Latest reviews from San Diego
| 86 /100 9990 ALESMITH CT “I visited the old location roughly ten years ago. This one blows it out of the water. Easy parking. 20 plus drafts. Flights and small pours are available. Barrell aged to sessions available on draft. Upstairs, downstairs, outside seating and even a hall of fame room dedicated to Tony Gwynn with some legit hardware. Beer to go can be pricey. Gift shop and clothing are a cool plus. Staff was friendly. Glad to see they stepped their game up and have a proper tasting room.“ |
| 94 /100 2816 HISTORIC DECATUR RD, #116 “Just like the brewery in Escondido, cool place. Parking was easy. Visited on Sunday night. Still busy. We ended up sitting at the bar to avoid the wait time. Food was excellent. 30 ish beers on tap. Everything from berliners to barleywines. Service was good. Lay out/grounds are cool. If i had to nit-pick, gift shop was a little lame. Other than that this place is a must visit.“ |
| 60 /100 6550 MIRA MESA BLVD “It took me five trips to San Diego to finally visit this place. It's at the far north end of Miramar, so you'll have to drive here from the main hub of breweries. Lots of Green Flash beers on, plus a bunch of Alpines, but despite the large list beers, it was a really uninteresting beer list. All beers available in taster pours for $2 plus tax, which is cool. Super friendly service. At least based on this visit, Green Flash seems like it's no longer a relevant brewery to visit. If that taplist was representative of what they're doing now, this place is no longer worth visiting.“ |
| 86 /100 Bottlecraft - North Park (Beer Store) 3007 UNIVERSITY AVE “Killer spot in the heart of North Park in a very trendy area. This is a small place, but crammed with a fantastic selection. They had all sorts of special barrel aged and out-of-state bottles I had not seen at other bottle shops in town, and reasonably priced. They also have 10-12 taps, with 4 oz pours of everything available, and a small patio out front to drink them. Worth checking out in addition to the nearby Bine & Vine, as they have very different selections. Awesome spot.“ |
| 92 /100 2021 INDIA ST. “I walked by this small tasting room a few times before I noticed it. It's cozy and simple with a cafe-like feeling that reminded me of drinking a beer in Belgium. The tap list was pretty extensive with a very broad array of styles available.“ |
| 86 /100 2215 INDIA ST “This restaurant in Little Italy shows the wealth that backs Ballast Point these days. It's a nice building with spendy decor, a gift shop, and a courtyard to the side. The food is quite tasty and I think that we all know by now the quality of the beer. There are plenty of smaller batch things on the draft list alongside the better known brands.“ |
| 86 /100 3812 GRIM AVE “There is a quite large tasting room in this warehouse setting. You have to take a walkway over the brewhouse to get to the bar, reminding everyone this is a functioning brewery. The beer is pretty solid, representing classic styles as well as a few trendier options.“ |
| 92 /100 3052 EL CAJON BLVD, STE C “I was very impressed by this brewery in North Park. The tasting room is spacious and comfortable with indoor and outdoor seating. Service was great. The beer list spanned many selections that I was very interested in from rauchbier to west coast IPA to Baltic porter, etc. Everything that I drank was very well made with attention to detail.“ |
| 84 /100 9366 CABOT DR “Remodled and looks great. Loads of taps (~20) and 4 stocked refrigerators. Food truck. Outdoor seating cause of Covid for now. Friendly staff. Worth visiting“ |
| 76 /100 8920 KENAMAR DR, STE #210 “Cool little place near a million other breweries. Friendly service and brewers here. Beers mostly good stuff, and love the seating area outside. Worth a stop if touring the area. Flights available.“ |
| 64 /100 6550 MIRA MESA BLVD “Among the OGs of San Diego that I visited on this trip, Green Flash was the most disappointing by far. Really nothing on tap you can't get across the country. Sure, the West Coast IPA was fresher and better than elsewhere, but among so many choices, even just in this small radius, this isn't really worth a stopover. Cool layout for a brewery at least, but ya - don't expect anything surprising here.“ |
| 84 /100 9990 ALESMITH CT “Cool to be at the source, and they had enough stuff I'd never seen elsewhere to make it worthwhile. Had a few flights of great beer, very little there to complain about. Awesome Belgians you don't see on the east coast and of course some good IPAs. Ran out of one of their BA staples but got to try BA Old Stock. Service friendly. OK food truck. Some rare bottles on sale for high prices in the gift shop.“ |
