Engrained Brewing Company

 

 

Vibe was pretty typical brewpub, perfectly fine. Beer quality was solid and way better than Obed & Isaacs; everything was at least good and the coffee stout was very well done. Food was good, slightly more upscale and better than Obed's but at a similar price point. Service was solid. Definitely the best of the two brewpubs I tried in town.

 

Typical "brew-by-number" brewpub experience. Remote freestanding building seemingly on the edge of nowhere, with a frustratingly inaccessible parking lot. Right off highway 72, but that’s about it. Not much else around besides half-built roads, a Quaker Steak, and a hulking multi-story sporting goods store down the road.

Smaller than expected inside, kind of a basic and clean interior, host stand and waiting area up front. Paintings of a cow and a chicken down the hallway, brewing equipment visible behind the bar, looked like cold storage for kegs and lagering tanks. Service at the bar was pretty nonchalant and not especially engaging, despite the bar being almost entirely empty.

Selection was alright, the IPA and brown ale were the best of 8 beers we tried, all basic brewpub styles. Several were under-attenuated and watery, they reminded me of homebrew. These guys have been open 4 years, and the beer was still pretty mediocre. Probably won’t waste time coming here again, there are better breweries in the Springfield area now.

Check out Hand of Fate, Anvil & Forge, or Buzz Bomb instead.

I`ve been a customer since the place opened and have watched them go through the growing pains of starting from scratch to becoming a respectible establishment.

Service:
Service is top notch. I have never experienced bad service. Most of the wait staff is well versed in their products and attentive to your needs, a couple of them (Steve and Gene) go the extra mile.

Food:
As previously mentioned, I`ve been a customer from very near day one. Quality was an issue early on but that has been addressed and the few bad experiences were minor. My biggest complaint was portion size and that was due to my being from a rural background. Over the past four years, I`ve ventured away from the standard, local pub fare and tried items more apt to make or break my option of the place with good results up to the point where I trust them to make me a steak.

Beer:
Irish Red, IPA and Oatmeal Stout are the flagship beers of this establishment. Summer Shandy and Shandy-Berry are popular summer items and the supply is always limited. Their Oktoberfest is a close copy of Schlafly`s Oktoberfest (my personal Gold Standard for Oktoberfest styles) and usually sells out quickly. Usually a good selection of guest taps available for the fest promotions.

Easy access to I-72, ample parking and seating. Of the two establishments in Springfield, Engrained is my prefered choice.

 

I was in Springfield for business and decided to check out Engrained. I was really disappointed with the Brewer's Choice Beef Pot Roast dinner. My server said it was their specialty. The garlic mashed potatoes and the pot roast both had cold spots in them. The gravy was the only thing that was hot. I don't believe a "signature house item" should be served reheated. The tap list was rather dull and limited. It is out on the edge of town and was certainly not worth my time and money.

Right off an interstate exit, it's pretty big but kind of generic, may or may not be a remodeled chain restaurant location. The beer was solid, but not particularly memorable. The best were actually classic styles like their Kolsch and Irish red. The service was quite good and we didn't try the food. A good stop overall, especially for a small area like this, but nothing to get excited about.

 

 

Had really strong service and food while we were there. Tried several of the house beers and they had a pretty good local Illinois selection as well. Also tried the Hefeweizen and Dunkelweizen not shown on here and the Tripel which was the best.

 

Great beer and food. They use local produce and the facility is a state of the art microbrewery. Highly recommend.

 

 

Stopped in on our trip from St Louis to Chicago. The location to the highway was very nice. It is a lot closer than the other brewpub in Springfield to the highway. That's not a knock on the other, just a perk of this establishment.

The inside looked like a chain restaurant, but to my knowledge it is not.

One of the main draws here is the organic food. It's hard to find that in the southwest suburbs of Chicago. The food was very good with a lunch special for $8.

The beer was good as well. The Tripel and Dubbel were really good.

Service was VERY attentive. I think because it was the middle of the week during lunch that the server was bored and checked in on us more than we expected.

One of my only problems with this place is the Mug Club. You have to pay $20 annually to join the Mug Club. If you aren't a member of the Mug Club you aren't allowed to drink the special beer on tap, not even a taster. I was told there was limited brewing space for the special beers and that only the members were allowed to partake in those libations. The brewery size was decent. That's a pretty lame excuse. Craft beer is about sharing. It's not exclusionary. I understand there maybe special beers on tap, but at least entice me to join. I could not even try the beer. Let me buy a taster for $1.50 or something. Or maybe exclude the special beer on tap the first week to members only but at the minimum have 2 special on tap so I, the lay man, can have some. It was very off putting.

Overall, mug club excluding (pun intended), it was a good place.

 

 

Not far off the highway so convenient for passing through. Not near much now, but the area will be built up soon enough. Great staff who are passionate about the place and the beer. Made good recommendations for food and beer. Good place for kids too, kids menu, coloring, long booths, well suited to keep them busy while enjoying a flight of beers. Also a great selection of guest taps on top of their own beer. Tried almost all of their beers and all were good, worth the stop. Locally obtained beef and many other ingredients in their menu.