Pig Minds Vegan Restaurant and Microbrewery
Tasty vegan versions of your favorite, feel-good foods can only be made better when coupled with a crafty microbrew. Add a friendly atmosphere where you feel like a regular customer, and you have Pig Minds. Stop by Pig Minds Microbrewery and Vegan Restaurant, just outside of Rockford, Illinois to see what I mean.
When my family and I traveled within the USA one summer, we visited the town of Rockford, Illinois. Rockford was a fantastic town to take a small detour from Chicago. There were so many great places to visit with our small family, and the restaurants were also topnotch.
This is a sponsored post! Though the meal may have been a gift of the restaurant, the opinions and review of this vegetarian are completely my own! This post may also contain affiliate links. See the Disclaimer page for details.
Why Did We Eat at a Vegan Microbrewery?
I was about to celebrate 25 years of being a vegetarian, and I wanted my anniversary meal to be one that I wouldn’t forget. Pig Minds seemed to be the perfect place to make this special day even more special.
Because we had family living not far from Rockford, my husband and I decided to leave the kids with them and have a date night. My husband was not a vegetarian or vegan, and he, in fact, loved to eat meat. I was hoping that the food would be good enough for a meat eater. If nothing else, I knew he would be impressed with the microbrews that they had on tap.
Outside Appearance of Pig Minds
We arrived to Pig Minds Restaurant around 5:30pm on the Wednesday night of our date. The parking lot was already starting to get crowded.
The outside of the restaurant looked like a large tin building. There was a nice outside patio that gave it a certain level of coziness to this otherwise industrial setting. Since the other buildings in the area were manufacturing workshops, it was hard to tell that Pig Minds was a restaurant. I think that added to its character, though.
The Pleasant Ambiance of Pig Minds
After entering, we were promptly greeted by a friendly waitress who told us to sit wherever we would like. It was nice to be able to choose our seats. We picked a spot that was closest to the windows that overlooked the already-full patio section. There weren’t that many available places to eat. However, I still felt that it was spacious enough to allow each guest enough privacy to enjoy a nice meal.
Along with umbrella-covered tables on the patio and smaller tables on the inside, there was also a bar section very close to the entrance. The manager and bartender seemed to be having a great conversation with the customers. It really gave off the feeling that Pig Minds was the type of place where people enjoyed visiting after a day of work. Everyone was so friendly.
Our waitress came by right away with menus and was also very pleasant. She answered all of our questions about the menu and had a great sense of humor. A true highlight of the trip was getting to meet Kelly, one of the two owners of the restaurant.
I could see how Pig Minds would be a place that I would want to visit often. It gave off good “feels” long before our dining experience began!
Microbrews at Pig Minds Vegan Restaurant and Microbrewery
We decided to get a little bit of everything when it came to ordering our microbrews. We wanted to get a true experience for the place by tasting all the beers on tap. Pig Minds made this easy to do with their beer flight. This flight had all ten beers that were on tap at that moment. They came on a wooden tray and were each in 5 oz (roughly 15 cl) glasses.
We loved that we could try all of the different drafts. Our fabulous waitress gave us a description of each one. Along with the beer introduction, we also enjoyed the music they played over the speakers.
The Beer Flight We Enjoyed While at Pig Minds
During our entire meal, my husband and I were able to drink all 10 glasses by sharing them. Here is a list of all 10 microbrews with the percentage of alcohol within each one and a shortened description of what we were told by the good people at Pig Minds. I just loved the beer names! 😉
(Keep in mind that as many microbreweries go, this list is subject to change over time. Check Pig Minds website for an up-to-date list of their brews on tap.)
- Blue Collar (5.6%): light, blonde beer
- Southy Bitch Slap (5.5%): caramel and toffee inspired red ale
- Vanilla Bitch Slap (5.5%): a vanilla-infused red ale
- Happi Daze (5.6%): a “Blue Collar” with a hint of blueberry (Included full blueberries too.)
