Beer Bars in San Diego
It's Time For A Beer Crawl
Tuesday, October 16, 2007 by Greg Wynn
From nationwide chains to your local neighborhood San Diego pub, the popularity of San Diego beer bars is on the rise. In any major US city you can find at least a handful of these bars which feature the only thing that a man really needs to live (besides sex)… the only reason for professional sports’ extreme popularity… and the cause of and answer to all of life’s dilemmas… Beer!
With the dramatic growth of bars in San Diego and restaurants in San Diego over the past decade, there is an ever present demand in every SD community for a bar where locals can meet for a homegrown pint of beer. San Diego’s growing service economy has also spawned a number of great local San Diego breweries. But whether your favorite joint is a brewery, brew pub, or beer bar, you’re not truly a local until you’ve hit all of these Boozesandiego.com favorites. Cheers!
Located in Mission Valley, this enormous San Diego brew pub is at first glance quite intimidating because it tends to be slam-packed busy and roaring with noise on any given night of the week. But although the beer selection is somewhat modest, Gordon Biersch Mission Valley houses some of the tastiest beers in San Diego bars. Being a national chain restaurant, this brew pub can likely be a target for tourists, especially when the Chargers are playing at Qualcom, just up the road. When dining, be sure to ask the server for recommendations on food as well as on their fantastic seasonal beers. My advice on food is to stick with ordering burgers because they never disappoint and will always be the perfect compliment to a pint.
This Solana Beach Brew Pub is known for having some of the best pizza in all of the bars in San Diego County. This joint also boasts a great selection of about 20 California beers, about half of which are of Pizza Port’s own creation. With two other sunny CA locations (Carlsbad & San Clemente) and picnic-table outside seating, Pizza Port in Solana Beach is the perfect place to have a local brew in a friendly environment.
With nearly 100 bars in Downtown San Diego, many bars are bound to sink and only a few will rise to the top. Rock Bottom San Diego has a simple formula that keeps it afloat in a highly competitive neighborhood. With just one of each type of beer (totaling about 8) on tap, excellent food, and a rather nice sports bar, Rock Bottom in Downtown San Diego is bound to be a staple in the Gaslamp Quarter night life. The only drawback to this joint is the regular, restaurant-style service resulting in servers who are not educated in the beers they are serving. Bring your own beer knowledge to really enjoy this San Diego bar.
Don’t let the looks of this retro-dive bar in San Diego deceive you, because it is known to be the best beer bar in San Diego. The talented and highly educated staff of the Liars Club can appease even the snootiest of “beer snobs” with their expertise in beer and ale. This Mission Beach beer bar features a worldwide selection of tap and bottled beer with many local microbrews to choose from. But don’t bother asking for a commercial beer because the Liar’s Club will not carry it, but they will be able to recommend something similar if not better. With a delicious spin on typical bar food, local brews for $3, and $2 pint happy hours make this San Diego beer bar a local favorite.
A first glance at this ever-popular chain restaurant bar in San Diego will reveal a large food menu and an unparalleled beer menu. The Yard House in Downtown San Diego has over 100 beers on tap, many of which are familiar to any beer drinker. It is recommended to try happy hour because the prices can be slightly higher than nearby beer bars and you won’t be able to have just one beer in this joint. But, locals, be aware that The Yard House in San San Diego is well known by tourists and turns into a nightclub on weekend evenings.
New to the Pacific Beach bars on Garnet, the Tap Room may be the most local-friendly beer bar at the beach. This joint is a classy San Diego sports bar with over 30 local taps all at very reasonable prices (most pints $4). The wait staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the pizza is already well known around the neighborhood. Drinking $11 pitchers at happy hour and gazing at walls covered in images and “keg shrines” of local breweries is enough to make any San Diego local feel pride in their beach community.
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