Hardware Sustainable Gastropub and Brewery - North Aurora, Illinois

Octavio Granados

Incredibile!!!

E J

It was our first time and the experience was amazing. The quality of the food, freshness and flavors were outstanding!!
We had octopus which was prepared very uniquely in a miso and egg yolk sauce. Beet salad was great as well. We had fried fish and chicken for dinner which again was delicious. Of course we could not say no to dessert.
The whole team that worked there was very nice, Margarita who was taking care of us was such a pleasure. Very helpful explaining our questions, not to pushy but always right there whenever we needed her. We have already made reservations for next week.

Rich C

Wow!!!...If you’re looking for a restaurant that delivers incredible food, top-tier service, and an unforgettable atmosphere and experience, Hardware Sustainable Gastropub & Brewery is a must-visit!!! From the moment we walked in, we were immersed in a unique fresh and natural ambiance experience - something you’d expect to find not in an urban environment but instead more in a Northern Michigan Restaurant.

Our server, Amanda, was awesome - friendly, knowledgeable, and passionate about the restaurant’s offerings. She provided excellent recommendations and made sure our dining experience was amazing.

From start to finish, every bite was exceptional.

For appetizers: We had the charcuterie board, baked goat cheese, and smoked salmon dip—each dish beautifully presented and everything tasted sooooo good!

For main courses we had the brisket sandwich, bison burger, and Lepig Mac pork shoulder sandwich all were excellent!!!. Each bite was perfectly done, and perfectly seasoned.

For desserts we had the ice cream of the day and their creative take on a HoHo dessert, both of which were tasty and, for the hohos, a fun twist of nostalgia.

The atmosphere and vibe at Hardware is a perfect mix of rustic charm and modern sustainability. The restaurant grows its own produce, makes its own sausages, and even smokes its own meats. They also have an on-site greenhouse, which makes your farm-to-table dinnng experience even better.

We had a bar tenders special bourbon and a couple of home brewed crafts... Excellent!!!

If you are a whiskey lover... you will be in paradise here - they have over 700 whiskeys from around the world.

...Hardware Sustainable Gastropub & Brewery is truly a hidden gem that delivers on every level—food, drinks, service, and atmosphere. Whether you’re a foodie, a whiskey connoisseur, or just looking for an unforgettable dining experience, this place is a must-try!

We will definitely be back, and if you haven’t visited yet, you absolutely should. You will not be disappointed!!! A+++

Lauren Bloom

We went last night! This place was phenomenal! Our waitress was so nice and friendly! She recommended the figgy (drink) & single ladies whiskey flight and both where good!
The bison burger was very flavorful along with the salad that comes from their green house!
The linguine ragu is the best I've ever had. I normally don't order pasta at resteraunts but this place has the pasta cooked perfectly, the sauce and everything was just delicious. The rolls are made in house as well and so good! And don't skimp out on dessert, the strawberry cheesecake trifle was delicious as well!
We are from Indianapolis and WISH they where back home with us!

Kimberly Doman

This was such an incredible experience. The ambiance walking in was so amazing. It was darker in there and had such knowledgeable staff. Our waiter recommended everything we had and we were so impressed. Such a great experience. We will return!

Griffin Kenna

Amanda was an awesome server; she was super helpful and friendly. Very impressive restaurant: In-restaurant green house for vegetables, in-house beers, over 800 types of whiskey/bourbon (unless I misunderstood, but regardless a ton), and a separate charcuterie kitchen.

Music choice was perfect as well (Scott Bradlee’s Postmodern Jukebox).

Taylor Lemke

I really wanted to like this place, as it’s a short drive from home, but unfortunately the food is under par in comparison to its presentation and price, it just doesn’t meet expectations. Not one in our party of five found any of the food to be especially good, and in fact, one of the appetizers should have been sent back: the poutine.

The sausage in the poutine was so salty, it ruined the dish and quite honestly, we should have sent it back, it was nearly inedible. As I am just one guy, and I didn’t try everything, I won’t say anything about food I did not personally eat, but I will say that we unanimously agreed that we would not come back.

The “Fish and Chip” had no chips, as it was just a bed of miniature baked potatoes, as you can see in the photo. This dish was underwhelming and at $30, the price ruined things, if it had been $20, I wouldn’t complain about it. It was just very basic, not at all special.

My favorite thing, after having tried the bison burger, fish and chip entree, and the poutine, ended up being the brisket tacos. While the tacos were not amazing, they really tasted like something an abuela would feed you at a family barbecue, I would have been happy eating it for $18 as my entree, but it didn’t really hit the spot at a restaurant, similar to everything else.

Pretty much every whiskey was over $10 an oz. A standard shot is 1.5oz, so you’re set up to feel like you’ve been shorted.

The beer appears to me to be the main thing this place has going for it besides the atmosphere, which, I will not lie, is chill but hipsteresque. The way they brag about saving rainwater to use on greens that they grow themselves, I like it, it’s a nice thought, but it really only complements the vibe I get from this place, which is a pretentious one. They have great presentation, and the place is beautiful, but the prices are high and the quality of the food is not good enough to justify that. Maybe we are just not the demographic that this establishment is meant to appeal to. Personally, I see this as a place where you grab a few beers and move on somewhere else for food and more drinks.

Unfortunately, my recommendation is that if you are just coming for the food, I would pass on this place.

Alannah Franklin

Hardware is an amazing place to go to have some amazing food, learn about gastropub, and enjoy some delicious drinks. 💎
Speaking of delicious drinks the drink menu is a sight to behold with so many different options to choose from!
Next we picked the appetizer we had the octopus with sweet potatoes, green beans and an egg white aioli on top! When I tell you that this is mouth watering good!! The flavors and textures in this dish work so well together it was delicious and I have only had octopus one other time the chef here did it right!
Next, we got our entrees. I had the Linguini Ragu pictured here (apologies not the best lighting) this dish is one of the best linguini I have ever had. This linguini is cooked to perfection and the duck and sauce and everything was so flavorful I loved it!!! My boyfriend got the chicken pot pie also pictured here I did have a bite and I really enjoyed the flavor and I could taste all the ingredients! He enjoyed it once it cooled a bit!
We enjoyed this amazing meal in September and kept meaning to write a review, and as you can see I did not forget because the experience left an impression! We cannot wait to go back and enjoy it all over again! Thank you Hardware for all you guys do! ❤️