Emerson Creek Pottery & Tearoom

We have been to Emerson Creek several times before and enjoyed it. Unfortunately things have changed. We attended the Holiday Craft Event on Nov 14. While it is great that this event has grown in popularity over the years, this year the venue was sadly inadequate. It is a sale where crafters and antiques vendors sell their wares in booths set up in the barn and tent that is used for weddings. In the past there was room to move in the venue. This year they decided to put food tables and vend food right in the middle of the barn that held the vendors. As it was already overcrowded, can you imagine folks trying to enjoy lunch at little tables right in the middle of the shopping chaos, not to mention the line for food snaking right in front of the vendor booths. What a mess. We left after 15 minutes and we heard other ladies saying the same thing. And we got to pay $ 3 for the privilege of going in to their barn to spend money.
Another issue is they had no chairs nor benches outside on the beautiful grounds like in past years so one could not stop a few minutes to just enjoy the sites. Apparently they do not want people to stay and enjoy. Just buy items, buy food and get out.
This has soured us on the place overall. Not sure we will go back, even for a warm weather visit with a stop in the tearoom.

My wife and I had our wedding at Emerson Creek in mid-​October and it was an experience that truly exceeded all of our expectations. From start to finish the entire Emerson Creek staff was available for our questions and concerned with making our wedding as beautiful as possible. Emerson Creek captures the essence of a rustic wedding, epitomized by the breathtaking backdrop which gave us stunning photos with the sun setting across the open land behind the refurbished barn. I cannot begin to recommend Emerson Creek enough, thank you staff for giving us our dream wedding!

Amazing scenery and service. We just had our wedding there and they coordinated with the other vendors, made sure everything was running smoothly. EVERY SINGLE GUEST complimented the venue. We didn’t even have to decorate. Their catering company is amazing. Everyone loved the food. Our coordinator, Kristen, was very helpful and on top of everything when our cake didn’t arrive on time. The bartenders were very accommodating and friendly. They also kept a lookout for our shuttle bus and let us know that they didn’t show up after the first drop off. Everything and everyone working at our wedding was great, there were no hiccups. I am so appreciative!

Loved the cashew apple salad served with warm bread. Our entrée was delicious and the pear dessert was yummy. Friendly staff and listening to music outside after dinner with a gorgeous view makes a special evening.

What a beautiful place. It was sort of hard to find, but that’s the fun of it. It’s a hidden gem.
Driving up on the gravel road you first see a house with ceramics in the windows. This is the gift shop. It smelled like caramel and was really cute. There were a ton of things to look at. Something for everyone.
Then you see the restaurant. There’s a huge covered front porch and more seating inside.
I went with my mother and aunts for lunch. We loved the décor and the overall atmosphere. The place is only open until 2pm so we made reservations for 12:15pm. When we got there we saw there were many many cars. Pretty cool that a place like this gets so busy.
The only reason I took a star off was because when we got there we were told by the hostess we would have a short wait due to how busy it was. About twenty minutes later we saw two groups of people seated before us that had arrived after us. My aunts went to go see what happened and they told us that they had forgotten about us. Kind of annoying, but they rectified it by giving us a free appetizer.
The staff was extremely friendly and definitely would enjoy going back again.
PS They have a really beautiful space behind the restaurant used for events like weddings and receptions. It’s indoor and decorated very lovely.

I finally got the chance to check this place out. Lunch was really good (cream of artichoke soup & a veggie/​hummus wrap) and great portion for lunch. There was a wedding going on so we got to peek at that & then we went to check out the pottery. Everything was so cute & the staff was extremely friendly. I bought myself a new salt & pepper set that I fell in love with when I saw the pattern in the Tea Room. I’ll definitely go back & will probably bring my Mom & sister as they like to try new places.

Almost two years ago to the day my 3 daughters and I spent an afternoon at emerson creek doing a mosiac workshop. At the time I said to them, I love it here, one of you is going to get married at Emerson Creek .
Well, that day came to fruition this past month and I can’t tell you what a wonderful venue and day it was. From beginning to end the owners Dave and Chris and stylist Joanna worked with us to make our day as fabulous as it absolutely was. There is not one negative thing I can say about the entire process. They were patient, friendly, timely, helpful and all worked hard to ensure that everything went as hoped, and it did!
I can highly recommend Emerson Creek as a beautiful unique upscale barn wedding venue that is a hidden gem in the far western suburbs. Be sure to check it out for an afternoon lunch in their tearoom and cute adjacent gift shop and see for yourself!

