Monochrome Brewing

Visited September 2025 It was my first time visiting this part of Chicago. I walked from the city center to the brewery, it took about 50–60 minutes, but it’s also easily accessible via the Orange Line and a short walk. I arrived early, so it was a quiet day. The place has a large open space with plenty of seating, including a few comfortable couches, and a big bar area with seats as well. I really like breweries that offer a good variety of beers on tap, and Monochrome Brewing had an excellent selection. They also served a hard seltzer, a wide range of cocktails, and even had a guest tap. I tried the following MR beers: El Venado – 5.1% Mexican lager Ochre – 5.8% Pale Ale Oktoberfest – 5.5% Märzen YR:1NE – a massive 15.5% stout I don’t usually drink many Mexican lagers, but this one was really nice. Overall, every beer I tried was high quality! One of the owners/brewers even sat down for a chat, really friendly people, and I even got a few freebies 🙌 During my visit, I learned that MR had been to Europe earlier this year for the Brewskival festival, and from what I heard, they might be coming back next year 🍻 Definitely worth the trip if you’re visiting Chicago!

Good beer, great service. I often come here with my laptop to write. It is a very lively place, although it gets loud if you are looking to write or read like me. That is not a complaint by any means. They also have out door seating, parking options, food on weekends. And allow you to bring your own food. A couple of large projectors which often have sports if you are into that. All in all, an amazing spot to drink good beer and hang with friends or just chill on your own at the bar.

Monochrome is a good, young brewery. They had a really delicious stout and were pumping rockin' tunes. Arden is a fun bartender.

This is a nice big space with plenty of seating. The beers on tap are all good, much better than the old brewery that was here before. It’s easy to park outside and you can bring your own food in.

Absolutely love this spot! From the moment you walk in, you can feel the welcoming vibe. Head brewer is clearly passionate about his craft—every beer we tried was top-notch, especially the Zaffre NE double IPA, and their limited time only Oktubre Fest. Their michelada made with the house beer, Venado, is hands down my go-to especially on Michelada Mondays. Perfectly balanced, refreshing, and just the right kick. If you haven’t tried it, you’re seriously missing out! What really sets this place apart is the community feel. It’s totally pet- and family-friendly, which is rare to find in the city. We brought our cat and sat out on the patio, which was spacious and relaxed. The "bring your own food" policy is a huge plus—perfect for grabbing tacos from a nearby spot and enjoying them with a fresh beer. Parking was a breeze too, thanks to their on-site lot, which is a lifesaver in Pilsen. Whether you're a craft beer enthusiast or just looking for a chill place to hang with friends, family, or pets, this brewery checks all the boxes. Can’t wait to come back!

Monochrome is a great Pilsen hang. Big taproom, mellow vibes, good recipes. Recommended.

Spacious yet cozy spot with great drinks and rotating food pop-ups. Ample parking and outdoor space make it easy to hang out. The staff are friendly, welcoming, and happy to chat about their craft and philosophy--you can tell they’re passionate about what they do here 🍻

What an awesome location! The building is beautiful! Large, spacious beer hall. While we were there was a family celebrating a special occasion and still PLENTY of room for patrons. The bartender was personable and knowledgeable! So glad we stopped! Do yourself a favor and stop in! Enjoying life 1 sip, 1 bite and 1 small town at a time. Explore everything!

Cute spot! Previous reviews said they had small offerings. Not anymore ! They now have excellent beer list! Speaking to the bartender, was told they had small list when opening due to Chicago beer laws. Now they have extensive list. They also have wine and cocktails. For suburbanites, there is plentiful street parking and around the corner. Pricing is very reasonable.

Luckily we found a nearby parking spot, which everyone knows could be tough in Chicago, haha. It's not super big, but has plenty of seating. The staff is friendly. It's always nice to be greeted when you walk in. The beer is decent, too.

I went back with a friend for a second visit and they are definitely way more settled in now. The place has a Mexican vibe/theme. The owners were both very nice. They have several beers on the menu now - mostly hazy IPA which is right up my alley! Good service, good beers! They also have Mexican cocktails, wine, mocktails, and other N.A. options. Very clean and spacious. Would recommend, will definitely return.

So happy to have Monochrome in the neighborhood!! We went last night for their public opening and the energy was amazing. Everyone seems super excited to have a brewery back in this space (used to be Lo Rez). The brewery is very spacious, allows dogs, and is great for kids. They have indoor and outdoor (covered) seating. Bring your own food, but they plan to have food trucks and pop ups. The beer menu was pretty good. A good variety of house beers, something for everyone - IPA, seltzers, stout. And they also had guest drafts from some pretty cool breweries. I liked their Epsicle Layers orange creamsicle beer and my husband liked the Tetrachromatic stout. You can get 6 ounce pours, which is really nice. Plenty of street parking, free wifi. What more can you ask for? We're very excited to visit throughout the summer!

Beers were amazing! People that worked there were super friendly, patient, and welcoming. They had darts which we had a blast playing and then watched some football on their enormous projector. I can't wait to go back!

I was sad when Lo Rez closed last year. Even if it wasn't my favorite brewery, it was still nice to have a South Side brewery, and I really liked the space, both indoor and the patio. Thankfully a new brewery has come in and is using the space again. It looks exactly the same as before (minus the logo being new). They only have 3 beers of their own on tap, which is admittedly low, but at least they have multiple guest taps and seltzers to fill out the beer list. Hopefully they continue to brew some more new beers as the months go on, if so I'll happily come over and check them out. Overall I'm just glad a new brewery came in and took advantage of the space.

Nice giant space. The brewery is newer and while the lineup of their beers was small, what I had was great and the bartender was very friendly and knowledgeable.

Great space, friendly staff, and excellent beer. I can't wait to see what's brewing in the future.

Great beer and seltzer options, with a comfortable vibe! I love that this is a family-friendly space and BYOF (bring your own food).