Public Brewing Company

The beers here were very good. The sourer, although not my favorite, we're good. Great atmosphere. Great staff! Super friendly and helpful. The only thing holding them back from a five-star would be having really exceptional, unusual craft beers. But they hit all the marks on all the great notes of traditional seasonal beers. A great time there. Plenty of place to kick back and rest your legs.

Had simply the best experience hosting our recent class reunion event at Public Brewing Company in Kenosha, WI. The staff was incredibly kind and welcoming, the Brewhouse Lounge space was versatile for our needs and we loved how centralized the venue was to downtown. Highly recommend!! 🍻

Lots of vegan options! I had the vegan taquitos with a side of Mexican street corn pasta. The food was great. We are at the bar and the service was good and the food came out fast.

This is a cool brew pub right in the heart of Kenosha. It's a pretty large space, and despite being packed on a Saturday night we were able to find seating for our group of six. They have a good assortment of beers, and I really enjoyed their sour (though I wish it was on tap and not in a can). The menu is typical brewery food, though we really enjoyed the cheese curds (fortune cookie flavored as the seasonal option!). They have a small kids menu, but most of their seating is high top tables so this might not be the best option for families with younger kids. This is a seat yourself and order through a QR code place, so service is limited but was friendly enough. We did get our food and drinks quickly though. Definitely a place to check out if you're a beer fan.

Our girls youth soccer team had a post holiday gathering at Public Brewing this afternoon and not only was the service excellent, the food (new menu) and space it provided our group of 15 families was perfect! A huge thank you to Rex the manager and service crew tonight! We love our visits to Public!

A nice little pub that is more than that. Great service with delicious food. Sometimes one wonders why things get all hyped up while others are quietly leading the way through example and delicious food I don't know if the food or service deserves higher accolades because this place dots all the i's and hits all the spots Again, it may not be a household name but the city of Kenosha should hold this place in a higher regards

My husband and I hosted our rehearsal dinner here on September 25, 2025, and had a wonderful experience from start to finish. The staff was incredibly accommodating, and the food was fantastic—especially the cheese curds, which were a huge hit with our family and friends. The beverage selection was amazing and was large enough to please everyone in our group. Later in the evening, they began their regular trivia night and kindly offered to close the doors for us, but we actually loved the lively atmosphere—it added a fun, unexpected touch to an already memorable night. One of the most thoughtful moments came when a staff member brought out several types of forks for my grandmother, who has difficulty gripping certain utensils. We truly appreciated that extra level of care. Highly recommend this venue for any special gathering!

We had a great time here. The venue is large and really nice. The beer is delicious and they offer a nice range of styles. What stood out most was the people behind the bar. They were all friendly, funny and engaging. They really make you feel like they want you there and want you to have a great experience. Drew was hilarious and awesome. We will definitely be back and hope to try some food next time and take a tour.

This was our first time here! Located in downtown Kenosha, Public Brewing is a large brewery . We had no issues finding parking, but it was a Sunday . They have so many seating options, bar seating, tables, and couches. Lots of game options ! Their menus is a QR code and they have a large selection of beers. We ordered at the bar and also tried their cheese curds. They do have a weekly cheese curd special, but we opted for the original. My husband ordered a flight and enjoyed and there were some unique options. The Key Lime Sour was unique and the Slime Time Sour. The bartenders were very friendly ! When in the Kenosha area we will return. FYI - very cool bathroom wallpaper

This was such an awesome spot to pass an afternoon and I honestly can't wait to go back! This brewery is the one that Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee acquired, and you can tell if you're familiar with Lakefront when it comes to the signage and how the tour is run. We knew it would be a good place when we came in at 230 pm on a Friday and it was already pretty hopping. We grabbed a drink and settled on a couch to play one of the many games they had available. We were about to head out when one of the staff asked if we wanted to go on the tour for free since it was their customer appreciation day and we said definitely. And all I can say is you should definitely go on the tour if you have a chance! The tour was awesome and I loved all the history it covered, both about the building, location, and beer. A full pour of beer was included halfway through, and you got another beer at the end as well as some additional swag. The beer itself was very tasty and they have a huge variety to suit everyone's taste. From sours to ales to stouts they've got everything. We didn't give their food a try but I can safely say when we go back we definitely will!

