Pig Minds Brewing Co. — Restaurant in Harlem Township

Holy $#@*! Pig Minds has the best brew-pub cuisine that I've ever tasted. My wife and I came in to see what all the great reviews are about and we were both blown away.

I had the BBQ Porky Sandwich, which honestly was better than any real pork sandwich that I can remember from my hypocritical former life as a meat eater. It was tangy, slightly sweet, and had a really rich mesquite smoked flavor. The bread bun was equally great. I always skip eating buns at restaurants, but not here. The BBQ is topped with a light and creamy slaw that perfectly cut the tangy sweetness. I chose a side of grilled brocolini that was actually grilled on a grill (imagine that!), and perfectly so.

My wife had the Pig Minds burger that she loved. This is not your '90s campus cafe's black bean burger. Unlike the BBQ sandwich though, which was a 1:1 pork doppelganger, the burger had more of its own character. I guess we have to call anything with this form a burger though unfortunately, even if the texture is the only thing they share. Whatever it's called, it tasted stellar. Crispy and golden on the outside and soft on the inside. The bun was another home run, and the whole thing put most burger joints to shame.

We shared a side of fried chickpeas, which were a nice snack that went perfectly with the beer. They were nice and hot, straight out of the fryer and tossed with chopped green onions.

I drank the Prunus IPA. All drafts below 7% are special on Thursdays, so it was $3 for 16oz. I was expecting the worst but my wife insisted on Prunus and I'm glad for it. It was a really nice light IPA with just a hint of peach. This is a good one to pair with the tangy food and salty appetizers.

Great service too. We sat outside in their shaded patio, surrounded by hop vines and fresh air in the country-side--as close to a pleasure garden as you can get in Illinois. It was the perfect summer meal.

The best thing about eating plants is that there is no indigestion or heaviness afterward. By replacing meats with plants, you eliminate cancer, diabetes, heart disease, diseases of inflammation, and obesity. If you do the research, all are directly attributed to the consumption of meat, dairy, and eggs. For more information, watch Forks Over Knives, or read ANY non-industry funded large-scale/long-term clinical study: The China Study, The Adventist Health Study, The Nurses Health Study, PREDIMED, the Epic Health Study, etc. There is no question in the scientific community that meat consumption is extremely dangerous, so much so that processed meats are even declared Class-1 carcinogens in the US. That should alarm you when ALL meat sold in the US is processed with chemicals for preservation, even the expensive "local" garbage.

Disclaimer: I hold a Masters degree in Science from UW-Madison and a BS from Illinois State University, and I'm a Fulbright Fellow. Hence, I practice an...

I’ve lived in Rockford for years—just a mile down the road from Pig Minds Brewing Co.—and somehow, I had never stepped foot inside. Chalk it up to habit or oversight, but I’d always heard the buzz: a 100% vegan menu, top-tier craft beer, and a chill, alternative vibe that made it more than just a brewery. Still, it wasn’t until my best friend came into town to compete in the Rockford Ironman that I finally had the perfect reason to go.

My friend is a vegan—but not just any vegan. He’s a discerning, no-shortcuts, flavor-hunting vegan. And even with my lack of personal experience, I knew immediately where I wanted to take him. It was time to finally visit Pig Minds.

Let me just say: what was I waiting for?!

The food was absolutely phenomenal. We tried a mix of small plates and mains, and every bite was bursting with bold flavor and creativity. This isn’t vegan food that tries to imitate meat—it’s food that stands tall on its own merit. Rich, satisfying, and inventive. My friend was deeply impressed, and that’s saying something.

As a fan of craft brews, I ordered a flight and was delighted with the range—everything from hoppy IPAs to smooth stouts, each one distinct and expertly brewed. You can tell this place takes its beer seriously, and they do it well.

The atmosphere struck the perfect balance: laid-back but thoughtful, with cool industrial vibes, eclectic art, and just enough edge to remind you that this place is anything but cookie-cutter. It felt like the kind of spot you’d stumble upon in a hip Chicago neighborhood—only it’s right here in Rockford.

But the real star of the night? Tayler, our server. Friendly, knowledgeable, and completely dialed in. Tayler made us feel instantly welcome, gave great suggestions, and seemed genuinely proud to represent the place. It’s rare to see someone who brings that much warmth and professionalism to the table. She elevated an already-great experience into something memorable.

Walking out, I couldn’t help but shake my head and laugh. How had I waited this long? I may have been late to the Pig Minds party, but I redeemed myself by choosing the perfect spot to show off Rockford to my out-of-town friend. This wasn’t just a good vegan meal—it was a great Rockford experience.

If you’re local and haven’t been yet: go. If you’ve got guests in town: take them. Pig Minds Brewing Co. is more than worth the visit. It’s a hidden gem hiding in...

We recently moved to the area and had just bought a new Electric Vehicle less than 18 hours ago. We were running errands and saw this location had a charging station. We did not need to charge it but wanted to stop and see how it all works. In the middle of errands the car malfunctioned and we had this place up on our GPS. We had less than 3% out of no where and had to make an emergency stop. I ended up parking in one of the charging station spots where there was a car in front of me using the station. We are completely broken down at this point and car will not start. The car in front of us leaves. We wait a few minutes as I’m calling on star and the tow truck to come pick us up. I see the sign where it says customer use only and we had no intentions of using this outlet to break any rules. I simply used the charger for a minute but it did not work because the car has malfunctioned and it’s beyond a charging issue. A man on a mower rudely approaches me and demands me to leave. I let him know the car is broken down and out of the way and we are waiting for a tow truck. He laughs and says “wow so this car will be here all day?” I respond stating “No only about 45-50 minutes until the tow truck gets here and we will be leaving”. The guy on the mower disregards what I said and continues to tell me that I need to leave immediately. I have words with him and he eventually leaves. Before the tow truck got here I explained to him his approach and the way he’s dealing with potential customers is a big issue. Clearly I had no intentions of using the charger or staying. He told me the person in front me before me was the owner. I told him if that was the owner and what I was doing which was literally having a dead car in a parking space is an issue than the owner would have gotten out and told me something as she saw me.

This is terrible customer service and for someone that’s a ground keeper to tell potential paying customers with a decent amount of influence to leave immediately despite being broken down is just ridiculous. I just hope that this business doesn’t treat their customers like this or maybe just people that don’t look familiar to them. I would hope for a better experience but have absolutely no intentions of every stepping foot into this place personally or...