Funny Beers Found in Binnys Today
Binny's Beverage Depot
| Vibe | Quality | Service | Selection |
|---|---|---|---|
- Recent
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 5
by dcotom from Iowa
On a recent road trip to Ohio from Iowa, I planned my route through Naperville just so I could visit this place. Can't say I was disappointed. This was like seeing Disneyland for the first time, only better. Clean, well lit, well organized, pleasant ambience, and one of the most extensive selections of craft beers I've ever seen. The aisles were labeled by region, making it easy to find a particular item. Lots of beers from Illinois and surrounding states, as well as stuff from other areas of the US and abroad. Nice selection of logo glassware, too. There's not much more to ask for in a beer / wine / liquor store. Highly recommended.
Oct 12, 2017
vibe: 4.25 | quality: 4.25 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.25
by rabbitguy from Illinois
This Binny's is expanding. They have started to remodel the attached building next store. They have clear plastic covering the opening in the wall. The beer selection is great and the "beer girl " working is knowledgeable and helpful.
Jan 11, 2015
vibe: 3.75 | quality: 4 | service: 4.75 | selection: 4
by akrz47 from Massachusetts
Overall great selection, but limited compared to some of the other Binny's. I typically go with a list of beers to get (that are currently in-market) and find about half. It's no Lincoln Park, but it's good. That being said, whenever a limited release comes out, Naperville is usually one to get it. The two ladies working the beer section are very knowledgeable about beer and keep up to date with what they have in stock, and love to show you around the give recommendations. I live a mile away and rarely have to travel elsewhere to shop for beer.
Jul 08, 2014
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
by ajflachs from Illinois
This is my go to place when visiting family. Staff has been very helpful and if they don't know the answer they will get another employee to help. We live down state where there are not great places to buy beer. I stock up on items I can't find at home. I usually spend too much money it is beer. Not the biggest Binnys but the first one I went to was Bollingbrook. I was in seventh heaven there. For someone that lives good beer and from the beer desert of west central Illinois this is the place for me.
Dec 30, 2012
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
by FosterJM from California
Was staying in Naperville for work, so took the hotel shuttle over.
Atm- Large strip mall location which looks expansive from the outside, but alas is not as large on the inside. Semi- well lit. A few coolers in the back and most bottles open on the shelves.
Quality- Had a few nice things, but didnt have a lot of quality in the house. Missing some heavy hitters from the local regional markets. Couldve been an off day but I was able to find Boon Marraige Parfait, so didnt have to order online, that was a plus.
Service- Very helpful. Even allowed me to sign up for Binnys savings card, even though not from the area. Helpful on an exchange as well.
Selection- Pretty let down by this one, but did find a couple things that were nice. B.Nektar, New Holland, Boon. Was dissapointed heavily in the mixed 6 packs. Really shitty selection on that.
Food- N/A
Aug 21, 2012
vibe: 3 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 4
by crossovert from Illinois
This Binny's is in a strip mall. It definitely feels like one of the smaller ones on the inside. The beer selection here is not as expansive as other Binny's. I found that odd.
They did have a nice" discount" rack but the seasonal rack didn't have anything good on it really. They also have the mix 6er. The import selection is really small for a Binny's.
Didn't get any employee contact.
Overall this store isn't the greatest Binny's out there. It is interesting to see that there really are some poorer Binnys out there. This one and the McHenry one seem to have the weakest selection of the ones I have been too. It still is a great selection though.
Jun 10, 2012
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5
by SpdKilz from Illinois
So, this was the first Binny's stop of the day for me. I went here on a tip they had BA Naked Evil, but alas, they did not. My fault for not calling first.
I'm surprised it has taken me this long to actually go to this Binny's. I swear I had been on my way there a few times when something came up and I had to go elsewhere. Anyway, I finally get here and start looking over their beer selection. After a few minutes the beer guy comes up and I ask him if he had the beer (obviously he says no) and then I ask a few other questions about beer, all of which he did not have.
The place is pretty clean, though it has lower ceilings, is a bit dark, and just is not the same experience as going to my local Glen Ellyn Binny's. The beer selection is relatively small, few coolers, and there was nothing that made it stand out. To be honest, I don't really think I'd be back here in the future unless something else brings me to the area. Many better examples out there.
Oct 13, 2011
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 3.5 | service: 3 | selection: 3.5
by DoubleSimcoe from Pennsylvania
My second Binny's in one day, and I already got a store card and found some goodies!
This one is right next to my relative's house, which is cool and convenient for a beer run while I'm staying around Naperville. A gigantic store, with a million wines, good selection of bourbons, spirits, a cigar humidor and the beer, of course!
First thing I found beer-wise was an interesting "sale shelf", with well-priced Mikkeller, Nils Oscar Imperial Stout, Belgians and other stuff. I got a weird oak-aged porter from an obscure American craft for $2.99.
