Exit Strategy Brewing Co.

Exit Strategy Brewing Co.Exit Strategy Brewing Co.
Exit Strategy Brewing Co.Exit Strategy Brewing Co.
Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

7700 Madison St
Forest Park, Illinois, 60130-1404
United States

// CLOSED //
BEER STATS
Average:
3.83
Beers:
34
Ratings:
159
PLACE STATS
Average:
4.15
Reviews:
6
Ratings:
18
pDev:
8.19%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by smbslt:
Photo of smbslt
Rated by smbslt from Illinois

4.21/5  rDev +1.4%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.25 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5

May 24, 2015
More User Ratings:
Photo of LokStokN2DrnknBBLs
Rated by LokStokN2DrnknBBLs from Illinois

4.34/5  rDev +4.6%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
Nice place. Friendly staff/owners. Good ambiance. A large beer selection.
Jan 04, 2020
Photo of Redrover
Reviewed by Redrover from Wisconsin

3.64/5  rDev -12.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 3.25 | selection: 4 | food: 3
I went here as part of a party of six on a Saturday night. There is lots of street parking but note the two hour limit.

As you enter the main doors, there is a hostess stand. Bar is on the west wall with tables taking up the rest of the public space. There is another dinning space in back near the restrooms. Nice modern take on a brewpub.

Our service started out great and they were fast to take our beer and food orders. Two of our three appetizers came out but the third was MIA until after we already had our entrees. Food was a mixed bag. The taste was fine but 4 of the 6 entrees and one of the appetizers was served cold or barely warm. Not sure if the kitchen was understaffed or if it is a reoccurring problem.

Our server than disappeared for a long stretch. I know our table would have had at least one more beer each if they had comeback.

The space was about 60% filled, so not sure how they would handle a larger crowd.

The beer selection was solid with about 12 choices. I liked my ESB and the APA I had. They have a full bar as well.

They added a gratuity for a party of 6. I don’t have any issue with this idea but usually you see that with larger parties. Maybe they knew we were less than thrilled with the experience.

Would I go back? Probably for the beer. Maybe I would just sit at the bar and catch the game on TV but would pass on eating there again unless I hear the food and service improves.
Oct 28, 2019
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Rated by BalancingBrooms from California

3.84/5  rDev -7.5%
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
pretty decent range of selection, with smaller pours available. ok vibe. Food was typical bar food.
Jul 06, 2019
Photo of Hopheadjeffery
Reviewed by Hopheadjeffery from Illinois

3.95/5  rDev -4.8%
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4
Upscale modern interior with a long bar and several tables. Quality of the beer is above average. Service was pretty fast and friendly. Twelve to fifteen of their own beers on draft. Growlers to go. Food looked good but I did not try any yet.
Feb 25, 2018
 
Rated: 3.96 by adam36 from Illinois

Aug 04, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by kylehay2004 from Illinois

Jul 22, 2017
 
Rated: 4.28 by 3fdread from Illinois

Jul 11, 2017
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Reviewed by MilwaukeeBeerMaker from Wisconsin

4.66/5  rDev +12.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.75 | food: 4.75
Stopped at this place while down in Brookfield for the day. Awesome place with a nice vibe. Everyone working was uber friendly and our server made us feel very welcomed. Food was excellent and the beer was tasty. Would definitely visit again!
Aug 29, 2016
 
Rated: 4 by puftdank from Illinois

Jun 16, 2016
 
Rated: 3.81 by ela119 from Illinois

May 22, 2016
 
Rated: 4.34 by Chris-1911 from Illinois

May 07, 2016
 
Rated: 4.09 by tim007007 from Illinois

May 07, 2016
Photo of emerge077
Reviewed by emerge077 from Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
Stopped in today and was impressed with the experience. The building is nice, the vibe is laid back and relaxing, service was good, and the beers were good. End of story, right?

Layout of the space was open and airy with two dining areas, one in front and one in back. L-shaped bar in the center of the space, opposite the windowed kitchen. High ceilings with exposed beams and a skylight directly above the bar, allowing natural light to illuminate the bar top. Lots of unique artwork on display around the place, interesting growler lamps above the bar, and nice use of eclectic woodwork. Tasteful modern decor, clean restrooms.

Service was timely at the bar, we rarely had empty drinks. The bartenders were semi-knowledgeable about the beers. New growler fills are $23 and refills are $16. Made me wish i'd brought a growler to get the saison, which was the best of 10 beers sampled.

Beer selection was pretty good, there were 14 or so house beers on, with 3 marked as seasonals. The highlights were the saison and IPA, APA was not bad either.

Food was good, we tried the buffalo chicken horseshoe, an interesting twist on Springfield IL's mediocre regional specialty. Definitely better than Springfield horseshoes i've had in the past.

Right next to Famous Liquors for all your aged shelf beer needs.
Mar 21, 2016
 
Rated: 3.84 by dexterk1 from Illinois

Feb 02, 2016
Photo of 1000lbgrizzly
Reviewed by 1000lbgrizzly from Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -1.7%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4
-Touched-up industrial brewpub vibe. Cinder block walls, high ceilings, metal chairs and wood-topped tables, but some cool decor to spruce it up as well. Well lit with a lot of natural light. You can see into their kitchen and brewing area; the transparency is much appreciated.
-Only liquor available is beer, and only house beers at that, but their array of varieties will suit everyone's tastes. I had their Scottish and brown ales, which were good and outstanding, respectively, and my companion had a flight, which were all very good+. It's obvious there is quality and thought going into these artworks. Growlers are available.
-Food is also solid. I'm speaking past my experience as we only had the fries with aioli and beer cheese sauces, but they were great, and I feel safe saying that based on the menu they serve creative dishes prepared by chefs, not typical bar food. The chicken and biscuits the guy next to us had looked and smelled appetizing, and some other mug-club members (regulars) said the food was great, too. I wish I'd had stomach room for more food, but I'll be returning to confirm my assumptions.
-Service was pretty good. The bartender (also co-owner) was quick at the taps, and the food came out super quick.

It was refreshing to find a business that has a vision past just a brewing room with a bar slapped on. This is a brewpub with a fun setting, tasty, nay, craveable food, and of course good beer. A local gem.
Nov 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4.66 by aussiebeer from Illinois

Nov 18, 2015
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Reviewed by clicht from Illinois

5/5  rDev +20.5%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
Tried the flight and thought each was very enjoyable. The milk stout was my personal favorite, but the rest were very drinkable. The atmosphere is great and the staff was friendly. Growlers were $15 for refills - not bad.
Apr 20, 2015
Exit Strategy Brewing Co. in Forest Park, IL
Brewery rating: 3.83 out of 5 with 159 ratings