Light the Lamp Brewery

2 South Lake Street, Grayslake, IL 60030

“I went to a fight the other night, and a hockey game broke out.”

—Rodney Dangerfield

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Lisa, Tracy, Sam, and I went to Light the Lamp Brewery the other day, and good food & drink broke out.

Have you ever been to a hockey game? You could be sitting there, next to your friend, deep in lively conversation while the sounds of skating and slapping kept up a rumpus, when you started to make a point and—GOOOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLLL!!!!!!!

The four of us were seated at our table, waiting for our drinks and food, engaged in stimulating chatter during the bustle of a busy bar and restaurant, when we started to rev up and—SCCCCCCCCOOOOOOORRRRRRRE!!!!!!!

Our drinks and food just arrived.

LIGHT THE LAMP!

Scroll down to see more photos and read more about Light the Lamp Brewery.

“I really like this Lite It! Cream Ale. It’s nice and creamy. I’ve had it a couple times actually. Before today, I bought a Lite It! six pack. It’s waiting for me at home!”

Our friend Tracy recommended Light the Lamp Brewery as a good place for lunch after our hike at Lake Carina. Her daughter Sam came along again for more good times. This was the first time for Lisa and me. Lisa had a taste for German-style food. I wanted a luxurious vegan burger. Full disclosure, my “other” stomach—my “dessert” stomach—wanted something different and exciting. Who doesn’t have one two stomachs?

Drinks were served first. Tracy and Lisa each independently chose the Lite It! Cream Ale, the 2019 GABF Silver Medal Winning Session Cream Ale. Tracy had made a run at this one before today. Her motion was easy like an empty netter. Tracy took a sip and let us in, “I really like this Lite It! Cream Ale. It’s nice and creamy. I’ve had it a couple times actually. Before today, I bought a Lite It! six pack. It’s waiting for me at home!” This was like a “one for the road” then.

Lisa likes her beers, but they gotta be good. Lisa usually favors the darker beers such as stouts; however, she really lit up at the description of Lite It! She circled around her Cream Ale with her shoulders squared, sizing up the winner. Careful not to high stick, she kept her elbow down so as not to draw attention while raising her glass. Drawing back, she fired off, “The Lite It! Cream Ale is light, bright and creamy. It’s very smooth!” In hockey, after every goal scored, the coach always benches the scorer to settle down for a spell. I wasn’t going to pull Lisa from the action.

Sam went out on the wing. She was out on her own with her Red Line Ale, fluid between the blue lines and Cream Ales. We never doubted her focus to make the winner hers. Sam rotated her tall glass, admired the color of the amber, took a frothy sip and said, “The Red Line Ale is really good. It’s got a little bite to it!” This one’s headed for the spotlight!

Light the Lamp Brewery is well known for its beers, guest taps, and Freezy Brains; however, its food and desserts are what we remember. Memories are calorie free—they move the needle but not the belt buckle. With our food plated and delivered, we were ready to chop and slice.

Tracy ordered LTL’s Butterburger with everything, no ketchup. Her choice of side was Sweet Potato Fries with maple mustard. It’s the stuff of memories. Piled high, Tracy’s burger was an imposing figure that threatened her personal space. Never one to back down from a challenge, she put the squeeze on and reclaimed the crease. One bite said it all, “The LTL Butterburger has two burger patties with cheese in the middle. It’s very juicy. The bun is buttery. I have all the toppings except ketchup. Oh, the sauce with the sweet potato fries is maple mustard–so tasty!” Tracy is the enforcer.

Sam changed up the pace with a nifty move toward Granny’s Chicken Sammy. Not expecting her to go this way, Sam kept us on a balanced attack with her choice of chicken sandwich to Tracy’s burger. We wanted to hear her opinion of the sammy, “The Granny’s Chicken Sammy has a lot of good stuff. It has beer battered chicken that is nice and flaky. There’s also a couple apples!”

“The Bavarian Creme Stuffed Churros are so good. I thought that the white chocolate and pumpkin mousse was really good too. I could LIVE on that!”

Sam also picked my pocket by making off with one of my Pickle Fries. She said, “The Pickle Fries are different. They’re very good!” Tracy was quick to get in on the action, “I really like the light breading of the Pickle Fries. The salt is definitely nice!” Playing cleanup on all these penalty shots was Lisa who delivered, “The Pickle Fries are very crisp. I get a nice pickle taste, but not too strong. The seasoning is good too!” After all this, they didn’t kill off my Pickle Fries. There were enough to fire off into the stands for anyone who wanted them. I wanted them. I ordered them. I ate them. I thought, “These Pickle Fries are unbelievable. I thought that they would be thick or soggy, but they’re perfectly cut and crispy!” The next time I’m in the stands at a hockey game and they shoot over to me a t-shirt instead of Pickle Fries, I’m going to be disappointed.