This is the perfect place to go with a group of girlfriends, or a mom and daughter lunch. There is so much charm to this farm house restaurant. The menu is limited, but delicious. I love the chicken salad and desserts. The shopping for unique gifts is an added bonus.

I attended a wedding here some time ago, and had a mixed experience. The outdoor ceremony, though windy and freezing, made for a beautiful location, and a sweet, long entrance for the bride walking to the groom.
Once indoors, we were much better — but only in certain locations! There were space heaters pumping all around the tent, however, if you moved too far from one, you were back to being cold again.
The food was also cold, but it was an outside caterer, not provided directly by Emerson Creek. The last oddity were the restrooms, er, port-​o-​potties. Having to dash from the warm (ish) indoor hall, across tough gravel, in heels and a dress, to port-​o-​potties showcased the ultimate class of the class.
All that being said, this is a beautiful spot and perfect for a rustic, chic wedding. Just be careful of the timing, and give your guests a heads-​up if you have an outdoor ceremony!

My wife and I had our wedding here and we loved it! We found Emerson Creek through word of mouth and went to look at the venue and fell in love immediately with the venue! The owners were very friendly and wonderful! The venue is very spacious with a charming country feel to it! Everyone loved our venue and how wide open it was with gorgeous sunset views over the corn fields! This is the perfect place for a wedding! We have also gone there for lunch and the food is also amazing with a very cute shop for gifts and home décor! Our wedding was very memorable due to the gorgeous venue and the only complaint I have is just some minor communications between what was allowed of us for the wedding and our DIY items getting to the venue. If those communications get worked out for future couples it is the PERFECT place for a wedding and we recommend using this venue! Just a side note, we had a horrible experience with one of the preferred caterers (Cutting Edge Catering), and would NOT recommend using that Caterer! Review the comments on Unilocal before you do! Overall, Excellent venue and I do not hold Emerson Creek responsible for RUDE owner of Cutting Edge Catering!

What a lovely place! My partner and I came out for lunch last week before heading on to a tour at Farnsworth House a little further on (a great day trip from the city). Coming from the NW of Chicago it took us a little over an hour in light traffic and it was great driving through the fields as we approached. The Tea Room was so much more charming than I had imagined — wonderful country, rustic décor. The food was also very good — we had the Carmel Brie, Walnut/​Pear/​Gorgonzola salad, Cream of Asparagus Soup, and the Cheddar/​Apple Panini (hold the bacon since we’re vegetarian) with a large side of fruit salad. We very much liked everything we ordered — great quality and nice presentation (in the pottery they sell over at the shop). It was a rainy day when we were out but there are chairs and tables on the porch overlooking the field. If it were closer, we’d definitely become regulars.
The pottery shop was also great — lots of goodies for the garden and many plants. The shop itself is also very quaint and charming and we look forward to going out for their Holiday Fest in early November. All around a great experience that exceeded our expectations! I’ll be looking for excuse to go out that way again.

Completely adorable farm, shop and country tea room about an hour outside of Chicago. I came here for lunch with two other women and my toddler. The menu was composed of fairly standard lunch items but the food and service were both outstanding. It was a gorgeous setting and felt like we were in wine country… only flatter;-)
I had a flower pot salad. It was a mixed green salad with tortilla strips, tomato, cheese, and guacamole, hold the grilled chicken. It was served in a pretty flower pot made by Emerson Creek Pottery and was accompanied by a delicious little blueberry muffin. My dining companions had turkey on croissant, a half chicken salad on croissant with a walnut, blue cheese and cranberry side salad, and a chicken rice soup. The iced tea was excellent. We were tempted by the desserts but ultimately didn’t indulge.
We were also tempted by the little shop in the front and did indulge there. I have a new bright blue loaf pan that I can’t wait to use! It’s a great gift shop with lots of pottery, tea items, local honey and plants for your garden.

