Elburn craft brewery, barbecue restaurant to open this spring

ELBURN – Those who like barbecue and beer, and don’t want to travel too far to get it, will be thrilled to learn that Obscurity is set to open in Elburn this May.

It won’t just be any beer or barbecue place, either.

“We have our own brewery and meadery, so we’ll brew in-house,” said Nicole Bergner, general manager of Obscurity. “In addition, we’re going to have a 1,000-pound smoker and we just hired a pitmaster, so we’re going to be smoking all our barbecue as well. So it’s a scratch kitchen. There’s no freezer, no microwaves.”

Obscurity arrives from the minds of the owners of Lodi Tap House, along with a few additional partners. There are Lodi locations in nearby Maple Park as well as Utica, but Obscurity is a brand-new venture, offering a higher scale of food while producing beer and mead on-site. It makes perfect sense that something as unique as Obscurity will make its home in a historic location at 113 W. North St., in what was farm services offices and a warehouse building for years, as well as Kaneland Community Bank and American Bank & Trust more recently before sitting vacant.

“It’s a very different concept compared to Lodi Tap House,” Bergner said. “We’re actually going to be brewing our own here and the menu is going to feature barbecue, like brisket and spare ribs. We’re going to have pork shoulder steaks, fire-grilled shrimp, grits. We’re going to have a bit of everything.”

Looking for a night out to socialize over a delicious meal while treating the taste buds to a possible diversion from wine to mead? Looking to stuff yourself with ribs and cold ones while watching the ballgame? Looking to treat the kids to a break from mom’s usual ketchup-heavy meatloaf? Obscurity hopes to appeal to just about everyone in the Elburn area.

“We’re definitely all-encompassing,” Bergner said. “We’re family-friendly and welcoming for everybody, whether you’re just the beer lover or someone who wants to come in and watch the game or someone who isn’t a beer drinker because we’ll have wine and cocktails. It’s going to be an open concept, very colorful and there’s a lot of excitement.”

Recognizing that most guests probably haven’t tried mead before, and that Obscurity’s brews are unique, Bergner said staff will be trained to assist patrons with their selections to help ensure that their drinks compliment the barbecue for a nirvana-like dining experience.

“One of the main focus of the staff is going to be helping with food pairings,” she said. “They’ll be trained to suggest the style of beer their food will go with best.”

Since mead is believed to be the world’s oldest fermented/alcoholic beverage, one would think that many newcomers will be tempted to try the drink that is honey and water fermented by yeast and often flavored with additional fruits, spices, grains and hops.

Bergner said Obscurity plans on being another destination for live music in the Elburn area, and that by 2021 there are plans to add a large, three-season tent for community events, private parties and more.

Obscurity also is in the process of hiring folks who want to be a part of something truly special. Bergner acknowledged that open interviews would tentatively take place the first week of March.

“We still need all front and back of house positions,” she said. “Things are happening quickly so follow us on social media to stay up to date.”

Visit www.drinkobscurity.com to join its email list to stay informed.

Source: The Daily Chronicle