- Rap, White and Blue (5.7%): raspberry, blueberry and wheat ale
- Short Stack (5.9%): blonde ale with blueberry, maple and vanilla (Tastes like pancakes and syrup!)
- Pua’a Pig Punch (4.4%): Berliner Weisse with pomegranate and pineapple. (Reminded me of buttered popcorn! Yum!)
- Sweep the Leg (7.3%): mild IPA with citrus flavors
- Death Grip (7.3%): a medium-bodied IPA with more citrus and wooden flavors
- Western Dragon (9.0%): a strong IPA with citrus, fruits, and pine
I would have to classify many of the brews as being somewhat “Belgian” because of their fruity flavors. My husband and I have different tastes when it comes to beers. It was nice that we didn’t fight over any one specific brew.
Our Favorite Micro Beers at Pig Minds Vegan Restaurant and Microbrewery
My top favorites had to be the Happi Daze and the Short Stack. I loved the cool addition of blueberry to the already crisp and tasty Blue Collar. I could have easily had a taller glass of the Blue Collar or the Happi Daze, because they were also very smooth and light.
The Short Stack reminded me of a liquid version of a delicious pancake breakfast. That might not seem very exciting, but it was a perfect beer to drink with our dessert.
My husband, on the other hand, really enjoyed the Southy Bitch Slap and the Sweep the Leg. These two were very different from each other. Southy Bitch Slap was a caramel/toffee, red ale while the Sweep the Leg was more of a orange and grapefruit-flavored IPA.
Giving so many different options with the beer flight, Pig Minds helped its customers explore tastes that they might not have been able to explore had they only ordered one taller glass of beer. We really enjoyed the beer flight. I would recommend it to others wanting to get the most out of your beer-tasting experience at Pig Minds.
Appetizers at Pig Minds
We had a bit of an appetite and were very hungry for something from their appetizer menu. There were so many good options of appetizers to choose at Pig Minds. They had everything you would expect to see on a bar menu: pretzels, nachos, jalapeño poppers, etc. There were also some interesting vegetable variations that made our choice much more difficult.
We finally decided to get the Spinach Dip. Though we had eaten spinach dip many times before, we were very eager to taste how Pig Minds would make it. Spinach dip was also something we didn’t often see in restaurants in Denmark. This made us extra happy to live as the good people of Machesney Park, Illinois for just one night.
Vegan Spinach Dip
When we received our Spinach Dip, I had to remind my husband multiple times that what we were eating was vegan. It was so hard to tell, since it tasted very much like a dairy-filled dip. This Spinach Dip was also delicious!!
It had the perfect blend of spinach and “cheese” cream that went perfectly with the pita slices and fresh vegetables, that were served along the side of the plate. We thought that it was a perfect appetizer with our beer flight, as well! It didn’t take us long to eat the entire appetizer just in time for our food to arrive.
Main Course Meals at Pig Minds Vegan Restaurant and Microbrewery
I couldn’t believe how many choices were on the main course section of the menu. We were able to find a good selection of sandwiches, but the burgers, wraps, tacos, and bowls sounded so delicious. It was difficult knowing which to pick.
I also liked that they had a kids’ section of the menu. It came complete with items that would generally be on any kids’ menu in other non-vegan restaurants. (…except that these were all vegan.) Pig Minds truly had something for everyone.
The hard thing about having so many great main course options is not knowing what to order!
BBQ Porky Sandwich
I decided to get the BBQ Porky Sandwich with Sweet Potato Fries. I loved barbecue sauce, but as a vegetarian, there were very few places where I could get a tasty BBQ sandwich and be meatless. This was turning out to be a perfect anniversary dinner.
My sandwich was better than I had expected. The veggie pork was smothered in a sweet, yet tangy BBQ sauce. It was the perfect combination of spicy and savory, especially with the creamy coleslaw that was placed on top.
The flavors complemented each other so well, and being served on a ciabatta bun really helped complete the taste. The texture of the soy meat was a delicate as real pork. The added crunchiness of the slaw and firmness of the bun made each bite enjoyable.
