Lunar Brewing

Lunar BrewingLunar Brewing
Lunar BrewingLunar Brewing
Brewery, Bar, Beer-to-go

54 E. St. Charles Road
Villa Park, Illinois, 60181
United States

(630) 530-2077 | map

Hours: Tuesdays 4:00 - 1:00
Wednesdays 12:00 - 1:00
Thursdays 12:00 - 1:00
Fridays 12:00 - 2:00
Saturdays 12:00 - 2:00
Sundays 12:00 - 12.:00
Mondays Closed
BEER STATS
Average:
3.82
Beers:
33
Ratings:
171
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.17
Reviews:
53
Ratings:
72
pDev:
8.63%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Yetiman420:
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Reviewed by Yetiman420 from Ohio

4.88/5  rDev +17%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Fantastic! This was the 233rd brewpub I've visited and can say it is the best dive/corner bar brewpub I've been to. I had full beer samples of their IPA, Belgian Double, Mango XMas, and Stout and they were all excellent. I'm still amazed that such an underwhelming location produces such great beers. Also worth noting is the great guest taps and bottles. Without their own beers, you could make a case that this is a great beer bar. One major drawback for me was they were charging $10 for a 33cl Westmalle and $18 for the 3 Floyds Alpha Claus seasonal beer. I chatted up a guy at the bar and wanted him to try something other than the house tripple but $10 for a Westmalle is too steep. I was introduced to the owner Charlie. It turns out this used to be their hangout and when it went up for sale, him and a couple of his buddies purchased it. They could clean up the inside a bit and maybe turn the heat up slightly- it was cold inside. In any event, if you have the opportunity to make it to Lunar while in Chicago, it's a must do!
Dec 07, 2007
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 4.5 by cd34 from Illinois

Feb 07, 2021
 
Rated: 3.94 by Jotunsynth from Illinois

Feb 03, 2019
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Reviewed by StoutSnob40 from California

3.62/5  rDev -13.2%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5
This place is super weird. It's not a brewery.. It's a dive bar that brews a few house beers, but has an amazing guest selection. Tons of great bottles, and very obscure guest taps. They will let you take bottles to go, too. Lots of like, drunk old dudes sitting around, but that doesn't matter when you're sipping on a Hipster Brunch.
Aug 02, 2018
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Reviewed by GrumpyGas from Illinois

4.02/5  rDev -3.6%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4.5
Neighborhood dive that happens to brew a good beer or three, with classic back-bar carved wood including the nooks and crannies holding years of detritis buildup of notes, advertising, and out of date calendars.
Longish bar seats about 15 comfortably and most of the rest of the bar has tables and chairs for another 60 or so hard-scrabble neighborhood characters. Jukebox and even some live music sporadically.

Less than 10 house brews, I enjoyed the stout, and another 10 or so guest taps which are often fun (DFH Fort 2015 and Bruery White Chocolate)
Bottles and cans rotate often enough to remain interesting.

Service is sparse, but experienced, and will chat and volunteer options and new hits with loving churlishness.

Lunar makes for a great place to visit and an even better neighborhood joint.
Jun 21, 2018
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Reviewed by Stooven from Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -0.5%
vibe: 3 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 5
For a brewpub that has been around for as long as Lunar (I first went in 1999 or 2000), it's strange that it hasn't risen on the craft beer tide. Part of this is that Lunar is unmistakably a local bar, and you can still smell the years of cigarette smoke despite Illinois having banned the indoor practice 15 years ago. There were 7 of their own beers on tap (NEIPA, cream ale, barleywine, stouts), and probably an equal number of guest taps (Bruery, Lindermans, Half Acre, Boulevard); despite the lack of flash, you can really tell they care about beer. Bar also has a respectable liquor component. (I keep referring to Lunar as 'they,' while my hunch is it's a 'he')

Last couple visits (both late afternoon on a weekend), I have been the only non-regular in the place. Half dozen townies huddle at the bar, there's not much by way of music and a game might be on with the sound off. I bellied up with a copy of Illinois Entertainer, was served immediately and left to my devices. If craft beer were indie rock, Lunar would be Fugazi or The Ex or Touch & Go Records or something: completely respectable and relatively accessible, but in denial that it's a commercial enterprise.
May 12, 2018
 
Rated: 4.32 by southsidejoe8089 from Illinois

Nov 29, 2017
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Reviewed by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania

3.89/5  rDev -6.7%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3 | selection: 5
Lunar is an odd jawn- a divey, old-school blue-collar small-town tavern in a dilapidated downtown that happens to brew some interesting (if not quite successful) brews.