Then there is a shelf for Belgians, another one for quality European imports (including more Mikkeller, plus some Harvest ales) and a long shelf with 6- and 4-packs of all the American micros you can imagine, with an emphasis on Midwest beers like Boulevard, O'Fallon, Lakefront, Sprecher and New Holland.
Overall, though, I was not too impressed. Lots of beer but no excitement. No rarities, no aged goodies, no surprises like the Abacus and Parabola I found at the Binny's Express in Hyde Park. In fact I had to refrain myself there thinking I would buy a lot here in Naperville but that was not the case. I left with only two small bottles.
Service and price are very Binny's. No help offered, ridiculously high prices (except for the occasional sale). Beer and bourbon are more expensive than in New York City!
A good store, but when in the area, I will always choose Malloy's over this Binny's.
Sep 01, 2011
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4
by AleWatcher from Illinois
So yeah, it's a Binny's.
It looks like a Binny's... Carries all the beers a Binny's carries, and has the EXACT pricing as every other location (is this set by corporate or what?)
If you've already been in a Binny's store, you'll know what to expect here... Look for good deals and you'll find some. Look only for the newest beers and you'll overpay on a few.
In my visits the staff was friendly and cool. They seemed knowledgeable too.
This is another store that gets some beers the Plainfield location doesn't-- and the beer arrives here two to 3 weeks before it hits Plainfield or Orland.
Worth stopping by if you're in the area-- especially if you stop in during one of the "beer month" sales.
Aug 19, 2011
vibe: 3.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4.5
by Dogbrick from Ohio
(Visited 11/2010): Binny's is located in the Cress Creek Square shopping center on the west side of Naperville on West Ogden, not too far off I-88. There is a large private lot in front of the store.
The interior of this store is large, with the rear and right area being devoted to beer. There are coolers in the far back with many singles, and several aisles for beer segregated for the most part geographically. Local and regional breweries like Flossmoor Station, Goose Island etc are well represented, as are domestic micros and craft imports.
Service is about what I expect at a place like this. I was greeted and asked if I needed help (which I didn't) and had a friendly cashier.
Overall I was impressed with this store and would definitely put it near the top of the list of places to go for bottles from breweries I cannot find at home.
Jun 24, 2011
vibe: 4 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
by sgoro from Illinois
The Naperville Binny's is one of the bigger Binny's locations in Chicagoland and fittingly they have of a larger beer selection than other Binny's locations. I was very impressed by the service here. There are usually at least two beer guys organizing the shelves and offering help. The last time I was in there I was looking for information on a particular beer and the guy didn't have much info but gave me the business card of the head beer guy and told me the hours to call. I also overheard the employee calling another Binny's in the area to see if they had an item in stock that another customer was seeking.
Jun 08, 2011
by drewba from Illinois
This has been my go-to store after moving to Naperville a couple of years ago.
Quality - Overall this is a nice store (and chain for that matter) with a thoughtfully laid out craft section, friendly & helpful staff that really seems to care about the beer. Pretty convenient location that doesn't see a ton of traffic.
Service - The staff is really solid over at Naperville, great group of guys and gals that are fairly knowledgeable and always willing to help out, or throw out a suggestion. If you plan on going there later on in the evening it is a little tougher to track down a staff member, but generally they come to you once they spot someone in the craft section. In fact, just last week I saw a manager walking up and down the wall o' beer giving a couple customers hefeweizen suggestions. The nice thing about the Naperville staff is that it seems like most of them actually drink beer (I've even seen a group of them at local beer events), so I know they're more aware about whats new and good and keeping up with freshness and turnover.
Selection - Great selection and it is constantly improving. A few months ago they began adding several more temporary shelves worth of belgians and other cool imports and have now completely reorganized the entire craft beer section into By continent (for the most part) and by brewery.The american options are fairly extensive, with plenty of options from each brewery, including seasonal brews. The import section is equally as impressive with popular options such a Cantillon, Rochefort, Bernadus, Mikkeler, Samuel Smith, Ayinger, Weihenstephaner, etc. They also have an "inventory" (I put this in quotes because it comes up on the inventory if they've ever stocked it) on their website that can also give you a better idea of what's avaliable.
The only reason I kept it from a 5/5 is that they seem to get fewer of the special release beers than other Binnys locations and have a damn list when they do get something special in.
the value is more like 2.5 $'s. They are routinely a dollar or two more per 6 pack or bomber, so they're somewhere in between reasonable and a bit pricey.
Jan 04, 2011
vibe: 4 | quality: 3.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4.5
by emerge077 from Illinois
This is a very solid Binnys location. I've been to *most* of the locations (20/25), and despite this one seemingly being an older one, the selection was extensive, and the service was great.
