Bricktown Gets a New Pour: Phase Three Brewing Is Bringing Its First Chicago Taproom to Avondale's Rockwell on the River
By Socialhood News · Avondale ·
A beloved suburban craft brewery is planting its flag on the Chicago River — and it's choosing Avondale as its home. Phase Three Brewing Company, the craft beer destination known to northwest suburban drinkers in Lake Zurich and Elmhurst, announced in early August that it will open its first-ever Chicago taproom inside the former Metropolitan Brewing space at 3057 N. Rockwell Ave., the riverfront address that has long been one of Bricktown's most distinctive gathering spots.
Phase Three Brewing Company launched in 2019 and has built a devoted following across two suburban taprooms — one in Lake Zurich and one in Elmhurst. The Avondale location will be the company's third taproom overall, a milestone that carries a layered meaning for the brand: the name Phase Three is itself a triple entendre, representing the three owners, three phases of beer business cycles, and now, a third physical home. The brewery is known for an extensive roster of IPAs, barrel-aged ales, heavily fruited beers, and a growing series of classic styles including blonde ales, porters, and pale ales — a range that should translate well to Avondale's adventurous, beer-literate crowd.
The space at Rockwell on the River — a stunning riverfront venue that has hosted everything from acclaimed live music to neighborhood festivals — became available after Metropolitan Brewing, a pioneering Chicago craft brewery that had anchored the location for years, departed. Phase Three's team confirmed the takeover in an announcement on Wednesday, August 6, with Block Club Chicago first reporting the news. According to the brewery's owners, the space was largely untouched after Metropolitan's exit, and no major structural overhaul is planned. That said, the team intends to take their time with cosmetic changes to make the taproom feel distinctly like Phase Three before opening the doors to the public — a later-2026 target with no firm date set yet.
For Avondale regulars, the arrival of Phase Three fills a meaningful gap. The riverfront address at 3057 N. Rockwell is one of the most prized real estate footprints in all of Bricktown — an indoor-outdoor venue with direct access to the Chicago River that is simply unlike anything else on the northwest side. Metropolitan Brewing's departure left neighbors and visitors wondering what would become of the space, and Phase Three's announcement has been widely welcomed as the kind of answer the neighborhood was hoping for: an independently owned, craft-focused operator with a serious beer program and genuine community roots. Guests who are already familiar with the Phase Three brand can expect the same "varied list of liquids" that has defined the taprooms in Lake Zurich and Elmhurst, according to the brewery's owners.
The timing is also notable for Avondale's broader craft beer identity. The neighborhood has been quietly cementing its reputation as one of Chicago's premier destinations for independent taprooms and bottle shops — part of the same wave of food-and-drink investment that led Time Out to rank Avondale the fifth coolest neighborhood in the world in 2025. A high-profile riverfront brewery taking root at one of the neighborhood's signature addresses only deepens that reputation. And with the Sound & Gravity Festival having just wrapped up its second year, with Rockwell on the River serving as one of the festival's seven stages this past Labor Day weekend, the venue is already top-of-mind for Bricktown residents heading into the fall season.
No opening date has been announced yet, but Phase Three has signaled that later in 2026 remains the target window. In the meantime, neighbors curious about what's coming can follow Phase Three Brewing Company on social media for construction updates and announcements — and keep an eye on 3057 N. Rockwell Ave. as the team makes the space their own. When the taps finally flow at Rockwell on the River under the Phase Three banner, Bricktown will have one more reason to celebrate the stretch of the Chicago River that runs right through its heart.
Sources:
1. https://blockclubchicago.org/2026/08/06/phase-three-brewing-opening-its-first-chicago-taproom-at-former-metropolitan-space-in-avondale/