Visited here to kill some time after shopping last night and have to echo the others on the decor. Felt a little corporate and deffinitely more restaurant then bar, but very nice. Busy buzzing atmosphere full of the afore mentioned yuppies and mall goers, of which I was one so I can’t complain I guess. The place is practically in a mall afterall. Strong Ale was served up at a nice temp, but the IPA came out ice cold. Service was mind numbingly slow as the bartenders seemed to be running in circles filling orders from the restaurant. My original bartendress dissappeared after I had my second brew, never to be seen again. I hate having to ask for another beer after waiting with an empty, and even more hate having to ask to pay my bill after sitting around empty for 10 minutes. They needed more bartenders for the busy shopping season. After many more visits service has been consistently better, and updated as such. Decent pub food. Brewer is really starting to shine with some of his seasonal offerings.

Stained glass and sharp geometrics pay homage to Frank Lloyd Wright at this incarnation of Rock Bottom. Pleasing woods in a variety of colors and finishes blend with the sedate beauty of acid-washed slate floors. Stainless steel trough sinks in the bathrooms are just one example of many light-hearted concepts sparked with innovation.

Pub food menu offers the usuals in hearty portions. Wait staff and bartenders are knowledgable and alot of fun (plus I think we spurred bartender Joe onto a hunt for some quality mead). A spare lunchtime crowd made for quiet surroundings.

Beer menu finds the RB-corporate standards spiced up by the diversity of some of brewmaster Chris Boggess’ specials. The quality of all beers is "on".

Easy to find and close to shopping... we usually head over to Oakbrook rather than Yorktown Mall, but Rock Bottom is still a hop, skip and jump.

11/17/07: Went last night after seeing online that they have their 2 FoBab Silver Medal winning beers on tap: Argus India Brown & Creme Dreme. Place was packed and clientele on avg. about 10 yrs older than last time. When I ordered the Hogs Head Bitter on cask, bartender Ryan hooked me up w/ samples of the CO2 and Nitro versions as well. That gesture aside, Ryan is one of the best bartenders I’ve come across in awhile. 9/15/06: This is the nicest Rock Bottom I’ve been to in terms of decor. They spent some money on it. Now, if they could only make good beer! The Oatmeal Stout I had was decent. If they took a page out of the downtown location and always had 3-4 higher test offerings for the beer geeks, this would be a joint worthy of repeat visits. The scene was pretty much all 20 somethings, except for our group. It’s only a 10 minute drive from my house, so if they ever raise the caliber of their beer, I’ll be going back.

Mark nailed it when he listed the scene as yuppies and mall shoppers... although he neglected to mention the occasional beer geeks like us. Plenty of room and parking with a nice island bar. The menu features the usual RB food. The bar staff is friendly and seems like they were trained in their brews. Good location, as Sam’s is just a few minutes away. And the beers give me hope for the place. Nothing outstanding yet, but solid. Very nice APA on tap. I’ll be stopping back.

ElGaucho, SubstanceT, RAYBOY01 and I stopped in for a quick one after leaving Emmett’s. Quite a different crowd. Almost too much eye candy for this aging sot, including a lovely mixologist who also tends bar at Lunar Brewing. She spotted RAYBOY01 and me and distanced herself to the other side of the bar!

Hey, I’m first to add this place. This is one of the "new" Rock Bottoms, with the layout they’ll be using to make a big expansion. Large, airy floor plan, high enough for the brewing works. Nicely appointed island bar. Decor is somewhere between Crate & Barrel and some Euro-kitsch. But my server had been well briefed on his beers and seemed happy to take care of the discerning beer geek. Decor is free of the kitschy antiques, and the only exposed brick was built around the support columns. One wall displayed several medals and GABF certificates, until I got closer and saw that they were just copies from other RBs. Brewmaster is Chris Boggess, a transfer from the RB in Long Beach, CA. This is a new outlot in Yorktown Mall, just off Highland Ave. north of the E-W Tollway. I only had one beer so far, a mere pilsener, but I liked it. And let’s face it, without decent beer, this is just another Applebee’s. Main entrees run a bit pricey, but if you get there Mug Club card, you get value added with every ten visits, on your birthday, on a whim, etc. And they’ve been running more lunchtime and happy hour food specials, too. Plus a beer of the day for just $3.