Kemp’s Upper Tap

Yes! The beer, the food, the service… It’s all wonderful. Why is there nothing like this in Bloomington-​Normal? The short drive isn’t bad, but it would be nice to be able to stay and taste all of the beers and then take an über home. The beer selection is top notch! It’s mostly stuff you don’t find anywhere else around here, and every single one I’ve tried has been great! The food is typical bar food, but it’s not too greasy and always filling. The burgers, pork chop sandwich, cheese balls, cheese fries, and French fries have all been REALLY good!
I’m really hoping they open a second location in Blo-​No sometime. It would do SO well here!

Kemps is my favorite brew pub. I just recently moved from San Diego and I couldn’t be happier to find a place that has an amazing variety of beer on tap. The fried pickles and Mac n Cheese Wedges are insanely good. There’s even a California state flag hanging. Kemps is my first choice of places to go.

You must eat here!
Today’s special is the Mister Meister– a gianormous cheeseburger with bacon, a fried egg, a few jalapeños, and sweet aioli on a pretzel bun. Holy hell this is fabulous!
It paired perfectly with my Buckle Down Brewing favorite: Belt and Suspenders, best beer in the whole wide world. How lucky am I today? And on tap at that!
We also had some tater tots, typical bar fare. They were fine. Our server was sweet. The place was super full. We were lucky to get a seat.

Going to Kemp’s for a beer and a burger is like going home. We don’t live in Lexington, but feel like locals whenever we go. The beer selection is the best around — fine brews rotate through the taps, and local IL brewers are always on the menu. The daily special can’t be beat, and we look forward to the «finer» dining side to open soon!

In addition to having the best beer list between Chicago and St Louis, KUT will feed the daylights out of you. Get the Blu Burger and the fried jalapeño rings. (Folks in the know ask for the Boom sauce to dip them in.)

This place is legit. The appetizers were great, we had the fried pickles and the sweet potato fries. The beer selection was great. I had the Parmesan garlic wings, I should’ve tried the hot wings. They were good for mild though. My wife had the bacon cheeseburger and it was very good. The music was great, black keys, foo fighters, Kings of Leon. Brand new, up to date, great service. Definitely recommend, it’s worth the drive from Bloomington-​Normal. Truly a diamond in the rough in a small town.

Look for the cool blue lights and outline of the pig adorning the outdoor logos/​signage to spot this place. There is nothing obvious that says Kemp’s Upper Tap until you actually get to the door.
It is a great, new space with a large area for private parties. We were told they recently moved from another spot down the street.
The draft beer selection is fantastic for a town this size. I was curious how this small town could keep 21 or so draft beers from going flat. So, in asking our server, she pointed out that many of their customers are not regulars and come off I-​55 while traveling through. We visited on a Saturday night at prime dinner time and the place was full.
We just ate a few appetizers and had a beer. The onion rings were ok — a touch greasy. The wings were big and were very good. The regular menu was fairly ordinary but they have specials. Tonight’s special was bbq ribs (half rack for $ 12 or full for $ 22 I believe). These were a big draw and they looked REALLY fantastic and come with two generous sides. The server told us to like them on Facebook where they post their specials.
Next time we decide to go for a little drive, we are going to hit this place for a real dinner.

Wraps, Blue burger, Italian beef, Wings, multiple appetizers that rock like pepperjack cheeseballs and 21 different rotating craft brews on tap make this place a must visit. Lots of TV’s and a friendly effficient waitstaff and chefs make it a special visit to Lexington.

Bigger (menu, tap selection, beer garden), better (lots more staff and TVs) and louder than ever. What one gives up in intimacy and charm, one gets back in service and selection. It’s more sterile, but classier than was even possible a few weeks ago. Beer garden offers primo sports viewing and affords even more taps. A live beer menu and other operational wizardry (that now accepts plastic) helps. The promise of the restaurant next door and new ceiling sound tile to eliminate a sometimes deafening noise issue will put this place on the pedestal it belongs. Bravo to the entire Kemps family! Given our affinity for craft beer, 4-​stars on the ale environment alone. More to follow as warranted…