Roselle's Brewstirs spotlights bar food basics
New owners took over Diamond Lil's space in Roselle's Town Center last January and have been working to improve the space's image to fit with the area's redevelopment. While it's still a neighborhood bar, Brewstirs Burgers, Pizza & Pub is expanding its base with an upgraded food and drink menu.
Motif: The totally remodeled interior is painted in purple and gold hues meant to be reminiscent of wine and beer. The space has two pool tables and a digital jukebox, and the owners eventually want to add video gaming machines. Twenty TVs are typically tuned to sports, and the bar attracts fans by giving away jerseys and hosting buffets during big games. You can grab a seat on one of the dark brown backed chairs at the bar and tall tables around it. Groups congregate at the dining area's long tables. A fenced-off patio with black metal furniture is lined with barrels and planters.
Food: Brewstirs strives to do bar food basics well. The new menu offers hand-rolled pizza with homemade sauce, beer-battered onion rings, hand-cut french fries and enormous tempura-battered chicken fingers. They also sell plenty of burgers, wraps and nachos.
Liquid consumption: The bar offers a small draft list incorporating local brews such as Revolution Brewing Company's Coup D'Etat and Church Street's Bob's Your Dunkel. You'll find $10 buckets on Mondays and $2 domestic drafts Thursdays.
The new owners also expanded the bar's wine selection, now offering about 14 selections by the glass and bottle, including an offering from the nearby Lynfred Winery.
Crowd: Regulars come in to drink during the day, while the crowd gets younger at night. On a Saturday night we found casually dressed groups in their 30s to 60s watching sports, playing pool and having dinner. Wednesdays bring out a particularly big crowd to take advantage of the half-price pizzas.
Music: Brewstirs hosts live bands and DJs a few times a month, bringing in a mix of classic rock, blues and jazz acts. Upcoming shows include classic rock cover band The Neverly Brothers on Friday, March 7.
Service: We were quickly greeted when we stepped up to the bar and the bartender was happy to offer a sample of a draft we asked about and give us the food menu to peruse. When we moved to a table, a server checked in regularly.
Parking: There's a small free lot behind the bar.
Overall: While locals and regulars dominate Brewstirs, the friendly staff tries to make everyone feel at home.
Brewstirs
101 E. Irving Park Road, Roselle, (630) 893-0361
<b>Hours:</b> 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday