For another year, Illinois brewery and restaurant named one of 10 best in the US

A Chicago brewpub was named one of the 10 best in the U.S. by USA Today, ranking above pubs located in Wisconsin, Maryland, Mississippi and Washington.

Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery was ranked No. 6 in the country, and it’s no stranger to the accolades. The restaurant has made the list every year since 2017, taking first place in 2022 and second place three times. Last year’s list ranked the business in third.

USA Today compiles the list every year through an expert panel and ultimately selects the final cut by reader vote. Lua Brewing in Des Moine, Iowa, took the first place spot this year. This year’s 10 best brewpubs in America list was published March 5.

Forbidden Root, located at 1746 W. Chicago Ave., is about a five-hour drive from Belleville.

“The brewpub’s menu of seasonal dishes is designed to highlight the beers brewed with wild fruits and botanicals,” the USA Today ranking reads.

Forbidden Root was the only Illinois brewery that made this year’s ranking. It opened in 2016 as Chicago’s first botanical brewery.

Specialty brews aren’t the only item on Forbidden Root’s menu. The restaurant has a brunch and dinner menu, as well as happy hour specials.

The dinner main courses include salmon, a forbidden root burger, the duck and dumplings, as well as several sandwich and salad options. Brunch options include French toast, a special brunch burger, a special savory pancake dish, eggs benedict and more. Prices for the main courses generally range from $15 to $28.

The restaurant and pub is open from noon to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday, noon to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon to 9 p.m. Sunday.

The Belleville News-Democrat reached out to the restaurant for comment and didn’t immediately hear back.

USA Today’s ten best brewpubs of 2025

Here’s what pubs made it on USA Today’s 10best list for 2025:

1. Lua Brewing in Des Moine, Iowa
2. Strangebird Brewery in Rochester, N.Y.
3. Free State Brewing Co. in Lawrence, Kan.
4. Dewey Beer Co. in Dewey Beach, Del.
5. Urban Roots Brewing & Smokehouse in Sacramento, Calif.
6. Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery
7. Otherlands Beer in Bellingham, Wash.
8. Southern Prohibition Brewing in Hattiesburg, Miss.
9. The Brewer’s Art in Baltimore
10. Lakefront Brewery in Milwaukee, Wis.

Lindsay Smith

The Wichita Eagle

Lindsay Smith is a suburban news reporter for the Wichita Eagle, covering the communities of Andover, Bel Aire, Derby, Haysville and Kechi. She has been on The Eagle staff since 2022 and was the service journalism reporter for three years. She has a degree in communications with an emphasis in journalism from Wichita State, where she was editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Sunflower, for two years. You can reach her via email at lsmith@wichitaeagle.com.