# BRAUER HOUSE **Source:** Pinball News Website **Type:** article **Published:** 2016-01-27 **Beat:** Pinball **URL:** https://www.pinballnews.com/site/2016/01/27/brauer-house --- ## Analysis A venue review of Brauer House in Lombard, Illinois, a beer bar and restaurant featuring six pinball machines operated by collector Gavin Miller. The article documents the venue's layout, machine selection (Kiss, Metallica, The Walking Dead, Monster Bash, The Rolling Stones, Dracula), and playing experience, noting well-maintained machines and Metallica's use as a tournament machine. ### Key Claims - [HIGH] Gavin Miller, a pinball collector and operator, installed six pinball machines at Brauer House — _Direct statement in article body; supported by documentation of the six machines present_ - [HIGH] The six pinball machines at Brauer House are: Kiss, Metallica, The Walking Dead, Monster Bash, The Rolling Stones, and Dracula — _Image caption and article text explicitly list all six games_ - [HIGH] Metallica is set to tournament mode (ToPS Tournament machine) — _Image caption and article statement: 'There has always been a Stern pin on tournament mode'_ - [HIGH] Dracula is a Williams pinball machine — _Article text states: 'My favorite was Williams Dracula'_ - [HIGH] The machines were very clean and well-maintained with no issues — _Author observation: 'The games were very clean and had no issues' and 'no doubt the operator was a collector'_ ### Notable Quotes > "It was awesome to play pins in their natural habitat – a dimly lit bar." > — **Author (unnamed)**, N/A > _Captures the venue experience and appeal of playing pinball in a traditional bar setting_ > "My favorite was Williams Dracula, which I completely missed out on when it originally came out." > — **Author (unnamed)**, N/A > _Personal preference for classic Williams game; highlights value of venues maintaining older titles_ > "The Brauer House often features live music. If you are going to just play the pins I suggest an early visit, or go on a Sunday." > — **Author (unnamed)**, N/A > _Practical advice for venue visitors seeking optimal pinball playing conditions_ ### Entities | Name | Type | Context | |------|------|---------| | Brauer House | organization | Beer bar and restaurant with pinball machines located in Lombard, Illinois; operates craft beer selection, grill, pool tables, and jukebox | | Gavin Miller | person | Pinball collector and operator who installed and maintains six pinball machines at Brauer House | | Dracula | game | Williams pinball machine; author's favorite at Brauer House; classic title no longer in current production | | Metallica | game | Stern pinball machine at Brauer House; set to tournament mode (ToPS Tournament); mentioned multiple times | | The Walking Dead | game | Stern pinball machine at Brauer House | | Monster Bash | game | Pinball machine at Brauer House | | Kiss | game | Pinball machine at Brauer House | | The Rolling Stones | game | Pinball machine at Brauer House | | Stern | company | Pinball manufacturer; Metallica referenced as a Stern pin | | Williams | company | Historical pinball manufacturer; Dracula is a Williams game | | Lombard, Illinois | event | Location of Brauer House; northwest suburbs of Chicago; accessible via I-355 and North Ave | ### Topics - **Primary:** Pinball venue experience, Machine maintenance and curation, Location-based pinball operations - **Secondary:** Tournament pinball setup, Classic and modern pinball titles ### Sentiment **Positive** (0.85) — Author expresses clear enthusiasm for the venue, praises machine quality and maintenance, and indicates repeat visitation intent. Tone is appreciative and recommendations are unqualified. ### Signals - **[community_signal]** Brauer House demonstrates successful integration of pinball machines into a craft beer bar venue with regular visitation and tournament play setup (confidence: high) — Author visits multiple times; Metallica maintained in tournament mode; machines described as well-maintained with no issues - **[operational_signal]** Gavin Miller's machine selection reflects both classic/vintage titles (Dracula, Monster Bash) and modern releases (Metallica, The Walking Dead), indicating thoughtful operator approach (confidence: high) — Mix of Williams classics and Stern moderns; all machines reported clean and functional - **[venue_signal]** Brauer House positions itself as destination venue combining craft beverages, food service, and quality pinball in traditional bar atmosphere (confidence: high) — Dual-room layout intentionally separates bar/food from games; features live music; author describes repeat visiting --- ## Transcript Date: January 2016 Location: 1000 N Rohlwing Rd, Lombard, IL 60148, USA Driving a truck for a living in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, I often passed by the Brauer House right off I-355 and North Ave. in Lombard, Illinois. It looked like a cool place to stop in and have a beer. ![Brauer House in Lombard](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/brauer-house/1.jpg) Brauer House in Lombard Hearing that pinball collector and operator Gavin Miller had recently installed six sweet pins there made it the place to visit the following weekend. The Brauer House was well worth the effort to visit. When you walk into the Brauer House, there are two choices of rooms to proceed to. To the right is the bar featuring many craft beers on tap, and a grill with a large selection of food. ![The many beers on tap](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/brauer-house/5.jpg) The many beers on tap To the left is a room with a few pool tables, a jukebox, and Gavin’s six pins. My choice was to go to the right side for a beer and then back to the left side to try out all the pins available. ![The six pinballs at Brauer House](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/brauer-house/2.jpg) The six pinballs at Brauer House: Kiss, Metallica, The Walking Dead, Monster Bash, The Rolling Stones & Dracula It was awesome to play pins in their natural habitat – a dimly lit bar. Playing the pins, there was no doubt the operator was a collector. The games were very clean and had no issues. My favorite was Williams Dracula, which I completely missed out on when it originally came out. ![Dracula with Monster Bash & The Rolling Stones](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/brauer-house/3.jpg) Dracula with Monster Bash & The Rolling Stones There has always been a Stern pin on tournament mode the three times I have been there so far. ![Metallica is the Tournament machine](https://www.pinballnews.com/site/wp-content/uploads/sites/brauer-house/4.jpg) Metallica is the ToPS Tournament machine The Brauer House often features live music. If you are going to just play the pins I suggest an early visit, or go on a Sunday. Any trip in that direction from now on will include a stop at the Brauer House to have a tasty burger, a beer or two, and play some quality pins. _(Acquisition: raw_text, Enrichment: v1)_ --- *Exported from Journalist Tool on 2026-04-13 | Item ID: c5aca2c8-5668-499b-9627-f90802a986de*