Roaring Table Brewing Co.
739 W. Route 22
Lake Zurich, IL
RoaringTable.com

Tuesday-Wednesday: 4-9 p.m.
Thursday-Friday: 4-10 p.m.
Saturday: Noon-10 p.m.
Sunday: Noon-8 p.m.

History in short: It was the summer of 2015 when the husband-and-wife team of Beth May and Lane Fearing “foolishly decided to start a brewery.” After perusing properties everywhere from West Dundee to Geneva, they honed in on the northwest suburb of Lake Zurich.

“We didn’t want to be in a strip mall, but this space gave us everything we needed and the landlord is a great guy who helped us out a lot,” says Lane, whose first batch of beer came from a brewing kit he received for Christmas back in 2006 before he went on to work for Mickey Finn’s in Libertyville.

The brewing began at Roaring Table in the summer of 2017 and they opened in August of that year, with a design scheme focused on, well, making people forget they were nestled in a strip mall between Trader Joe’s and a nail salon.

“We didn’t want people staring at a Taco Bell drive-thru while enjoying our brews,” Lane says with an acknowledging chuckle, “so we set out to create an escape like a lot of the places we used to go to in the city.”

Continuing their expansion, Roaring Table opened their long-awaited kitchen this past summer, with a focus on three styles of pizza. More food options were added in December.

“We always wanted to go about the kitchen with the same mentality that we brew our beer, and open with a finely-tuned product,” says Beth. “It’s really been exciting because we feel like our pies are on par with our beers, and that’s always been our metric.”

We always wanted to go about the kitchen with the same mentality that we brew our beer, and open with a finely-tuned product.” — Beth May

The space: The renovation eight-plus years ago to transform a former furniture store “with a drop ceiling and crunchy carpeting” into a stylish 90-seat brewery came from the vision of Beth, and fortunately for the couple, the property’s supportive landlord was on board with all of it.

The goal: To have people walk in and feel at home. Safe to say they accomplished that mission, as the industrial look, rich detail and warm vibe are not lost on first-time visitors. Consider the unique, artist-created bar that was made from one big piece of elm. The long, communal tables? Same matching elm.

A fireplace and small lounge lounge with leather couches in the back definitely add to the coziness factor, and an expanded courtyard patio out front has shaded seating, string lights and rows of planters to make it feel almost secluded from the nearby parking lot.

They’re making a habit of rolling out a few creative specialty pizzas each week. One of our favorites is The Continental, consisting of a mozzarella blend, herb-roasted chicken, ham, gruyere and Swiss fondue, and toasted sourdough breadcrumbs.

Interesting note: Roaring Table started canning and distributing more of their beer in the winter of 2019, just before Covid hit, and that proved to be a fortuitous move that kept sales coming in while the pandemic forced them to turn — like everyone else in the brewing industry — from a taproom into just a production facility for a long, rough stretch.

What we’re eating and drinking: Few breweries receive as many compliments from fellow industry folks in the pages of this magazine as Roaring Table, and their consistent, well-rounded array of options — with everything from smoked lagers and English cask ales to saisons, IPAs, sours and imperial stouts — is a big reason.

Speaking of the allure of an English cask, if you’re a fan of dark milds, don’t miss out on their Warbler Vivant and its nutty hints of baker’s chocolate this winter. Augie is a fresh Bavarian-style lager, and the All-American Anniversary Burger is a delightful California-style IPA with a bit of grapefruit, lime zest and bitter hop candy. Favoring the stronger bourbon barrel-aged imperial stouts this time of year? Observer and Observed, with its delightfully smooth oak, fudge and toffee flavor profile, has been one of our favorites at the prestigious FoBAB festival in recent years.

A couple gentlemen from England come in regularly, and it always makes me happy when they have a second or third pint off the cask.” — Lane Fearing

“A couple gentlemen from England come in regularly, and it always makes me happy when they have a second or third pint off the cask,” Lane tells us. “I watch them when they drink to make sure they enjoy it.”

What to expect from the new kitchen? Try three variations of fresh pies: tavern-style, New York and — our personal favorite — thick, crunchy pans of Detroit-style. Plus, they’re making a habit of rolling out a few creative specialty pizzas each week. One of our favorites is The Continental, consisting of a mozzarella blend, herb-roasted chicken, ham, gruyere and Swiss fondue, and toasted sourdough breadcrumbs.

But they’re not done there, as more food options are being added this winter like sandwiches, soups, appetizers and salads.

On the horizon: Roaring Table has future plans for expanding to a 15-barrel system and creating a second bar and event space, but for the time being, the focus is on the popular new kitchen.

Events and specials: Wednesdays mean Pitchers & Pies, where you can get a 60-ounce pitcher and pizza for just $30, not to mention $2 off 4-packs to go. Every Tuesday is Vinyl Night at Roaring Table, so bring your favorite records and give them a spin while enjoying a pint or two. The second and fourth Thursday of every month is trivia at 7:30 p.m., and on Sundays, swing in for $2 off pints.

Wednesdays mean Pitchers & Pies, where you can get a 60-ounce pitcher and pizza for just $30, not to mention $2 off 4-packs to go.

On December 20, Roaring Table is hosting a winter festival called Carnival in the Cold, complete with hot chocolate, popcorn, fire pits, beer pokers, food trucks, carolers and a visit from Santa. And the next Kolsch Service Day will be Dec. 27.

From the brewery: “What I’m most proud of is we have proven that we can make very good examples of  a wide range of styles. I think we make really good, quality beer and an extremely diverse range of beers. … We’re proud of the space and community we’ve been able to establish here. We have lots of regulars, which is a very big component of we wanted to create.”

— Co-owner Lane Fearing