Only Child Brewing Company

This review is written under the influence of three four-​star beers.
I’d heard of this place months ago and been meaning to try it. I shouldn’t have waited.
This part of Gurnee is unfamiliar, situated between Grand and Washington amidst a wasteland industrial park. I might as well be on Mars. I’m not in Gurnee anymore; and as far as I’m concerned, that’s a good thing.
Maybe it’s the playlist featuring The Kills, Metric, and The Pixies. Maybe it’s the lively, uncrowded atmosphere on this Friday night. Maybe it’s the genial couple next to me from Wadsworth offering free samples of their delicious, homemade, applewood smoked beef jerky. Maybe it’s how the single father typing away on the shattered screen of his iPad mini ignores the way his 11 month old Bull Mastiff had a periodic bark which pierces the atmosphere. Maybe it’s the hipster staff: cool, but just engaged enough. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s the buzz I’ve got after three fresh, delicious beers.
I’m coming back.

Drive 1 hour to check this place out. Stopped in on a Friday evening @730. It wasn’t busy at all, there were seats available at the bar. We ordered a flight of all their 8 beers @5oz pours=$ 25! We were enjoying our beers when we were disrupted by 2 barking dogs. C’mon, now I did know the Brewery is dog (& kid friendly mind you… Please do not bring your kids to a Brewery then drive home) friendly but to have barking dogs in the same space is terribly tacky. There was also a dog sitting on a bench at a table. Yuck. The menu is straight forward. All of the beers were just eh, the best imo was the Double Dog Dare DIPA. The beers are certainly on par with a newer Brewery similar to Tighthead in Mundelein… Nothing I would seek out. Service sucked. I tried getting the servers attention for 30 minutes just for popcorn.

Tired of Mickey Finn’s and looking for a new spot to grab a tasty brew? I love Only Child. To the point where I come here on Saturdays to work and drink, haha. I agree with a previous reviewer that there could be some more citrus notes to their IPA, but overall their beers are delicious and I loved the Saison they had in the fall. Great spot run by good peeps.

I am going to preface this review by stating that I hated every beer I tried except the double IPA. That was quality — lots of hops. Could have been improved with a citrus undertone to balance the bitter.
I am leaving 4 stars because the people working there saw I hated my beer, discussed why I didn’t like it, and then didn’t charge me for it. That is a good business and a way to retain customers.
I would recommend the brewery for atmosphere. And although the beer wasn’t to my taste, I think you should decide on your own.

Great little brewery tap room. Amanda and Ben run a tight but fun ship. Great people and great beer. You can bring your own food or you can order from some local spots that deliver. My new favorite drinking hole.

Excellent beer selection being offered by a kind and caring crew. Had the red rye saison which a beauty of a beer. It’s great to be able to see the brewery will sitting at a table enjoying a pint. It’s a nice wide open space! Bring your friends!

We popped in on a Saturday afternoon, excited to try the newest brew pub in the area. We sat at the bar and were served, I think, by one of the owners. He was incredibly knowledgeable about the beer, standing firm in the beer interrogation unleashed by my home-​brewing hubby. I had an oatmeal stout that was phenomenal — undertones of coffee and chocolate, full bodied, and just a touch of a smoke flavor off the top.
My husband tried pretty much everything else on the menu as 5-​oz pours. He enjoyed all of it, including the IPAs, for which he has a high standard.
The place is contemporary cool inside — dimly lit, industrial park chic — and the brewing equipment is easy to view (if you’re into that kind of thing. Which we are).
Glad to have Only Child in the neighborhood. We’ll be back.

Crazy day since we came in during their grand opening, but the waitresses were nice and did not seem to get flustered by the volume of people looking for beer! They had a nice variety of beers, some with flavored I had never tried before. Love to support locally owned businesses, so we’ll definitely be back!