Seven house taps: nitro stout, Porter, IPA, Saison, an oak-aged barleywine (“Barking”, aged in bourbon-soaked oak spirals)… and 10 high-quality guests, including Espresso Yeti, Rodenbach, Unibroue, Clown Shoes, Dark Horse.

All these are served in 9-oz glasses for $6-$8. The standoffish bartender will serve you no flights and will be nice to the regulars but not you, city folk.

Check out the crazy selection of overpriced vintage/barrel aged brews, including Uncle Jacob’s for $29. This place is truly bizarre, and I encourage you to check it out for yourself.
Dec 18, 2015
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Reviewed by bwood06 from Wisconsin

4.45/5  rDev +6.7%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 3
Love the look and feel of this bar/brewery. The place is really focused on the people and the beer without much in the way of tvs or electronic entertainment. Small but nice selection of beers brewed by Lunar on tap. Was somewhat difficult to determine what all else they had due to spaced out chalkboards with various items. Will definitely visit again.
Aug 21, 2015
 
Rated: 3.91 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Aug 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.97 by chillin from Indiana

Jul 22, 2015
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Reviewed by BlackBeerPirate from Illinois

4.07/5  rDev -2.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4
Old school dive bar with a local friendly character which is dying other places. Selection of their beers are smaller because they are smaller, but they have a good selection of other ales to satisfy your pallet.
Jun 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.33 by GlassFuser from Illinois

Apr 07, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by TheRealPour from Illinois

Nov 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by C_Y from Illinois

Nov 04, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by WestHam973 from Illinois

Oct 24, 2014
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Rated by miggy_smalls from Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +7.9%
Great local small brewery with an awesome beer selection! Must visit if your in the area...
Oct 09, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by barnzy78 from Illinois

Sep 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by Burgman08 from Illinois

Aug 28, 2014
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Reviewed by BTodd from Illinois

3.82/5  rDev -8.4%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.75 | selection: 4
Atmosphere-a little bit of a dive with some nice, older wood work. A little dead on a Sunday afternoon but a nice quiet place to enjoy a couple.

Quality-beers were solid. We had the IPA, Citra-Hopped Cream Ale and Munich-Style Lager.

Service-it was dead, but the bartender kept our glasses full and allowed us samples of each beer we wanted to try.

Selection-They had about six house beers on tap with a half-dozen or so more guest taps. Bottle/can selection was very good as well. Many new ones to try and old ones to revisit.

Food-They only have a few small bags of chips, etc. Carryout/delivery is welcome from surrounding areas.

Value-House beers were fairly reasonable at 5-6 dollars a pint. Guest beers seemed a little pricey.

Overall-A nice location just off the bike path. We'll be back every 4-6 weeks for a couple quiet beers in a nice setting.
Jun 16, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Mirrorful from Illinois

Jun 10, 2014
 
Rated: 4.5 by KC9LDB from Illinois

Jan 19, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by nbal4396 from Illinois

Jan 06, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by Sparky44 from Illinois

Dec 15, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by jaqo4 from Illinois

Dec 01, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by sweetlou25 from Illinois

Nov 27, 2013
 
Rated: 4.5 by ahbithwabm from Illinois

Oct 23, 2013
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Reviewed by jpierceniu from Illinois

4.58/5  rDev +9.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
One of my favorite local places to go to. There is no kitchen because that is where they are brewing. Low lit atmosphere is perfect for just going in and having a couple of beers and enjoying them without all the raucous of annoying people talking about nothing. Large choice of craft beers definitely makes it easy for everyone to find something that they will like.
Sep 20, 2013
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Reviewed by joe1510 from Illinois

4.16/5  rDev -0.2%
vibe: 4.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4
Lunar is a cool little corner neighborhood bar in the sleepy little 'burb of Villa Park. Walking in you're greeted by a long, old, wood bar with wood framed coolers running the entire length. A few tables line the opposite wall with a few more thrown in the back around a tiny stage. Tin signs cover the walls along with advertised beer prices such as Little Kings And Mickeys for $1.50. This place has that great, old school, worn in feeling like it has accumulated decor over the years instead of packing new junk in to make it seem old.

There are 5 Lunar taps that rotate and a handful (10?) of quality guest taps. Double Trouble, Grand Teton Oud Bruin, Boulevard Saison-Brett and Imp. Pilsner,and Bruery White Oak are a few of the taps available on my last visit. Lunar's own taps were Moondance, Cream Ale, Eclipse Stout on nitro, and a couple others. A good all around selection, many of which are not seen often on tap around Chicago. The bottle list is also impressive with some very hard to find bottles available.