| 74 /100 2850 EL CAJON BLVD, STE 3 “Cool place with lots of good beer and a nice homey vibe. Wasn't super busy in here but still friendly service. Beer all good, flights available. Had a couple on my visit. They also had a couple of guest taps on. Worth a stop in.“ |
| 84 /100 Bottlecraft - Liberty Station (Beer Store) 2820 HISTORIC DECATUR RD, SAN DIEGO, CA “Awesome little store just a few minutes walk from Stone. Lots of great singles for sale here to take to the beach, as I did, and taps with a bunch of stuff to try. Walked in here to pick up a few and ended up leaving after like 30 minutes after trying a few on tap and grabbing like $50 worth of beer. Lots of local stuff available.“ |
| 94 /100 2816 HISTORIC DECATUR RD, #116 “Amazing place with a very cool layout and set up near the airport in San Diego. Tacos were awesome, and the gardens are positively serene. Beer list was full of new stuff I hadn't had before, or locally brewed, with a few choice guests. They do flights, and service was good despite strange times. Awesome, and probably a highlight of a bunch of great places in the area. Possibly one of the best breweries I've every been to.“ |
| 82 /100 1956 BACON ST “First Pizza Port visit at any location, and was definitely impressed, by both the beer and the pizza. Location near the beach was great too. Great selection of stuff made by them, their affiliates and other breweries. Pizza was thick crust and awesome too. Love the punkish beach vibe here. Awesome place in a city filled with awesome places.“ |
| 84 /100 Bottlecraft (Beer Store) 2252 INDIA ST “Cool bottle shop with a lot of singles and a great tap list. Went here to load up for a couple of days at the beach and ended up having a bunch of samplers with some buddies. Prices are kind of high as most of their stuff are these high priced NEIPA tall cans that everyone is selling these days, but that may be more a reflection of the breweries than the store. Lots of good stuff on tap, all available on 4oz. Was pretty empty in here on a Tuesday afternoon at lunchtime. Friendly service. Nice open, airy place. Good mixture of styles as well, not just an IPA store.“ |
| 82 /100 Bottlecraft (Beer Store) 2252 INDIA ST “Small bottle shop with awesome selection of hard to find and rare stuff, with local favorites and fun stuff on tap too. Bonus, there is a cheese shop inside that is freaking amazing. Double bonus, they have lots of awesome brown liquor too.“ |
| 74 /100 4542 30TH ST “Fall Brewery was my first stop in a recent North Park tour. (Take the No.2 bus) It offers an amiable vibe: plenty of space in the front with lots of natural light. You order one of their many great beers from the bar and take a stool by the open window, where you look out onto 30th Street and ponder your next stop.
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| 78 /100 1441 L ST “Located in a massive warehouse (once storing Wonder Bread) in the East Village district, Mission is a wonderful place to quaff some great crafts. Step up to the huge and well-worn bar and try 20 taps. You can get a full pint, a half-pint or a taster of a wide variety of styles: light or dark, hoppy or malty, low abv or high. Great selection that satisfies all. You can check out the brewing tanks on your way to the bathroom. I would definitely call Mission Brewery, a MUST visit. I enjoyed the following: Mission IPA, Citra Session, Shipwrecked IPA (and a Grapefruit Shipwrecked), a yummy porter and their Dark Seas RIS.
Your mission, if you choose to accept it......
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| 78 /100 1202 KETTNER BLVD “There is something about this small store with taps and a few tables I liked. Probably, the in-your-face unpretentiousness that is obvious right off the bat. It is a small place, consisting of a small walk-up bar. There is a cooler stocked with Stone goodies, several shelves of Stone swag and a beautiful courtyard patio, where one can sip a Stone brew beneath a tree. It is located in a non-descript building, which is a few steps north of the San Diego Amtrak station - and a short stroll from Little Italy.
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| 76 /100 3665 N HARBOR DR, TERMINAL 2 “A Stone Brewing venue at the airport? Only in San Diego! And not just some cheap knock-up that sells microwaved food with plastic forks; this is the real deal: marble-top bar, comfortable chairs, a decent selection of Stone taps, and a real kitchen serving real hot food. While I would never make a trip to drink at the airport, this makes any layover a worthy event. Great service as well. It is in Terminal Two, past the security checkpoint.