Today I walked from Chicago to Kenosha (training for a climb) just so I could bring a six pack of Spotted Cow back. Stopped off at Public, had a pint of their Bits and Pieces IPA and decided to bring that back instead. Friendly staff, a great atmosphere. No regrets.

Came in here on the Saturday of the Kenosha Ice Festival. Honestly, the place was not that busy & many people just drinking. Very nice place inside, big but they don't utilize the space for anything more than what was in here this day. Good beer selection, have good amount of sours & was interested in trying them out. However, the food is why it is a 3 & not a 4 or 5. We ordered a Mediterranean Chicken Bowl & Chicken Tenders. Took at minimum 30 minutes from ordering to when we got them. Reason said was the chicken tenders take long to cook. That is BS, they were 4 Tyson small tenders from the frozen aisle with a poor portion size of fries. $14 for that is a rip off. Would have expected bar food to at least price it at what they know it is worth. The Chicken Bowl was good but the utter rip off of the chicken tenders is a reason for sticking with a 3. Plus the wait time. I swear maybe 1 table got served every 7 minutes. It is like they had only one cook on a day they knew Kenosha had a large amount of people to come out.

Oh gosh! Not sure what to say about this place. The servers don't understand beer. At all! The brewers don't understand beer at all! I asked the server which of their beers had the highest IBU for a pale ale and he said "What is an IBU?" Good lord.

Just returned to Public after there transition. We were not sure if it would have a new name but we're pleasantly surprised. Friday Fish night is definitely worth it. Two large pieces of Cod, flavorful and potato pancakes " odd choice for a side but it works". They have tours now that we will definitely partake in. Ins we are glad that they are back and hope that the menu increases.

Fun place right downtown Kenosha! They have shuffleboard and some other board/card games available to play. Love the beer flight options here too!

I've had some good beers from Public Craft, their Bomb Pop Sour is fun, but perhaps overall missing some knock it out of the park consistency. Visited with friends and Public had a street fest that was kind of unremarkable, and similar with the inside on a Saturday night. The place is huge with a food menu and it might beg a return visit for sure, until then four big stars for Kenosha's Public Craft Brewing!

Friendly service, large space, pretty solid beers. There is plenty of street parking available and when we visited on a Sunday afternoon there were plenty of open tables and seats at the bar. The tap list is pretty extensive - we tried a peach blonde and an amber ale, both were good. A little pricey for the beers, but worth a stop. They have food available (mostly appetizers and sandwiches, burgers - bar food) but we didn't eat there. I would return if I was in the area.

You have to order your self and get your own water. 17 dollar burger was tiny and came with 9 tots. Chicken wrap was one chicken tender cut up really tiny with unmelted cheese in it. Fish tacos were wet that made the taco soggy with water and had no sauce on them.

Good selection of beer. Food was ok. I recommend sticking to the bar basics when ordering from their menu. I tried to go Greek, but it was subpar and didn't really pair well with the beer I ordered. The whole place caters to large groups of people and is a relatively noisy environment meant for hanging out with friends for the evening. It seemed like a pretty popular spot when we were there on a Saturday night. The service was fast, and all the staff were happy to help. It was nice to be tended to right when we walked up to the bar despite how busy the bartenders were.

It's a new owner, but it's still the same low-quality beer. I was hoping to try a Lake Front brewery beer while there, but the server pushed everyone towards a Public beer, even when you asked for Lake Front. Maybe time will improve the quality at Public Brewing.

The best brewery in Kenosha! Great food, and service. The beer is fantastic! I'm in love with the new cheese curds!! Can't say enough good things

This is an amazing place! Having spent the morning birding with my wife in the Illinois Beach State Park North Unit, I then looked up nearby brewpubs (I am a home brewer) and landed on this place. Public Brewing has a welcoming atmosphere, great food, great beers, and the one person behind the bar with whom we dealt (Drew) knows his beers and is a man with awesome people skills. I had the Black Bean Burger and kettle chips, and my wife had the salad. Both excellent! We both loved the Dubbel and the Chocolate Birthday Cake Stout. Don't let the name of the latter fool you; it is not over-the-top sweet, and the dominant flavor is coffee. Yum! If we lived closer, this would be a go-to place for us. As it is, when we next find ourselves in the area, we will be here.