Located in a strip mall, the Binnys sign juts out as a beacon in a sea of mediocre retail establishments. Once inside, past the entrance, it was dense with liquor gift packs. along the wall was the first beer shelf, followed by several more the further back you go. There were full lines from many craft brewers, up first was the majority of Allagash 750's, and some obscure local sixers from Emmetts and Argus caught my eye further down. Local beers had a shelf tag stating that they were made in Chicago or the surrounding area, which I thought was cool. Often the locals can get lost in a sea of big brands. I won't get into the specifics of the selection, but the Naperville Binnys hit all possible styles. Berliner Weisse, Gueuze, Double IPA, Imperial Stout, Saison, Wild Ales, you name it. I left with some Emmetts Victory Pale (0209=July '10 bottling, 6 months old :/), some obscure Euro imports, DFH Namaste, and a couple other things. Plenty of obscure imports: Scandinavian, Euro, German, English (XXXB, Lees Harvest, Elizabethan), and more. Everything was freshly dusted, though I didn't check dates on everything.
Nate was the beer guy, and was great to talk to. While I was browsing, he talked beer with another customer, and answered my questions thoroughly. Overall a very positive experience here.
Dec 06, 2010
by JamnesCameron from Illinois
I've been going to this Binny's in Naperville for years, even when it was a tiny single slot strip mall storefront (and went by a different name). Even after moving to Plainfield 8 years ago and having another Binny's only a few miles from my new home, I still go back to this spot in Naperville every once in a while. The down side is George (the beer guy) isn't here anymore, the upside (for me, at least) is that he is in Plainfield now.
This place has a huge selection, like all the other reviews have stated. The most jaded BA would have a hard time finding something that they hadn't tried before. Long wall of sixers, from all over the world, an import line of shelves (40/50 feet of space), a nice bomber selection, and small (20 feet?) shelf dedicated to belgians.
They have a decent selection of big bottles/bombers in the cooler, and the chilled six pack/12 pack selection has a decent range of selections. My favorite part is the marked down shelf. You'll find some gems there occasionally, like some big beers with a little age on them like (2007?/2008?) Left Hand Smoke Jumper, marked down.
They have beer tastings fairly frequently, and although they advertise a fee, I've never paid a dime for a tasting there.
If you're close by or just passing by, make sure you stop in to see what they have. You'll be impressed.
Sep 04, 2010
by pasdachuri from Illinois
I love Binny's Beverage Depot. Wat a business model, its like the Wal-mart of the alcohol distribution industry. Extensive selection - second to none in Chicagoland - with the lowest prices around due to the chain's buying power. Offers selections from coast to coast as well as from across either pond. Knowledgeable and courteous staff make shopping a pleasure. I once spent over an hour wandering through Binny's like a kid in a candy store only to select a six pack and two single bottles (true story).
I've been to several Binny's locations and the Naperville location had the best selection, even though every location offers more than anyone could expect.
Jan 28, 2010
by schneid from Illinois
The beer guy is very helpful and knowledgable. But I come here for the selection. We've been lucky that more great beer has come to Illinois in the past couple of years, including Lost Abbey, The Bruery, Bell's, Green Flash, Magic Hat, Brooklyn, and Tyranena.
They also carry Three Floyds, Two Brothers, Goose Island, Founders, Big Sky, Great Lakes, Hoppin Frog, Victory, Rogue, Dogfish Head, Great Divide, Bear Republic, Ska, and many more.
They have plenty of Belgian, German, English, and other imports. They have Nogne (Dark Horizon on the shelf), Brewdog, and Mikeller.
I was able to buy Goose Island Juliet and New Belgium La Folie right off the shelf. Always ask the beer guy if you're looking for anything special, they usually keep it in the back, like Founders Kentucky Breakfast Stout or Backwoods Bastard.
Jan 20, 2010
by daledeee from Iowa
A stop by here because I just picked it out of the phone book or off beeradvocate.
I walked in and found a pretty large warehouse type setting and bypassed all the liquor and wine AND tobacco straight to the beer!! I was kind of short on time but I can honestly say they had hundreds of kinds of beer. Many singles which are unavailable in Iowa. The Belgian section was above average. Prices were lower than Iowa by .50-1.00 a sixer. I was surprised
to see how many locations there are in Chicagoland. I would definitely go back here. They were stocked on Three Floyds, even though the batch of Alpha King was substandard and flat. I was surprised to see even in Chicago area that FFF had to be kept in the back and rationed. There were many other crafts that I did not write down that I can't get in my area. Help was very knowledgeable and helpful.
Jul 08, 2009
by Flippindiscs from Illinois
Another great selection of craft micro brews. They have many types of beer that other stores just don't have. I always seem to spend to much money when I go to Binny's. It is great on weekends when they offer sampling and have been given free cigars as well. I have had issues with them questioning my Id more then once which is a little annoying but I guess they are heavily checked by the local municipality.