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| 82 /100 3000 UPAS ST, STE 102 “Not to be confused with the Point Loma brewery, the North Park Flavordome is a storefront operation that has a hipster vibe; it is of moderate size, there is some upholstered furniture, some communal tables outside, a number of tables and high tops with a rather small L-shaped bar, where you can slake your thirst with 20 taps of MT goodness. They offer three serving sizes and several tasty IPAs. Let me be honest, I really love this brewery. They serve no food, but there is a burger place next door. Look up and check out the lamp shades hanging from the ceiling. Why? Don't know.
You can take the No. 2 bus from downtown should you decide on a North Park pub crawl.“ |
| 72 /100 3052 EL CAJON BLVD, STE B “Located next door to Eppig (which was closed), and across El Cajon Boulevard from Tiger! Tiger!, Pariah has a somewhat hipster dive bar vibe to it; it is small and dark with a small bar and minimal seating - I grabbed a stool along the wall-counter (Is this a thing?). That said, their beers are superb and plentiful, with plenty of taps and several excellent IPAs.
Friendly service and some friendly hipsters made for a pleasant visit. You could include this in your North Park Beer Tour as Belching Beaver, Rip Current and Falls Brewery are all in stumbling distance - or jump on Bus No. 2. If you like IPAs, this is the place. Hope to hit their neighbor in a future visit.
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| 64 /100 SD Tap Room (Bar) 1269 GARNET AVE “Located several miles north in Pacific Beach, along the bar-choked Garnet Avenue, SD Tap Room is a popular sports bar-pub with an outstanding beer selection. About a half-mile from the beach, it makes for a superb stop during any San Diego Brew Haj, since all the beers are locally brewed. 50 taps available, including goodies from Stone, Modern Times, Green Flash, Alpine, Lost Abby, Alesmith and one of the Pizza Ports. Try to ignore the boisterous sports bar atmosphere and focus on the wonderful selection of crafts. After all, this is why you came.“ |
| 76 /100 3038 UNIVERSTITY AVE “Located off 30th Street, which itself makes a great crawl, North Park is a recent entry to this scene: it is a large venue with a long bar situated among a sleek and woody interior. Enjoyed several quality brews, such as the Ride the Tiger Double IPA, Burlingame Black Lager and three others, all served as full pours or tasters. Great food and service are a plus. Swanky padded bar stools - really chairs make for a comfortable place to hang out - but there are so many other places to hi“ |
| 74 /100 1157 COLUMBIA ST “Overwhelmed by choices during my recent San Diego Beer Week sojourn, I did not give much thought to Karl Strauss; however, an exhausting trip to the nearby Maritime Museum, as well as an overwhelming thirst, led me to this downtown venue. Located on a generic block, the building can be spotted immediately identified from the massive leaf drapery that festoons its’ façade. Thus began, my tenth stop of the trip.
Entering into the dimly lit interior, which has plenty of wood décor, can be found in any other restaurant in the city, I found a seat at the sparsely populated bar and was greeted by the cheerful and very exuberant 14-year old server (she was young, to say the least, but certainly not a pre-teen).
Karl Strauss offers a wide range of brews; during my lunchtime visit, I was proffered with their Red Trolley Ale, Tower 10 IPA, Pintail Ale, and yet-to-be-named amber taken directly from the fermenting tank. While the beers cannot be compared to many of the local hop bombs, the beers here were pleasing and good accompaniment to the big and juicy cheddar burger.
A pleasant experience nonetheless: decent beer, hearty chow, a friendly server who was liberal with samplers and another day in America’s favorite beer city.
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| 68 /100 4101 30TH ST “Another stop on my North Park crawl, a strenuous trek requiring plenty of beer. Rip Current is a comfortable tasting room not to far from the Belching Beaver. Nice vibe along with some tasty crafts - I tried a taster then jumped on Bus No 2 to continue my journey.
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| 70 /100 3812 GRIM AVE “This was another segment of a recent North Park crawl. Located a few blocks east of 30th Street (No. 2 bus), this location offers a friendly vibe in an open room. There is a small bar where you order the brews - I chose several tasters, which include a free glass. Excellent beer, decent service and a comfortable atmosphere. But don't linger, since there are many other places to visit, including North Park Brewing, which is around the corner.
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| 84 /100 903 ISLAND AVE “Half Door is a recent entry to San Diego's magnificent beer scene. Located in a regular two-story clapboard house, a few blocks east of the touristy GasLight District, this place is a sheer delight. First, the building itself: an inviting house with a large terrace for outdoor dining and drinking and an upstairs balcony for the same. Inside, there is a well-polished bar amid a woody Victorian décor and bric-a-brac - and, of course, there is an actual half-door. There are about a dozen house beers along with a few guest, such as Monkey's Paw. The beers are very good (I heartily recommend the Coleman Dry Stout). Excellent service and a menu loaded with delicious food (I recommend the sausage mac-n-cheese.)