Had the BEST girl's night. Great beer. Amazing atmosphere and fun people! Thinking of making it a monthly thing. May even bring the husband... (or not)! Told about ownership change. Can't wait to see what's going to happen!!

We went here on a Friday night. As expected it was a great crowd around 7pm. We selected our spot to enjoy this huge place. They were short staffed this evening and with a great crowd, it did not alter our server ( forgot her name but kudos to her!) from making sure we were well taken care of. We started off with their Bits and Pieces beer. Wonderful selection! Then tried their flights of different house beers, I forget what my buddy ordered. No complaints on their beer. Only disappointment was their cheese curds. I was hoping for something better but their beer cheese fries were wonderful. Not pictured is their wings. 1 order of Buffalo and 1 order of their Nashville Hot. The wings were meaty, crispy on the outside and tender inside. They were really cooked to perfection. Will be back here again soon as our server was talking about their daily specials to where $.50 wings interested me the most

You know, it's still good but it's different. No more video games. Only one cozy couch sitting area the others have been replaced with cold metal black/silver high tops. The old menu which was a bit more unique has been replaced with a more generic midwest bar menu. I guess that's what the people want around here so i can't be mad at the business. But they no longer have cool tacos and the cheese curds aren't tempura battered anymore just regular cheese curds. They're fine. Kids still love them. Wing Wednesday is a great deal on big wings. Staff still not super friendly. So they went from a super cool underground brewery to a cozy brewery restaurant with unique (for kenosha) food options to a midwest brewery with exactly what you'd expect on a menu.

So far the new menu is outstanding. Best Italian beef in downtown Kenosha. Portillo's good. Maybe better. Large flavorful garlic parm wings. Better than Slip 56. One of the best cheeseburgers downtown too. Better than Mike's, maybe better than KYC.

Great space! Any place that serves a dill pickle sour, I'm a fan. They also have a great variety of other stuff. They have a cool space for talent (music and comedy).. I'll be checking their upcoming shows! Oh yeah, their food's pretty good too. Why not 5 stars? Server was a little nontalkative.. friendly enough, but not very engaging. Won't stop me from coming back though!

Gotta admit, all in all this place is a top 3 favorite in all of Kenosha, and for so many reasons. First of all, the beer! They constantly rotate their offerings, with all kinds of unique and different beers. My personal favorite is their summer beer, Bomb Pop. It's a truly epic and delicious sour beer that I just can't get enough of. The food, a constant experiment. Their menu has changed several times over the last year alone and it's never disappointed. Miss the tacos for sure, but their current offerings are all delish. The service has NEVER been anything but open and friendly. From the beertenders to the greeters and servers, it's like walking into a friend's house. Every time we have a visitor from out of town we bring them here and they have never disappointed. We love bringing our daughter here too. We play shuffle board, foosball, darts and board games. The nights here are even more fun. So far I've done the open mic night, which had shockingly good music, and the trivia night. Both were awesome hangs with friends. I really can't say enough food things about Public

Drinking at the bar is nice but the food is extremely mediocre and the service is even worse.

Good beers, but still failing on service. I just got schooled that Narcissist Rye is a type of beer, and Ol' Dirty Barden was one such beer. O'so Narcissist Rye is an imperial stout, not the same thing. Third fail here. Maybe done with them.

The staff was amazing they had live music which was great and my wife was happy they had 6 sours on tap