Always plan on brining extra cash for those exotic beers when shopping at Binny's. I always love picking up some Big Sky since it is hard to find else where
Apr 04, 2009
by youngblood from Indiana
Stopped by here on my way out of Aurora a week ago. Great selection. Not quite as monstrous as the one in Plainfield, but still good. Talked beer with a guy there. Hooked me up with his last 12 pack of the Magic Hat sampler. He did a great job of helping me find brews that I can't get in Indiana. The place seemed very well organized with clear directions to whatever section you are looking for. Great import section alongside the craft section. They also has a 10x10 walk-in humidor for cigars with a decent selection there too. Good experience.
Feb 19, 2009
by akokandy from Illinois
Binny's has a pretty good selection of craft/specialty beers, but is definitely more of a wine/liquor store. They have 2 aisles of beer out of about 18 aisles in the store. They have the best selection I've seen in Naperville though. The salespeople can always find the things I'm looking for, which was key the first few times I went there because their store is kind of hard to navigate. My problem with the store is that the beer I get there is consistently past its freshness date. Some of the Goose Island I've gotten there, which should be consumed within 110 days, I bought when it was 7 months old. A pretty good store, but make sure you check the dates. Or just buy stuff that can be aged. Usually the prices are within a dollar of Sam's, so it's a pretty good value.
Jan 15, 2009
by RunDWP from California
I was in town visiting family and friends from California, and dropped in here to see what local stuff I could take back to California. The answer was plenty.
Lots of stuff from Great Lakes Brewing, Goose Island, Capital City, Hoppin' Frog,stuff from Michigan, and it was a bit of a challenge getting it all in my suitcase. They also had stuff from Canada, East Coast, Colorado, California, pretty much all over. Selection was comparable to a typical BevMo! one might find in the Western United States, but with less emphasis west of the Mississippi, and more emphasis east of it. A lot of selections were refridgerated, but most of their inventory was not, if that is important to you. All the non-refridgerated stuff I bought tasted pretty good.
It's a big box store, so service was pretty limited, to the cashiers in front.
Next time I'm in town, I'll definately make a stop here.
Nov 26, 2008
by cubbyswans from Missouri
My brother lives near here, so I was anxious to find some beers that are not available where I live. Overall a pretty good selection. Lots of German, Belgian, and American craft choices to pick from here.
Some of the beers, however, I started to look at, and then put back on the shelf when I noticed the layer of dust on them. One IPA said "enjoy by 9/10/08". And this was on 9/07/08. If I was drinking it then and there, probably wouldn't have bothered me, but I was taking this home and it might be a few weeks before I get to it, so never mind. I was hoping to find a Rogue Double Dead Guy here, but I'm a little more excited to find the Three Floyds Dreadnaught. I was tripping over cases of Oktoberfests and pumpkin beers.
As far as customer service, I wandered around for a good half hour in here deciding what to pick up, and never got one "May I help you" or "finding everything OK?". Walked past two employees sitting there talking to each other at least 6 or 7 times without a glance from them. Not sure what their purpose in the store was.
All in all, I've been to better beer stores, but for the area this place is in, this is THE place to go if you want something that's not a macro blah beer. I went to three liquor stores and a grocery store the night before and the ONLY decent beer to be found anywhere else was Goose Island Honkers. Next time I'm spending the weekend at my brother's I'll definitely be back here. Just remember what David Lee Murphy said. "There might be a little dust on the bottle". caveat emptor!
Sep 08, 2008
by bluemoonswoon from Illinois
Sort of strange, and I am beginning to like smaller stores with a decent selection rather than gigantic stores with gigantic selections. This Binny's has about the most beer I've ever seen compared to all the other Binny's out there (I'm sure the Chicago ones have even more, but for the suburbs this was crazy). Sort of tucked in the back so no one really hangs around there to help you out if you need it.
Lots of Euro imports, decent selection of English, German and Belgian singles lots and lots of domestic micros in both sixers and singles and yet this place does not allow mixed sixes, they have so much stock its hard to imagine why they don't, its not like the stuff is flying off the shelves in the first place. This is what really gets me, I mean the selection is very nice lots of different breweries represented and most of the time the whole line of that brewery's beer is available for purchase, but there is just too much to know if its all fresh. With bottles of Vitus 6 rows across and 8-9 rows deep and nothing looks like it hase moved in about a year what am I supposed to think about the rest of the stock? I suppose this problem is bigger than just Binny's, but its something that has only dawned on me after visiting here.
If you are in the area its not a bad place, just make sure to look out for dust on the bottles, especially the imports.
Sep 04, 2008
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