Service is always great at Lunar. The bartenders are very engaging and friendly while more than willing to talk shop. There's not a friendlier bunch anywhere. No food is served, besides some spicy pickled eggs on the counter, but you can bring in your own. I'd recommend a trip out to Lunar for anyone within reasonable distance. The vibe makes this place but the quality taplist doesn't hurt either.
Aug 24, 2013
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Reviewed by NewGlarusFan from Illinois

5/5  rDev +19.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Lunar is heaven on earth. It is very reasonable and excellent. House brews change weekly and guest taps too. Lunar has a very good selection of beers. Service is wonderful and friendly. Bartenders Mark and Chuck know their stuff and are good dudes. Charlie the owner is a great guy too.

Price is what one would expect $5-6 for a lager/IPA/ Stout and $7-9 for specialty beers.

No food but it's BYOF (Bring your own Food), they have plenty of take out menus or bring in home cooked meals. I brought i a crock-pot of smoked chili for the entire place it was a good time.

Long story short come to Lunar and enjoy!
Aug 19, 2013
Photo of Chrixsus
Reviewed by Chrixsus from Illinois

4.13/5  rDev -1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
"No B.S. Just Good Beer." I should copyright that quote and sell it back to Lunar, because it sums up their entire philosophy. Is Lunar a dive bar? Yes. Is that OK? Yes. Do they brew/stock good beer? Yes. And that's really all that matters.

Est. in 1998, Lunar is a neighborhood spot to be sure, but one that fits the definition nicely. The interior is a no-frills environment that is dominated by the color black and dim lighting. A long bar with stools stretches half the length of the place, the other half has tables, and there is a stage in the very back for bands to play on. Beer posters cover the walls and 2 TV's sit on either end of the bar. One feature that stood out was the old-school jukebox in a corner near the entrance of the bar.

Charlie, the owner/brewmaster, knows how to turn out some solid, quality brews. My favorite so far has been the Chili Pepper Porter brewed in collaboration with Carlyle Brewing Co. out of Rockford, IL. While these beers may not change your life, they are good and inexpensive considering their high quality. Most of the house taps are $5; the most expensive I've seen there was $6.

In addition to the house brews there are 11 guest taps that are constantly being rotated. The bottle selection is substantial, featuring rare/hard-to-find/obscure offerings from breweries around the country.

No food is offered except pub-snacks (chips, nuts, etc.). Frozen pizza is available and you can make up for the lack of taste with a drenching of Sriracha sauce. Last but not least is the...PICKLE-IN-A-BAG!!! The staff allows (and encourages) those with a real strike of hunger to bring in whatever cuisine you like or order out food from any of the surrounding restaurants. A few reviews down mentions a Mexican restaurant that is just up the road that is supposed to be delicious.

Service was what was to be expected at a dive bar. The bartender will be happy to inform on the different types of beers available and hook you up with a sample on request, but don't expect them to initiate conversation or have a long chat with you. Most of the patrons are locals who come here because it's good and it's close. I am not saying that this is an unfriendly place, but you might get the cold-shoulder-vibe if this is your first time coming here. Remember that it's a dive bar and a neighborhood bar and that is what dive bars and neighborhood bars are like. Knowing this going in will make your experience much better.

This is a great place to come and watch any sports game while having some quality beer. Perfect for taking in a baseball game and getting out of the heat on a hot summer day.

One of the best dive-bars-come-brewpubs I've ever been to.
Jun 20, 2012
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Reviewed by steamboatbrewer from Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +1.9%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 5 | food: 1.5
Lunar is my local craft brew pub, and personally love the atmosphere. They always have a fresh tap list that changes weekly sometimes multiple times in a week. TV's on the north and south side for the cubs and sox. The house brews are also consistently excellent. The food list is something to be desired but i don't go there to get food. If the tap list isn't to your liking they have a ample selection of bombers and bottles and are also listed on beermenus.com If you are in Villa Park this is a must stop.
May 24, 2012
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Reviewed by mjmbeer from Illinois

4.74/5  rDev +13.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5
You want to find the ultimate mix of corner bar with that homey feel and those high end really tasty craft brews? Then you want to stop here. Lunar is a great beer their house brews are fabulous. The guest taps are a rotating list of excellent choices. Heck the bottle list alone makes this place worth the stop. Ok so they serve frozen pizza but who cares. you come for the beer and the friendship not the food. Brad the brewer is always looking and experimenting on new ideas but their normal line up of constant and seasonal is out of this world.. in Lunar orbit so to say! ;) They are not a snob bar by any means. Drink a little kings if you want. Drink a A miller like if y ou like. if that is what you need to do. But you you want then expand your world Try one of the awesome brews that this talented crew creates. Stop in and say Hi to Chuck Charlie and Brad.
May 20, 2012
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Reviewed by chetripley from Illinois

4.36/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
A beer bar in one of the truest sense of the word. The decorations, the layout, the selection, the look of the employees all say that its time to drink good beer.

