AVONDALE — Lake Effect Brewing Company’s taproom and beer garden is finally ready to welcome the community to its new home in Avondale.
The brewery opened its doors and patio gates to the public over the weekend at 3076 N. Milwaukee Ave., a project that’s been in the works since 2019 and under construction since last year.
The taproom and beer garden has been a longtime goal for co-owner Clint Bautz and his wife, who launched the company in 2011 and faced a series of setbacks over the years, including construction delays and aldermanic roadblocks.
The taproom building used to be an auto shop. Inflated construction costs after the pandemic stalled the project, but city and community support brought it back to life last year.
Painter Cyd Smillie finishes up her lake effect and Indiana Dunes mural for Lake Effect Brewery’s beer garden on June 5, 2025 in Avondale at 3076 N. Milwaukee Ave. Credit: Ariel Parrella-Aureli/Block Club Chicago
After finishing construction earlier this year, getting the building licenses and outfitting the patio with a thematic Lake Michigan and Indiana Dunes mural by popular Northwest Side artist Cyd Smillie, the taproom is complete — and Bautz can’t believe it.
“I’m still in denial that this is happening, I think,” Bautz said during a recent tour ahead of the opening. “I nearly gave up in the middle of it because I was, like, ‘This is too expensive. This is not fun’ … but then we got a grant from the city, so that was a sign to move on with it and the fundraiser. We pushed through and got it done.”
The brewery raised $115,000 in equity funds last year from 132 investors to help it open, many of whom are neighbors who have followed the brewery’s journey from Irving Park and Jefferson Park, Bautz said. Investors and VIP members got a sneak peek last week of the beer garden and taproom.
The taproom adds to the revitalization of the Milwaukee Avenue strip, and Lake Effect’s newest staff live close by, Bautz said.
Lake Effect Brewing co-owner Clint Bautz smiles next to a mural by Cyd Smillie at the brewery’s new Avondale taproom and beer garden on June 5, 2025. The project has been years in the making. Credit: Ariel Parrella-Aureli/Block Club Chicago
Umbrellas, chairs and tables have been placed neatly on the dog-friendly patio, just in time for warmer Chicago weather, Bautz said. Patrons are encouraged to enter through the gate on Hamlin. The patio will have a winterized canopy for colder months.
There is also an indoor bar and a few tables inside that sit close to the brewery operations for patrons who want to see the action and smell the beer.
“It’s like an open brewery concept since we are small, and it’s cool to be so close,” Bautz said.
More umbrellas, barrel tables and plants are on the way for the patio, as well as a sign for the front of the building.
Having brewed for over a decade on the Northwest Side, Lake Effect has become a household name, often making beer for charitable causes and selling in other local establishments. Now that the taproom is open, Bautz hopes to host pop-up food events and collaborate with other local businesses.
Lake Effect is kid friendly until 5 p.m. The taproom is open 5:30-10 p.m. Wednesdays, 3-10 p.m. Thursdays, 1 p.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday and 1-9 p.m. Sundays. It accepts credit cards only.
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