One Lake Brewing
1 Lake Street in Oak Park, IL
OneLakeBrewing.com

Wednesday: 4-9 p.m.
Thursday and Friday: 4-10 p.m.
Saturday: 11-10 p.m.
Sunday: 11-8 p.m.

History in short: It’s a tale of two very different craft beer lovers. On one side, you have Shawn Stevens, who has been brewing for 25 years and is fully immersed in the process, now more than ever. On the other side is Jason Alfonsi, who brewed once in college… and never again. Together, the friendly duo, who were introduced by Jason’s wife, forms the team behind One Lake Brewing. 

“I’m one of those professional brewers who still homebrews,” Stevens admits with a shrug. “I have eight taps in the basement and would have 20-30 people over pretty regularly until we had kids and my wife told me I needed to find a bigger place to host friends. So I asked her, ‘Why don’t we build a brewery?’ And she responded: ‘Well, that’s not what I meant.’ ”

When Stevens and Alfonsi began looking for a venue for their brewery idea, they kept circling back to a century-old building in Oak Park that had sat vacant for two decades and — as luck would have it — was owned by a friend of theirs. A lot of renovations followed, with the help of their wives’ collective eye for interior design, and they officially opened in 2019, making it through Covid by selling a lot of food and beer to go and opening their rooftop to patrons “looking to get out of the home, even in February.”

The space: Located between Oak Park and the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, the brewery is just a two-minute walk from the CTA’s Austin stop. One Lake’s gorgeous three-story home is a former bank built back in 1920 that still has three vaults (one houses tanks, another serves as a cooler). During renovations, they discovered decorative moulding in pristine shape when tearing apart the ceiling. They also utilize the former bank manager’s office upstairs, where there is additional seating that’s perfect for private parties and events.

Two eye-catching details among the taproom’s classically modern look include the reclaimed wood tables and impressive two-story chandelier made of hundreds of beer bottles. Yep, beer bottles.

Two eye-catching details among the taproom’s classically modern look include the reclaimed wood tables and impressive two-story chandelier made of hundreds of beer bottles. Yep, beer bottles. 

We can’t wait to swing back this summer to take advantage of the rooftop terrace. It’s adorned with string lights and has its own bar and servers during the peak months when, as you can imagine, it’s a rather popular stop for happy hour. 

Interesting note: Underneath the steps that lead to the second floor, an impromptu brewery sticker wall has formed. “We have people come back from vacation and walk straight up to the wall and add new stickers that they’ve collected from around the country or the globe,” Alfonsi tells us. 

They also found Prohibition-era liquor bottles when they were removing flooring during the renovations. The bottles, which were likely hidden by bank employees, now serve as unique decor for the brewery. 

What we’re eating and drinking: Chef Mike Carroll, whose impressive résumé includes stops at Alinea, Half Acre Beer Co. and Band of Bohemia, is all about an approachable, non-complicated menu.  

“This is easy and fun compared to the 70 hours a week of stress at larger kitchens,” Carroll tells us. “And I love this menu. It’s no frills. I like to let the quality of the food take over.” 

We enjoyed the fish and chips with walleye that’s straight from Lake Superior and never frozen. The house burger (Slagel Farms beef, white cheddar, tomato pepper jam and house aioli), seasonal salad and braised BBQ pork sandwich with napa cabbage slaw and fried pickled onions were other highlights. 

Chef Mike Carroll, whose impressive résumé includes stops at Alinea and Half Acre Beer Co., is all about an approachable, non-complicated menu. Try the walleye that’s straight from Lake Superior.

For beer, you can expect eight guest taps and another eight house beers, of which typically half are lagers. “We don’t have any real flagships,” Stevens tells us. “We’re not brewing quick to fill distribution orders. We’re brewing strictly for our restaurant and our neighbors, so we’re honed in on what we like to drink and sharing that.”

During out visit, we enjoyed Green Bottle, a Czech pilsner where the hops, yeast and grain are all grown within 40 kilometers of Prague. It happened to win the Best in Show “Iron Brewer” Award at the 2022 Oak Park Microbrew Review. The Oscar Milde is an easy-drinking dark English mild, the hop-forward Hazy Lake is a tasty IPA, and hurry out to grab a taste of their barrel-aged imperial stout called Been Czar, Done That, which was released late in the fall and available for a limited time. 

If you’re not feeling beer, they also make a Soccer Mom seltzer and have plenty of wine and cocktail options available. Noteworthy: Happy hour runs Wednesday-Friday from 4-6 p.m. and includes $5 house beers, $5 glasses of wine, $5 small plates and $3 sliders. 

We try to brew beer that’s true to the region it came from. We bring in ingredients from all over the world and use them in their purest form. … We even adjust the water chemistry too, in order to mimic the environment of the local brewers.” — Shawn Stevens

On the horizon: One Lake hosts several recurring events like a monthly Euchre night, the Oak Park Homebrew Club and family Bingo. They’ll also be launching four-course brewer’s dinners starting in late January, so check their website for updates. 

From the brewery: “We try to brew beer that’s true to the region it came from. We bring in ingredients from all over the world and use them in their purest form. We have a milll set up so we can bring in whole grains and crush them on site like you would with coffee beans. We even adjust the water chemistry too, in order to mimic the environment of the local brewers. You make better beer when you start treating water properly. It’s a huge step up.” — Shawn Stevens

“There’s beer everywhere and food everywhere, but we aim to be great at both, all while fostering a community vibe and social engagement. And delivering excellent experiences.” — Jason Alfonsi