An Ottawa-based company is bringing its “farm-to-foam” craft beer-focused concept to Vernon Hills.

Tangled Roots Brewery & Restaurants’ fourth location, Craft Beer and Kitchen, is scheduled to open Wednesday at Mellody Farm, Milwaukee Avenue and Route 60 in Vernon Hills.

It will occupy the former Next Door American Eatery spot near Slyce pizza at Mellody Farm, a retail center that also features a variety of dining options.

Tangled Roots was founded in 2016 in Ottawa near Starved Rock State Park. The original concept, according to the company, was to blend high quality, chef-crafted menus with authentic, locally grown and brewed craft beers.

Hops and barley are grown on Tangled Roots’ own farm in Illinois and used to brew a range of beer styles, including its signature 100% Farm to Foam ale and Forty1 Eighty8, according to the company.

“Embrace Your Nature” is the motto of Tangled Roots, where each restaurant is distinct and draws inspiration from the town in which it is located. The other sites are The Lone Buffalo in Ottawa; Lock & Mule in Lockport; and Hangar Two in Glenview.

Tangled Roots will offer friendly, down-to-earth service, reflecting its origins as a small-town eatery, according to the company.

“We’ve had a lot of success with our restaurants so far, which have been based in smaller towns,” Blake Rohrabaugh, CEO of hospitality said in a news release. “We’re confident that we have a compelling offering and now were looking forward to sharing it with larger communities like Vernon Hills.”

Anthony “Tony” Fosco, who was raised in Vernon Hills, is the general manager and Eduardo “Eddie” Martinez, who has become instrumental in training for new store openings throughout his career, is the executive chef.

The Vernon Hills menu includes Bavarian pretzels and loaded tater tots as appetizers; bison chili among the soups; a nine-grain ancient grain among the salads; burgers and sandwiches; and, entrees such as chicken schnitzel, filet mignon and citrus salmon.

Storytellers Studio Sessions is officially back!

Miles Nielsen & Kelly Steward will be hosting Storytellers Studio Sessions Season 4 at The Lone Buffalo by Tangled Roots Brewing Company in Ottawa, IL. This music series, hosted by Miles & Kelly, is a unique music experience that is both intimate and captivating and has a stellar lineup for the 2024 season. Individual tickets are $50 per show.

Sunday, January 21st featuring Kevn Kinney
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Sunday, February 18th featuring Parker Millsap
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Sunday, March 10th featuring Kristian Bush & Andrew Hyra
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Sunday, April 14th featuring Michelle Malone
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Explore the regions of Illinois with getaways perfect for exploring the fall color. Enjoy Illinois has picked out four places to explore in each region, all with attractions that are perfect for a fall getaway.

Article originally published on WCBU.org on October 5th, 2023

Developers, financiers and city officials broke ground Thursday morning on the future site of Tangled Roots restaurant and brewpup in Washington.

The $6 million project on the town square was originally planned to open in December of this year. However, fluctuating construction costs and other unexpected issues delayed the timeline. CL Real Estate Development, or CLRED, is now aiming for a November 2024 grand opening.

“We love building things. We love seeing them go up,” said Nathan Watson, CEO of CLRED. “It’s one of the most exciting and fulfilling things that we do in our business.”

The building is designed by architect Dirk Lohan, who designed the corporate headquarters for McDonald’s, among other projects.

Watson said Lohan’s design takes special care to gel with the surrounding buildings and overall feeling of the idyllic town square. For example, the first floor features large retail openings like the other shops in the area. The open second floor includes a timber frame that raises the building to the same height as the other two-story buildings on the square.

“This [building] has the challenge of bringing modern architecture into a historical context,” said Watson. “And I think we’ve done an excellent job.”

The construction contract with Global Builders totals about $4.5 million, before additional costs associated with creating and running a customer service business like a restaurant. When completed, the complex also will include six, short-term rental spaces that will have to be approved by the City of Washington at a later date.

