Side Lot Brewery

Side Lot BrewerySide Lot Brewery
Side Lot BrewerySide Lot Brewery
Brewery, Bar, Eatery, Beer-to-go

110 Slocum Lake Rd
Wauconda, Illinois, 60084-1883
United States

(847) 865-0281 | map
sidelotbrewing.com

HOURS
TUESDAY 11AM - 11PM
WEDNESDAY 11AM - 11PM
THURSDAY 11AM - 11PM
FRIDAY 11AM - MIDNIGHT
SATURDAY 11AM - MIDNIGHT
SUNDAY 11AM - 8PM
BEER STATS
Average:
3.05
Beers:
32
Ratings:
36
PLACE STATS
Average:
3.91
Reviews:
4
Ratings:
5
pDev:
17.9%
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by maxcoinage:
Photo of maxcoinage
Reviewed by maxcoinage from Illinois

4.45/5  rDev +13.8%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4.25 | food: 4
I've been up here a few times now and it's always an enjoyable time. Sat at the bar and talked with the head brewer, who is really cool, before. Have sat on the comfy chairs with my wife before, which is nice and relaxing, and have sat on the outside patio at night to enjoy the weather -- all good options! There are 2 TV's in the joint so if you wanted to make sure you could pay attention to the Cubs or Bears game, they'd likely have that on. They'll usually have 3-5 house beers on tap along with 10+ other local/midwest beers - good selection. They have some wine and spirits as well. You can get a growler filled of any draft beer. They have a small menu of food or you can order from Slyce ( Pizza place next door ) which I highly recommend!
Aug 22, 2016
More User Ratings:
Photo of TMoney2591
Reviewed by TMoney2591 from Illinois

3.27/5  rDev -16.4%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3 | service: 3.25 | selection: 3.5
Having stopped in on a handful of occasions, I think I can jot down a review. According to a native Waucondan friend of mine, this place replaced a slightly dive-y Irish-style pub, and she refuses to even set foot in the place because of this. See, the décor is decidedly different now, a much more hipster-leaning modern style, though still not without that comfy friends' basement vibe. Upon walking in from the street, you have to pass through the video gaming/gambling room (I will admit, I applaud the inclusion of the massive Connect Four set) to get to the bar proper and the somewhat small seating area attached thereto. It's a concrete bar, something I'm not too familiar with, but it's a nice change of pace from the usual heavily-sealed wood. There are some TVs around, as well, 'cause only Firkin is allowed to be Firkin, dammit! The selection is alright, usually plenty of different stuff to partake in, but the quality is usually, unfortunately, pretty low. Many of the beers just aren't very good, and others were just bad ideas (for example, my buddy and I tried a stout in which they tossed Reese's Pieces, shell and all, ostensibly either during the boil or during fermentation (either way, not a great idea), and this wasn't the first nor the only such candy-laden brew). Some are still pretty solid, especially the German styles, but most of the time a pull from the tap is akin to a negatively-rigged game of Russian roulette. The service is usually fine, with the staff normally pretty knowledgeable about the product, but there have been several times wherein we were left hanging without service (the most egregious example coming when I wanted another beer, waited for several minutes for the bartender to come back from the back room, looked in and saw him and a couple others just chilling, then called out and motioned for a while before finally getting his attention and, I think understandably, asking for the bill, something we could have easily left without doing without anyone noticing for likely some time). Generally, the vibe is fine, but it can get rowdy, especially in the gaming area, on the busier weekend nights. I haven't had any food here, so no comment. Overall, these are mostly cool and friendly folks, but the brewery and its beers just aren't all that great. It's not a bad spot to hang out with some pints, but it would certainly help if you don't mind too much about what's in your glass.
Feb 23, 2021
Photo of Hopheadjeffery
Reviewed by Hopheadjeffery from Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -22%
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 1 | service: 4.25 | selection: 3.75 | food: 4
Vibe is nothing special but it is comfortable and clean. The quality of the house beer is very poor. Everything was flat and the flavors were off. The service at the bar was friendly and helpful. There were four house beers on tap and the selection of guest taps is pretty good. The sandwiches were very tasty.
Jul 28, 2017
Photo of CreedeSon
Reviewed by CreedeSon from Illinois

3.9/5  rDev -0.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.75 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.75
Limited but tasty selection of toasted sandwiches. Nice patio seating to enjoy a brew after a bike ride.
Another good option, you can order a delicious take out pizza from the place next door and a beer from Side Lot.
Jul 02, 2017
 
Rated: 4.9 by Coons from Illinois

Apr 30, 2017
Side Lot Brewery in Wauconda, IL
Brewery rating: 3.05 out of 5 with 36 ratings