I've driven past this establishment many times and they always seem busy on the weekends. I previewed the menu and it looked amazing! We decided to ask another couple to join us for dinner this evening (Sunday). Upon arriving, there were very few people at around 5pm. The red flags started flying. I should've taken the cue and made my way to another place for dinner. I wanted to give them a fair shot and stayed. Our waitress was "green" and obviously did not know the menu. We asked a couple questions about it and she excused herself to get answers, but forgot upon returning with our drinks. So, off she went again and came back with some of the information. (Sigh) We placed our orders and waited a good bit of time for our food. No worries, good food is worth waiting for and it gave us time to visit. Well, apparently they have a very talented menu writer on staff, and someone may have forgotten to convey this to their cooks/chef - the amazing flavors described in the menu. The food was warm and mediocre at best. We ordered: dbl cheeseburger, wonton wrapped mozzarella sticks, BLTA, Oktoberfest beer and the Nashville Hot Mac n Cheese. I can honestly state the mozzarella sticks were tasty, but warm at best. The Double cheeseburger lacked the cheese, the BLTA did not have six slices of bacon and it was the sorriest sandwich I've ever seen, the Mac n cheese was not good - cold, overcooked/bland pasta, WAY too much sauce (Nashville hot sauce), the chicken coating was falling off - not crispy, no coleslaw and the pickles in this dish were out of place. I found it hard to complain about 3 of our 4 dishes and just decided on the spot that this would be our only visit to Published Craft. Recap: The beer was good and the mozzarella sticks were good. Service was not good. I was hoping to try other dishes on the menu as I read it, but I don't think it will happen. I was so excited to try out this place only to walk away disappointed.

The location is really nice. I love how they have a quirky decor set up with modern high tables and games mixed in. We went with a Groupon and got a flight of beer, 9 of them. It was a great deal for 10$. The beer was hit or miss. A couple were kind of undrinkable but that could have just been our beer palates. The cheese curds were delicious! They came with a citrus dipping sauce that was packed with bright flavor. They were the saving grace. Overall it seems like a good place to go and grab a beer with friends, just don't get a beer that sounds too crazy flavor profile wise.

Former Favorite Hits the Skids It's been a month or so since we've been to Public Craft Brewing in Kenosha, and it looks like we haven't missed anything. We recently went late on a Friday afternoon and had a horrendous experience. We have lower expectations on Fridays but this was worse than anything we imagined. The place was about 1/2 full and there were at 7 staff working the front of the house, including 3 behind the bar. We sat at the bar and things started OK. Our first server, L____, tapped our beers and took our food orders. While we waited a server circled the bar with 2 fish fry orders, trying to find the right customers. The fish went back to the kitchen. Meanwhile our cheese curds came out. Previously this place had some the best in town, but the current iteration is just ordinary. The garlic sauce helps. Then those 2 fish fry orders circulated again and again went back to the kitchen. Hoping for another beer I caught L____'s eye and held up my empty glass 3 times as she passed within a foot of our seat and was ignored. Finally she swooped in and I requested Irish Ale. It arrived and I tasted it - coconut stout. I hate coconut. Our food arrived in a timely manner and the fish fry was good. The side order of onion rings that was meant to be shared was buried under the fish. My burger was overdone and while the menu touted a brioche bun it came on a slightly stale supermarket hamburger bun. I was again trying to get L____'s attention to explain I had the wrong beer but she was busy taking a selfie with a friend. Finally another server came by. I explained about the beer and she tapped what we thought was the Irish Ale but guess what? It was coconut stout. Turned out that the wrong barrel was connected to the Irish Ale tap and indeed it was pouring coconut stout. And the fish fry orders made a third appearance and finally found a home. I can't imagine the fish and fries were still warm and crispy at this point. I can forgive a micro-brewery being challenged by food service, and I can imagine a restaurant being challenged by serving many different beers but Public Craft did both badly. We'll give it another chance but it may be a while before we do.

Buddy and I tried three microbreweries with this being the first of three stops. Fairly small bar area, but liked the vibe for the most part. I'm a not big fan of the short stools though, for a taller person you're almost sitting on your knees very uncomfortable - rather they put a few more tables. Music was a bit loud times. The beer was decent, perhaps slightly bitter...rank the distant runner up on the night.

Very disappointed. A friend and I went to celebrate a birthday. We sat down and waited for about 15-20 mins not one server bothered to check on us. Several servers walked passed us. Server went to a table of a couple who arrived after us and the lady stated they were here first and server totally disregarded her comment and we passed a server and still no acknowledgement. Will not go back

A very spacious great every place that has plenty of space and has been remodeled in Old historic building in downtown Kenosha. This place is totally awesome they have downstairs private rooms and looks pretty much what one would expect a Craft brewery to look like. This place however is very huge and the size of the tanks are massive and incredible. The beer here it was very good and they have a large selection of your own home brew craft beer I was quite surprised however that the place did not seem to be busy on a night I went

I was there a week ago with a group that ended up being about 15 people. The service, food and beer were all great! They took outstanding care of us! The layout of the bar and tables are spacious and worked perfectly. My husband and I had lunch there about a month ago and also received phenomenal service. We highly recommend Public Brewery and will definitely return!