Half-Door should be included in any Gaslight/East Village crawl - it is a few blocks from Mission Brewery, another great venue that I have reviewed recently. Hey, check them both out!
UPDATE: Returned for lunch during a November 2019 visit. Still a great place with delicious food - I had the Pork Belly hash, this time.
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| 76 /100 4223 30TH ST “Not to be confused with the actual brewery, this rustic little venue is the North Park location. Any trip to San Diego MUST include a venture to this neighborhood - Take the No. 2 Bus from downtown. Belching Beaver - North Park is perfectly situated between Rip Current's North Park tap house and El Cajon Boulevard, where you'll find Eppig, Pariah, Barn and Tiger! Tiger!, the latter being just around the corner. There is somewhat of a hipster scene: man-buns, tattoos and your general lay-abouts, all of whom are very amiable and just looking for reasonably priced brews. They offer about 30 taps of their own, and boast a goodly range of styles. (Plenty of IPAs, naturally.) There is a regular-sized bar accompanied by the ubiquitous plastic stools. There are several tables, few of which are along the large windows looking out onto bustling 30th Street, where the No. 2 will pass to take you to your next stop.
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| 68 /100 Blind Lady Ale House (Bar) 3416 ADAMS AVE “Walking through the front doors and into the rustic dining area, you face a small serving bar, where house beers (and local crafts) are poured for the thirsty patrons who have gathered with families and friends as well as locals and strangers enjoying their brews and bites at rows of communal tables. Incidentally, if you are ever curious as to where to find the noisiest brats in San Diego, then search no further than this particular room.
Much like other San Diego’s beer venues, there is no table service, so you will need to go to the aforementioned bar and order the aforementioned brews and bites, the latter including some tasty salami pizza along with some pricey charcuterie: this, a fancy word for sausage and cheese platter. I got a chance to quaff their very decent Equal Rye along with an interesting Humulus Lager from friendly competitor Bruery. The beers here are fresh, well crafted and well poured. Well, one problem here at BLAH was the generally long line that resulted from the one server who seemed to spend more time checking IDs of fat Mexican chicks than pouring beers for us “thirsty patrons.”“ |
| 78 /100 2215 INDIA ST “While beer is not actually brewed on-site, this is a tasting room-restaurant located in Little Italy: the venue is a large room with plenty of space to eat, drink and schmooze. The large L-shape bar is the center here; above the bar is the currently changing draft listing of delicious (30+) Ballast Point brews. Of the many breweries in San Diego, I consider BP one of the best. There is food available, but no table service (it can be ordered at the bar, however.)
Great service, excellent grub and some superlative beer (at decent prices) in a fun atmosphere makes BP a must stop for anyone on a San Diego beercation. I recommend the following beers: Piper Down Scottish Ale, Black Martin Porter, Double Dorado IPA and a wonderful stout that goes by the name of The Commodore.