Lisa lined up her best shot with the Sauerbraten Plate. She had been wanting German-style food for awhile. With her eyes open wide, she attacked it. After tasting everything, Lisa practically gave a winning postgame press conference, “The Sauerbraten Plate has a huge portion of tender, savory pot roast that melts in my mouth. The pot roast sits on two plump potato pancakes that are delicious. The roasted carrots are amazing. Altogether, the portions and flavors are spectacular!” No further questions.

I circled on my lineup card the Impossible Burger. I’m a pescetarian because I love my fish. But I also love doing the Impossible. I do it on a semi-regular basis actually. Not because I’m that good; rather, it’s that good. But it was never good before like this. This is impossible! I tasted more and settled my collected thoughts flipping and skipping like a loose puck. I said, “This is the best vegetarian or vegan burger I have ever tasted. The collection of ingredients and toppings is amazing. The tender foccacia meets the char on the burger perfectly!” I took the first one. Is this best of seven?

Every exciting matchup seems to go into overtime. We were knotted up, looking for the edge so we could go home winning the day. Double fisted desserts would satisfy. We were on the same page as we ordered Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcake and Bavarian Creme Stuffed Churros. With everything on the table, we went through our rotations. The desserts hit us in waves more than the other way around. It was close but I think we were not overcome by the desserts. It was thisclose.

Tasting the Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcake, Tracy took the point and drove it home, “I really like the Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcake. I’m not a flourless or even a chocolate cake person, but this is very moist and delicious. I like that the cherries are in the cake and it’s topped with real cherries!” Sam followed up with, “I’m not a cherry person, but the Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcake is pretty good!” Lisa piled on, “The real cherries in the cake of the Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcake really puts it over the top!” I finished it off, “The Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcake isn’t heavy at all. It has a refined texture and taste, like dessert for adults. The dark chocolate and cherries are a great combination!” We would have to go to the replay.

“The Sauerbraten Plate has a huge portion of tender, savory pot roast that melts in my mouth. The pot roast sits on two plump potato pancakes that are delicious. The roasted carrots are amazing. Altogether, the portions and flavors are spectacular!”

Skating in for the curtain call was the Bavarian Creme Stuffed Churros. The spotlight was spacious to fit its footprint and stature. Tracy shot out full sprint. Victory was close; she could almost taste it. And so she did, “The Bavarian Creme Stuffed Churros are very tasty, not at all greasy. They’re very crisp. The creme in the middle is so delicious!” Sam follows in her mom’s footsteps but she also knows how to go her own way. I could see that she had a little something extra. Sam took a shine to what Light the Lamp Brewery did with the white chocolate & pumpkin mousse. It was a skill that she wanted to steal and call her own. She smiled and said, “The Bavarian Creme Stuffed Churros are so good. I thought that the white chocolate and pumpkin mousse was really good too. I could LIVE on that!” With that, Lisa snapped her churro in half like her opponent’s CCM stick over her knee. She swished the sharp end of her churro over one sauce, then the other sauce with another fresh tip, and then both sauces together with another fresh cut. Lisa was evaluating her talent to write up the best lineup. She put it in short order, “The Bavarian Creme Stuffed Churros are amazing. They’re huge and crisp, still hot. The white chocolate and pumpkin mousse is delicious while the chocolate sauce is excellent. When you mix the sauce and the mousse together it’s just amazing!” I myself had never tasted an amazing churro before today. But then came today. I had to stand up for this. The energy was building. I could feel the excitement. I drew the last straw and dipped one end in one sauce, and then the other in the other. There would be no other. This was the churro. These were the sauces. I thought, “I’ve never had a churro so crisp and still hot. The creme filling is very light. The chocolate sauce is decadent but not rich. The white chocolate pumpkin mousse; well, I need to figure out where they keep that and take it for a victory lap!”

If the menu at Light the Lamp Brewery changes with the seasons, then we’ll absorb them and make our comebacks. With a food and drink menu that scores high, we’ll win the day everytime we visit. For lunch or dinner, just—SCCCCCCCCOOOOOOORRRRRRRE!!!!!!!

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To learn more, plan your visit or order online at Light the Lamp Brewery, click Light the Lamp Brewery

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