Thyme Kitchen and Craft Beer
Thyme Kitchen and Craft Beer opened its doors in 2016 inside the old Sealtest building, a handsome brick relic of Peoria’s industrial past tucked into the Warehouse District of downtown Peoria. Founded by restaurateur Travis Mohlenbrink under the Spice Hospitality Group umbrella, Thyme was built around a simple but ambitious idea: pair a serious, chef-driven kitchen with a bar program deep enough to rival any dedicated beer bar in central Illinois. The result is a gastropub in the truest sense — a place where the food isn’t an afterthought to the drink list, and the drink list isn’t an afterthought to the food.
Step inside and the building itself does a lot of the talking. High ceilings, oversized industrial windows, and exposed brick give the space an airy, loft-like feel, while dark lacquered wood, brass fixtures, and a wraparound bar lend it some old-world warmth. A taxidermied moose and water buffalo look down over the main floor — a quirky, memorable touch that regulars love pointing out to first-timers. Upstairs, a semi-private loft handles overflow crowds and private events, while the main floor stays lively but unhurried, the kind of room that works equally well for a quick post-work pint or a slow, multi-course dinner.
“A gastropub built as much for the bourbon and beer crowd as for the dinner crowd — and it delivers on both.”
What sets Thyme apart in the Midwest craft scene isn’t a house brewhouse — it doesn’t brew its own beer — but the sheer depth of its bar program. The taps rotate through roughly 40 craft beers alongside a bottle list, and the back bar carries an eye-popping 250-plus bourbons, one of the largest selections in the region. Regulars know it as a reliable place to find Illinois favorites from breweries like DESTIHL and Revolution Brewing rotating alongside national names like Stone, all served by a staff that genuinely knows the list rather than just reciting it. That combination of thoughtful sourcing and knowledgeable service is what keeps beer travelers coming back on every swing through Peoria.
Thyme is worth the trip for anyone who wants their craft beer paired with an actual dinner reservation. It’s a rare spot where the beer list can go toe-to-toe with a dedicated taproom, the bourbon wall could anchor a bar on its own, and the kitchen turns out food serious enough that non-drinkers won’t feel like an afterthought. Add in weekend brunch, a distinctive historic room, and a staff that treats the drink list as a point of pride, and it’s easy to see why Thyme has become a fixture of downtown Peoria’s Warehouse District.