I also really loved the sweet potato fries. They were perfectly crunchy on the outside with lots of sweet-potato goodness on the inside. They had to be the best, sweet potato fries I had ever eaten! Well done, Pig Minds! 🙂
Quesadilla Burger
My husband ordered the Quesadilla Burger with Cantina Chips. It was nice that we were able to pick our side from a list of options. It really helped us create a perfect experience that was tailored specifically to our own taste buds.
I had to admit that I was the driving force behind his choice. I really had a hard time deciding between the Quesadilla Burger and the BBQ Porky Sandwich. It was nice that we were able to order one of each and share! He also loved his burger, by the way, so all ended well.
The Quesadilla Burger was a veggie burger that was set in between two tortillas instead of burger buns. It was such a great choice. The combination of chipotle mayo, pico, and two types of vegan cheeses really helped emphasis the taste of this already juicy and meaty (though meatless) burger. It was like eating a burger with a very Mexican flavor. The dish tasted like a quesadilla with a burger inside. It was simply delicious.
Desserts at Pig Minds Restaurant
Even though we were getting very full from all the great food and microbrews, we still couldn’t leave without trying one of their desserts. We decided to go with the Special Brownie. A chocolate brownie, drizzled with a peanut sauce looked so good!! My husband and I decided to share the dessert in hopes of being able to finish it.
The brownie was so delicious. Being strictly vegan, there was a slight texture difference from a normal brownie, but the taste was top-notch. The peanut sauce was such a fantastic addition, and we particularly loved how rich the chocolate flavor was.
It was the perfect choice, and we were glad that we had some beer left to go with the brownie. The Short Stack was by far my favorite choice for a dessert beer. However, the Rap, White and Blue also helped to bring out the flavors of the dessert. Getting a beer flight was really a great choice for the entire meal.
Why Else Would You Go to Pig Minds
Along with great food and creative brews, Pig Minds also is a great place to watch a game. The bar section had a TV, where many patrons were enjoying a beer and a game. You can also get all of your Pig Minds merchandise from t-shirts, hats and single bottles of their draft beers.
If you are looking for more excitement during your dining experience, head to Pig Minds for other events. You can visit on a night when they have live music or a comedy show. Check the Pig Minds website for their updated calendar of events.
In the future, you’ll be able to go to Pig Minds for beer tasting parties. This is because they are set to expand their location to an adjoining building. That would be a fun way to spend time with a friend or a larger party. They also hope to expand their brewing space to make more beer. Stay tuned to the Pig Minds website for news of when this dream will become a reality. 🙂
Why You Should Try Pig Minds Vegan Restaurant and Microbrewery
Many people may be skeptical of a vegan microbrewery, but as owner Kelly Endl will tell you, “they come for the microbrew but end up coming back for the great food.”
Pig Minds also offers healthy alternatives to your favorite “guilty pleasures” for American, bar food, which makes coming back more often a rather “guilt-free” experience.
I would recommend Pig Minds Vegan Restaurant and Microbrewery to any beer enthusiast, vegan, vegetarian or just a plain-old food lover. You will not regret trying something completely different in a most unlikely setting. Be sure to put Pig Minds on your itinerary the next time you are visiting northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin or Chicago!! You’ll be glad you did!
Celebrating my Vegetarian Anniversary at Pig Minds
I was so pleased with our entire visit at Pig Minds. My husband and I had such a great time there because of the friendly staff and fun atmosphere, and I couldn’t have picked a better place to celebrate my milestone of 25 years of being a vegetarian.
Thank you to Kelly and Brian at Pig Minds for hosting our dinner for my 25th “vegetarian” anniversary! You really knew how to make this girl feel special! 🙂
Getting in Contact with Pig Minds Restaurant
Address: 4080 Steele Dr., Machesney Park, IL. 61115, USA (Just north of Rockford, IL.)
Phone Number: +1 779-423-2147
Website: https://pigmindsbrewing.com
Contact Online: https://pigmindsbrewing.com/contact/
Events: https://pigmindsbrewing.com/events/
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