Emerson Creek Pottery and Tea Room hosted my sisters, mom and I for a lovely morning/​afternoon of mosaic art making and lunch. Driving to Emerson creek, I was expecting a more farm, middle of nowhere location. However, once in the barn and out on the patio one is left with a beautiful farm landscape with a few far off houses on the horizon. A private artist hosts mosaic art classes a few times a year at Emerson Creek and my mom luckily inquired about the class at the Wednesday outdoor market a few weeks back.
The mosaic class was held in the barn which was a bit chilly. The barn doors are able to be shut which did help lessen the wind. The barn has gorgeous chandeliers and wooden benches and many other nice touches. Attached to the barn is a big tent. There is a small patio with a bonfire overlooking the lush landscape. I can imagine this being a very unique and memorable location for a wedding.
Around noon, the sweetest waitress came and took our lunch orders from the tearoom. We began with the mango salsa (yum) and then I munched on a turkey sandwich and a cup of red pepper soup. The soup was heavenly. My sisters had no complaints about their tomato tartlet and apricot chicken salad sandwich. I was able to snag a bite of my sisters chocolate mousse pie and peach cobbler before it was devoured in 2 minutes. Desserts were phenomenal. While the quality of the food was outstanding, I do not think the portions were appropriate for the above average prices. I no means have a large appetite and was satisfied. However, I could see some walking away hungry.
The pottery shop is full of unique gifts and signs. Not exactly my taste in pottery, however I did find a few outdoor knickknacks I envied for a house in the future.
The hours of the pottery shop and tea room are quite limited. Be sure to check the website before making a trek out to this hidden gem.

This is an absolutely charming venue for a quaint wedding or reception in Oswego. The barn is darling with its shabby chic features including huge chandelier and cream colored drapes. The barn is located out in the middle of nowhere and if alcohol will be served coach buses would most likely be needed to safely transport guests. The venue is easily 1.5 hours or more from the City.
As of April 2012, The venue costs $ 42 per person to rent. I was told all of the tables would be included. However until the bathrooms are done (and they may now be) there is an $ 1800 fee to rent toilets. For my small wedding of 100 people it would cost $ 4,200 plus $ 1,800 to walk in the door.
Each business has a right to price their foods and services as they see fit. I just hope that the owners haven’t priced themselves out of the wedding market. There are only so many city brIdes whose mamas will want their daughters to get married in a cool barn in the middle of Kendall County. Remember your roots… there are lots of people getting married in Kendall, duPage and Will Counties.
Be forewarned to stay away from the slick and arrogant males sales person. He «asks the questions to the brides not the other way around.»

I was lucky enough to finally stop here again this summer. I had bought some pottery a couple of years ago and had not found the time to return. Am I glad I did! They have added a Tea and Lunch restaurnt to this place and the food is wonderful. I had the Flowerpot Salad and the presentation was unique, the ingredients fresh and organic and portions were great! I also had a wonderful dessert that was sinfully rich.
Terrific service with friendly staff and even the owner stopped by to make sure I was waited on since I had opted to take one of their outside tables.
They now offer the venue for special events, like weddings, family reunions and corporate meetings. They were having their first wedding when I had lunch there and the setting was amazing!
I will make every effort to come back before they close for the winter.

ADORABLE!
This place couldn’t be any cuter. If I didn’t already get married, I would have my wedding in the barn.
Took my grandparents for lunch and the food was delish! Such a fun outing, pottery is great (although didn’t buy any). You don’t find unique places like this in the suburbs anymore. Feels like you’re on vacation at a B&B :)

If I’d known there wasn’t a photo, I would have taken some today… because in this beautiful fall weather, this is a fun shop to head to on an afternoon drive. I was looking for a birthday gift and knew I could count on Emerson Creek to have something crafty and unique.
In the quaint looking farm house, that reminds me of my grandmother’s, there are shelves of seasonal pottery, knickknacks and gifts. There are signs to hang, window bottles for small arrangements of fresh picked bouquets and cute recycleable shopping bags… there’s local honey, jarred candles and seasonal decos… there’s a tea room that is open from 11−2pm as well, so you could just go for lunch.
Today I got what I was looking for and I’m sure I’ll be back… but check the website for hours before your drive and keep in mind that they are not open all year long!