Having a nice selection of their own homemade stuff, from a delicious Wee Heavy Scotch Ale served in a 21 oz thistle glass, to a tasty Cream Ale that is similar in name to a familiar one across the border, even though this was darker and creamier, to a simple lager that was not at all on the far side of goodness.

Plus, the guest taps are various and balanced, with a lot of familiar choices and some I had always said I would like to try. I even had a SNPA in the middle just to settle things down.

No food except for bar food: Pickle In A Bag!

But what gets me is the dedication to letting you know this is a beer bar. Over the tables are framed layouts of beer labels (just like my beer fridge at home) plus signs, flags and banners for every local and import, but not a single one of them made of BM or C.

Will go back any time.
Apr 17, 2012
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Reviewed by JohnnyChicago from Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -3.4%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
I've been to Lunar a couple of times and will definitely be returning. Lunar is far from the glitz and trendiness of the City's brewpubs. These are the blue collar, West 'burb guys who got ahold of a homebrew kit and figured that shit out a couple of decades ago.

It is a dark, dank, faded creature that's a felt-shorn pool table and a condom machine away from being a true dive. That being said, it is clean, simple, and surprisingly homey.
The regulars consist of mildly hipsterish twenty-somethings and working class guys having their nightcaps. Sports on the TV and that typical barroom soundtrack on the speakers.

There is no food, ok? Beer nuts and frozen pizza to not qualify as a menu. I'll repeat a previous review's suggestion to drive for a couple of minutes and hit up "Rosticeria Los Fernandez". MY GOD, those tortas are excellent! Back on topic...
The beers at Lunar are always good, sometimes great, and never (yet) terrible. They've got a knack for making exceptional fruit beers, which is a rare talent among American brewers. All their beers are extremely reasonable and their guest taps (Chicagoland locals) are properly priced as well. Service is solid. Its order at the bar and the tender is a chill guy who will shoot the shit with you and anyone else about, sports, politics, beer, etc.

Overall, Lunar is a cool, unpretentious neighborhood establishment that provides for a great, straightforward hangout for beer lovers.
Nov 06, 2011
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Reviewed by bigkingken from North Carolina

3.58/5  rDev -14.1%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 2
I love the vibe this place puts out. It's a dark, hipster-ish almost-dive located just outside of Chicago. There's a wide range of different types of people all congregating in the same place to drink some beer. A chalk board proudly proclaims the immense selection offered by the guys who buy the beer, who must have excellent taste. Some of the hardest to find beers in the country somehow find their way here either in the bottle or on tap, including their own.

Unfortunately, they were sort of between brew masters when I dropped by, and only had four of their own beers on tap. It featured a fairly standard stout, an unremarkable German alt, a barley wine I declined to try and an excellent blackberry imperial blonde. This impressive concoction was smooth, light, slightly fruity and an impressive 8%. Not that the number is really that high, but it certainly is for a fruited blonde.

They don't serve much food here, so I decided to pass on a taste. What they do offer is a small assortment of peanuts, chips and thin crust pizza that is probably frozen and popped into an oven somewhere.

But that's okay, they're not here for the food. They're here for the beer, and the servers are happy to tell you about them. I enjoyed the bartenders, so I'm giving them high marks as well.
Mar 03, 2011
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Reviewed by Vdubb86 from Illinois

3.94/5  rDev -5.5%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Went on down here with my boy TMoney2591 to see what all the hullabaloo was about. First of all the faded sign made it look all the more rustic in appearance. Thank god I kinda knew where I was going. The atmosphere of the place would be considered a dank bar with some ornate wood used to disguise the place from its true form. The quality of the beers there were pretty good especially for a small brewpub as this was. For being a Tuesday afternoon the bar itself was still pretty full up of rowdy locals. The bartender that served us was a cool dude, answered our questions, but pretty much kept to himself. There was about 6 beers from Lunar that they had on tap plus 4 or 5 from other breweries such as Metropolitan. They had a pretty nice bottle list and a series of large refrigerators to hold the vast amounts they had. I always prefer them on tap, but you still have to respect the list. Not a bad place. I wouldn't mind going back for some new brews.
Nov 24, 2010
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Reviewed by TMoney2591 from Illinois

