Thornton Distilling Co. - Thornton, Illinois

Lana T.

Fantastic experience. Sunday brunch menu small but enough. All 3 of us got different choices and were pleased.

The staff, particularly Robert & Robin, were welcoming.

Took the tour as last minute additions. Was very interesting. Tour guide Kevin brought the history to life.

Very cool venue space!

Bianca V. W.

We ❤️ Thornton Distilling!! We come here regularly and I just realized I've never left a review encouraging others to check it out. The food and drinks are great (obsessed with the lavender lemonade they make in the summer), the bar itself is very cool and historic and their outdoor patio is dog friendly. My husband has done the distillery tour for his bachelor party and thought it was really fun. Highly recommend!

Christina K.

Always a great place to visit. Especially when there's vendors. I always enjoy walking the levels
Good cocktails, good food. Stop in for a tour interesting history

Alyssa F.

I booked the Saturday tour, and I was blown away. For $15, you'll hear about the rich history of the land, gang affiliations, prohibition, and the building itself, riddled with tunnels. Amazing! They bring you down underground and into the brewery itself. There's a phenomenal tasting at the end! I went with a group of devout Catholics that still enjoyed themselves lol. Great for everyone

Ciara M.

I recently had my wedding at Thornton Distillery on 10/26/24. The food and drinks were phenomenal. The venue itself is stunning and has ample space for 125 guests with the full venue buyout. We had a separate ceremony space and cocktail hour from the reception hall. The coordinator had great communication leading up to the wedding and answered any questions I had. The rehearsal was handled perfectly by my separately hired officiant. The coordinator did not seem engaged during the rehearsal. On the day of the wedding, the coordinator was 10 minutes late to the venue and vendors and the bridal party were waiting outside. During the wedding day, the coordinator was absent for some important parts. As a caution to other brides, please make sure you have an attentive bridal party willing to help at any point. While getting ready, my bridesmaids plus groomsmen were setting out all decor items, name place cards, arches, florals, and ceremony space. This was a big disappointment as my bridal party should have been getting ready and celebrating with me. These details for the wedding day were previously discussed with the coordinator before one week out from the wedding as well as having all boxes labeled with what each item is intended for. The coordinator did not offer to assist with these tasks while getting ready was going on, which made the day more stressful for me. The coordinator was at the rehearsal but let my dad walk down the aisle with my mother during the ceremony processional and sit (which was not the plan at all). One of my bridesmaids had to tap my father on the shoulder and remind him he needed to walk me down the aisle. While entrances for the reception were going on, the coordinator was not present and the bride/groom had to coordinate the entrances for the DJ. Before writing this review, I called the venue and spoke with the general manager regarding these concerns and was told he would speak to the owners and get back to me the next day. I have not heard back from the venue after this phone call and an email sent to the GM. Overall, the food and drinks turned out great but the expectation of service was a disappointment. The standard the venue set prior to the event date fell short. For the price and reputation, we had hoped for so much more. We were initially excited about choosing Thornton Distillery for our wedding based on the perk of them offering a coordinator, the reputation, and the high standards they promote. However, we were disappointed with our experience and felt that the venue ultimately did not deliver on its promises.

Julie S.

Second try at the yearly festival. The service is horrendous. Never got seated at a table, so not able to order food, even though we put our name in a were there for almost 5 hours. Servers were rude and basically non-existent. We had to purpose to get the bartenders' attention, as they ignored us when we were standing there. Will not be returning.

Brenda B.

We did the dixie hwy brew trail tour and this was our 6th stop and we absolutely loved it. Easy to get to, friendly staff, clean great atmosphere. Great drinks, great prices I wish they had more merchandise in stock and had some larger sizes cause we would have definitely bought some. But other then that it was a wonderful place and I cant wait to go back, definitely one of my new favorites

Lindsey

I stumbled upon Thornton on google back in August of 2023 while looking for a venue for our wedding on 11/9/24. Immediately we fell in love with the rich history that the distillery had to offer! We ended up going to dinner the same evening and when we walked in we knew this was the place we wanted to host our wedding celebration.

Luckily the next day Kim the event manager was available to discuss the various options the distillery had to offer. Kim was truly one of the most informative, timely, and friendly event planners I had the pleasure with working with. She will work with you to stay within budget and isn’t pushy by any means. Everything they offer from buffet, family style, and plated meals are straightforward.

With that said, We ended up opting for the full buyout to have the private and intimate wedding of our dreams. Thornton Distilling Company delivered that with flying colors! From the initial meeting with Kim, sitting down with her and the Chef to get feedback regarding our tasting, to day of. In fact all the staff I’ve come in contact with at the distillery are wonderful, accommodating, and top tier customer service. Special shout out to Trevor the restaurant manager and his exceptional fashion choices!

The food/drinks in both the restaurant and the catering division are what you’d expect in a high end gastropub in the city, the attention to detail and the outstanding combination of flavors will leave you and your guests stunned! I can confidently say I’ve never had better food/experience at a wedding and I’ve been to a lot of them.

Overall, the founders Andrew and Jake have saved this beautiful building from disrepair along with their wonderful staff to create an unforgettable event space. If you’re looking to have a wedding that’s more of an experience for everyone in attendance then look no further. My husband and I can look back on our wedding day and sincerely say it was perfect and Thornton played a huge role in that!