall I can give this place a recommendation, but not a strong one. Stockholm's needs a stronger brewing program!
Jun 23, 2009
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

2.7/5  rDev -17.4%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 1 | service: 4 | selection: 2.5 | food: 4
Located on the main drag, just west of the river, easily missed if you're not watching for it. We were in town for Swedish Day, and I probably wouldn't return unless I was in the area for some other reason. I liked the place well enough, but the quality of the beer was terrible.

The interior was nice, dark cherry wood, a textured wood floor, black & white framed photos along the wall, and only two strategically placed flatscreens. A few Scandinavian knickknacks were around, Swedish Dala horses, carved viking gnomes and Scandinavian flags in the front window. There were a few groups in here on a Sunday, and it wasn't too rowdy. A few patio tables in the back even, though we opted to sit at the high tables in the front that had wrought iron "feet". At the bar there were 11 taps, one was root beer, a couple were blended beers on their own taps. The wooden tap box had a handsome gold-leafed engraving of the bar's namesake.

Selection wise, they had a decent range of styles but quality was severely lacking. Infected extract brews. The 2 "standout beers" were the new seasonal Red Ale (miraculously not infected) and Witbier "Older but Weisser", sadly the rest were utterly forgettable and bad. The bottled selection was all macro, not one craft beer. I get it, there's no way they could compete with any of them.

Quality of the beer was dismal. Several beers had an infected sour character, including the Porter & English Pale. Likely a sanitation-related issue, that has been noted in several other reviews. There's a big difference between intentionally kettle soured ales and unintentionally infected ones. At least come up with some "Pre-Louis Pasteur, olde tyme 18th century ales" BS backstory to excuse your sloppy sanitation practices.

It's as if someone taught themselves extract brewing 30 years ago but skipped the chapter on sanitation, then subsequently built a brewpub concept around that.

Food was the saving grace, the Reuben I had was tasty, with crisp fries. The gnocchi dish wasn't quite al dente and pretty heavy, but the sauce was nice and savory. Mixed greens salad was nice and fresh. There were a couple Swedish items, though the menu seemed to focus on sandwiches, Italian dishes, and assorted surf and turf entrees. Service was quick and efficient, but not especially amicable.

Overall I would eat here again, but wouldn't go out of my way to drink here. The beer seemed to be more of an odd novelty than anything...

Edit: I still can't believe they've been coasting along for 20 years with beer this bad. Art History down the street puts them to shame now.
Jun 22, 2009
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Reviewed by bluemoonswoon from Illinois

3.86/5  rDev +18%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
Nice little bar in a nice little town. Came in here today and saw that they brewed their own beer. The equipment seems to be displayed right in the front window though the beer may actually be made in the basement. Had a nice hole in the wall vibe with what seemed to consist of regulars. The tap selection while small consisted mainly of Stockholm's own brews which all seemed to have a German focus, many weiss beers 4-5 plus an english pale and stella on tap. The raspberry wheat was quite good and the pale ale seemed to taste more like a berliner weisse than anything else. Not a bad place at all and a nice place to spend a quite evening sipping on some nice house brewed beers.
Aug 18, 2008
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Reviewed by kdog630 from Illinois

3.35/5  rDev +2.4%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3.5 | selection: 3.5 | food: 4
Stopped by on a Monday around 4:30 and was surprised at the number of people in the place. Unfortunately, most were drinking bottled macros. I ordered their APA and a chicken wrap. The beer was off. Tasted like they need to clean the lines a little better. Maybe it had been sitting for a while.

The wrap itself was excellent. Buffalo ranch. Just the right amount of heat. Too bad the beer wasn't as good.

I've been here a couple of times, and the beer was much better the first visit. I'll go again in a few months to see if they've cleaned the lines.
Dec 12, 2007
Photo of kmpitz2
Reviewed by kmpitz2 from Tennessee

3.73/5  rDev +14.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 3 | food: 4
If you know Geneva at all, this place is located where Dad's used to be. Walking in, the equipment is to the left, with the bar following down the left side of the establishment. There are probbly 5 high top tables to the right of the bar, with another 5 or so lowtop tables towards the back. Outside there was seating in the back as well. They were tunning 10 beers, but 3 of these were mixes of the beers they actually brew, so 7 beers were brewed there. I tasted two of them. The first was their porter, and it tasted like an oud bruin. My second beer was their Third Street Ale, a belgian insired brew, and it also tasted like an oud bruin. Either they use the same yeast for all their beers, or there is something with their sanitation or lines because I wouldn't have expected that same character in both a porter and a Belgian amber-ish brew. Our server was very nice and chatty, and the food was pretty good all around, though I think that I my meal was the low scorer of the four of us that were there. I had the Sweedish meatballs and French onion soup. The soup was a little over peppered and the meatballs were somewhat bland. Everyone else was raving about their meal, so I would like to go back and see how something different treats me before I say anything damning about the food. The prices were a touch high, but that is how Geneva is. It's one of those "sophisticated" suburbs...just ask the people that live there...they will tell you.
Jul 03, 2006
Stockholm's in Geneva, IL
Brewery rating: 3.1 out of 5 with 65 ratings