Matt Geary has EXCEPTIONAL skills in brewing AWESOME craft beers!!! I LOVED "English Strong Ale"...aka "Richard's Strong Ale". My husband had their on tap Root Beer. He called it "delicious". They have locally made flavored popcorn! The Cheddar Cheese popcorn was THE BEST we have EVER found. Monica was fantastic and I loved her taste in music. She made our time there extra special. Have some fun, be creative, grab some of the pens and markers and design a deca!! If you find yourself in the Kenosha area, you have an appreciation for GREAT craft beer, stop at Public Craft Brewing Company!!! You will be happy you did!!

I visit craft breweries as a hobby. Public Brewing moved into a much larger and renovated space several years ago. I can't validate that statement as their website lacks an "About" section that talks about their history. While the small former space was grunge, the new space is large with a grand bar and areas of antique furniture next to the windows. It's a utilitarian space meant to accommodate groups of patrons. I like it, especially with the addition of art and stage for live entertainment. The ceiling has a turn of the century tin look and plenty of speakers and trendy lighting. It's a comfortable space for its size. The staff is friendly and efficient. Food is available and the guest Wi-Fi works great. As to the beer, it is not uncommon for them to have at least 20 beers on tap at a time. While there is variation they do like to dip into trendy IPA's and weird sours. The Dill Pickle Sour is on tap today and it is as much an abomination as it sounds. Otherwise, I had a flight of six today. This included an English Bitter, dubbel, quad, chili hot chocolate stout, and wit. You cannot accuse the brewer of lack of creativity. I enjoyed the flight, especially the English bitter which likely had the lowest ABV. I love that I got a flight of 6 for $13 which you don't find elsewhere. I think Public's growth is great for downtown Kenosha and they should be encouraged to experiment with all flavors despite the presence of fu#$ing pickle sours.

Food arrived stone cold. Tacos took 45 minutes which I don't mind if they're busy but they were obviously just sitting somewhere Fusion tacos might be good but I'll never know Also nachos are just chips & cheese. Menu says this but most of chips were completely dry. Maybe they ran out of cheese??? In Wisconsin? Beer was just okay. Nothing worth coming back for.

Stopped in here while driving through Kenosha on a Sunday afternoon. We were looking for lunch and this place was delicious! Really neat place with games, central bar, lots of seating and a window that overlooks the brewery. We got a beer and a kombucha - both pretty tasty - and some tacos, cheese curds and a burger. Food didn't take long at all but they were pretty slow when we arrived. Highly highly recommend the cheese curds - they were so delicious!! A little pricier than I was hoping for for lunch, but if I was more local I would definitely come here on the weekends for drinks with friends!

The Rundown: Fun tasting room with a full length shuffleboard table, foosball table, and a sweet checkers/chess table. Also a sweet vinyl collection as well which I seem to be noticing in several breweries as of late. Overall: Good times! I'm a fan. If you ever find yourself in Kenosha, WI, this was one of two breweries just a stones throw from the Metra stop. And if you follow my reviews closely, you must be wondering what's up with this dude and breweries and Metra stops? Well the answer is, I did the Metra train brewery tour (unofficial). There's a handful of breweries you can hit that are within walking distance of Metra stops. And for $8 on the weekend get you unlimited rides on the Metra, so boom there ya go. For now I'm only aware of three, but once I find more I'll make an official list. Anyways, as I described in the rundown, really cool spot to kick it. Also a really small brewery and if you make your way to the restroom, you'll pass by where they make the beer. Their tap list is limited but as I recall their IPAs and pales were excellent. If you love beer, definitely come and check this one out. Til next time, cheers!

Great Beer, food and a friendly atmosphere. PLUS, the best Tuesday Album Night in SE Wisconsin. They don't blast you out of the building.

We were out on a Saturday afternoon and stopped in for a beer. We actually left about 3 hours later place was amazing. Its fairly new location is wonderful. The menu looked amazing and the Bartender was the Best we will def be back soon for some wonderful food.

