San Diego beer places

I'm heading down to San Diego area this weekend to visit a few breweries, but also want to stop by some good beer bars or gastropubs. Any recommendations?

There are few threds on this.To answer your question though toranado and hamiltons are good.Plus the area has a crap load of good bars.

andreiz said:

I'm heading down to San Diego area this weekend to visit a few breweries, but also want to stop by some good beer bars or gastropubs. Any recommendations?

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If hoppy beers are your choice, do not miss out the Stone brewery and gardens in Escondido. Karl Strauss has a nice brewery downtown and several nice beer gardens.

Luckily you are also coming during the San Diego beer weekend. Check out the events here: http://sdbw.org/events/

SD native here.

I would recommend Obriens on Convoy if you want a solid selection of local taps and a wide variety of bottles from around the world. Lots of Belgians.

Toranado and Hamiltons are great stops as well. In that area, I would add Blind Lady Ale House as well.

As far as breweries go, if you travel to Stone, might as well make a day of it and hit up Green Flash as they are near each other.

San Diego Brewing Company on Friars Rd. Unfortunately, the brewer's signature beer (Hopnotic Double IPA) won't be on tap until Friday, but he has a new summer IPA on called Parrothead that I strongly recommend. (ETA - if you will be there this weekend then you won't miss Hopnotic. I tasted it yesterday out of the fermenter and it's pretty damn good...)
The food is pretty decent as well.

Also:

Ballast Point in Scripps Ranch off Carrol Canyon Rd.
AleSmith off Miramar Rd. (limited tasting schedule - check the website)
and of course, Stone in Escondido. NOT TO BE MISSED!!

Hamltons, Blind Lady Ale House, San Diego Brewing Company, the Linkery. all of these places are fantastic, also, stone's beer gardens.

I don't know that they have the best beer, but Coronado Brewing Company Diablo shrimp dish is amazing.

hoaxci5 said:

I don't know that they have the best beer, but Coronado Brewing Company Diablo shrimp dish is amazing.

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Coronado has VERY good beer, I forgot to mention them. Islander is one of the best IPAs in San Diego... hell, anywhere.

If you plan on having a few there though, be careful. (Be careful anywhere, of course - DUI is stupid) The police around there are aggressive, to say the very least, and CBC is one of their favorite places, if you know what I mean. Just sayin'.

andreiz said:

I'm heading down to San Diego area this weekend to visit a few breweries, but also want to stop by some good beer bars or gastropubs. Any recommendations?

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When exactly will you be here, and what is your preference in beer styles?

Depending on the answer to carne's question I concur that Stone is worth a stop, I travel to SD on occasion and make the ~40 minute drive up there for dinner multiple times in a week long trip.

Some have complained the portions shrunk from days gone by, not sure if they did, but the portion sizes seem adequate for me.