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| 78 /100 2816 HISTORIC DECATUR RD, #116 “Welcome to the Disney World of beer! Located in Point Loma (on the other side of the harbor), Stone Brewing World Bistro is part of the Liberty Station retail complex. It was once a naval base; now, it is a destination all in itself (even without the illustrious Stone presence). Upon entry, you have a decision to make, since this venue is a massive sprawl. Do I sit outside on the patio and enjoy the beautiful San Diego sun? Do I grab a table in the immense dining area? I chose to make my way into the rustic indoor bar area. At the tie of my (lunchtime) visit, they had about 18 Stone crafts on tap. You can never go wrong with Stone. The menu is very eclectic and goes above and beyond the pub grub scene. I tried a hearty dish of yakisoba, a Japanese version of stir fry. Delicious!“ |
| 90 /100 903 ISLAND AVE “Found this great brewpub on rate beer wandering in the gas lamp quarter. Liked it so much went back for dinner the next day. Staff shirts say “ where the west coast meets the Emerald Isle “. The beers are good to excellent the food is solid the staff are really very engaging. It’s a low key feel, really great place to have a few.“ |
| 66 /100 Rose's Tasting Room (Beer Store) 2754 CALHOUN STREET “Randomly found this place while shopping in Old Town. Small bar area, with a lot of latin decor. The bartender was very friendly and knew his beers. Only 10 taps, but they are all local and interesting. Unfortunately, 5 oz. samples are $4, which is a little hefty. Fun little stop, if you're in the area.“ |
| 74 /100 Donut Bar (Bar) 631 B STREET “Small bar that happened to be near our hotel. Just a little donut shop, but with an eclectic vibe and a little bar on the side. The servers are friendly and helpful. The beer list is startlingly good. While the donuts are the highlight, the beer is a great addition. Fun spot, and recommended for Friday night munchies or a breakfast beer.“ |
| 78 /100 1956 BACON ST “Rather uninspiring exterior, a block or so away from the main street. Inside, though, is a friendly looking surf shack vibe. Picnic tables and bar tables, and nice patio. The bartender was friendly and helpful, and was juggling a busy afternoon pretty well. Great spread of beers, mostly their own, but with some good guest options too. The flight is four 3 oz. pours, which is a little weak, but since I favored higher ABV stuff, it worked out. The pizza looked tasty, but we didn't have any of the food. Great spot in an awesome neighborhood. Worth the visit.“ |
| 74 /100 3052 EL CAJON BLVD, STE B “Kinda hard to spot from the road, but they at least have dedicated parking, which is nice. Small, dark taproom, with a lot of purple highlights, which is an odd touch. The wallpapering of random old book pages is entertaining. As to what previous reviewers said, I found no evidence of Eppig here, so they appear to have the taproom to themselves now. The bartender was friendly and helpful, and was enthusiastic about the tap list. IPA heavy list, but some quality stuff on. Quality place, and a fun spot to hang out.“ |
| 56 /100 Blue Water Seafood Market & Grill (Restaurant) 3667 INDIA STREET “Nice restaurant and patio area. Pretty crowded, but that's understandable. The servers are overworked and don't care about the beer list, but again - that's understandable. Six quality local taps, plus some cans and bottles. The food, of course, is fantastic. Best fish tacos I've ever had, easily. Visit this place, not for the beer but for the food. It's nice that I could get a nice IPA to go with it, though.“ |
| 90 /100 9990 ALESMITH CT “Huge taproom off the highway in Miramar. Didn't visit it, but the patio looked inviting. Massive bar area, and interesting, modern styling. The anvil and stave is a cozy space in the back, and well worth the visit. The bartenders, both at the main bar and in the back, were friendly and knowledgeable. Fantastic selection of their beers, which is to be expected. All the flagships, plus tons of one-offs, rarities, and seasonals. The barrel aged stuff is not to be missed, either. The prices are not too high, and I appreciated the 1.5 oz. pours in the barrel room, to keep the cost of sampling down and to increase the number I could try in one sitting. Absolute blast of a place to visit.“ |
| 80 /100 1956 BACON ST “Old school surf shack vibe with beer hall style long tables inside and a little bit of exterior patio seating. I suggest sitting at the bar or the patio seating because the picnic table area starts to feel like a Chuck-E-Cheese with all the kids running around after a while, and carpet in a restaurant is kind of gross. Service is counter style help yourself, but the bartender knew his stiff and was solid. Selection was impressive, like 30 taps that were all very solid picks, with at least two thirds their own beer. Pizza was great, well done and tasty, definitely worth a stop as it is an OG for San Diego.“ |
| 84 /100 1985 NATIONAL AVE, STE. 1115 “A large open brewery and pub located in a new development in Barrio Logan. The brew tanks have names like Plato and Socrates, even Uncle Bob. I really enjoyed the beers, very well made, particularly everything that was not hazy. I did not try any food but it looked good. Plenty of lucha libre vibe going on too.“ |
| 82 /100 2865 5TH AVE “A new spot in a busy area of San Diego, full of hipsters. The service took a while but was friendly and helpful when available. Seating was ample but challenging at times as the place filled. Only snack options for food.“ |
| 80 /100 4202 SORRENTO VALLEY BLVD “A quaint garage space full of barrelled beer sitting on various fruits awaiting its turn at the tap and/or bottle. There is ample seating for a quiet, reflective session of sour ales. Wonderful service from the owner.“ |
| 84 /100 Whole Foods Market - Hillcrest (Grocery Store) 711 UNIVERSITY AVE “13-OCT-2019, visited with the family.
Fine Whole Foods with lots of 4-, and 6-packs. Not that many single bottles unfortunately. But hey, I love Whole Foods and this has a fine selection.“ |