Earth mother live music Saturday night! Good music, great beer, good people. Cosey place with foosball, an n64 and some great options for packaged beers to go. The Saturday we came was a bit of a hippie jam fest. Which is a pleasant surprise if you like that vein of American rock. I will be stopping back.

My boyfriend and I have visited this brewery twice on our visits up to Kenosha from Chicago. The beer is delicious and the atmosphere is so laid back. The owners are so awesome and personable. They also allow dogs!!! That is a huge plus, especially for a pup mom like myself. We will continue to visit when we have the opportunity.

Great Atmosphere, horrible food. We love going here for a drink and chilling but the food lacks anything special. Tacos are the worst! I would say if you are looking to just grab a drink and chill for a low key night its a great place to go, but if you want food - go eat some where else first.

Fun local brewer that has some quality beers. Cool vibe and nice folks are happy to discuss what they have on tap and in the in the fridge. Stop by for a beer. It'll be worth it.

Love this new space! Great to see Kenosha coming back. Just sooooo wish this spot had a TV for sports. Will be back anyway! Psssttt...how bout a TV???

Keep up the good work Matt and Crew! To accomplish what you have up to this point especially with the challenges of the last couple of years, is impressive. Keep pushing onward and upward.

I stopped in with some friends last Saturday night. The place had a few patrons, but wasn't too busy. The bar is dog friendly, as a man and his dog were sitting at the first barstool as I walked in. My kind of place. Nothing fancy here, just good beer and some games to play while you drink. There's a huge-sized jenga set, a chess board, some board games, and my personal favorite, a table shuffleboard set. We must have played shuffleboard for at least an hour during our visit. Bartender was pleasant and I never had to wait to refresh my beer. The posted hours indicate the brewery closes on weekends at 9, but we were still there around 10:30. It really is a chill place to come hang out and drink beer. If I lived in Kenosha, we (and our dogs) would be regulars.

This place has so much potential. Amazing space with a venue above it. There's a stage for live music, stand up comedians trying to gain experience, birthday parties, gender reveal parties, divorce parties, etc. unfortunately, it's mediocre at best. I've been here a handful of times now and sadly, I don't have much to rave to about. Their beer is unexciting (always the same), mostly tastes flat, their bartenders are a little grumpy/beer snobs, and their menu is average. Where's the Bavarian pretzel? Or the bratwurst? Or the .50 chicken wings? I expect more from Public. If you're out of town, and considering this establishment, the bits and pieces are 5/10 (the seltzer is tasteless/ flat) and the burger and tots are jusaaayyyy! I'm not a disgruntled customer either. I'm seeking improvement in a community I hold near and dear to my heart. I want this business to see this review and rise above to do better for our city!

Great selection of beers - feel free to ask about them since they're all brewed in-house. The bartenders are all super friendly and are very knowledgeable about the beers on tap. The relaxed atmosphere provides a nice place to hang out with friends.

Very nice. Good bartenders. Tasty beers. I prefer the Gose Cuervo and Weiss City. Staff is always great. Music is esoteric- always something you'll recognize & enjoy. Dog friendly. Perfect go-to.

This is the most down to earth brewery I have visited. We visited on a Friday, beagle in tow, just as they were unlocking the door. This brewery is completely dog-friendly. The guy behind the bar gave our furry buddy tons of attention! There was also a bowl of water in the corner so he could join the party. We left around 5:00 p.m., and by that time there were a few people sitting at the bar. I tried two of their beers. I didn't like the Inkwell Black IPA, but the Public Pale Ale was really good. Beers are $4 for a pint, but a quick taste is free. Public Craft Brewing is a no-frills place, but there's a cozy corner with two easy chairs along with a bookcase stocked with top notch authors like Charles Bukowski, John Steinbeck, and Hunter S. Thompson. There were also a few board games. From my first impressions of Kenosha, there isn't much going on, so there's no reason you can't make room in your schedule for a visit to Public Craft Brewing.

Beer was very good. There were a lot of choices. However, a plate of nachos took over 30 minutes to get. When we asked about it they said, sorry it's a 25 minute wait. That would have been nice to know when we ordered. How does a plate of nachos take over 30 minutes to prepare? If you're going for a drink... stop in. If you're going for food, be prepared to wait.