3.64/5  rDev -12.7%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Dropped in down here on a lark with VDubb. The sign outside is quite faded, so unless you're really paying attention (or have a good GPS) you might miss it driving by. Inside, there is the bar and a small bit o' room that doesn't look as though it's seen too much action in a while. I will be harshly frank: Were it not for their brewing their own beer, this place would be one short step from a straight dive bar. But they do make their own beer, and it ain't that bad. They had six of their beers on-tap and a small but nice smattering of guest taps. They also had a fairly decent selection of guest bottles. We didn't get any food, but the menu wasn't really much anyway: bags of chips, beer nuts, and frozen pizzas. There was a TV present, but it was off. The people at the other end of the bar (the usual locals, from what I gather) provided a bit of entertainment via the dropping of eaves. Overall, the beers and everything else were pretty good, but nothing all too great. A nice bit of a stop, though I'm not sure I would make too many trips out here specifically for a visit.
Nov 24, 2010
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Reviewed by bonsreeb85 from Colorado

3.93/5  rDev -5.8%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4.5 | food: 3
I was recently on an outing in West Chicago for a week, and in desperate need of a watering hole, thanks to some fellow BA recommendations(as we as some from the locals) I found LUNAR, too bad there was only 2 days left in my trip before i did, because I loved this place.

The atmosphere was homey and very laid back. Kind of a smaller bar, w/ not a lot of tables, but ample for the clientel on the evening I was there. Lots of beer posters on the wall made a sud -lover like myself feel right at home.

The service was ok, nothing great, but considering the place was relatively busy, i'll cut them some slack. Not overly friendly, but not complete assholes either, just another day on the grind for the employees i guess...

The selection of bottled and draft beers isn't the best that I have seen in terms of quantity, but let me go ahead and say that nearly everyone of the beers that they do offer, are more than worthy, they had a solid Belgian line-up too. The in house made beers seemed to be the fave of the locals though, I was lucky enough to try 3, the Rasberry Cream, Spacecadet Stout, and the flagship IPA who's name i cannot recall. these were all solid brews. I didn't have any of the food, but the focus here was definately on beer. The menu looked like typical bar food, including peanuts and popcorn, and what could of been frozen pizza!

Overall value -reasonable prices, ok staff, and a very very solid list of beers and some kick-ass in house ones, back this up by a welcoming atmosphere...and we have a winner. I wish that i Lived in Illinois
Jul 15, 2009
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Reviewed by botham from New York

3.58/5  rDev -14.1%
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3.5 | selection: 4
Lunar Brewpub has a townie feel to it and a well worn-in aura, which makes it an interesting place to enjoy a couple brews. situated on the main street of a quiet suburb, the corner entrance opens onto an open space with the bar at the right and seating along the left. there is a small stage at the back, with a couple random arcade games and tables set up near the rear.

the atmosphere is somewhat halloween-esque with a small town bar feel. moons and stars are around in various media, with large moon tap handles at the bar. the music was a bit dark and almost carnival like in its mood, which fits in with the asthetics.

quality and service are mediocre. there were two bartenders, one of which was the miller for the brewery, and was very friendly and open to discuss beer. the other was quite slow and had no idea what was going on as far as service goes. apparently one has to 'take the good with the bad' regarding service sometimes. quality was good, with proper glassware for about half of the beers, but the pours were to the brim of the glassware (all poured from the poor bartender), so no heads formed on any of the beers.

selection was good. many guest bottles of craft beer are available, with some hard to find and specialty brews available, and six offerings from Lunar. the Lunar brews were unique, with an oatmeal pale ale, a raspberry ale, an imperial IPA, a blonde doppelbock and an oak-aged stout. This BA had the Oatmeal Pale and the Oak-Aged Stout, and both were good, but nothing special.

food is available, but there is no kitchen, just frozen pizzas, and various nuts, beef sticks and cheese.

overall, this is a decent stop for beer, because in addition to the Lunar beer there is a healthy selection of guest taps and bottles. the beer seems to be lacking a bit in quality, but that doesn't mean the place should be avoided.
Jul 05, 2009
Lunar Brewing in Villa Park, IL
Brewery rating: 3.82 out of 5 with 171 ratings