Watson estimates annual revenue from the business at $5 million and $6 million. City officials estimate $120,000 annually in sales tax revenue and between $75,000 and $80,000 annually returned to the TIF fund that made the project possible.

Kelly Pohl is a local investor and supporter of the project. She reached out to Tangled Roots and developers after deciding she wanted to make her former flower shop, at the corner of Walnut Street and Washington Square, into the home of a new rooftop bar.

“It’s beyond my wildest dreams,” Pohl said. “Our team has kept us involved from the beginning. They’ve asked our opinions, and just really included us in the whole process. So we really appreciate that.”

Pohl anticipates the new business increasing traffic for other businesses on the square.

The brewpub isn’t the end of CLRED’s plans for the area. The firm also own two buildings a few doors down Walnut Street. Watson said the plan is to convert the former Knights of Columbus building and the closed Prep Freeze Cook into an event center, an outdoor event space and a retail space.

“We’ve always said that once we’re in a community, we’d like to keep on building,” said Watson. “It helps our existing investment, but also, in the challenging environment that we’re in, we need to diversify our revenue sources on the project.”

Article originally published on Central Illinois Proud website on October 5th, 2023

Set to open in November of 2024, the Tangled Roots Brewpub and Restaurant is what Washington officials hope makes the city a destination for those looking for a night out.

A ground-breaking event was held Thursday morning, which brought together several key participants in the development of the project. The hope for city officials, such as Mayor Gary Manier, is that the brewpub boosts the Washington economy.

“I think you’re going to see people from the entire region, Bloomington-Normal and Peoria, maybe as far as the Quad Cities,” Manier continues, “We’ve got a beautiful downtown square and now we’ve got a chance to show it off even more.”

The project is in the $8-9 million range and is spearheaded by CL Real Estate Development. CEO Nathan Watson said the idea for the project dates back to 2019.

He believes Washington is the perfect spot for a development such as this.

“Washington is ripe for a great downtown brewpub and restaurant venue,” Watson continues, “It’s got a great population and the surrounding area is in a similar situation where they’re looking for good places to dine.”

The project has also run into some hiccups along the way. An adjacent building owner could end up in court with the developers again, as they claim crews damaged their building during demolition.

The building owner’s lawyer, Brian Mooty, says his client expected damages to occur, but they thought the developers would fix the issue.

Mooty said his client had tried to enter into an agreement with the developers to stave off possible court action beyond the initial filing of a lawsuit. However, that agreement remains unsigned and the attorney spoke at a recent Washington City Council meeting where he hinted that further legal action might be taken.

Watson says workers will repair damages to adjacent buildings and they remain in communication with those buildings.

In addition to the brewpub and restaurant on the first floor, residential units, and a rooftop beer garden will overlook the downtown square. When completed, the brewpub will be the largest private investment in downtown Washington in at least a century.

After getting some suggestions from John Williams, Jon Hansen visits Ottawa, Illinois, and visits Heritage Harbor, The Lone Buffalo by Tangled Roots Brewing Company, and more.

See the full video

Historic Ottawa is a two-hour drive southwest of the Loop and is Chicago’s sister city.

It’s home to the first Lincoln-Douglas debate, great restaurants, including Tangled Roots Brewing Company’s The Lone Buffalo and so much more.

Read the full article

Check out TimeOut Chicago’s guide to the best day trips from Chicago to explore everything the Midwest has to offer including our very own The Lone Buffalo in Ottawa, IL.

There’s nothing quite like enjoying something you’ve grown in the garden yourself, or that you picked up at the local farmer’s market. The taste of something made locally is always more interesting than something mass-produced — and who doesn’t love the taste of a treat straight out of the oven? So then, what’s the adult version of fresh-baked cookies — fresh-brewed beer? If that sounds like your jam, then you’ll feel like a kid in a candy store at this farm-to-glass brewery in Ottawa, Illinois.

Take your tastebuds on a grand tour for North Shore Restaurant Month! The annual celebration of all things foody gets you freebies, discounts and other yummy deals at Restaurant Month eateries like Hangar Two! See the full article here.